116-454 Translation Theory and Practice

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

A major in French (post-VCE stream) or equivalent.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Translation is studied from an historical, theoretical and practical (methodological) standpoint. We begin with an overview of the field of translation studies (theory and history), then move on to a principal focus of the course, namely a comparative study of the structural and stylistic features or tendencies that are characteristic of French and of English. These differences are initially studied in the context of various translations of Flaubert's Madame Bovary, as well as other literary and non-literary texts. We then go on to analyse French translations of Australian texts (such as Peter Carey's novel Illywhacker, and Robert Hughes' study of the settlement of Australia, The Fatal Shore, and English translations of French texts (Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du mal), where the focus is on the adequacy of translational strategies for bridging cultural, historical and linguistic distances. We conclude with several sessions devoted to translating extracts of literary and non-literary works (in both directions), applying the principles of theory and analysis studied in the first part of the course.

Assessment

Attendance and participation in discussion; one seminar paper subsequently written up (comprising a translation plus analytical commentary) and a final paper (either practical or theoretical focus), total not more than 6000 words.

Prescribed Texts

• Vinay, J-P et Darbelnet J, Stylistique comparée du français et de l'anglais. Méthode de traduction. (2e édition), Paris, Marcel Didier, 1972.
• Guillemin-Flescher, J, Syntaxe comparée du français et de l'anglais: problèmes de traduction. Paris, Ophrys, 1981.