Course Description:

The course will address the main theoretical and practical issues involved in translating from English into Slovak. Students will enhance their competence in translation and familiarise themselves with basic translation techniques through both homework and in-class training. They will deal with texts of various registers and styles - from literary excerpts to operation manuals, from dialogue lists to EU legislation. Especial emphasis will be put on a competent use of translation tools and on the stylistic quality of the target text.

 

Learning Material:

  • Teória umeleckého prekladu, by Anton Popovič
  • Umění překladu, by Jiří Levý
  • Dobrodružstvo prekladu, by Blahoslav Hečko
  • Úklady jazyka čiže slovgličtina, by Pavel Branko
  • Prekladateľské listy, ed. by Lucia Kozáková and Zuzana Starovecká
  • In Other Words, by Mona Baker
  • Is That a Fish in Your Ear?, by David Bellos
  • A Textbook of Translation, by Peter Newmark
  • The Scandals of Translation, by Lawrence Venuti
  • Thinking Translation, by Sándor Hervey and Ian Higgins
  • A Companion to Translation Studies, ed. by Piotr Kuhiwczak and Karin Littau
  • Translation Today: Trends and Perspectives, ed. by Gunilla Anderman and Margaret Rogers
  • Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, ed. by Mona Baker

 

Course Content and Requirements:

You will be asked to prepare a short translation every week and hand it in either via e-mail before the class or as a printed copy at the beginning of the class. You should always bring one extra copy as well as the original for your own use during the discussion. At the end of the term, you will be required to submit one of the following assignments:

  • a translation of a short story, a popular-science magazine article or a similar text of your own choice not yet translated into Slovak; the text should be between 8 and 11 pages* long and it should be a separate piece of writing rather than an excerpt taken from a longer work;
  • a critical paper comparing how a text of your own choice has been translated into Slovak and Czech (you can also use examples from translations into other languages; however, always make sure they are understandable); the paper should be between 6 to 9 pages* long and should feature multiple examples (detailed formal requirements will be specified later);
  • a translation of a Wikipedia article of your own choice 6 to 9 pages* long that exists in English but not in Slovak; the article should be useful and respect Wikipedia's rules as well as its  formatting  style (please consult the topic with your teacher beforehand).

* 1 page = 1800 characters including spaces

 

Course Programme:

Week 1 - 18 September 2012: Getting the Gist

Introduction

Homework for Week 2:

1) Reading: 

2) Translation: Signs and Public Notices (Reading this may help you strengthen your self-confidence.)

 

Week 2 - 25 September 2012: Translation in a Nutshell

Signs and Public Notices: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 3:

1) Reading: 

2) Translation: Screen Translation: video + dialogue list + template (Only translate the text marked in red colour.)

 

Week 3 - 2 October 2012: The Translator's Voice

Screen Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 4:

1) Reading:

2) Translation: EU Translation

 

Week 4 - 9 October 2012: Going European

EU Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 5:

1) Reading:

2) Translation:  Marriage Certificate  +  Apostille (You can draw some inspiration here.)

 

Week 5 - 16 October 2012: Serving the People 

Court Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 6:

1) Reading:

  • Preklad medicínskych textov z francúzštiny a tvorba terminológie* (pp. 137-144) by Vladimíra Komorovská
  • Praktické otázky prekladania medicínskych textov z angličtiny a ruštiny a do angličtiny a ruštiny* (pp. 145-157) by Silvia Semaková
  • Niekoľko poznámok k prekladu špecifických medicínskych textov* (pp. 177-180) by Anna Ostrihoňová

*All the above articles can be found in Odborný preklad 2, ed. by Edita Gromová and Jaroslav Šoltys.

2) Translation: Medical Translation (Translate pp. 690 and 691, the first paragraph on p. 692, and then the paragraph entitled "Lessons Learned" on p. 693. Do not translate the tables.)

 

Week 6 - 23 October 2012: Just What the Doctor Ordered

Medical Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 7:

1) Reading:

2) Translation:

 

Week 7 - 30 October 2012

Advertisements Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 8:

1) Reading: 

2) Translation: Film Review

 

Week 8 - 6 November 2012

Film Review Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 9:

1) Reading: 

2) Watch these videos:

3) Translation: User Guide (only translate the following sections: Important Notice, Safety Precautions, Applications, Physical Description, Operation Steps, Important Safety Information, Daily Maintenance, Attention)

 

Week 9 - 13 November 2012

User Guide Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 10:

1) Reading: 

2) Translation:  Children's Literature

 

Week 10 - 20 November 2012

Children's Literature Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 11:

1) Reading: 

2) Translation: Short Story

 

Week 11 - 27 November 2012

Short Story Translation: Classroom Discussion

Homework for Week 12:

Reading:

 

Week 12 - 4 December 2012

Miscellanea: Classroom Discussion

 

Week 13 - 11 December 2012

Credit Week

 

 

Grading Scale:

Range

Grade

100% to 92%

A

91% to 84%

B

83% to 76%

C

75% to 68%

D

67% to 60%

E

 

Grade Breakdown:

Type of Activity

Breakdown

Class Activity

70%

Final Translation/Paper

30%

 

 

Course Policies:

The success of your performance depends upon your participation. If you fail to prove that you have done the reading and other assignments due for a particular class, your presence will not count as class attendance on that day. You may be absent twice; beyond this, your grade will be changed to FX. Cheating and any other kind of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.