Gaza

Media Translation: Introduction

Translation is the process of transferring media materials from one language into another. Anything that is spoken or written can be translated: advertisements, news stories, articles, press releases, digital content etc....

This course focuses on translating news stories from English into Arabic and vice versa. To be a good translator you should have:

1. KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOURCE LANGUAGE

The translator needs an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the language they are translating so as not to miss any implicit meanings inherent to the language.

2. KNOWLEDGE OF THE TARGET LANGUAGE

The translator must also have a perfect mastery of the target language in order to reproduce the context or tone of the original text.

3. KNOWLEDGE OF CROSS-LANGUAGE CONNECTIONS

Knowing two languages is a pretty astounding accomplishment on its own, but it does not suffice: the translator must also have a deep-rooted understanding of the etymological and linguistic correlations between the two languages required for the translation.

4. UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL CONTEXTS

In addition to knowing both languages and understanding the relationship between them, the translator must also use her knowledge of the two cultures. A language is a set of words and grammatical rules, but also an extensive system of connotations and cultural references.

5. SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

A translator‟s knowledge should not only be linguistic: he also needs to be familiar with the subject matter of the text to be translated (as this knowledge includes meanings and specific vocabulary for a particular field).

6. KNOWLEDGE OF THE MECHANISMS OF TRANSMISSION OF MEANING

The translator should also know when to use a literal translation or the formal equivalent and when to seek a dynamic or functional equivalent that will replicate the meaning of the text as faithfully as possible.