Microsoft Word Revised Syllabus Ver doc

Nature of Translation Studies 
The term ‘translation’ is the neutral term used for all tasks where the meaning of 
expressions in one language is turned into the meaning of another, whether the medium is 
spoken, written or signed. The first language is known as source language and the second 
language is known as the target language: In specific professional contexts, however a 
distinction is drawn between people who work with the spoken or signed language 
(interpreters) and those who work with the written language (translators).
As the essence of translation lies in the preservation of the three aspects of meaning 
viz. the aspect, the pragmatic aspect and the textual aspect across two different languages. 
House (1977:1-30) considers translation as the replacement of the text in the source language 
by a semantically and pragmatically equivalent text in the target language.Translators not 
only need to know their source language well; they must also have a thorough understanding 
of the field of knowledge covered by the source text, and of any social, cultural or emotional 
connotations that need to be specified in the target language if the intended effect is to be 
conveyed.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2010) defines the terms ‘translate’ and 
‘translation’ as follows: 

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3 
Translate: 
1.
To express the meaning of speech or writing in a different language, (e.g.) He 
translated the letter into English. 
2.
To change one language to another. 
3.
To change something, or to be changed, into a different form. E.g. It’s time to 
translate words into action. 
4.
To understand something in a particular way or give something a particular 
meaning. E.g. The various words and gestures that we translate as love.