Table Of ContentThinking Italian Translation
Thinking Italian Translationis an indispensable course for linguists who want to
develop their Italian-to-English translation skills.
This new edition includes:
(cid:129) up-to-date examples and new source texts from a variety of genres, from
journalistic to technical;
(cid:129) a brand new section on professionalism and the translation market.
The course is practical, addressing key issues for translators such as cultural
differences, genre, and revision and editing. At the same time, it clearly defines
translation theories.
Thinking Italian Translation is key reading for advanced students wishing to
perfect their language skills or considering a career in translation.
Stella Cragie, a Qualified Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting,
and former Principal Lecturer in Translation at the University of Westminster, is
now a freelance translator.
Ian Higgins, who, with the late Sándor Hervey, originated the Thinking
Translation series, is Honorary Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages at the
University of St Andrews.
Patrizia Gambarottais Director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Mumbai.
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Thinking Italian
Translation
A course in translation method
Italian to English
Second edition
Stella Cragie, Ian Higgins,
Sándor Hervey and
Patrizia Gambarotta
Second edition published 2016
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2016 Stella Cragie, Ian Higgins, Sándor Hervey, Patrizia Gambarotta
The right of Stella Cragie, Ian Higgins, Sándor Hervey and Patrizia
Gambarotta to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted
by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2000
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thinking Italian translation: a course in translation method: Italian to
English/Sándor Hervey; Ian Higgins; Stella Cragie; Patrizia
Gambarotta. – Second Edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
I. Hervey, Sándor G., editor. II. Higgins, Ian, editor. III. Cragie, Stella,
editor. IV. Gambarotta, Patrizia, editor.
PC1498.T46 2016
428′.0251 – dc23
2015020505
ISBN: 978-1-138-79977-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-79978-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-75587-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
SECTION 1
Process and product 5
1 Preliminaries to translation as a process 7
Practical 1 12
1.1 Intralingual translation 12
1.2 Intralingual translation 12
1.3 Gist translation 14
2 Preliminaries to translation as a product 15
Practical 2 22
2.1 Translation loss 22
2.2 Degrees of freedom; translation loss 23
3 Cultural transposition 25
Practical 3 31
3.1 Cultural transposition 31
4 Compensation 34
Practical 4 39
4.1 Compensation 39
The formal properties of texts: introduction 41
vi Contents
5 The formal properties of texts: phonic/graphic and prosodic
issues in translation 43
Practical 5 53
5.1 Phonic/graphic and prosodic issues 53
5.2 Phonic/graphic and prosodic issues 54
6 The formal properties of texts: grammatical and sentential
issues in translation 56
Practical 6 62
6.1 Grammatical and sentential issues 62
6.2 Grammatical and sentential issues 63
7 The formal properties of texts: discourse and intertextual
issues in translation 65
Practical 7 72
7.1 Discourse and intertextual issues 72
8 Literal meaning and translation issues 74
Practical 8 80
8.1 Particularising, generalising and partially
overlapping translation 80
9 Connotative meaning and translation issues 82
Practical 9 87
9.1 Connotative meaning 87
10 Language variety: translation issues in register, sociolect
and dialect 90
Practical 10 96
10.1 Language variety 96
10.2 Language variety 98
11 Textual genre and translation issues 100
Practical 11 105
11.1 Genre and translation 105
11.2 Genre and translation 106
12 Scientific and technical translation 108
Practical 12 114
12.1 Scientific and technical translation 114
12.2 Scientific and technical translation 114
12.3 Scientific and technical translation 115
Contents vii
13 Official, legal and business translation 116
Practical 13 125
13.1 Official and legal translation 125
13.2 Official and legal translation 127
14 Translating consumer-oriented texts 129
Practical 14 134
14.1 Consumer-oriented texts 134
14.2 Consumer-oriented texts 134
15 Revising and editing translations 136
Practical 15 141
15.1 Revising and editing 141
15.2 Revising and editing 142
16 Three specimen practicals 144
Assignment 1 144
Assignment 2 147
Assignment 3 150
SECTION 2
The translation profession 153
17 Working as a translator 155
Practical 17 168
17.1 Working as a translator 168
18 Technical resources 169
Practical 18 176
18.1 Technical resources 176
19 Professionalism and quality standards 178
Practical 19 183
19.1 Professional standards 183
19.2 Quality standards 184
20 Summary and conclusion 185
Glossary 189
Bibliography 197
Index 201
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Acknowledgements
The authors and publisher would like to thank the contributors to the first edition
for their valuable input, in particular Laura Leonardo and Stella Peyronel. Every
effort has been made to trace copyright holders of other material, but in a few
cases this has not been possible. Any omissions brought to our attention will be
remedied in future editions. Carcanet Press Limited for E. Morgan, ‘Opening the
Cage’, from The Second Life (1968); Einaudi Editore for material from P. Levi,
Se questo è un uomo; Antonella Antonelli Agenzia Letteraria S.r.l. for material
from A. Tabucchi, Piccoli equivoci senza importanza; Bulzino Editore for material
from G.M. Nicolai, Viaggio lessicale nel paese del soviet; Electa Napoli (1999)
for material from Pitture nella Reggia dalle CittàSepolte, Naples; the European
Communities for material from EUR-LEX; Marco Fazzini and Forum for Modern
Language Studies for ‘Aprire la gabbia a John Cage’; Feltrinelli Editore for
material from Il Gattopardo di Tomasi di Lampedusa © Giangiacomo Feltrinelli
Editore, Milan 1958; The Harvill Press and Pantheon USA for material from The
Leopard, by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, translated by Archibald Colquhoun.
© Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore 1958. © in the English translation William
Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. 1961. Reproduced by permission of The Harvill Press
and Pantheon USA; IBM Italia for ‘Come dicono le ricerche . . .’; Longanesi for
material from M. Buticchi, Scusi, Bagnino, l’ombrellone non funziona; Arnoldo
Mondadori Editore for material from S. Ballestra, Compleanno dell’iguana;
Lamber di Affaba Francesco & C snc for material from a publicity brochure;
Vittorio Russo for material from Santità! and Holiness!; Unione Sarda for ‘Il
corrispondente del Financial Times’ by G. Pisano, 2014; Pagebypagebooks.com
for The Battle of Lifeby Charles Dickens; Sergio Civita Editore for material from
La cucina aristocratica napoletana, 1988 and for material from Campi Flegrei,
1987 by Franco Mancusi; Il Giornalefor ‘Autunno ad alta quota’ by L. Romano,
2013; Marcegaglia Tourism for material from the website, accessed 2014;
Feltrinelli Editore 2011 for material from Le Beatrici by Stefano Benni; Vallecchi
Editore 2004 for Incantesimi – Alice nel Paese della fiction by Luisella Bolla;
Sellerio Editore 2013 for material from L’arte del dubbioby Gianrico Carofiglio
and for material from La voce del violino(2013) by Andrea Camilleri; BUR Rizzoli
2011 for material from Il ventre di Napoli by Matilde Serao; Rivista Ligure di
Meteorologia for material from ‘Il Sistema dei centri funzionali nella previsione
