Translation – A Level Afrikaans CAIE Revision

Understanding Translation

Translation refers to the process of converting written or spoken content from one language to another.
Effective translation is not merely word for word substitution, but requires a deep understanding of both languages involved.
In Afrikaans translation, one must consider not only semantic accuracy, but also stylistic and cultural nuances.

Equivalence is the principle that the target text should communicate the same message as the source text.
Fidelity and Transparency refer to the translator’s responsibility to faithfully and transparently translate the content, style, and tone of the original text.
The principle of Cultural Equivalence requires translators to adequately convey cultural aspects embedded in the source text.

Direct Translation involves translating the text verbatim, assuming identical situations exist in both cultures.
Adaptation involves modifying parts of the translated text to suit the target culture.
Compensation means adjusting the translation where a linguistic or cultural element doesn’t exist in the target language, making up for the loss elsewhere in the translation.

Translators must often navigate idiomatic expressions, metaphors, cultural references, and linguistic nuances that may not translate straightforwardly.
Long sentences in English may need to be broken up when translated into Afrikaans, and vice versa, as different languages have different norms regarding sentence length and complexity.
Translators may sometimes need to resolve ambiguity in the source text, which requires excellent comprehension and reasoning skills.

To improve translation skills, one can practice translating a wide variety of texts, such as news articles, poems, and informational texts.
It can be helpful to begin by doing a literal translation, then refining this to ensure it sounds natural in the target language.
Getting feedback on your translations can be very helpful for improvement. This can be from teachers, peers, or professional translators.
Using a good bilingual dictionary and resources like online language forums can aid in mastering translation skills.