Translation of chapters: Early Years, The Great War and Early Political Life

Universidad de Quintana Roo

Division of political sciences and humanities

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Translation

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMME

Researcher’s name: Jorge Rafael Mena Flores

Student’s registration number: 10-11478

Working Title: English-Spanish translation of the chapters: Early Years, The Great War, and Early Political Life from the book “Hitler, triumphant” by Matthew Moses

General Line of Research: Applied linguistics

Nature of Research: Documentary research

Date: 12/12/2014

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

The use of translation in my every-day life is something I have noticed since my journey in this major began. I have to say thattranslation is a tool and a way of life that carries out responsabilities but since I really enjoy this way of life theseresponsabilities have become not more than opportunities for improving my vocabulary and general culture which I find veryinteresting and enjoyable.

Most importantly, I have always thought that doing something that you really like and delight is the best feeling in life,especially when translating. When I am translating I feel my self tracing back in time, which is a good strategy forunderstanding a text, and then I thought how people would have thought in specific situations in that time.

The English-Spanish translation I will present will make the reader go back to the past from the birth of Adolf Hitler in 1889 tothe end of The Great War in 1918 in which you will remind or probably learn more how this famous character got recognitionin his political life and some aspects of his personal life.

1.2 Rationale

The following translation has been asked for with the purpose of teaching different points of view about Hitler’s life in aliterature classroom. The book called “Hitler, triumphant” by Matthew Moses is a useful book in which the author expresseshis beliefs about what would have happen if Hitler would have won and achieved his goals. The chapters called Early years,The Great War and Early Political life were the topics selected to be translated since the information needed by now is tointroduce students with the data portrayed by Matthew Moses.

Moreover, an agreement has been set which consists on more translated chapters according to the students response withthe applied information in class. I strongly believe that the information this book provides will work for students becausethis is a practical book which points out the more significant aspects of Hitler’s life.

“The study of history plays an important role in the education of secondary school students. Through the study of history,your students will develop important historical knowledge and understandings and develop thinking, interpreting, analysing,presenting and performance skills.” (Quanchi M., So’o A., 2003; P. 8).

1.3 Objectives

The main objective of this translation is to provide cultural and historical accurate information to students of secondarylevel in the Vanguardia Educativa school that will need it in order to make presentations about the historical issue that tookplace in the early years of the World War I.

The secondary objective of this translation is to give remarkable recognition to his author who made an effort to spread hisidea of war in those years which fortunately for me has not been translated yet.

Moreover, the correct use of different or certain techniques will be another objective that I am looking forward to achieveso that the nature of the translation will be practical and understandable for the audience.

1.4 Significance for the research project

The English-Spanish translation of these chapters would take an important role in Spanish as native language Literatureclassrooms which would like to show a different point of view of the tough life that Hitler lived in his political and privatelife.

I found this book as a gem because even though there is much information about how life in that time was, depicting whatan underground author like Moses think is something that encourage me to demonstrate what this fellow tries to make usunderstand.

2. Literature review

The act of translating traces back much time ago when people started to get into arts, power, knowledge, and otherbeliefs and activities.

I strongly believe that translating is one of the most valuable skills one could master in a lifetime and as a reward yougain knowledge, which is something that we as humans are luckily graceful to have.

“Enunciar en otra lengua lo que ha sido enunciado en una lengua fuente, conservando las equivalencias semánticas yestilísticas” (Garcia Yebra, 1992).

Newmark (1999; P. 27) defines the act of translating very briefly. “It is the act of transferring meaning of a stretch or aunit of language, the whole or a part, from one language to another.”

“The Babel myth, cited in the Genesis (xi: 6-9), consists of the idea of having a unique language for the whole of mankind.However, the idea of one language was not acceptable from the religious point of view since that would make humankindstronger, more powerful, which would be intolerable for God. As a result, God gave people different languages.Regrettably, this is only a myth and the origins of languages have a more linguistic explanation.”

“Eugene Nida (1959-1998; P. 12-23) places the beginning of translation with the production of the Septuagint which seemsto have been the first translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. It was carried out by seventy-two translators,and it provides us with the basic categories of the history of this practice. This American scholar states that translationitself was a “science”, a theory that was subsequently rejected by others in the second half of the century” (Soler Pardo B.,2013; P. 4).

As I have mentioned before, the act of translating traces back in time when people began to be more focus on whatsurrounds them and they started to question theirselves. For me, translating is a very useful way of express other people’sbeliefs and ideas, and a road which guides us to the multiculturalism and wisdom.

Jean Paul Vinay and Darbelnet thought that “if literal translation or direct translation was impossible, then the translatorwould have to resort to what they termed oblique translation. Oblique translation is another term for free translationwhere the translator exercises his/her freedom to attain equivalence” (cited in Venuti 87).

