Lost & found in translation latest for workshop

LOST & FOUND IN TRANSLATIONILLC November 2013 Workshop

Lim Siew Lian ( sllim@kdu.edu.my) KDU University College

tlc-kdu@blogspot.com

RAHANG

WANWANIT

A PUCAT

Demam Malam Sabtu

Example: MCQ for Movie Titles

A. KELEBIHAN MENJADI BUNGA DI TEMBOK

B. FAEDAH SEBAGAI BUNGA DINDING

C. MANFAAT SESEORANG YANG TIADA RAKAN MENARI

D. ?????

Original THE RING –Before you die, you see....

Russian translation – THE CALLBefore you die, you

hear....

a. Accessory - Cincin?b. Shape - Bulatan?c. Sound - Bunyi Loceng?

OMBAK RINDU – English???T.E.S.T. for

Good Translations:

a.True to the original meaning?

b.Economical - not too laborious or lengthy

c.Sound catchy?d.Tone of the

original?

Activity 1: Transformers20 movie postersWork in groups of 3 or

4 ( 2:2 or 2:1 –either 2 or 1 to record points raised) on one poster

Write an MCQ of 3 or 4 alternative translations into English

Put up poster & MCQ on the wall.

Time: 5 minutes

Promenade to Discuss Other Movies and Choose from MCQs – 5 minutes

OMBAK RINDU =

a. Wave of Longing?

b. Wave of Yearning?

c. Waves of Passion?

Post Activity Reflection?Focus on points of contention

during discussion Ask students to justify choices of

best translated titleRefer to T.E.S.T. Criteria True meaning/ Economy / Sound/ Tone?

Besides movie titles, what else?

Activity 2 : Jalan-Jalan 6 groups – please sit in circles;

enough space to walk around behind those seated

Take turns to mimic the walking style on your card. Your group must guess the word in Malay and English.

Collect from the centre the card in English which is called out by your group.

Check if all your cards match. Follow-up: Translate the sentences from Malay to

English.

Reflection After Jalan-JalanWhat’s Lost ?

music of L1Prob v little if at all;

straightforward descriptive sentences; fewer difficulties when translating prose.

What’s Found?

What we do/ don’t have in common?

a richer vocabularyan appreciation of

the range of words used to describe actions

precision in meaning

Reflection After Jalan-JalanWhat do you mean, “He moved”? How

exactly did he move? Options to explore a.She spoke ( whispered/ warned / advised /

promised/ insinuated/ etc)b.They ate ( gobble / nibbled / gulped / picked

at their food/ wolfed down their meals)c.It is big ( large, enormous, gigantic, sizeable,

huge)d.I am ( angry, irritated, annoyed, in a rage,

livid, outraged, furious)

Activity 3 – Be A Wet Blanket

Pair Work a.Identify the parts which are direct translations from Malay idioms or proverbs.

b.Translate into English & use wherever possible, English idioms instead.

From Amir Muhammad’s “The Break-Up” in his collection of stories, ROJAK. Reproduced with kind permission of the author

To the front of Wati who is now in Bukit Tunku, whom I hope is well.

Wati,I think our relationship should end here. My love

for you was so real but I have been clapping with one hand. You were so mean to me at your becoming-day party, just because you were with your rich friends while I’m from a difficult family. I never knew there was a prawn behind the rock all this while: you were using me to make your ex- jealous! How my liver hurt when you showed your true self. I guess what they say is true: hornbills with hornbills, sparrows with sparrows. Let me now bring myself.

Reflecting After The Break-Up

1.Letter writing conventions – openings & closings in English vs Malay

2.Idiomatic expressions - can we find English equivalents for our peribahasa or simpulan bahasa?

3.Follow-up Activity – Challenge students to continue the letter in the same vein. Fun & instructive to make mistakes deliberately for peers to spot and correct.

Purpose

Imagery

ToneRhythm

Implicit Meaning

Activity 4: Create a Malaysian Wave

Partner Up for Getaran Jiwa

Sheila Majid is having a concert in London next year. Translate the lyrics of

“Getaran Jiwa” for her concert programme

into English for the benefit of

the non-Malay speaking audience.

Getaran jiwaMelanda hatikuTersusun nadaIrama dan lagu

Walau hanya sederhanaTetapi tak mengapa

Moga dapat membangkitkanSedarlah kamu wahai insan

.Tak mungkin hilang

Irama dan laguBagaikan kembangSentiasa bermadu

Andai dipisahLagu dan irama

Lemah tiada berjiwaHampa

Specific Questions for GETARAN JIWA

a.What is the overall meaning of this song?

b.What is the thing which stirs the soul?c.Line 3 – arranged by the notes OR the notes are arranged?

d.Which is better for line 5 – modest or simple?

e.How best to translate ‘insan’? Men, human beings, mortals, people?

f.Line 8 – Realise what?

