In this course students will be introduced to the basics of Translation Studies, from a theoretical and practical point of view. The main theories, strategies and techniques adopted will be illustrated and wherever possibile applied. The course requires also an individual practical dedication to the translation of texts duly selected.


The course of English 2, which is optional in the second year of the Oriental Studies curriculum, aims at empowering the linguistic competence in the range of the B2 level previously reached.  As for its specific contents, the course will introduce the basic notions of the so called area of "Translation Studies", where translational competence, in its theoretical as well as practical profile, will be the main target of the lessons. Different kinds of texts will be translated from English into Italian, taking into account not only the mere interlingual translation, but also intralingual and intersemiotic cases. The TAP (Think Aloud Protocol) will be applied in order to share the process of transformation which translation entails. Critical reflection of the translated texts produced in class will represent an asset shareable also with regard to other languages,  given the transversal quality of the specific discipline of Translation Studies. 

The course textbook is Jeremy Munday's text, Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications, now in its fourth edition. This revised edition, issued in 2016, widens and deepens some interlingual aspects and introduces new features such as interactive timeline, more online research resources and students' activities, user-friendly and adaptive.

The text will be entirely covered in its twelve chapters: “Main issues of translation studies”, “Translation theory before the twentieth century”, “Equivalence and equivalent effect”, “Studying translation product and process”, “Functional theories of translation”,  “Discourse and Register analysis approaches”, “Systems theories”,  “Cultural and ideological turns”,  “The role of the translator: visibility, ethics, and sociology”, “Philosophical approaches to translation”, “New directions from the new media”,  “Research and commentary projects”.

The texts that will be chosen for practical interlingual translation (from English into Italian) will be drawn from different sources, domains and genres. Special focus will be given to literary texts for a comparativistic approach and usability.

The main body of the course is represented by the lecturer's classes dealing with translatorial issues, from the double perspective of theoretical and practical questions. The textbook will provide also other resources such as online expansion, research tips, and interactive paths. The lecturing part is also supported by practical workshop on translation sessions (from English into Italian).

For the Langauge sections, the native speaker will support the group with language classes and activities, following the adopted coursebook. There will also be workshop sessions on practical translation activites.

Assessment:

There will be a first written test based on the units and contents of the adopted coursebook. There will also be a translational test, with the actual translation, from English into Italian, of a chosen text, drawn from a contemporary and authentic source; the text will be in prose, with argumentative and/or critical content.

Once the students have passed the two written parts of the exam, they can access the oral exam, based on a discussion on translation issues, from both a practical and theoretical perspective. Finally, the candidates will be tested on the translational competence acquired during the actual translation classes of texts analysed and translated during the course. These texts will show diversified translational questions, belonging to different genres and presenting different degrees of complexity. The majority of these texts will be from contemporary sources and literary authors.

Texbooks:

For the language improvement part, with native speaker:

Helen Stephenson, Lewis Lansford, Paul Dummett, Keynote, Upper intermediate, Units 8-12, Cengage Learning, National Geographic, Andover, Hampshire, UK, 2015.


For the Translation Studies part:

Jeremy Munday, Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications, Taylor and Francis, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK, 4th edition, 2016


Introducing Translation Studies is a textbook which offers a full-rounded perspective covering the theories and concepts that make up the field of translation studies. The fourth edition, fully revised, provides an accessible up-to-date, as well as  detailed guide to the theoretical landscape. Each theory is applied to a wide range of languages, including Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Punjabi, Portuguese and Spanish. A broad spectrum of texts is analysed, including the Bible, Buddhist sutras, Beowulf, the fiction of Garcia Marquez and Proust, European Union and UNESCO documents, a range of contemporary films, a travel brochure, a children's cookery book and the translations of Harry Potter. Each chapter comprises an introduction outlining the translation theory or theories, illustrative texts with translations, case studies, a chapter summary and discussion points and exercises. In the fourth edition, there are  new features, such as new material to keep up with developments in research and practice, including the sociology of translation, multilingual cities, translation in the digital age and specialized, audiovisual and machine, in-chapter activities with links to online materials and articles to encourage independent research, together with an extensive updated companion website with video introductions and journal articles to accompany each chapter. For the students, specifically, there are online exercises, an interactive timeline, weblinks, and powerpoint slides made available by the lecturer.


Also suggested for further expansion:

"The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Culture",   Sue-Ann Harding and Ovidi Carbonell Cortes (eds), Routledge, London / New York, 2018.

2- Edwing Gentzler, "Translation and Rewriting in the Age of Post-Translation Studies",  Routledge, London/New York, 2017.

3- Edwin Gentzler, "Translation Without Borders",

http://translation.fusp.it/articles/translation-without-borders