10561 Not by Word Alone: Fundamental Issues in Translation 1
Credits: 6 advanced credits in Hebrew Language or in Literature
Prerequisites: 36 credits, including at least one course in one of the following areas: Literature, Hebrew Language, Film Studies or Communication, and one additional course in the Humanities or in Communication. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.
Author: Rachel Weissbrod
The study of translation was developed by scholars of linguistics, literature, philosophy and other fields. The course presents translation theory comprehensively and concisely and examines basic concepts and key issues in the study of contemporary translation. Concepts are demonstrated through examples from different languages and cultures as well as from literature, journalism, film and television (mainly translation into Hebrew).
The course analyzes the essence and the role of translation in Western society and reviews key ideas that arose when considering translation. It reviews changes in approaches to translation in the Classical period, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Romantic period, to the present.
The course surveys descriptive, theoretical and applied studies in the field and examines the mutual relations between the product, function and process of translation. It also addresses the relationship between the original and the target cultures as well as the effect of translation constraints and norms on translators and their decisions.
Topics: The study of translation as a field of knowledge; Differences between languages; Constraints that affect the translation process and product; A description of constraints in the target culture through the concepts of system, repertoire and model; The options available to translators in the face of constraints and their complexity; Practical decisions; From translation to transfer of meaning.
1Students may write a seminar paper in this course, although it is not required.