In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • Contexts in translating by Eugene A. Nida
  • Michael Pasquale
Contexts in translating. By Eugene A. Nida. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2001. Pp. x, 125. ISBN 158811113X. $70 (Hb).

This volume is part of the ‘Benjamins translation library’ series. Nida’s book serves two purposes. First, he deals with the role of contexts in the process of translation. He gives several examples of translations into English from French, Spanish, and German. Second, he introduces translation issues that a new translator would face. This highly readable book is a good entry-level venture into the field of translation studies.

Ch. 1, ‘What is translating?’ (1–11), sets the course for the next four chapters. It seeks to answer the main question of the book, namely, what is involved in translation? Ch. 2, ‘Language and culture’ (13–28), describes the interrelation of language and culture and its implications for the translator. N makes the point that the translator must always take into account the cultures of both the source and receptor languages. Ch. 3, ‘Words in context’ (29–51), stresses that words must be translated within their context, not in isolation. The context of the audience and the context of the source text affect word choice in translation. N includes a section describing the range of vocabulary necessary for a translator. He illustrates word choice in context with passages in Spanish and German.

Ch. 4, ‘Relations between words’ (53–66), explains that a translator must take into account the relationship between words within their linguistic structure. The interrelationship of words within their grammatical context is crucial to their meaning. According to N, knowledge of linguistics helps translators analyze the grammatical structure of the source and receptor languages. Ch. 5, ‘Translating texts’ (67–85), is the final chapter dealing with context and translation. N shows how discourse features such as time, space, and class influence the translation process. The goal of a translator is to capture the meaning of the text, not just to translate words.

Ch. 6, ‘Representative treatments of translating’ (87–105), is a helpful chapter for beginning students of translation theory. N comments on many critical books on translation that have been written during the last half of the twentieth century. In Ch. 7, ‘Three major types of translation theories’ (107–14), major types of translation theories are briefly discussed. N writes that translation theories can be divided into categories based on philological insights, linguistic insights, or sociosemiotics.

In this book, N accomplishes his goal of explaining the role of contexts in translation. He uses clear language and concrete examples, including illustrations from a variety of languages. The book’s only drawback is that, because of its brevity, it does not allow for more than a surface rendering of the material. This book is recommended reading for all students of translation theory.

Michael Pasquale
Cornerstone University
...

pdf

Share