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Nida and Taber emphasize the scientific and practical advantages of this method compared to any list of equivalences between specific pairs of SL/TL systems. They also emphasize that kernels are the basic structural elements out of which language build its elaborate surface structures. Kernels are to be obtained from ST SS by a reductive process of back transformation; theyre like types of functional class (events, objects, abstracts, relationals). Nida and Taber claim that all languages have between six and dozen basic kernel structures and agree far more on the level of kernels than on the level of more elaborate structures. Kernels are the level at which the message is transferred into the receptor language before being transformed into the SS in a process of LITERAL TRANSFER, MINIMAL TRANSFER and LITERARY TRANSFER. THE NATURE OF MEANING: ADVANCES IN SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS In the analysis of individual words, Nida differenced various scientific approaches to meaning, always from a functional definition of meaning in which a word acquires meaning through its context and culture. Types of meaning: Linguistic meaning: relationship between different linguistic structures. Referential meaning: the denotative dictionary meaning. Emotive or Connotative meaning: the associations a word produces.
Translators have a serie of techniques to determinate the meaning. F.I., techniques to differentiate between referential and emotive meaning, focus on analyzing the structure of words and differentiating similar words in related lexical fields; like hierarchical structuring or componential analysis. Another technique is semantic analysis, which encourage the trainee translator to realize that the sense of a complex semantic term varies and most particularly is conditioned by its context. These techniques are proposed as a means of clarifying ambiguities, elucidating obscure passages and identifying cultural differences. FORMAL AND DYNAMIC EQUIVALENCE AND THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUIVALENT EFFECT The old terms of literal, free and faithful are discarded by Nida in favor of two types of equiv.: - Formal equivalence: focuses attention on message itself, in both form and content; message in TL match as closely as possible in the SL. Is keenly oriented towards the ST structure. The most typical translations are gloss translations, with a close approximation to ST structure, often with scholarly footnotes, which are used in academic environments. - Dynamic equivalence: is based on the principle of equivalent effect, where the relationship between receptor and message should be substantially the same as that which existed between the original receptors and the message. It has to be tailored to the receptors linguistic need and cultural expectations, and aims at complete naturalness of expression. The goal of dynamic equivalence is seeking the closest natural equivalent to the ST. The success of the translations, for Nida, depends on achieving equivalent effect. Requirements: Making sense. Producing a similar response. Conveying the spirit and manner of the original. Having natural and easy form of expression.
Nida considers that correspondence in meaning must have priority over correspondence in style.
The equivalences are hierarchically ordered according to the needs of the communicative situation. So, the translator first tries denotative equivalence and, if this is inadequate, will need to seek equivalence at a higher level. How the appropriate level is to be decided is open to debate.