Translation assignments

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This is where you will find out the specifics of particular translation assignments. You will also be provided paper copies of the assignments in class.

With each translation, you will be asked to present it to your language specific group. You will receive feedback and helpful hints about your translation. You will turn a copy of the ST and TT to your professor for feedback. Each translation you perform will be revised and re-submitted according to the feedback you receive. You will maintain all translations (drafts, revisions, commentary) in a translation portfolio. The portfolio will be submitted at the end of the semester.

Index of assignments
Assignment #1: Ad. In a magazine or other periodical, locate an ad that has a minimum of 75 words to translate and that sells a product or service. Translate the ad for an English-speaking public in the US. Consider cultural questions such as tone; what draws and holds attention; the audience's taste for certain expressions, activities, and images that are not necessarily already in the ad, etc. You cannot change the product or service but may propose changes in the visual representation (i.e., colors, images, layout) and must look beyond a semantic translation if that is necessary to achieve the desired effects given your audience. Write a 1-2 page paper addressing the main issues of your translation. What options did you consider? Why did you choice certain expressions, words, or visual representations? Did you use ideas from class, whether theoretical or practical? If so, discuss. Are you satisfied with your translation? Why or why not? Explain. Due Thursday, February 5. For class on Thursday, February 5, be prepared to present your translation to the (language specific) class. This means you should bring in copies of the ad and your translation to share with the class.

Assignment #2. Translating a Poem

Locate a poem in your second/third language that has a minimum of 100 words and 12 lines. Translate the poem into English. Consider the affective effects and the literary techniques used to achieve these in the original, and strive for similar effects in your translation, whether or not you use the same techniques. (We will go over some of these techniques in class.) Write a 3-4 page paper addressing the major issues you encountered in translating this poem. You may want to analyze the original to do so. What literary techniques lead to your sense of the original? Do you replicate these or choose alternatives for similar effects? Explain. What considerations based on other course materials, for example the articles you are reading, affect your decisions? Explain. Are you satisfied with your translation? Due Thursday, March 4. Be prepared to present your translation to the (language specific) class. This means bring in copies of the original and translated poem for everyone.

Assignment #3: Prose translation.

Locate a prose literary text that you would like to translate. The text must be of substantial length (substantial will vary according to language and individual languages will have different parameters for this). You may select an excerpt from a longer piece, but work with one that is reasonably self-contained. You must have the text approved by your language specific instructor. See previous assignments for criteria to consider as you translate. Write a commentary of 5-6 pages on your translation. Again, see previous assignments for content questions.

Assignment #4: Group project.

Organize yourselves into 4 groups of 3. Groups should be multi-lingual. As a group, determine what your topic will be. The topic should be related to translation (duh…but it could include such things as interpretation, dubbing, etc) and should include some type of translation activity. Together, determine how you will work. Who does what? When? How are final decisions made? The day each group presents, it will submit a 1 copy of the translation activity to each of the instructors. Each group member will also submit her or his own 3-4 page commentary about the project to his/her language specific instructor. In the first 1.5-2.5 pages of your commentary, you will address the topic of the project, and the translation of the text (challenges, strategies and approaches, specific considerations, choices made and why, etc.). In the last part, you will speak to your organization as a group and evaluate the experience. What worked well? Less well? What would you do differently next time? Why? What was your personal contribution to the group effort? ¼ of your grade will be determined by the presentation (peer evaluation), ¼ by the translation (triple threat…all three instructors), the other ½ by your paper (language specific instructor).