TRANSLATION STUDIES QUESTIONS TO PRACTICE
GROUP A (Multiple Objective Questions)
1. Choose the correct answer from the given alternatives
1. Which of the following is an example of intralingual translation?
1. Translation of a document from Japanese to English
2. Rewording of a phrase in the same language
3. A film version of a book
Answer: Rewording of a phrase in the same language
2. Which of the following is an example of intersemiotic translation?
1. Translation of a document from Japanese to English
2. Rewording of a phrase in the same language
3. A film version of a book
Answer: A film version of a book
3. In Western translation theory, what translation method did St Jerome say he was using?
1. He preferred word-for-word over sense-for-sense translation
2. He preferred sense-for-sense over word-for-word translation
3. He preferred sense-for-sense over word-for-word translation except in the translation of the Bible
Answer: He preferred sense-for-sense over word-for-word translation except in the translation of the Bible
4. Dryden proposed three methods of translation. Which corresponds to literal or word-for-word translation?
1. Metaphrase
2. Paraphrase
3. Imitation
Answer: Metaphrase
5. Which of the three translation principles of Yan Fu refers to elegance/gracefulness?
1. dá
2. xìn
3. yă
Answer: yă
6. What are the types of meaning that Nida analyses?
1. Linguistic, referential and connotative meaning
2. Structural, semantic and pragmatic meaning
3. Dictionary and emotive meaning
Answer: Linguistic, referential and connotative meaning
7. Which of Newmark’s types of translation corresponds to Nida’s ‘dynamic equivalence’?
1. Semantic translation
2. Communicative translation
3. Literal Translation
Answer: Communicative translation
8. What are the two general types of translation described by Vinay and Darbelnet?
1. Direct and indirect translation
2. Direct and oblique translation
3. Literal and oblique translation
Answer: Direct and oblique translation
9. 
What does the term ‘skopos’ mean?
1. Function
2. Purpose
3. Scope
Answer: Purpose
10. What does the term ‘lexicogrammar’ mean?
1. Words that are used grammatically
2. Lexis and grammatical constructions
3. Denotation
Answer: Lexis and grammatical constructions
11. What does the technical term ‘Register’ mean?
1. Formal or informal
2. A configuration of the situational variables of Field, Tenor and Mode
3. A configuration of the situational variables of Subject, Position and Cohesion
Answer: A configuration of the situational variables of Field, Tenor and Mode
12. What is the term used by House to describe the process of modification of an ST to conform to TL expectations?
1. Comparator
2. Cultural version
3. Cultural Filter
Answer: Cultural Filter
13. Evaluation is a part of which function of language...?
1. Ideational
2. Interpersonal
3. Textual
Answer: Interpersonal
14. What does ‘polysystem’ mean?
1. A hierarchal order of systems that do not interact
2. A system of intersecting and partially overlapping systems that function as a structured whole
3. A variety of different systems that function in parallel
Answer: A system of intersecting and partially overlapping systems that function as a structured whole
15. What does Even-Zohar say is the ‘normal’ position of translated literature?
1. Primary
2. Secondary
3. Young
Answer: Secondary
16. Which is the best definition of norms in Toury’s model?
1. Legislation which requires a certain form of action
2. Linguistic conventions specific to culture, society and time
3. Sociocultural constraints that are acquired through education and socialisation
Answer: Sociocultural constraints that are acquired through education and socialisation
17. What does the technical term ‘Register’ mean?
1. Formal or informal
2. A configuration of the situational variables of Field, Tenor and Mode
3. A configuration of the situational variables of Subject, Position and Cohesion
Answer: A configuration of the situational variables of Field, Tenor and Mode
18. Of the norms proposed by Chesterman, which has the most ethical slant?
1. Expectancy norm
2. Communication norm
3. Accountability norm
Answer: Accountability norm
19. What does the label ‘cultural turn’ refer to?
1. The application to translation of theoretical concepts from cultural studies
2. The rejection of purely linguistic translation studies
3. Both of the above
Answer: Both of the above
20. According to Lefevere, what are the two motivations for ‘rewriting’ literature?
1. Institutional and manipulative
2. Ideological and stylistic
3. Ideological and poetological
Answer: Ideological and poetological
21. According to Lefevere, what are the three elements of patronage outside the literary system?
1. Ideological, economic and status
2. Ideological, sponsorship and community
3. Ideological, censorship and institution
Answer: Ideological, economic and status
22. In Niranjana’s work, what is the central intersection of translation studies and postcolonial studies?
1. Power relations are expressed through the projection of an image of the colonial subject
2. The hybrid use of the language of the colonizer and colonized
3. Ideological and poetological
Answer: Power relations are expressed through the projection of an image of the colonial subject
