The concept and types of translations is a rather extensive and interesting topic. In addition to being classified into oral and written, they differ in genre. For example, artistic, legal or scientific. However, translation can be carried out not only in relation to writing or speech - this term is also used for some labor processes.
Definition
Translation is the activity of transforming speech or text from one language into another. Today, this branch of linguistics plays an important role in almost all spheres of society.
Translation is a complex process. It is necessary to understand the features of a foreign language in order to accurately convey the meaning of the original. Sometimes it is almost impossible to find words for translation. For example, there is no equivalent to the terms "perestroika" or "communal", because they are quite unique and specific. These words refer to a certain period in the history of Russia, namely the times of the Soviet Union. Often such difficultiesoccur in the artistic form of translation into Russian or vice versa, from Russian into any other language.
As a result of this, a controversial question arises: “What is the best way to work with the original?” Should translators literally rethink the text, transparently and down to the smallest detail? Or is it still better for them to stick to the atmosphere of the work / text as the main criterion? In resolving these disputes, one can only focus on established standards and indicators: accuracy and quality, conveyance of meaning.
Main types and forms of translation
Modern philology of foreign languages distinguishes texts by genre, style and other categories, there are quite a lot of them. Consider the most common types. Transfers are classified by:
- in the form of presentation: written and oral;
- by genre: artistic, technical, legal, scientific;
- by methods: machine (automatic) and professional (manual).
Written
This direction is one of the most common. Many bureaus are engaged in written translation from language to language, that is, from English to Japanese, from French to Estonian, and so on. It is also called visual. Why? The material is first perceived visually, and then translated and recorded on paper or electronically.
When writing with text, you can and should use various sources. They help to find a more accurate equivalent of words. Perhaps this is the main task of the translator - notjust mechanically remake, but also make it understandable for perception. Therefore, it is very important for linguists to understand the terminology, to understand the subject and essence of the original text.
Translators come to the rescue:
- dictionaries - both electronic and paper;
- guides;
- translation programs;
- editing and processing skills.
The use of additional sources of information allows you to qualitatively transform the text and make it the most equivalent to the original.
Oral
If the written form of translation implies a certain analysis of the text, structuring, matching of elements - in general, they will be performed without much haste, then the oral one needs to be "processed" instantly. Therefore, the transformation of speech is usually not distinguished by the accuracy of the wording and the elegance of the phrases.
In addition to the requirement to be fluent in a foreign language (at the level of a native speaker), for the oral form you need to have some psychological skills. This is the ability to react quickly, to be constantly in a state of readiness. After all, everything is limited by time frames, and there is practically no time to think. Within a short period of time, the interpreter must clearly understand what is being said and quickly find the necessary equivalent. Therefore, large international institutions, such as the UN, take this into account. Their employees never work simultaneously with verbal and textual types of language "conversions".
What can help with oral translation? First of all, it is facial expressions, gesturesand other external factors. In many ways, they help to understand information and quickly draw syntactic links.
Subtypes of oral form
Among the verbal or verbal forms of translation stand out:
- sequential;
- synchronous.
Sequential broadcasting of speech is done in the interval between the speaker's pauses. It is usually limited to a phrase or paragraph, that is, about five sentences. For example, the speaker says a phrase and pauses, during which the interpreter interprets his speech.
This form is used for small events where you can make a speech in a relatively calm environment. It can be business meetings, tete-a-tete negotiations. The advantage of this type of translation is a more accurate understanding of the essence of the conversation.
The synchronous form is the most difficult - both physically and psychologically. Interpreting is already a complex activity that requires a quick response. However, with synchronized speech, you need to speak almost simultaneously with the speaker. The allowable interval is no more than 2-4 seconds.
For simultaneous broadcasting of speech, special equipment is usually used and soundproof booths are installed in which simultaneous interpreters sit. Such forms of translation are used for large events with a clearly defined schedule that does not allow deviations. There must be at least two or three synchronizers on them.
In the simultaneous transmission of speech, the technique of "whispering" is also widely used. How is it carried out? Translator in modein real time, that is, immediately, transmits to the participant of the event or meeting what they are saying. This saves time and creates the effect of direct dialogue.
From the sheet and by ear
In addition to the above forms, interpretation can be broadcast from sight. A person first reads a text in a foreign language, then immediately translates it. Of course, this is done without preparation.
And vice versa - from the information perceived by ear, the translator writes down what he heard on a sheet or in a notebook. This type is more used as an exercise, for example, as an oral dictation. In the Unified State Exam in English there is a part "Listening". The recording you want to listen to is played first. Then the students answer questions on the merits of the material heard.