Direct translation techniques include: borrowing, calque, and literal translation whilst oblique translation techniquesinclude: transposition, modulation, equivalence, adaptation, and compensation.

Here are the translation techniques and some examples of each one:

• Borrowing. Examples: Taco, tortilla, déjà vu, software.

• Calque. Example: “I am eating a burger” – “Estoy comiendo una hamburguesa.”

• Transposition. “He likes playing football” – “A él le gusta jugar futbol” (instead of saying “jugando”).

• Modulation. Example: “Te lo regalo” – “you can keep it.”

• Equivalence. Example: “Are you pulling my leg?” - ¿Me estás tomando el pelo?

• Adaptation: This is more common in movies’ names such as: Mi villano favorito – Despicable me, El viaje de Chihiro –Spirited Away, La noche del demonio – Insidious.

• Compensation. This can be used when something can’t be translated from source language to target language, and themeaning that is lost in the immediate translation is expressed somewhere else in the translation technique. Thistranslation technique is related to the nuances of formality like in Spanish “tu” y “usted” while in English we only have“you”.

3. Method

For me, the book which I will mention in a more detailed description later is an absolutely gem, even though the authorcould be considered as underground since he’s not as overrated as many authors we undoubtedly know but I won’tmention. However, many of his books could be found on internet but to obtain them for free is not guaranteed. If you aresomeone who likes taking other people’s points of view about an specific thought or topic, I strongly reccommend youread this book that although I have not finished to read, it has been making a change in my beliefs on what I thoughtabout those times.

The book called “Hitler, triumphant” by Matthew Moses (2011) conveys the most serious and important facts that tookplace in Hitler’s life and what he went through in order to reach the power in Germany.

The main purpose of the translation of these chapters is to take the most important issues occured in Hitler’s life so thatsecondary and high school students from Vanguardia Educativa be able to appreciate and understand worldwide historywhich will be reflected on reports, essays or other ways of summarizing ideas in their literature class.

We have easy access to different resources on the internet. For a translator, internet is one of the most useful tools sincewe are able to search and look for plenty of books, dictionaries, enciclopedias and other distinctive written tools alreadyuploaded there.

• Step 1. Full understanding of the text is required in order to keep in mind moreless the process to follow during theassignment.

Hence, I will read two or more times if needed, in order to acknowledge what would bring out problems or difficultieswhen translating either singular words or any phrase even complete paragraphs.Moreover, the gist in which the author tells us the story will be considered when translating in order to convey what theauthor actually thought about Hitler, political and social life in those times.

• Step 2. References and other tools will be essential so that many characteristics about the text such as states andcountries’ names, dates, personal names, etc. will be well-learned and recognized in order to have an idea of when,who and what place on earth is the author referring to. Of course the use of the different translation techniques willtake an important role when translating.

• Step 3. Start the translation applying the steps and tools mentioned before taking into account the advice and ideasgiven by the assessor or guide and always remembering that we as translators are demonstrating other people’sbeliefs, thoughts, ideas, or any written text that has something to express.

4. References• David Gordon, T. (1985). Translation Theory, by T. David Gordon. Retrieved from http://www.bible-researcher.com/gordon.html

• Direct and Oblique translation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nptel.ac.in/courses/109104050/lecture7/7_7.htm

• García, Y. V. (1982). Teoria y practica de la traduccion (p. 30). Madrid: Editorial Gredos.

• Hoppus, J. (2011, September 26). Definitions of "Translation" from The Experts ~ JhoN'S BloG [Web log post]. Retrieved fromhttp://jhonfreedom.blogspot.mx/2011/09/definitions-of-translation-from-experts.html

• Molina, L. (2002). Translation Techniques Revisited: A Dynamic and Functionalist Approach (p. 511). Les Presses de l'Universite de Montreal.

• Owji, Z. (2013). Translation Strategies. Retrieved from http://translationjournal.net/journal/63theory.htm

• Pym, A. (2010). Natural equivalence as a concept. In Exploring translation theories (p. 9). London: Routledge.

• Quanchi, M., So'o, A., & Council of Presidents of Pacific Island History Associations. (2003). Teaching history: A guide for teachersteaching history for the first time (p. 8). Apia, Samoa: Council of Presidents of Pacific Island History Associations.

• Soler Pardo, B. (2013). Translation Studies: An Introduction to the History and Development of (Audiovisual) Translation (p. 4).

• Williams, J. (2013). Theories of translation (p. 8). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

• Zakhir, M. (2008, September). The history of translation. Retrieved from http://www.translationdirectory.com/articles/article1695.php