Translations

translation courses

Experience with translating Greek texts, acquired when preparing required reading in New Greek (year two, also year three), general knowledge of New Greek descriptive grammar, knowledge of the rudiments of Ancient Greek grammar.

The translation course aims to develop students’ practical skills in translating texts (from various fields) from Greek into Polish.

The translation class is designed to give students a general idea of the problems of translating from Greek into Polish, through practical exercises. The translations prepared in class will involve different styles of language, but also diverse themes. This will allow students to gain a broader look at the practical application of their acquired language skills. Part of the classes will be devoted to translating 19th-century Greek texts.

1. Translating a short text; general introduction to the problem of translation.

2. General description of the techniques and tools of a translator. Translating selected texts from the area of literature (as a reference to skills already possessed); discussing the specificity.

3. The 20th century: translating selected texts from areas such as: the press, cuisine, tourism, operating manuals, technology, science, construction, comics, healthcare, business and finance, banking, politics, law; discussing the specificity.

4. Examples of “diglossia” in Greek – the practical aspect: review of different forms of the Greek language in the 19th and 20th centuries (also based on texts from the winter semester).

5. The 19th century: translating selected press articles from Greek-language press before and after the uprising, selected excerpts from the memoirs of 1821 insurgents, selected excerpts from culinary, political, economic, press, historical, law texts; discussing the specificity.

6. The 19th century: translating selected excerpts from texts by D. Kamburoglu, E. Roidis, Ch. Trikoupis, G. Psicharis; discussing the specificity.

7. Summary of observations gathered over the year of translation work.

Materials will be provided by the teacher.

Krzysztof Lipiński Vademecum tłumacza, wyd. Idea, Kraków 2000.

Jerzy Pieńkos Podstawy przekładoznawstwa, wyd. Zakamycze, Kraków 2003.

In the three areas listed below, students will:

KNOWLEDGE:

- be aware of the diversity of Greek and be able to explain its importance in the history of Greek culture;

- learn about the main problems of working as a translator of literary / non-literary texts from different periods;

- gain elementary knowledge on contemporary cultural life in Greece based on the translated texts;

- gain awareness of legal issues and the responsibility to protect intellectual property.

SKILLS:

- know how to retrieve, evaluate, select and use information from different written and electronic sources;

- use basic grammatical forms and syntactic structures of Modern Greek in writing (and in speech);

- be able to perform a comparative analysis of selected grammatical phenomena of Modern Greek and Polish;

- efficiently use dictionaries, grammar books and auxiliary materials;

- be able to translate literary, technical, scientific and specialist texts of medium difficulty from Modern Greek to Polish;

- be able to read, analyse and interpret non-literary texts in Modern Greek, placing them within a historical and cultural context (including recognizing the difference between “popular” and “scholarly” language);

- be able to identify the style of a text and adjust the Polish translation to that style;

- be able to find analogies between certain styles / forms in Greek and Polish.

COMPETENCES:

- be aware of the limited scope of their knowledge and skills;

- see the need for continual learning and improving their professional competence, especially by improving language skills;

- be aware of the existence of an ethical dimension in academic research and their own work;

- be able to work in a team and assume different roles within it;

- show concern for proper work organization and be able to undertake independent professional activity.

Assessment will be based on the effects of participation in classes and marks for two written projects (translations) at the end of each semester.