Coursework: Theoretical Skills
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Table of Contents
Intro
Like many disciplines, the theoretical adepts and practical adepts don’t always have the best relationship. One of the reasons I refused to go into a PhD after finishing my Masters was that I wanted to develop a more in-depth, practical appreciation of the industry before I started writing papers based solely on theoretical exercises and second-hand accounts (also, I’ve spent almost 10 years in academics by this point despite my various detours—I’m tired).
That being said, my appreciation for translation as an art had already shifted by leaps and bounds in the four months I’d so far spent in the course, and these further two months helped build a more solid foundation for me after having broken down my previous attitude where fidelity came at the expense of readability.
I’ve also found that theory, although it can go on some amazing, philosophical detours, is especially useful for putting into words things that translators end up doing anyway. This assignment, in a way, was designed for us to break down a process which might, in some cases, take 30 seconds of consideration. And here I wrote around 4000 words…
So, baking?
I changed things up this time and picked out a recipe from a German vegan and baking blog called “Glücksgenuss”. Although I don’t have any dietary restrictions myself, my time living in Germany was often spent without meat and milk, either because of vegan and vegetarian housemates/friends, a period where I was thoroughly lactose-intolerant (still don’t know why) or just…poor.
In addition, I am an avid baker. Similar to Daniella who writes the blog, I’ve been involved in the kitchen since I was old enough to stand on a stool and crumble dried stock into a pot. As an adult, I regularly experiment in the kitchen, finding and adapting recipes before writing my creations up (maybe I’ll do a cookbook one day?). Although I am not a chef, I’m a damned good home-cook, so translating recipes is right up my alley.
The particular recipe I chose was a shared venture, a “recipe with a story” where Daniela hosted another baker on her blog to write both a recipe and an accompanying anecdote. Daniela at the time also ran an ingredients/wine shop (from memory) although revisiting the page, she seems to no longer promote that venture, although she has brough out a winter cookbook. Sara, likewise, ran a vegan/vegetarian magazine, and so like many blogs on the internet, there is a certain level of self-promotion involved, targeted at retaining “pass-through” traffic (he says, fully cognisant that he is doing the same stunt with his own blog).
Task
This time, the translation wasn’t the focus (although I did translate the article behind the scenes). Instead, the focus was on text analysis or how one prepares to translate. Similar to the Translating for Business module, the idea was to keep the brief in mind and assess how you would respond to it, creating a “global strategy” for your translation that you may or may not follow to the letter throughout the process.
This particular essay was looking at how you define this strategy, how you then follow the strategy and what challenges you would face or exceptions you would make. Christiane Nord’s functionalist approach to translation was a mainstay of Birmingham’s Translation Studies course, so partly through my own volition, and partly through my official training, it was a primarily functionalist approach that I took.
To break it down simply, you look at the source text and its “environment” as one might describe it, and then you look at your target text and the environment you expect it to go into and you ask yourself, aside from the obvious, what differences are there between the two texts? Why was the original produced, why is it being translated? What are the differences/similarities between the audiences, their backgrounds (not just cultural, but social, geographical, etc)? Is the medium the same? Is the mode of publication the same? What about time, place and so on and so forth…
Detour
A big part of functionalism is looking at the reason you are translating a text (which makes it a very pragmatic view of translation).
For example, if you want the target text to do the exact same thing as the source text, you then have to allow for the fact that their respective audiences are different, and will respond differently to the text. You may then have to choose your words or formulate the grammar in the English text so that an English audience will respond the same way as the German (this often affects things such as the structure of information, the familiarity with which you approach your audience, and the register or level of complexity of your words).
We also studied a couple of extreme examples of this. In particular, although I’ve now forgotten the exact name of the work, there was a French piece of feminist literature where the main plot point revolved around a particular misogynistic act, but that this act was so culture-bound that it had to be changed and, subsequently, a large part of the translation had to be rewritten so that the overarching message of the work remained intact.
The only way that decision can be made is by understanding just why that translation is being done. If it was just to translate a popular novel, galvanising message be damned, none of the extra steps would have been necessary—perhaps there would have been some extra translator’s notes to explain the cultural nuances. In this case, the translator and author worked together very closely to create a version of the story that would speak to an English audience.
And we’re back
Not all of these environmental factors will actually make a difference, and some of the answers to the questions I posed above might mean you have to prioritise one factor over another lest they get in eachother’s way. However, being able to justify that list of priorities and have reasons in the bank for your translation decisions is important when working on any text so that you can keep clear communication with your clients and colleagues.
That was ultimately the point of this task, even if that sounds like a lot of work to do for a recipe blog barely 1000 words long. Most of the time, the translator will consider these things in their head, and I can assure you that I won’t be typing an essay for each translation project I do (although the length of these portfolio entries are suspect). The point is, you understand the assignment and can prove it if asked.
Of course, the essay goes into some more of the philosophical aspects of the decision, too. In a way, translation is a lot like the “Granddad’s Hammer” metaphor—how many changes do you make until its no longer Granddad’s hammer? There is also the fear, when moving between cultures, that you misrepresent or appropriate a culture to its own detriment.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I have no answers. Such considerations depend heavily on the circumstances and the perspectives of the people viewing them. In the essay, however, I do attack the trend of such scholars who do try to offer answers of focussing too hard on creating binary scales, either-or equations or black-and-white modes of thinking to solve such heavy problems, where some flexible shades of grey would happily suffice (and, in practical translation, do).
After all, I’m translating a recipe blog, not representing the entirety of German culture by how I choose to translate the concept of little packets of vanilla-infused sugar (whereas I, scandalously in the eyes of a few Germans I know, would use vanilla essence).
(If you have nothing better to do, you can access the PDF of this essay here).
Image credit: myself
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