The Terminology of Translation

Abstract

All translators are expected to be able to do terminological research; the first terminologists per se were former translators. However, the terminology of the discipline of translation leaves much to be desired: not only is there no published, & thus official, lexicon of translation terms, but the terminology used in studies on translation is characterized by synonymy & polysemy. After a brief review of the terminology of translation & its general characteristics, the problems of synonymy & polysemy are analyzed using the terminology related to meaning - central to any discussion of translation for the latter involves retransmission of meaning. This analysis reveals that: (1) the Eng term meaning is now so polysemous that it has become practically meaningless, & that its conceptual range has extended to the point that meaning & message have become synonymous; (2) while the polysemous term meaning is rendered in French by a variety of designations (sens, signifie, signification, etc), clearcut distinctions are often not made between them, & when such distinctions are made, they vary among translation scholars. Possible reasons for such terminological confusion & some suggestions for improving the situation are presented. 10 References. Modified AA