Methods of Translation
Besides giving definitions of translation, several scholars have studied and framed concepts of translation theory. Translations are categorized differently according to each scholar’s perspectives.
According to Larson (1984), translations may be classified as follows:
1. Form-Based Translation is known as Literal Translation: Larson explains that this type attempts to follow the form of the source language. Every lexical element and grammatical usage in the source language is completely translated into the target language.
2. Meaning-Based Translation is known as Idiomatic Translation: The goal of this type is that the translator makes every effort to communicate the meaning of the source language text in the natural forms of the receptor language.
3. Modified Literal Translation: This method allows the modification of order and grammatical structure to produce acceptable sentence structures in the receptor language, but the lexical items are translated literally. Consequently, the result still does not sound natural.
4. Unduly Free Translation: This means extraneous information has been added to the source text and its meaning has been changed. As a result, this type is not considered acceptable translation for most purposes.
Newmark (1988) divides translations into two main groups: Source Language Emphasis and Target Language Emphasis. He divides each group into four subgroups as follows:
With regard to Source Language Emphasis, there are:
1. Word-for-Word Translation: The source language word order is preserved and each source language lexical item is translated singly by its most common meaning.
2. Literal Translation: The source language words are translated singly, but not the grammatical construction, which is converted to the target language equivalent.
3. Faithful Translation: Attempts to reproduce the contextual meaning of the source language within the grammatical structure of the target language. It aims to respect the author’s intention, so some usage natural to the source language remains in the target language.
4. Semantic Translation: This preserves the contextual meaning of the source language, but the target language must be acceptable.
With respect to Target Language Emphasis, there are
1. Adaptation: This is the freest form of translation, because the translated text is rewritten.
2. Free Translation: This reproduces the content of the source language but without the form.
3. Idiomatic Translation: This reproduces the source language by preferring idioms where these do not exist in the source language.
4. Communication Translation: In this type, an attempt is made to translate the exact contextual meaning of the source language such that both content and language are acceptable.
Supon (1998) categorizes translations into two broad types.
1. Literal Translation: This type is divided into two subcategories:
1.1 Word-for-word Translation: This type of translation strictly retains the structure and meaning of the source language and target language. This makes the target language hard to understand, so it is not in popular use now.
1.2 Literal Translation: This method generally keeps the meaning, style and structure of the source language and emphasizes the accuracy of the source language also. It is mostly employed with a text that is translated for some specific use.
2. Non-Literal Translation: This type does not aim to retain the structure, meaning and style of the source language. It allows changes, additions and omissions of words and sentence structures. It is similar to paraphrasing. It is usually employed with novels and short stories.
Additionally, Supon (1998) also classifies translations that emphasize the source language text. These are:
Literary Translation: This is translation of verse or prose. It requires knowledge, emotion, imagination and creativity as well as the translator’s gift.
Technical Translation: This is academic translation, such as news and articles. It emphasizes meaning more than imagination and also requires in addition to the translator’s ability skill in a specific field.
Saibua (1999) classifies translations into two types.
Literal Translation: This type of translation retains the order of words, the meanings, and the sentences of the source language as closely as possible.
Free translation: The form resulting in the transfer of the target language differs from the form of the source language. The order of meaning between source language and target language is also different.
In summary, theorists classify translations differently depending on their own view. Broadly speaking, Larson’s concept of Meaning-Based Translation is similar to Newmark’s Communicative Translation. These two kinds of translations attempt to convey the meaning of the source text but are not bound by the form of the source language. According to the Thai theorists, Supon and Saibua, translation can be classified roughly into two mai