Lijian Cai

Builds on the theoretical and practical foundation laid in Introduction to Translation and introduces the translation of specialized subject matter. Depending upon the language program in which they are enrolled, students will be expected to acquire and demonstrate basic proficiency in the sight and written translation of either commercial and economic texts, legal texts, or scientific and technical texts. The amount of emphasis accorded to a particular topic will depend on the specific professional requirements of each language program. Course assignments will include readings, research, presentations, practice and graded exercises in sight translation, and practice and graded written translation assignments, including exercises in speed translation. Students will also be expected to take at least one midterm and one final exam. The frequency, nature, and structure of course assignments and examinations are largely at the discretion of the instructor(s) of record.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Translation or equivalent background.

Advanced Translation I into Chinese

This is the first of two complementary courses designed to bring translation knowledge and skills up to the level that would be required of someone working in a professional translation environment. Students will be expected to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the first-year translation courses to produce translations that meet high standards for content, form, and presentation. A great deal of attention is given to subject matter knowledge and research, precision in text analysis and writing, and the appropriate application of translation technology. Some programs emphasize scientific and technical topics in this course, but others give considerable attention to commercial, economic, legal, and political texts, many of which have a technical component. The frequency, nature, and structure of course assignments and examinations are at the discretion of the instructor(s) of record. Students will, however, be expected to take at least one midterm exam and one final exam.

Prerequisite: 2nd-year student in good standing or equivalent background.

Many translation students and, indeed, many experienced translators tend to obsess about how to establish equivalence at the word level and how to imitate syntactic structures of the original text only to end up producing a lot of gibberish. They are hitting a dead end.

Translation is never a scavenger hunt for equivalent words. Laboring over formal resemblance will get you nowhere. The gaping differences in how ideas are expressed in source and target languages – especially when we are talking about Chinese and English – essentially render any attempt in that direction meaningless and futile.

To translate is to rewrite. Translating is all about how to convey meaning as effectively as possible. This course will take you in a new direction. It is designed to help you get out the rut and into a groove.

It takes some rethinking about how translation is done. If you are loath to get out of your comfort zone or too scared to jettison what you are accustomed to and hold dear, this course is not for you. Rewriting requires ingenuity and imagination. If you think that’s what excites you, welcome aboard and join the fun.