Modern traductology and studies: How are these useful for translation?

As you all may know there are different ideas about what translation is. Many scholars have given definitions for this activity, for our profession. We all know what translation is, because thats what we do, even you arent licensed translators you do translations every day. What is translation? Translation for Nida and Taber: i Translation is reproduce in the target language (TL) the message of the source language (SL) using the closest and original equivalent, first the sense and then the style. Jean Duboisii in his Dictionnaire de Linguistique (1973: 30), declares that Translate is saying in other language something said in an original language, taking in consideration the dynamic and semantic equivalents. There are many other scholars, each of them with a definition about what translation is, Valentn Garca Yebra, Gerardo Vzquez Ayora, Michel Tournier among others. Now that we have established some ideas, we have to continue giving some definitions for translator. For Valentn Garca Yebra, being a translator means doing a noble work which consist in giving men, separated for their linguistic barriers, the opportunity to communicate between each other. A translator is a union element. iii Who needs a translator? We live in a globalized world, and the people who live in it, have the need to communicate. Is it possible, then to imagine a world without translators and interpreters? Just to mention the European Union has 23 official languages, and the United Nations has 6 official languages. The world needs us, we are important and every day our profession is more important and has more value. And now we have the question: What kind of translator does the world need? Here are some characteristics:

a very good knowledge of the language, written and spoken, from which he is translating (the source language); an excellent command (the target language); of the language into which he is translating

familiarity with the subject matter of the text being translated; a profound understanding of between the two languages; and the etymological and idiomatic correlates

a finely tuned sense of when to metaphrase ("translate literally") and when to paraphrase, so as to assure true rather than spurious equivalents between the source- and target-language texts.

We have the challenge to prepare ourselves to be the voice of others, to give everybody the opportunity to communicate, to be heard, we cannot ignore this, we have to act according to our environment. Good quality translators are needed. What can we do to become a good quality translator? Vzquez Ayora (1977 pag. 385) says: A translator cannot be improvised. A person is not born a translator, a translator is made. The education of the translator is completely necessary. Garca Yebra declares: Translators must study hard, not only the languages he or she is translating from, but also the language he or she is translating to, which is usually his or her own (Cabr 2005) Studying linguistics, grammar, punctuation is required to and must have a high quality. Modern traductologists All of us have studied or are studying Nida and Taber, Katharina Reiss, Vinay and Darbelnet, Valentn, Garca Yebra, Gerardo Vzquez Ayora among others, even though their studies are important, we have to include modern scholars who are making some great discoveries in the translation field. The PACTE group or Acquisition of Translation Competence Assessment, Universidad Autnoma de Barcelona, created in 1997 with Amparo Hurtado Albir as its principal researcher. The aim of PACTE Group is to investigate translation competence and the acquisition of translation competence as a means to improving the didactics of translation. Their aim is to accurately define the competences to be developed during translator training courses, improve course objectives, teaching methodologies and assessment criteria. The PACTE group has been carrying out empirical- experimental research into translation competence and its acquisition in written translation since 1997. Research is being carried out from two complementary perspectives: the translation process, through the collection and analysis of data obtained from experimental studies of the mental processes at work in translation, and the competences and abilities required. The translation product, through the collection and analysis of data obtained from the results of the translation process (translated texts) using discourse analysis and corpus methodology.

The research project on translation competence comprises two phases: the first phase, completed in 2010, consisting of an empirical study of translation competence carried out using an experimental group of professional translators and another of foreign language teachers with no experience in translation. The aim of this study was to obtain data concerning the mental processes at work in translation as well as subjects knowledge of, and skills in, translation. a second phase, started in 2010, consisting of a longitudinal study of the acquisition of translation competence in trainee translators, carried out using an experimental group of translation students and a repeated measurements design. In both cases, exploratory and pilot tests are carried out before the final experiments.

What is the Translation Competence (TC)? Its a group of abilities, skills, knowledge and attitude that professional translators have, and that are part of the translation as an expert activity (in other words, make the difference between the professional and the empiric), the expert from the beginner (Kelly, 2002). For Wilss (1976) the TC is: a) A receptive competence in the source language (the ability to decode and understand the source text) b) A productive competence in the target language (the ability to use the linguistic and textual resources of the target language) c) A supercompetence, basically defined as an ability to transfer messages between linguistic and textual systems of the source culture and linguistic and textual systems of the target culture. Nord are: (1991) says about TC: the essential competences required of a translator competence of text reception and analysis, research competence, transfer competence, competence of text production competence of translation quality assessment, and of course, linguistic and cultural competence both on the source and the target side.

For the PACTE group (PACTE 2003): Translation competence is the ability to carry out the transfer process form the comprehension of the source text to the reexpression of the target text, taking into account the purpose of the translation and the characteristics of the target- text readers There are 6 sub competences: 1) Linguistic competence in the two languages a) Sociolinguistic knowledge, including dialects

b) Knowing the different type of texts and the text production. c) Grammar and lexical 2) Extralinguistic competence a) Knowing the two cultures b) Knowing about the world in general c) Knowing about specific topics 3) Instrumental competence a) Use of data sources and TICs 4) Translation knowledge competence a) Abilities related to the field: market, fees, ethics 5) Strategy competence a) Knowing processes that guarantee the efficiency of the translation and how to solve the problems that may occur. b) Plan and execute the process through the most accurate method. c) Evaluate the process and the results d) Identify translation problems and apply the necessary procedures to solve them. 6) Psicophysiological components a) Cognitive components: memory, perception, attention and emotions. b) Attitude components: intellectual curiosity, perseverance, self trust, knowing of the limitations, self motivation c) Abilities: creativity, logic, analysis ability, ability to summarize, etc. How can we acquire the TC? It does not happen immediately, it is a process of restructuration and of development of the competences. Choosing and specialty (law, literature, medical, etc), the context of learning (formal or by oneself), the teaching methodology, all of these can help us to acquire the TC. Amparo Hurtado gives this important knowledge only with the purpose of defining how we can improve, how we can become better translators. It is a process, learning is an adventure and developing these TC is in our hands. As eternal students, that all of us are, we must never stop seeking the new formula which would make us a better translator day after day, month after month, and year after year. Our profession is powerful, can you handle all the power you have within you?
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Quoted in Yebra, 1983, pag. 59 Quoted in Bugnot, 2005 pag. 28 Valentn Garca Yebra, 1983 pag. 9

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