23. Which nineteenth-century theorist does Venuti draw on for his concepts of domestication and foreignization?
1. Matthew Arnold
2. Friedrich Schleiermacher
3. Iginio Tarchetti
Answer: Friedrich Schleiermacher
24. What are the two levels of domestication and foreignization?
1. Ethical and discursive
2. Textual and discursive
3. Ethical and textual
Answer: Ethical and discursive
25. What is the term borrowed from Bourdieu to describe the different agents in the production of cultural artefacts?
1. Decision-makers
2. Controllers
3. Gate-keepers
Answer: Gate-keepers
26. What is the term Simeoni uses, following Bourdieu, to refer to the disposition and make-up of the translator?
1. Translatorial capital
2. Translatorial habitus
3. Translatorial illusio
Answer: Translatorial habitus
27. Which is the first component of Steiner’s hermeneutic motion of translation?
1. Initiative aggression
2. Initiative trust
3. Embodiment
Answer: Initiative trust
28. What is the last component of Steiner’s hermeneutic motion of translation?
1. Incorporation
2. Embodiment
3. Compensation
Answer: Compensation
29. What were the main characteristics of Ezra Pound’s translations?
1. Experimentalism and creativity
2. The use of unique archaic expressions
3. The use of very modern expressions
Answer: Experimentalism and creativity
30. For Walter Benjamin, what is created by the co-existence of ST and TT?
1. Clear language
2. Pure language
3. Literal translation
Answer: Pure language
31. What is the term Derrida used to show the undermining of stable meaning?
1. Différance
2. Difference
3. Deferral
Answer: Différance
32. Which of the following does/do the term ‘audiovisual translation’ cover?
1. Subtitling
2. Dubbing
3. Opera surtitling
Answer: Dubbing
33. Into which of Gambier’s categories would subtitle for the hard of hearing fall?
1. Interlingual subtitling
2. Intralingual subtitling
3. Audio description
Answer: Intralingual subtitling
Chapter 1
- How does the professional translation market operate in your country? Investigate how research-based translation studies fit into the university system in your country.
OR
How does the translation industry work in your country, and how are research-based translation studies connected to universities?
- Is translation studies research in your country centred mainly on the theory or the practice of translation? Why do you think this is so?
OR
In your country, does translation studies research focus more on theory or practice, and why do you think that's the case?
Chapter 2
- Modern translation theory tends to criticize the simplicity of the ‘literal vs free’ debate.
- Look at early writing on translation from your own languages and cultures. What are the translation contexts in which they were written? What ‘rules’ of translation are proposed? What does this tell you about their view of language?
Chapter 3
- Equivalence and the principle of equivalent effect are keystones of Nida's theory of translation. How can the concepts be used in translator training today?
- Gentzler says that Nida's model for translation is good for religious texts, but it is not a good model for science in general. Do you agree with Gentzler? Is Nida's model only for religious texts? How well does it work for other kinds of texts, such as advertising, scientific texts, and literature?
- Newmark says that the best and only way to translate is to translate each word literally, as long as the meaning is the same. Find examples of texts that support or challenge this claim. Then, based on your findings, rewrite Newmark's claim.
Chapter 4
- Translation style is the way a translator chooses to translate a text. There are many different definitions of translation style and many different approaches to it. How can we tell the difference between the translator's style and the style of the original author?
- The interpretive model of translation and Nida's three-phase model are two different theories of how translation works. What are the key differences between the two models? Which model do you think better explains the translation process?
OR
What is the interpretive model of translation, and how does it differ from Nida's three-phase model? Which model do you think better explains the translation process?
Chapter 5
- What are the different ways that translators are involved in modern-day communications?
- What skills and knowledge do translators need in order to be effective in their roles?
- How does the role of the translator differ in different contexts (e.g., business, government, education, etc.)?
- What challenges do translators face in their work?
- How can the role of the translator be strengthened and supported in the future?
OR
To what extent do you agree that translators are experts in intercultural transfer, even if they are not experts in the specific subject matter of the text they are translating? What does this mean for the role of translators in modern-day communications? - Skopos theory says that in order for a translation to be successful, the person who commissions the translation must provide the translator with information about the purpose and function of the translated text. What kinds of information are typically included in a translation commission? What does this reveal about the person who commissions the translation?
Chapter 6
- House's model of translation quality is based on errors, but it is written from an academic perspective. How do translator associations, translator agencies, and organizations (such as the UN) categorize translation errors? What criteria do they give for revising translations and ensuring quality?
- House's model of translation quality is based on errors, but it is written from an academic perspective. How are your own translations evaluated? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these classifications, and how do they compare to House's model?
Chapter 7
- How important is translation in your country? Has it become more or less important over time? Why? Are there different types of translated literature that are more or less popular?
Chapter 8
- Lefevere says that translation is the most influential form of rewriting. Do you agree? How does it compare to other forms of rewriting, such as film adaptations, anthologies, and historiography?
- Find examples of translated texts from different times and places that show gender bias. How is the bias shown? Is there a pattern to these examples? What could the translator have done differently?
- Do you agree with Niranjana that translation studies are mostly controlled by Western theories? If so, how can we change this?
- Cronin says that for people to live together peacefully, they need to translate each other's cultures and languages into their own cultures and languages. He says that if they don't do this, they will be afraid of each other and will not be able to live together peacefully. How true is this for the language policies of your own country?
Chapter 9
- How much do people in south asian countries like Nepal and India notice translation? What percentage of the texts people read in your country are translations? Is this similar to the situation in English-speaking countries?
- Venuti says that making translation visible today is always a political act. Do you agree? What kinds of ethical decisions do translators have to make?
- Pym says that English is so big that English speakers may not need to read translations to get new ideas and perspectives. Do you agree with this idea?
- Many translation experts say that we need more information about translators, their history, and how they work. What kinds of information are available? How can you research it? What kind of information seems to be missing?
Chapter 10
- Steiner's hermeneutic motion is a theory of translation that describes the process of translation as a four-stage process: trust, aggression, incorporation, and restitution. What do the feminist critics Chamberlain and Simon say about Steiner's ideas on translation? Do you agree with them?
Chapter 11
- Find examples of movies or TV shows that have been translated into different languages. Look at how dialects and sociolects are translated in these examples. Is there a pattern? What does this tell us about the way translators make decisions? Compare this to how dialogue is translated in other types of writing, such as books and plays.
- What happens when a translator is translating an audiovisual text that contains a metaphor that is based on a cultural image that is not shared by the source and target cultures?
- Look at examples of translated products and services in your languages. These could be things like medicine labels, instruction manuals, websites, and advertisements. What are the language and cultural challenges that translators face when translating these products and services?
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