Artistic
Translation of prose, poetry or a poem is artistic. You could say it's some kind of art. A translator of literary works must not only know the original language well, but also have a gift for writing. He needs to understand the artistic intent of the author in order to convey the idea and essence of the original text.
In literature, the main role is played by the aesthetic function, as well as the task of influencing readers. Artistic texts are divided into genres: poems, short stories, stories, novels. Each of them has its own specifics and features. The main task of the translator in this area is to convey the aesthetics of the work, its atmosphere.
Technical
Today, many companies need this type of translation. It requires indispensable skills and knowledge of the industry, and accuracy here is an extremely important factor. A technical text is, for example, an instruction manual, diagrams, regulations for installing pipes, and other industrial equipment. Or very important documents in the field of innovative technologies, the oil industry.
The quality of technically oriented text is one of the key requirements. Translators need to work closely with additional sources of information, have a well-formed database of terms and definitions. Technical or engineering education, in addition to philological, is a good advantage. And often a mandatory requirement.
As for style and design, the basis of technical translation is the accuracy of information transfer. Emotionality is not required here, as for literary texts. Technical documentation designs tend to be structured, impersonal, and often use passive phrases.
Legal
Which criteria are the most significant here? The text must be clear and authentic. The consequences of inaccurate interpretation of words can be very serious, up to litigation. Everything related to the legal branch of knowledge is the object of this type of translation: documents, contracts, laws, and so on.
The legal sphere has its own peculiarity. It lies in the fact that in each country documents are made according to different templates. This is due to the peculiarities of the statedevice, political regime, culture and customs.
Texts of the legal industry are standardized and have clear wording. For example, contracts, agreements, certificates - they are all made according to certain standard samples. A very important requisite for the work of lawyers-translators are special dictionaries, reference systems with a regulatory framework. Somewhat simplifies the work with texts in this area that the terminology of documents is quite homogeneous and unified.
Scientific
What is related to this direction? Science is a branch of life that is responsible for development and innovation. Materials for translation include various reviews, works of scientists, dissertations, theses, and so on. Among the periodicals in this area, there are two subspecies:
- popular science publications;
- professional-oriented articles and magazines.
Research materials are characterized by the presence of logical connections, arguments, they are very consistent. An objective approach is the most appropriate for scientific texts. As a rule, they are mostly in written form. After all, reports, speeches, voiced at gatherings, conferences and symposiums are usually a pre-prepared text.
Machine
Machine translation is carried out with the help of computer programs. In most cases, written forms of text input are used here. However, progress does not stand still, and with the development of innovations, newdirections, such as voice translation or from a camera. Editing of the material after machine translation is carried out independently.
This type of conversion of texts from natural to source language is one of the most convenient. Especially if the memory of previously translated words is taken into account. This allows you to work faster with a large amount of information that often uses similar terms. For example, an article about business meetings is being translated. In the context of the material, the term meeting will mean "meeting / meeting" and not "rally" or "meeting". The program remembers this, and in the future it will substitute this particular version of the word.
Machine translation is often identified with automated translation. In principle, these are similar processes. However, auto-translation is more of an aid - the computer program simply suggests ways to interpret the words. It is based on:
- statistics;
- grammar.
Translation based on previously received data - these are popular online programs. They are used everywhere and built into almost any search engine: Google, Yandex. You can choose any type of translation: into English, into Russian, and so on. There are many variations. The grammatical approach for translation is used, for example, in the PROMT program.
Professional
This type of translation, in accordance with the name, is made by a person who has the skills and abilities to work with text in a foreign language. The specialist who performs it must have education in this area. Professional word processing has its pros and cons.
The advantage of this type of transfer is a high level of confidentiality. For example, when working with personal documents, certificates, with a computer, there are no guarantees that information will not be transferred to third parties. Also, a professional translation will certainly be more accurate and correct. The specialist understands the material, takes into account the details and adapts the text to the readers.
The disadvantage is that the source text will not be generated immediately. Even the fastest and best translator will not be able to process a voluminous document with, say, 20 pages of complex technical documentation in one day, without compromising the quality of the material. In addition, they charge a certain fee for the work, often quite substantial. It should be noted that when placing an order for a qualified translation, the customer pays not only for the automatic comparison of words with the source, but also for the subsequent editing.
Medical
One of the most demanded is the translation of medical documents. What does this have to do with it? This is specialized literature that deals with issues of people's he alth: various certificates, patient cards, instructions for medicines, commission conclusions and much more.