Note from Sheila: Some lines in your translation don’t sound right. Could you please revise them?

The stirring of my soul

Overcomes my heart

Arranged by the notes

Of rhythm and songIf it's only modestNever mindPerhaps it could stirRealise all you

mortals

Never will they vanish

Rhythm and songIt will bloomIt will always lingerIf they be

separatedThe song and

rhythm They'll be soulless

and weakAnd empty

What Is This Supposed To Be?

ThAnK YoU FoR YoUr AtTeNtIoN & PaRtIcIPaTiOn

Translation activity has a place in language teaching –

ONLY if properly designed and used at the right time and with the right students.

- Carmen T Koppe

Terima Kasih!Thank You!

Xie-xie ni!Gamsa-hamnida!

Merci!Gracias!

Careful How You Translate -1

Beijing, 1987,“Finger-lickin' good” became  

“We'll Eat Your Fingers Off!” 

in Chinese.

Careful How You Translate - 2

Also, in China:Pepsi's

“We bring you back to life”

was read as: “We bring your ancestors back

from the grave.” 

Concentration: Vocabulary-Building

1.Cards all face down.2.Take turns to open

2 cards at a time. 3. If they match, you

keep the pair and open 2 more cards.

4. If not, turn over the cards and the next person will take his / her turn.

Example 1 - Concentration GameMountain

rangeBanjaran gunung

Examples 2 & 3

A pair of shoes=

Sepasang kasut

Matching PhrasesMay I borrow

your pen?=

Bolehkah saya pinjam pen

anda?

b. Jim Scrivener - Role-PlaysIn Groups of 3

1.Ambassador / Tourist A -monolingual

2. Ambassador / Local B -monolingual

3. Interpreter to mediate - bilingual

Example of Situation for Roleplay

Tourist A Local BYou want to buy a

return train ticket from Butterworth to KL for Sat night.

You prefer to book a sleeping berth.

Find out the departure and arrival times.

Sleeping berths are fully booked for Sat night.

There are a few available for Sun.

Upper RM 50 Lower RM 35

Departure 10 pmArrival 720 am.

First, disturb-disturb the water. Seken, throw the water little-little

into the err.....aa....balang!

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

At dawn they returned hometheir soaky clothes tornand approached the stovetheir limbs marked by scratchestheir legs full of woundsbut on their browsthere was not a sign of despair

The whole day and night just passedthey had to brave the horrendous floodin the water all the timebetween bloated carcassesand tiny chips of tree barksdesperately looking for their

son'salbino buffalo that was never found

They were born amidst hardshipand grew up without a sigh or a complaintnow they are in the kitchen, makingjokes while rolling their cigarette leaves

-Latiff Mohidin

DALAM BENCANA

Mereka pulang ke rumahwaktu subuh hari

dengan pakaian robek basah

menghampiri api tungkulengan mereka penuh calar

kaki mereka penuh lukatapi di kening mereka

tidak kelihatan rasa kecewa

Sehari semalamanmereka mengharungi banjir

berendam antara bangkai ternakandan serpihan kulit tumbuhan

kerbau balar si buyungmasih belum ditemui.

Mereka dilahirkan dalam bencanatidak ada keluhan dan kutukankini mereka berjenaka di dapursambil menggulung rokok daun

Translation is …natural and necessary

…..in offices, banks, factories,

shops and airports – translation is going on

all the time. Why not inside the

classroom? ( DUFF,1989/1996, p.6)

Learners translate...

• in class for peers• signs and notices... • instructions & letters for friends etc.

From The Place Of Translation In Language Teaching - Radmila Popovic

Duff’s Translation (1989/1996): When we translate, we should know:

• what we are writing or speaking about,• where the language occurs and• to whom it is addressed

if context is the what, where and to whom, then register is the how.

Translation activities can train the learner

to search (flexibility) for the most appropriate words

( accuracy) to convey what is meant

( clarity) ( Alan Duff 1989:7).

The place of translation in Language Teaching - Radmila Popovic

Principles to follow:a. The rightness or wrongness of

the source language influenceb. The style of the original text

may be changed, depending on the purpose of the translation text

c. Idioms have to work in L2, even though they are notoriously untranslatable.

Criteria – for translation activities

1. - language is used for a purpose,2. - they create a desire for communication,3. - they encourage students to be creative

and contribute their ideas,4. - students are focused on what they are

saying, rather than how they are saying it,5. - students work independently of the

teacher6. - students determine what they want to say

or write.(after Nolasco, Arthur 1995:59)