Translation: Types, Choices, and Implications on Teaching Language and Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to study, analyze, and describe the translational choices of the participants in the interest of categorizing their translation strategies and more importantly premised on Baker’s narrative theory which is to examine the possibility of participants’ resistance or faithful translation. The current study is premised on Baker’s (2007) theory of narrative in translation which posits that beyond translated texts is an embedded identity of the translator. The findings suggest that participants have four (4) types of translation - mistranslation, paraphrasing, literal translation, and beyond text translation. Of the four translation types, beyond text translation reveals mental attitudes, beliefs, and values of participants. There are observations in the processing of L2 text - (1) foreignizing English or L2 texts by coining words or phrases, using telegraphic texts and carabao English; (2) translating by using a popular spoken expression mostly understood in L1 than in L2; (3) projecting sensory image to describe an L1 item with unknown equivalent; (4) using wordy details often unnecessary; and (5) adding L2 text not found in the source text.  Further this paper examines the translational choices of participants in terms of morphological content, translational meaning in L1 and L2, and the implications to pedagogy in language and literature. There are 38 university students who translated the short story (Bb. Phathupats, by Juan Crisostomo Soto) from Filipino to English. The short story has 34 paragraphs written in Kapampangan and in Filipino by Vidal and Nelmida (1996). The paper ends with insights underpinning the implications of translational choices to teaching language and literature.