Lesson 6

P20116 : Problems in Translation

This lesson talks about the various problems encountered by a translator. It lists the different types of translations and discusses the problems peculiar to each of these. In the 20th century, translation grew into a serious discipline and the combined efforts of experts in this field resulted in the formulation of theories concerning translation and problems in translation.

    Literary texts pose a major challenge to translators as it is often difficult to capture the beauty and style of the original. This is especially true in the case of poetry where the translator has to take into account various features such as prosody, rhyme, imagery, figures of speech etc. In the translation of scientific texts, accuracy and clarity are very important. Subject - specific words, scientific jargon and technical terms are often difficult to translate. In such cases the translator resorts to transliteration and includes footnotes to explain them. Translation of legal texts requires an in depth knowledge of law. Here too accuracy and clarity are important. Apart from these the translator must also possess the ability to coin new terms in the target language. Sometimes when translation of certain legal terms is not possible the translator can transliterate them and later provide footnotes.

    The lesson also discusses common problems that arise in other kinds of translation such as translation for the media, translation of advertisements, translation of technical terms, translation of speeches, translation of political texts and translation of idiomatic expressions and proverbs.