April 1st the unit of translation

1
April 1st the unit of translation

• The unit of translation is the element used
  by translators when working on the ST.
• Individual words
• Clauses
• Sentences
• Whole texts
• De Saussures sign signifier (word, sound,
  image) and signified (concept).
• Sign is arbitrary its meaning derives from
  contrast with other signs.

2

• Some linguists, following De Saussures thought,
  state that single words, being signs cannot be
  units of translation.
• This is an open debate.
• Vinay and Darbelnet in particular, are against
  single words as units and suggest the concept of
  lexicological unit lexical elements grouped
  together to form a single element of thought.

3

• However
• dictionaries teach that words are treated in
  isolation, each entry having different senses.
• What V and D (and many others) stress are the
  concepts of collocation or lexical chunks,
  which cannot be treated as single words.
• Example
• Italian soldato semplice are two words, but if
  we want to translate them in English, we cannot
  translate the single words because the E
  equivalent is PRIVATE. (Save private Ryan)

4
shoot

• (bot.) germoglio
• partita di caccia
• gara di tiro
• rapida (di un fiume)
• zampillo
• scivolo
• fitta (di dolore)
• filone (minerario)
• This implies that the choice of the right
  translation depends on the sense

5
foot

• Flat feet
• At my feet
• To rise to ones feet
• Light foot
• Swift of foot
• The foot of the hill
• The foot of the page
• The foot of the bed

6

• A six-foot-four man
• Foot fanteria
• Foot piede (metrica)
• Foot brake
• Foot drill
• Foot-pump
• Foot guards
• Foot soldier
• Foot-and-mouth disease
• Afta epizootica

7

• Foot binding
• (pratica cinese)
• Foot-dragging
• temporeggiamento
• Foot-passenger
• Foot-race
• Foot rule
• metro da muratore
• Foot scooter
• monopattino
• Foot strap
• cinghia (windsurf)
• foot-up
• fallo (rugby)
• Foot warmer
• At foot
• in calce

8

• To catch sb. on the wrong foot
• To drag ones feet
• To fall on ones feet
• To get cold feet fare
• marcia indietro
• To get a foot in the door
• (riuscire a inserirsi)
• To get ones feet under the table
• Installarsi saldamente
• To get off on the right (wrong)foot
• To go out feet first
• Lasciarci la pelle

9

• To have (keep) a foot in both camps
• To have one foot in the grave
• To have feet of clay
• (gigante dai piedi di argilla)
• To have two left feet
• (essere un cattivo ballerino)
• To keep ones feet
• Rimanere in piedi
• My foot!
• Un corno!

10

• Off ones feet
• Sollevato da terra
• To be swept off ones feet
• Essere affascinato
• On foot
• On ones feet again
• To put ones best foot forward
• Mettersi sotto
• To put ones foot down
• imporsi

11

• Under foot
• Sotto i piedi
• To vote with ones feet
• Esprimere dissenso andandosene
• To foot the bill
• Pagare il conto/tirare fuori i soldi

12
Your book

• Example of a Spanish word and its translations in
  English
• BROTE
• (bot.) shoot, ECHAR BROTES, to sprout or to put
  out shoots
• (of rebellion) outbreak
• (of an illness) outbreak
• Pp. 19-20 read the examples and explain what the
  book says.