Abstract
Since Lakoff and Johnson defined the term ‘conceptual metaphor’ in Metaphors We Live By (1980), researchers have developed a detailed understanding of the effectiveness of metaphor in communication across all languages and social contexts due to the cognitive clues it provides. However, metaphorical expressions, together with the conceptual metaphors they convey, are not always transferred smoothly between languages. This makes it vital to enhance metaphor literacy among translators. However, as Hastürkoğlu (2018) rightly observes, the curricula in translation and modern languages barely cater for contemporary metaphor theories or their role in communication. Against this backdrop, the current study aims to explore the benefits of metaphor translation training for professional and trainee translators. The training will also explore a collaborative approach to learning, contribute to community building among participants, and develop collaborative working skills which are much needed in the translation industry (O’Brien 2011).
The current study will investigate the effectiveness of a metaphor translation training programme targeted at both trainee and professional translators working from English into Arabic, French and Mandarin Chinese. The targeted participants (10-15 postgraduate translation students, 10-15 professional translators) will be recruited from local universities and from professional translation networks in Scotland. The workshop will cover essential theoretical concepts and hands-on activities centred around metaphor identification, textual analysis and translation strategies for metaphor. It will enable the participants to learn about the functional and cultural aspects of metaphor, and the cognitive clues that metaphor can provide for deductive analysis when transferring meaning across languages. The workshop will be based on a collaborative learning approach, enabling participants to exchange views and understand how different/similar human cognition can be regarding metaphorical language. The effectiveness of the training will be assessed via participant surveys and a detailed comparison of pre- and post-workshop translations.
In this presentation, the following aspects will be discussed: metaphor education in translator training, the contents of the workshop, and the results of the study. By comparing translation products and collecting participant feedback, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of this translator training workshop. By comparing our results with current knowledge on this topic, we will also explore any wider implications for metaphor translation training for students and professional translators alike.
References
Hastürkoğlu, Gökçen. 2018. “Incorporation of Conceptual Metaphor Theory in Translation Pedagogy: A Case Study on Translating Simile-based Idioms”. Australian Journal of Linguistics, Volume 38:4.
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By (University of Chicago Press: Chicago).
O’Brien, Sharon. 2011. “Collaborative translation”. In Gambier, Y, van Doorslaer, L (Eds.) Handbook of Translation Studies 2. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing, 17-20.
The current study will investigate the effectiveness of a metaphor translation training programme targeted at both trainee and professional translators working from English into Arabic, French and Mandarin Chinese. The targeted participants (10-15 postgraduate translation students, 10-15 professional translators) will be recruited from local universities and from professional translation networks in Scotland. The workshop will cover essential theoretical concepts and hands-on activities centred around metaphor identification, textual analysis and translation strategies for metaphor. It will enable the participants to learn about the functional and cultural aspects of metaphor, and the cognitive clues that metaphor can provide for deductive analysis when transferring meaning across languages. The workshop will be based on a collaborative learning approach, enabling participants to exchange views and understand how different/similar human cognition can be regarding metaphorical language. The effectiveness of the training will be assessed via participant surveys and a detailed comparison of pre- and post-workshop translations.
In this presentation, the following aspects will be discussed: metaphor education in translator training, the contents of the workshop, and the results of the study. By comparing translation products and collecting participant feedback, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of this translator training workshop. By comparing our results with current knowledge on this topic, we will also explore any wider implications for metaphor translation training for students and professional translators alike.
References
Hastürkoğlu, Gökçen. 2018. “Incorporation of Conceptual Metaphor Theory in Translation Pedagogy: A Case Study on Translating Simile-based Idioms”. Australian Journal of Linguistics, Volume 38:4.
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By (University of Chicago Press: Chicago).
O’Brien, Sharon. 2011. “Collaborative translation”. In Gambier, Y, van Doorslaer, L (Eds.) Handbook of Translation Studies 2. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing, 17-20.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Unpublished - 21 Sept 2022 |
| Event | 15th RaAM Conference 2022: The social impact of metaphor - University of Bialystok in Poland, Bialystok, Poland Duration: 21 Sept 2022 → 24 Sept 2022 https://www.raam.org.uk/conferences/previous-events/raam15-bialystok-poland/#:~:text=The%2015th%20RaAM%20Conference%20took,University%20of%20Bialystok%20in%20Poland. |
Conference
| Conference | 15th RaAM Conference 2022 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | RAAM22 |
| Country/Territory | Poland |
| City | Bialystok |
| Period | 21/09/22 → 24/09/22 |
| Internet address |