In Other Words

In Other Words has been the definitive coursebook for students studying translation for nearly three decades. Assuming no knowledge of foreign languages, it offers a practical guide based on extensive research in areas as varied as lexis, grammar, pragmatics, semiotics and ethics. It thus provides a solid basis for training a new generation of well-informed, critical students of translation.

Drawing on linguistic theory and social semiotics, the third edition of this best-selling text guides trainee translators through the variety of decisions they will have to make throughout their career. Each chapter offers an explanation of key concepts, identifies potential sources of translation difficulties related to those concepts and illustrates various strategies for resolving these difficulties. Authentic examples of translated texts from a wide variety of languages and genres are examined, and practical exercises and further reading are included at the end of each chapter.

The third edition has been fully revised to reflect recent developments in the field and includes a new chapter that engages with the interplay between verbal and visual elements in genres as varied as children’s literature, comics, film, poetry and advertisements.

This key text remains the essential coursebook for any student of translation studies.

Table of Contents

Contents

List of figures

List of tables

Preface to the second edition

Preface to the first edition

Acknowledgements

Credits

1 Introduction

1.1 About the organization of this book

1.2 Examples, back-translations and the languages of illustration

Suggestions for further reading

Note

2 Equivalence at word level

2.1 The word in different languages

2.2 Lexical meaning

2.3 The problem of non-equivalence

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

3 Equivalence above word level

3.1 Collocation

3.2 Idioms and fixed expressions

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

4 Grammatical equivalence

4.1 Grammatical versus lexical categories

4.2 The diversity of grammatical categories across languages

4.3 A brief note on word order

4.4 Introducing text

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

5 Textual equivalence: thematic and information structures

5.1 A Hallidayan overview of information flow

5.2 The Prague School position on information flow: functional

sentence perspective

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes 187

6 Textual equivalence: cohesion

6.1 Reference

6.2 Substitution and ellipsis

6.3 Conjunction

6.4 Lexical cohesion

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

7 Pragmatic equivalence

7.1 Coherence

7.2 Coherence and processes of interpretation: implicature

7.3 Coherence, implicature and translation strategies

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

8 Semiotic equivalence

8.1 Semiotic resources and semiotic regimes

8.2 Creative deployment of semiotic resources

8.3 Translating semiotically complex material

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

9 Beyond equivalence: ethics and morality

9.1 Ethics and morality

9.2 Professionalism, codes of ethics and the law

9.3 The ethical implications of linguistic choices

9.4 Concluding remarks

Exercises

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

Glossary

References

Name index

Language index

Subject index/