The most significant indicators in the translation of medical texts are, of course, confidentiality and accuracy. A specialist in this field must know the indicators of mass and volume, be able to convert them. For example, if there isthe need to adapt the dosage of foreign medicines to local units of measure.
Informative or summarizing
This process of processing a foreign text is the most difficult and time-consuming. The translator needs to make some summary text after studying the original, its retelling. To form a brief summary, you have to read the entire material, often very voluminous. It can be a long-term work of a scientist or a multi-page autobiographical novel.
The translator generates a brief summary of the content of the text, having previously studied it. How much material needs to be reduced is specified by the customer. Take, for example, an application for a summary of the work of a philosopher of ancient Rome with more than 800 pages. Write a summary of 250 pages is required.
To reduce text by more than three times, it is not enough just to redo the phrases. This requires analytical thinking, the ability to draw your own conclusions, while focusing on the original material. This activity can require a lot of effort and a huge investment of time.
Processing
During translation, the received text does not always come out perfectly. Often, after sending the finished material, the customer may not accept the work. Texts can also be checked by experts in linguistics and philology. Some may criticize, for example, too literal rendering of meaning, or vice versa, inaccurate translation.
During the stylistic processing, customers may ask to correct the material, remove unnecessary phrases or dilute them. If atext, such as a documentary, may be asked to exclude informal phrases. This process is called literary processing.
The translator creates a unified style by building logical connections across the text. The result should be high-quality material that conveys the meaning of the original well. But what if a word cannot be translated? Let's consider this question further.
Borrowings
During the translation process, specific terms can often come across. Sometimes foreign words are not transformed, but sound identical to the original. Borrowings contribute to the development of lexicology, as they form new terms and concepts. Depending on the donor language, they may be called Gallicisms (from French), Germanisms (from German) and so on.
Take the sports industry. The dictionary of lovers of this field of activity almost entirely consists of borrowings. For example, here are some terms on the topic of sports - types with translation in English:
- badminton – badminton;
- bobsled – bobsleigh;
- baseball - baseball;
- cycling;
- golf - golf;
- judo – judo;
- cricket - cricket;
- swimming - swimming;
- sailing - sailing.
The list above shows just how many adopted words there are in this industry. Most of these sports in translation from English do not change, that is, they are pronounced the same: bobsleigh, golf, cricket. Nevertheless, cycling, for example, in Russian means cycling, and swimming isswimming.
In general, English is one of the most common and popular languages for translation. After all, almost a quarter of the world's population speaks it. Many borrowed words from there, such as bestseller, glamour, jeans, login, impeachment, laptop, are an integral part of everyday speech.
What types of translation are there?
The use of this word is not limited to linguistics. Studying the translation, it can be noted that this term is used in various fields of activity. When solving personnel issues, managers often face it. In accordance with the legislation of Russia, the concept and types of transfer are also used in the employment and labor industry. At work, the transfer can be:
- permanent;
- temporary.
As a rule, the employer can finally change the labor functions of employees only with their written consent. It is usually presented in the form of an application. A transfer is called permanent if an employee is assigned to another position within the same organization. Or in cases where he continues to fulfill his labor obligations, but in a different area.
Also permanent is the transfer when a person moves to another institution. A feature of this type is that the employer must agree to this. If it is not achieved, the employee may resign of his own free will and take shape in another organization. However, this will no longer be considered a transfer.
What kind of movements are considered temporary? In accordance with the Russian labor code,an employee may be appointed to another position for a certain period of time or be removed from it. Such cases occur, for example, in case of force majeure - accidents at work or natural disasters.
Temporary workplace may be provided in the absence of the main employee. For example, during maternity leave. Fixed-term employment contracts also fall under the category of temporary transfers, as they are concluded for a certain period, usually no more than a year.
Results
In this article, the main types of translation were considered. According to the form of presentation, they are speech (oral) and written. What is their difference?
If written translation allows you to work armed with informational materials - abstracts, a dictionary, then an almost instant response is necessary for the oral form. In real time, external factors are the main ones: facial expression, speaker's facial expressions, intonation and timbre of voice.
There are various translations according to genres: literary, legal, technical and others. They also have their own specifics. The processing of technical or legal documents, due to their complexity, often requires an appropriate education.
According to the methods, translations are carried out through computers or professionally (manually). The machine method allows you to save time on printing, filtering the same type of terms. Qualified is safer and more accurate, as it is performed by translators. They carry out layout and editing, respectively, the text does not require further editing.processing.
