Translation Competence Unveiled

Translation Competence

Communicating the meaning of the source text equivalently in the target language

1. 1. Definition and Etymology
2. 2. Theories of Translation
3. 3. Western Tradition
4. 4. Other Traditions
5. 5. Translation in the Near East
6. 6. Conclusion

• Translation: communication of the meaning of the source text to the target language.
• Origin: emerges with writing in linguistic communities.
• Distinction: translation (written) vs. interpretation (oral).

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Theories of Translation

Exploration of main Western theories and other traditions

> Translation can only begin after the appearance of writing in a linguistic community.

— Wikipedia

Western Theory (Greece, Rome) In Greece and Rome, translation emphasized literal fidelity and rhetoric. Cicero advocated for equivalent sense; Horace for word-for-word. Basis of the European tradition in hermeneutics and equivalence.

Other Traditions (India, China, Islam) India prioritized cultural adaptation (upaya); China, fluency and domestication (yan fu); Islam, religious precision in the Quran. Flexible, contextual approaches faithful to the original purpose.

Translation connects cultures. Explore its global evolution!

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