Microsoft Word Revised Syllabus Ver doc

Sociolinguistic theory
Philological theory concentrated on the literary genres of the languages involved in 
translation. Linguistic theory centred on the structure of the source and receptor languages. 
Yet there were some lose ends which required a tie up to give exactness in the translated text. 
Socio-linguistic theory tried to fill this gap to some extent. Nida (1964) tried to relate 
translation with communication theory, rather than to a linguistic theory. This did not relegate 
the relevance of philological theory or linguistic theory but it lifts the linguistic structure to a 
higher degree of relevance, where it could be viewed in terms of their function in 
communication.
The social setting in which a communication produced is of much significance in 
view of the circumstances involved in producing the text, the translator is completed to take 
language performance as serious as language competence. The fact that various linguistic 
groups do not behave the same way requires adequate analysis and interpretation if one has to 
translate it properly, when a translation involves languages which are widely separated 
representing different cultures and of the text is structurally complex; the translator is under 
compulsion to view this in terms of the sociolinguistic phenomena. When the social 
behaviour of the two different linguistic groups differs a translation cannot be done 
appreciably if the translator does not take into account and consider the deviations in the 
social systems and customs.
Ethno Linguistic Theory
While Linguistic Theory has helped scholars to indicate the differences at the 
structural level, Socio-linguistic theory has helped to bridge the gap at the cultural level. The 
texts being of contemporary nature, scholars can find word equivalents as the semantic 
notions are available from contemporary literature.
But, In translating a heterogeneous text like the Bible which took a period of 1600 
years to be ‘completed’ the translator has to reconstruct the communicative process as 
recorded in the book and the translation should be a true reflection of the message as 
conceived by the author. The task is not an easy one. The growth of language over a long 
period brings enormous changes both at the lexical and grammatical levels. Sometimes 

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changes occur in the cultural behaviour also. They have an impact on the language also. As 
the language grows like a flowing river, some words are swept aside and new words join the 
stream. Sometimes the same word changes 'its colour' i.e., semantic identity. Sometimes a 
word used as a generic term becomes a specific term. These factors cause concern for the 
translator. These are, therefore, a dire need to reconstruct the communicative process as 
conceived by the original author, seeing the enormous problems faced by the translator.
Nida (1958) has put forward the Ethno-linguistic Theory on Translation; he has 
envisaged all the probable problems in translating an ancient text of this nature i.e., the Bible. 
The need for describing the text in terms of the biblical language, i.e., as communicated at the 
time of issuing the message is felt. A large amount of work has been done and they are 
available in the form of commentaries, dictionaries, descriptive studies, books and articles. 
Most of these information are found in English language. He has advocated the usage of the 
above things and to reconstruct and translate the Biblical message into English. He also 
admits that when there is time gap between the source Text and the Target Text, The 
translator is only a kind of proxy in English. He advocates that the message, then, may be 
brought into other languages. He also admits that there are efforts to make a translation from 
the original directly into any vernacular but obtain quality and compatibility one should 
utilise all the information about the Biblical language which are found mainly in English. He 
has also elaborated in detail the features one has to note while translating the Bible. 
Application of these principles in translating the Bible helps the translator to give; a neat 
translation, the one equivalent to the Biblical language in ever respect.