Universidad Latina de Panamá
Translation Workshop
Test#1
Name: Xuebing Ou I.D: G52077874
1. According to the book Spanish-English Translation and your experience in the course,
write an essay discussing the main points that any translator must take into account in
order to make a reliable translation. Support your points with examples. Your essay must
have at least 600 words.
Notes on Translation
Translation is the art of transmitting a message from one language to another. To be a translator,
perhaps the best thing to do is start by defining what Translation is. Translation is the activity that
consists of understanding the meaning of a text in one language, called Source Language (SL) to
produce a text with equivalent meaning, in another language, called Target Language (TL). The
result of this activity, the translated text, is also called translation. Moreover, the text requiring
translation is called Source text (ST), and the text that is a translation of the Source text is called
Target text (TT). According to the book Spanish-English Translation, there are some main points
that the translator must take into account in order to make a reliable translation.
First, in a translation course, it is important for the translator must understand the meaning of the
source text(ST), to obtain a target text (TT) with equivalent meaning; that is, it consists in
transferring the meaning of language from one language to another and the meaning (intention)
intended by the author. If the translator does not understand what he is translating, he could not
do a good job.
Second, translation strategies, when translating, we must differentiate the types of discourse,
identify structures, differentiate main and secondary ideas, apply logical reasoning, etc. In
addition, we must analyze if they are verbal or non-verbal, and internal or external procedures.
Third, techniques and method for translation. When translating, it has to be noted that sometimes
it can be translate literally, coincide exactly for example:
La manzana está sobre la mesa. // The apple is on the table.
Sometimes, it is common when translating it is necessary to omit or add words or groups of words
to preserve the idea of the source text (ST), for example:
Tuvo dificultad en arreglar el viaje. // He found it difficult to arrange for the trip. (When
translating to English, the words “He found" are added)
He was beaten to death. // Fue golpeado hasta caer muerto. (When translating to
Spanish, the word "He" is omited and the words " hasta caer" are added)
In all the words, we must consider their morphology and syntax, analyze whether the sentence is
transitive, has an agent subject, is copulative, etc.
Forth, translation involves not just a transfer of information between two languages, but a transfer
from one culture to another. Therefore, we must clarify that apart from techniques we must take
into account the culture, space and time of both languages in question. For example:
Esta prueba es un pan caliente. // This test is a piece of cake. // This test is easy. (we know that the
word " pan caliente" meams easy in this sentence, so we can tranlsate it in both, but we never
translate it as "hot bread" )
The translation focuses on the written expression of a certain text in a source language to a target
language, maintaining at all the meaning of the source text and everything that cultural codes
entail. Between the two of literal and free translation, translators must use their own judgement
about when communicative translation is appropriate.
Nowadays, with the demands and the development of the discipline has had, translators must
develop different additional aspects - skills and attitudes - professional, which allow them to offer
more services and better quality and thus enhance their chances of successfully entering the
market. As a translator, we must be in constant training. Translation is something we learn, but
we cannot improvise and try to be a translator overnight.
