Dick Kroneman serves as a senior translation consultant with SIL International. His current focus is on consulting for translation projects in Papua, Indonesia (in partnership with the mission of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations and with the GJRP church in Indonesia). He also teaches translation courses for consultants in training (MA-level).
First Among Equals: The Principle of ‘Equivalence’ in Relation to Other Translation Principles
Abstract
Recent insights in meaning and cognition highlight the fact that meaning is often multifaceted, ambiguous, and to a certain degree constructed by hearers and readers. These insights have undermined the myth of objectivity in translation, which is inherent to both literal and functional approaches to translation. Accordingly, some translation theorists have moved away from the principle of ‘equivalence’, while articulating alternative concepts like ‘skopos’ and ‘hospitality’.
The newer insights in the nature and function of translation are significant, since they underscore that every translation, no matter how ‘literal’ or ‘dynamic’ it claims to be, is an interpretation of the original text rather than an exact reproduction of the source text in a different language.
The newer insights call for a reexamination of our principles of translation. What is the role of the principle of ‘Equivalence’? How does it relate to other translation principles (Clarity, Naturalness, and Acceptability)? And how does it relate to Contextualization?
This paper argues that ‘Equivalence’ remains a very important translation principle. It is interdependent with other translation principles. It is always approximative and not restricted to information-content; it also encompasses connotations, implicatures, discourse structure, and pragmatic functions.
The theoretical discussion is illustrated by examples related to the translation of metaphor, kinship terms, and rhetorical questions.
About the Author
SIL Global