A Linguistic Theory of

Translation

Ria P. Rafael
Lingg 241
 Outline

I. General Linguistic Theory

II. Translation: Definition and General Types

III. Translation Equivalence

IV. Formal Correspondence

V. Meaning and Total Translation

 Hallidayan linguistics

Systemic functional grammar – the study of

language as communication, seeing meaning in the

writer’s linguistic choices and systematically relating
these choices to a wider sociocultural framework.
Hallidayan model of language and discourse

Sociocultural environment

Genre

Register
(field, tenor, mode)

Discourse semantics
(ideational, interpersonal, textual)

Lexicogrammar
(transitivity, modality, theme-rheme/cohesion)
 General Linguistic Theory

Language is patterned behavior.

Language is medium.

Levels of language
 Medium-substance
 Phonic and Graphic
 Situation-substance
 Event
 General Linguistic Theory

Language

(Medium)

Phonic
substance phonology grammar
Situation
substance
Graphic graphology lexis
substance
 General Linguistic Theory

Categories of linguistic theory

 Unit – recognizable stretch of language which carries a

grammatical pattern
 morpheme, word, group, clause, sentence

 Structure – an arrangement of elements

 subject-predicate-complement
 General Linguistic Theory

Categories of linguistic theory

 Class – grouping of members of unit in terms of the way in

which they operate in the structure
 class of verbal groups, class of nominal groups

 System – finite set of alternants

 number system (singular, plural)
 General Linguistic Theory

Scales

 Rank – units are arranged in a grammatical or phonological

hierarchy
 Exponence– exemplification
 Delicacy – depth of detail
 General Linguistic Theory

Collocation – lexical company

Lexical set – group of items with similar collocation

Translation: Definition and General Types

Translation
 The replacement of textual material in one
language (SL) by equivalent textual
material in another language (TL).
 Translation: Definition and General Types

Extent

 Full translation
 Partial translation

Level

 Total translation
 Restricted translation

Rank

 Rank-bound translation
 Unbounded translation
 Translation Equivalence

The central problem of translation practice is that

of finding TL (target language) equivalents. A

central task of translation theory is therefore that
of defining the nature and conditions of translation
equivalence.
 Translation Equivalence

Textual translation equivalent

 Any TL text or portion of it, which is observed to be the
equivalent of a given SL text or portion of it.

 That portion of a TL text which is changed when and only

when a given portion of the SL text is changed.
 Formal Correspondence

Formal correspondent

 Any TL category which may be said to occupy, as nearly as

possible, the ‘same’ place in the economy of the TL as the
given SL category occupies in the SL.

 The degree of divergence between textual equivalence and

formal correspondence may perhaps be used as a measure of
typological difference between languages.
 Meaning and Total Translation

Meaning
The total network of relations entered
into by any linguistic form.
 Meaning and Total Translation

Formal relation

 Relations between one formal item with another in the same

language

Contextual relation

 Relationship of grammatical/lexical items to linguistically

relevant elements in the situation