A comparative discussion on

the translation of texts of

different genres

Written by Nike Hirschbiegel

TRA 3010 Introduction to Translation Theory

At the University of Surrey

Autumn semester 2008

02/11/2008

Essay 1: A comparative discussion

This essay is about the difficulties which a translator has to face when translating texts of

different genres and the strategies he or she can use to overcome them. Depending on the

audience, the medium it is published in and of course the genre of the text, there are different

strategies needed to translate texts. The three texts which are to discuss here, a set of

instructions, an advert and an encyclopedia entry, are from different genres and therefore need

to be handled differently in a translation. The purpose and the readership of a target text

strongly influence the way a source text has to be translated. Hervey, Higgins and Longridge

(1996:155) claim that "target texts are purpose-made texts, their manner of formulation

heavily influenced, both strategically and in detail, by who and what they are intended for."

For all three of the discussed text genres, it is advisable for the translator to do some research

on the specific topic and read a few parallel texts. Hervey, Higgins and Longridge (1996:

157) recommend translators to "do not produce target texts without having first built up a

knowledge of the style of specimen target language texts in the appropriate language."

Text 1: Instructions for using a finger bandage applicator

The first text is an instruction on how to use a bandage applicator. It is either printed on the

back of the box or printed on an extra small manual inside the box. It is an informative text

and meant to be read by people who bought the bandages. The translator should keep in mind

that the target audience of this text is adults of all levels of education, when considering what

register of language to use. It is the main responsibility of the translator to ensure that readers

of the target text will be able to correctly use the applicator. Compared to the advertisement,

the information is the most important part of the text, not the sound of it, so a rather semantic

translation would be advisable. Hervey, Higgins and Longridge (1996: 159) explain that when

translating instructions, "the translator′s prime responsibility to the manufacturer is to give a

correct, unambiguous and comprehensible account of how the product is to be used. This

places limits on possible departures from the substance of the source text. It does not,

however, imply that the target text should be a carbon copy of the source text." Another

problem could be that the space on the back of a bandage box is limited, while most texts

expand in translation.

The translator should read some manuals or sets of instruction in the target language to find

out how certain points are done, like the register that they are usually written in and how to

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