CHINESE LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION MOD.1

Chinese Language and Translation, mod. 1 is (together with mod. 2) one of the courses characterizing the master’s Degree Program in Interpreting and Translation for Pubishing and for Special Purposes. It aims to provide students with basic methodological tools for translation. The course, in particular, aims to develop students’ ability in analysing texts (both on a linguistic and a translation level) and in understanding their cultural specificities. These abilities will be trained through the translation activity carried out along the whole course, and will be further developed in the translation courses of the second year.

The course aims to :
• lead students to a deeper understanding of the Chinese written language, as it is used in different types of texts
• strengthen students’ ability in analyzing texts on different levels (linguistic, textual, and in view of a translation)
• introduce students to Chinese-Italian and Italian-Chinese translation.

Students will need an intermediate/advanced knowledge of the Chinese language and of the Italian language.

The course is divided into two parts. The first part (which takes place during the first term) will focus on advanced texts of different types written in Chinese: the texts will be critically read, analyzed and translated. Special attention will be given to linguistic, syntactic and textual characteristics of the Chinese written language in different texts. This analytical and translation work is the basis for the more in-depth study of translation theory and practice which is conducted during the second part of the course.
During classes, students will be invited to actively reflect and discuss on the texts and their proposed translations.
Exercizes will be devoted to Italian-Chinese translation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY for Mod. 1

• Feng Shengli, "Modern Chinese: Written Chinese", in The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Chinese Language, Chan Sin-wai ed., 2016, pp. 645-663.
• Yu Feng, A Learners' handbook of modern Chinese written expressions, Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 2000
• Osimo B., Il manuale del traduttore, Milano, Hoepli, 2011.
• Serianni L., Italiani scritti, Mulino, Bologna, 2007.
• Siri Nergaard (ed.), Teorie contemporanee della traduzione, Bompiani, Milano, 1995 (in particular Jakobson R., “Aspetti linguistici della traduzione”, 1959, pp. 51-62.)


SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS
Baker M., In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation, Routledge, London & New York, 1992.
Bassnett, La Traduzione. Teoria e pratica, Bompiani, Milano, 1993.
Delisle J., Lee-Jahnke H. e Cormier M. C., Terminologia della traduzione, Hoepli, Milano, 2002.
Scarpa F., La traduzione specializzata, Hoepli, Milano, 2002.
Newmark P., A Textbook of Translation, Prentice Hall, London, 1988.

Popovič A., La scienza della traduzione, Hoepli, Milano, 2006.

Venuti L. (a cura di), The Translation Studies Reader (2° ed.), Routledge, New York & London, 2004.

The final exam is made of two parts:

a) written translation of a text from Chinese into Italian; answer to theoretical questions on translation.

b) written translation from Italian into Chinese.

Lessons with active participation by students and class exercises. All texts to be translated will be available on the Moodle platform. Students are required to translate the assigned text before each class, and to present their translation in class, in order to stimulate discussion on text interpretation and translation.

Italian

Classes will be in Italian and Chinese.

In order to be able to take the exam, the students are required to deliver all the translations made during the course (together with translation comments and terminological glossaries). The assignment should be delivered at least one week before the exam. In case of serious shortcomings, the student will be required to revise it before the exam. Should the final work not meet the requirements, penalties will be applied to the final grade calculation (up to two points).

In order to obtain the 12 credits, students are required to take the exam only at the end of the second part of the course (second term).

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