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Abstract

This research project embarks on a translation of two chapters from Herr Roth’s Seht auf die Vögel, published in 2021, an interesting Christian book which infers biblically-based life lessons from the lives of different birds. The goal is to produce an empathetic, accurate translation that applies theory to decision-making in a principled way. Initially, a literature review is presented, setting out a simple framework within which various theories are analysed and their relevance for the project evaluated, from a practical and ideological perspective. The commentary following the translation discusses the application of essentially literal translation and the proposed skopos of ambassadorial translation (a new concept introduced in the study) in practice. Key authors drawn on include the functionalists Reiß, Vermeer and Nord; Newmark; and Hervey, Loughridge and Higgins. The main anticipated, and encountered, challenge was conveying the unique style and voice while targeting fairly literal translation, particularly when translating hymns quoted in the extracts; although literal translation proved an effective starting point. In dealing with the multiple constraints on hymns, a further key author, Peter Low, proved helpful. The conclusion reviews the main challenges and resolutions and discusses the potential relevance of thedeveloped analytical framework and concept of ambassadorial translation in future research.

Course: Applied Languages - BA (Hons) - C0392

Date Deposited: 2023-07-27

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14170.html