Translation Chapter 1 Of Venuti's the Translator's Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 668 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1

Page 1 of 2

Translation

Chapter 1 of Venuti's The Translator's Invisibility is about why the goal of translation is to be "invisible." The translated text should be as close to the original as possible. In Chapter 1, the author explains the term invisibility and why it applies to the translator's work. The goal is to be faithful to the original author. There should be no evidence that the translator has taken liberties to put something in his or her own words because it sounds good. As Venuti puts it, there should be "the absence of any linguistic or stylistic peculiarities" that would prevent a faithful rendition of the original (1). The translator's role is to transform a text from one language to another without losing anything or adding anything. The translator must therefore grasp exactly what the original author was trying to say, and render that fluently into a modern and easily accessible version of the original. A good translation is a text that stands alone and feels like an original, rather than something that is a proxy.

Stuck Writing Your "Translation Chapter 1 Of Venuti's the Translator's" Essay?

View All Our Example Translation Chapter 1 Of Venuti's the Translator's Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

Good translations flow and have textual integrity. Poor translations are ones that avoid using jargon, archaic language, or too many foreign words. The best way to achieve a smooth and effective translated text is to get into the mind of the original writer, and convey exactly what he or she was saying -- in the same way that it is more effective to "think" in a foreign language than it is to translate a sentence word for word. Idioms and other obstacles to a smooth translation should be replaced by finding the core meaning. For example, there is a dish of food called "ropa vieja," which translates literally to English from Spanish as "old clothes." A good translator describes the dish as being shredded meat; a bad translator calls it "old clothes."

Venuti claims that it is ironic that English-language translators need to maintain invisibility. The English literary traditions are typically individualistic, meaning that the identity of the author….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Translation Chapter 1 Of Venuti's The Translator's" (2012, April 27) Retrieved May 20, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/translation-chapter-1-venuti-translator-79692

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Translation Chapter 1 Of Venuti's The Translator's" 27 April 2012. Web.20 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/translation-chapter-1-venuti-translator-79692>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Translation Chapter 1 Of Venuti's The Translator's", 27 April 2012, Accessed.20 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/translation-chapter-1-venuti-translator-79692
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example