CTL4309 Critical Study in Translation Theory

Part I

Course Duration: One Semester
Credit Units: 2
Level: B4
Medium of Instruction: English / Chinese (Cantonese or Putonghua)
Medium of Assessment: English / Chinese
Prerequisites: CTL2340 Theory of Translation or equivalent
Precursors: NIL
Equivalent Courses: NIL
Exclusive Courses: NIL


Part II

Course Aims:

The aim of this course is first of all to organize and consolidate students’ knowledge of translation studies and its development as an academic discipline in both Chinese and other traditions with special reference to communication and language use in cross-cultural contexts. Secondly, it is to develop students’ awareness of the relationship between theory and practice and their ability to relate one to the other in their study and practice of translation.

Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

No.

CILOs

Weighting
(if applicable)

1.

Describe intelligently the relationship between culture and the use of language in translation.

 

2.

Discuss key concepts in Chinese as well as non-Chinese theories of translation to see how they can be related to each other.

 

3.

Apply the theoretical knowledge in observing the production, analysis, and criticism of translational products.

 

4．

Cultivate analytical and critical thinking through a theory-informed perception of translation.

 

Teaching and learning Activities (TLAs)
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to facilitate students’ achievement of the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)

All classes take a lecture/seminar format, which may involve in-class Q&A discussions. A detailed breakdown is given as follows:

CILO No

TLAs

Hours/week
(if applicable)

1

Lecture and discussion on the following topics informed by theories such as pragmatics, speech act theory, and information structuring:

  • What is culture?
  • What is translation?
  • Why is interpretation an open-ended process?
  • What is the relation between context, presupposition, and communication in translation?

 

2

Lecture and discussion on the following concepts/topics:

  • Representative non-Chinese concepts
  • Faithfulness/Truthfulness, Expressiveness/Accessibility, Elegance/Appropriateness (xin-da-ya)
  • Transformation / transmutation (hua jing)
  • Faithfulness, smoothness, spirit, form (xin, shun, shen, xing)
  • Lin Yutang’s theory as a historical reference point in the Chinese tradition

 

3

Demonstration and discussion to illustrate the process of translation, and the analysis and criticism of sample translations

 

3-4

Lecture and discussion on the following topics:

  • Holmes’s classification of translation studies
  • The importance of research methodology
  • The reading of theories
  • Theory vs. theorization
  • (With examples) relating theories to practice

 

Assessment Tasks/Activities
(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)

Type of assessment tasks/activities

Weighting
(if applicable)

Remarks

CILOs covered

Exam
A 2-hour final exam is given to assess students’ achievement of the CILOs through the TLAs. The exam consists of a Multiple Choice and an Essay Question section to assess students’ performance under pressure.

100%

 

1, 2, 3, 4

Grading of Student Achievement:

Grading pattern: Standard (A+, A, A-...F).  Grading is based on student performance in the exam.


Part III

Keyword Syllabus:

This course consists of a series of lectures and seminars which deal with selected topics in translation theory and provide a forum for students to conduct critical discussions.
 

Related Links
Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics