Analyzing Texts and Resources for Translation

Flashcards reviewing key concepts about analyzing texts and resources for translation.

What four characteristics define a text according to Richards and Schmidt (1985)?

1. Made up of several sentences creating a structure. 2. Has distinctive structural and discourse characteristics. 3. Has a communicative function or purpose. 4. Only fully understood in relation to its context.

What is Text Structure?

The organizational pattern of ideas and information found in a text.

Give three examples of common patterns of paragraph structure.

Comparison-contrast, Cause-effect, Problem-solution

What are the two ways texts can be classified?

According to their communicative function or subject-matter.

List the functions of the following text types: Descriptive, Narrative, Instructional, Informative, Expository, Argumentative.

Descriptive: To describe something or someone. Narrative: To tell the story of something that happened. Instructional: To indicate how to make or do something. Informative: To inform, define or classify things. Expository: To express an opinion or explain something. Argumentative: To defend a position or to support a controversial opinion.

List examples of Subject-Based Text Types

Literary texts, Business texts, Legal texts, Political texts, Media texts, Promotional texts, Instructional/directive texts, Medical texts

What is discourse?

The social /interpersonal act by which meaning is constructed and communicated. It refers to large units of language such as paragraphs, conversations and interviews.

What is Discourse Analysis?

The study of how sentences in spoken and written language form larger meaningful units such as conversations and interviews.

What is Genre?

A type of discourse that occurs in a particular setting, has distinctive and recognizable patterns and norms of organization and structure, and has particular and distinctive communicative functions.

What are the three steps of Translation Methodology?

1- Source text comprehension/analysis, 2- Target text production, 3- Target text revision.

What is macro analysis?

The process of identifying macro features of a text. Macro features are the general aspects which characterize the text as a whole such as the text’s context, genre type, format, theme, audience, communicative function and tone.

What is micro analysis?

The process of identifying micro features of a text. Micro features are the specific aspects which characterize the text at the lexical, grammatical, semantic and stylistic levels.

What are translation resources?

All reference materials that provide the translator with information on the source texts being translated. Examples include dictionaries, encyclopedias, books, technical manuals, terminologies, reports, official policies, official statements, speeches, technical specifications, websites and online references and sources.

What is a translation dictionary?

A dictionary that translates words from one language to another, as a bilingual dictionary; or to several languages, as a multilingual dictionary.

What is documentary research for translation?

The use of texts, documents, manuals, reports, statements, etc. as source materials for the understanding and translation of source texts.