FIT Translation Theory & Methodology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS), the 'polysystem theory' proposed by Itamar Even-Zohar holds that:
- Translation must always reflect the target language's dominant literary norms
- Translated literature occupies a position within the larger literary and cultural polysystem of the target culture (Correct answer)
- Every language system contains identical deep structures that enable translation
- Professional translators form an independent social polysystem
Correct answer: Translated literature occupies a position within the larger literary and cultural polysystem of the target culture
Even-Zohar's polysystem theory views translated literature as part of the target culture's network of literary systems, with its position varying as central or peripheral.
Question 2: Which situation calls for 'transposition' as a translation technique?
- Replacing a culture-specific item with a target-culture equivalent
- Changing the grammatical category of a word without altering the overall meaning (Correct answer)
- Expanding an implicit meaning that is culturally specific
- Translating an idiom with a different image that conveys the same idea
Correct answer: Changing the grammatical category of a word without altering the overall meaning
Transposition involves a shift in grammatical class (e.g., a noun in the source becomes a verb in the target) while preserving the semantic content.
Question 3: When a translator adds information to the target text that is not present in the source but is culturally necessary for comprehension, this is called:
- Compensation
- Amplification (or explicitation) (Correct answer)
- Modulation
- Calque
Correct answer: Amplification (or explicitation)
Amplification or explicitation introduces information implied in the source that must be made explicit for target-language readers unfamiliar with the source culture.
Question 4: The term 'equivalence' in translation theory is considered problematic by many scholars primarily because:
- It implies that only literal translations are valid
- It assumes a symmetry between languages and cultures that does not exist (Correct answer)
- It was coined before modern linguistics developed
- It only applies to written texts and excludes interpreting
Correct answer: It assumes a symmetry between languages and cultures that does not exist
Critics argue that equivalence implies a false symmetry, ignoring the structural and cultural differences between languages that make perfect correspondence impossible.
Question 5: A translator working on a pharmaceutical package insert must ensure the target text produces the same understanding in patients as the source. This priority aligns with:
- Formal equivalence
- Dynamic (functional) equivalence (Correct answer)
- Semantic translation
- Literal translation
Correct answer: Dynamic (functional) equivalence
Dynamic equivalence, as Nida defined it, seeks to produce in the target reader an effect equivalent to that produced by the source text on its original readers.
Question 6: In translation quality assessment, the 'House model' distinguishes between two types of translation: overt and covert. A 'covert translation' is one that:
- Is published without crediting the translator
- Is designed to function in the target culture as if it were originally written in the target language (Correct answer)
- Conceals changes made to the source text by the translator
- Uses footnotes to hide cultural adaptations from the reader
Correct answer: Is designed to function in the target culture as if it were originally written in the target language
Juliane House defines a covert translation as one that has the status of an original in the target culture because the source text was not addressed to a specific source-culture audience.
Question 7: Which of the following is a key principle of the 'manipulation school' in translation studies, associated with scholars like Theo Hermans?
- Translations should manipulate the source text as little as possible to preserve authorial intent
- All translations involve manipulation of source texts in service of target-culture ideological and poetic norms (Correct answer)
- Translators must only manipulate style, never content
- Manipulation is a sign of poor translation quality and should be minimized
Correct answer: All translations involve manipulation of source texts in service of target-culture ideological and poetic norms
The Manipulation School, named after Hermans' 1985 anthology 'The Manipulation of Literature,' holds that translations are always conditioned by target-culture norms and ideologies.
FIT Translation Theory & Methodology 3
In Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS), the 'polysystem theory' proposed by Itamar Even-Zohar holds that: