Translation Studies Today and Tomorrow

obligatory courses

In the winter semester the lecture will be conducted online (Google Meet) according to the official time-table. Please have your camera switched on.

Different texts and material concerning the lectures will be sent via USOS mail.

Remote learning

The course/lecture is addressed to how we perceive Translation Studies today, how the discipline has evolved over the last thirty years and what is most important for our understanding of what the future might hold. In the search for one 'utopian' model/theory of translation that would solve all the problems encountered by the translator, it is worth looking at how different perceptions can be put into practice and what is most relevant to our understanding of a translation that meets the requirements of today's world.

The aim of the course/lecture is to show students what the discipline known as Translation Studies means today, what it involves, and what its perspectives are for the future. To understand the present state of the discipline, however, it is necessary to look at the different turns it has taken over the last thirty years and to see what 'turn' the new millenium has brought to this field of studies. Different models will be presented, substantiated with texts the students can work on to see how theoretical approaches and different viewpoints can be actually put into translation practice. The following seven topics will be discussed during the seven meetings in the semester:

1. The 1980s in retrospect: Descriptive Translation Studies and the Manipulation School.

2. Skopostheorie; the functionalist approach to translation.

3. The 'interdiscipline' of the 1990s.

4. The globalization turn of the 1990s and the onslaught of Lawrence Venuti's foreignization paradigm.

5. Translation as a decision-making process.

6. Gender and translation.

7. Translation ethics.

Requirements: 1) Regular class attendance and active participation in any translation work done throughout the course; 2) The translation of a chosen text accompanied by a detailed commentary outlining the translation process and the decisions undertaken. The deadline for handing in this assignment is the last meeting of the semester.

Bassnett, Susan & Andre Lefevere (1998) Constructing Cultures. Essays on Literary Translation, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters

Bowker, Lynne et al. eds (1998) Unity in Diversity? Current Trends in Translation Studies, Manchester UK: St Jerome Publishing

Cronin, Michael (2003) Translation and Globalization, London & new York: Routledge

Gentzler, Edwin (1993) Contemporary Translation Theories, London & New York: Routledge

Kuhiwczak, Piotr & Karin Littau eds (2007) A Companion to Translation Studies, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters

Munday, Jeremy (2001) Introducing Translation Studies. Theories and Applications, London & New York: Routledge

Pym, Anthony (2012) On Translator Ethics: Principles for Mediation between Cultures, Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Snell-Hornby, Mary (1995) Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach. rev. ed. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Snell-Hornby, Mary (2006) The Turns of Translation Studies, Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Venuti, Lawrence (1995) The Translator's Invisibility. A History of Translation, London & New York: Routledge

Venuti, Lawrence (1995) The Translator's Invisibility. A History of Translation, London & New York: Routledge

Venuti, Lawrence (ed.) (2000) The Translation Studies Reader, London & New York: Routledge

Venuti, Lawrence (2013) Translation Changes Everything. Theory and Practice, London & New York: Routledge

von Flotow, Louise (1997) Translation and Gender. Translating in the Era of Feminism, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Knowledge:

- gains/extends his/her knowledge of translation theory and awareness of the complexity of the translation process

- becomes aware of / extends his/her awareness of the complexities of the pluralism of cultures as systems

Skills:

- knows how to present his/her gained knowledge logically and clearly both orally and in writing

- knows how to assess the usefulness of different theoretical concepts for research purposes as well as how to differentiate their applicability in practice

Social competences:

- is aware of the social significance of his/her knowledge, work and skills

- understands the ethical dimension of his/her work and follows the principles of translator ethics

K_W01 understands the importance, place and specificity of English philology in the context of the humanities;

K_W03 has an advanced knowledge of the grammar, syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology, pragmatics of English and its history;

K_W05 knows the complex conditions of the process of second language acquisition; understands and properly applies models of foreign language acquisition typical of English linguistics;

K_W06 knows and understands the nuances of translation theory and the complexity of the translation process;

K_W08 has an in-depth knowledge of the historical development of language, especially English, and the semantic variability and complexity accompanying this process;

K_W09 has an advanced understanding of the complexity and pluralism of cultures, knows the obvious and non-obvious cultural codes that determine intercultural contacts, knows the structural and institutional conditions of culture, especially in the context of the countries of the English language area;

K_W10 knows to an advanced degree the geographical, historical, political, economic, cultural and social realities of the countries of the English language area;

K_U01 is able to use advanced terminology in linguistics and literary studies and research methodology appropriate to these disciplines within English philology;

K_U04 can creatively interpret, analyze, hierarchize, synthesize content and phenomena in their linguistic, cultural, social, historical, economic dimensions;

K_U08 can appreciate the diversity of opinions contained in scientific, literary, journalistic texts and presented in discussions, and creatively use them as a source of inspiration;

K_K01 is aware of the social significance of his knowledge, work, skills; is ready to co-create the social environment;

K_K09 consciously participates in one's own national culture, respects the cultural heritage of Europe, manifests understanding and curiosity about the diverse cultures of the world, is characterized by tolerance towards otherness, relates with respect to different cultural behavior, as well as to different individual views.

Students are assessed on the basis of regular attendance in class, of one obligatory translation to be handed in during the semester, and a final semester assignment consisting of the translation of a chosen text (500-600 words) and a commentary on the translation process and decisions taken (max. 200 words).