Semantic Mapping of a Text (Exodus 23,8): A Descriptive Approach to Translation Equivalence

Abstract

Translation equivalence is descriptively analyzed in terms of a mapping of meaning options that are themselves extracted from actual translation variants & explications of a single text. These are termed "performances" & are considered to reinforce the translator's "competence," based on the expectancies created by the tradition he has mastered. A detailed semantic analysis is provided of the final phrase of a verse in Exodus 23:8 consisting of three Hebrew words. Various French & Eng translations are shown to represent one or more of the five options arising out of the analysis arranged under a four-dimensional feature matrix. This approach serves as a practical aid to translators & contributes a new dimension to the theoretical description of translation equivalence. AA