In His Name
Isfahan Sheikhbahaee University
Course Outline
English Department
Undergraduate Program: TEFL, Literature & Translation Studies
Course Title: Simple Prose Translation
Course Code: 441529
Instructor: P. Ahmadi
_______________________________________________________________________________
Course Description:
This module is designed to provide students with knowledge about theories and practice in the field
of translation. It provides students with practical opportunities to develop their translation
competencies further. It also involves the translation of various types of texts. Students discuss
problems encountered in the course of translation such as text analysis, stylistics, register, language
usage as well as equivalence at different levels. Upon the successful completion of this module,
students are expected to have acquired the following learning objectives:

Identify and analyze translation challenges in a variety of text types,

Devise appropriate strategies for tackling the problems,

Apply the principles of translation to the solution of the problems,

Develop and record their own research, teamwork, self-reflection, critical analysis, and

Advance further their core translation skills.
Weekly Schedule:
Week 1. Introduction to the course: Overview of theoretical principles in TS
Week 2. Translation Assessment 1: Elaboration on Garces’s Article (2004)
Week 3. Translation Assessment 2: Elaboration on Garces’s Article (2004)
Week 4. Workshop 1: Procedures in Translating a Text (Nida & Taber)
Week 5. Workshop 2: Approaches to Translation: Semantic vs. Communicative (Newmark)
Week 6. Translation Practice 1: Different Types of Meaning: Lexical Meaning
Week 7. Workshop 3: Various Types of Translation (Catford)
Week 8. Translation Practice 2: Structural Meaning
Week 9. Workshop 4: Text Types in Translation
Week 10. Translation Practice 3: Socio-cultural Meaning
Week 11. Workshop 5: Semantic Categories of Verb
Week 12. Translation Practice 4: Personal Meaning
Week 13. Workshop 6: Register Analysis in Translation
Week 14. Translation Practice 5: Unit of translation
Week 15. Adjustment in Translation: Lexical, Structural, Textual, Contextual, & Cultural
Week 16. Translation Practice 6: Summing up the course
Module Assessment:
Attendance & Active Participation
20%
Term Paper (as mid-term exam)
30%
Final Exam
50%
Important Caveat: No midterm exam will be administered. Students are required to write a 15002000 word essay on a topic assigned by the instructor based on translation assessment.
Term papers should be submitted due by the last week of December (Azar). The late
submissions shall not be considered for final assessment.
Instructional Materials
1. Mirza Suzani, S. (2009). Translation of Simple Texts. SMAT Publications.
2. Garces, T. (2004). A Methodological Proposal for the Assessment of Translated Literary
Works.
3. Some related texts will be given to the students by the instructor.
A Tentative Outline of a Class Session
A. Theoretical Section:
Semantic vs. Communicative Approach to Translation
B. Translation Techniques:
Transposition or Shifting
a. No equivalent syntactic form exist
b. Literal translation is possible but does not seem natural
c. To compensate lexical gap for transposition
Examples:
1. They appeared to be waiting for something.
Verb → Adverb
2. It was impossible to go forward.
Infinitive → Noun
3. Increased military aids are vital to their defense.
Adjective → Noun
4. He has a will of iron.
Noun → Adjective
5. Stone Bridge
Noun → Adjective
C. Translation Assessment: Compare the following translations with the source text:
The book is a considerable achievement, not only for what it managed to discover in an
inauspicious circumstances about the actual life histories of Bakhtin and the members of
his circle but also because of the way it weaves together these biographical facts with his
intellectual development.
:‫ترجمه به شیوه اول‬
‫درباره زندگی واقعی باختین و اعضای حلقه او کشف‬,‫ در شرایط ناگوار‬،‫این کتاپ دستاورد قابل مالحظه ای است نه فقط به خاطر آنچه که‬
.‫ بلکه همچنین به دلیل شیوه ای که این حقایق زندگی نامهای را با پیشرفت فکری او مرتبط می کند‬،‫میکند‬
:‫ترجمه به شیوه دوم‬
‫ نویسندگان در شرایطی دشوار توانسته اند حقایق ارزشمندی در باره‬،‫ نخست اینکه‬.‫این کتاب را به دو دلیل باید موفقیت بزرگی به حساب اورد‬
.‫ دیگر انکه به خوبی توانسته اند ارتباط میان این وقایع و سیر تفکر باختین را نشان بدهند‬.‫زندگی باختین و اعضای حلقه او کشف کنند‬
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Simple Prose Translation
Workshop 1
Certain Procedures in Translating a Text (Nida & Taber, 1982)
It obviously impossible to define adequately all varieties of procedures the translators employ for
different types of translation. However, some of the principal steps can be shown as follows:
As can be seen, system of translation consists of more elaborate procedure comprising three
stages:
I. Analysis the source Text
This stages the analysis and d interpretation of SL to find out all its different levels of form,
meaning, style, and intent. So it is essential to read the entire text before actual translation.
The full understanding of the message therefore is the primary goal of the translator. The
translator should know how to read a text to reach the highest degree of comprehension.
Here is a suggested procedure:
1. Read the text through as quickly as possible in an effort to grasp the general meaning.
2. Again read the text, this time paying attention to details, unfamiliar words, expressions,
unusual grammatical structures. Some general points respecting the nature of the text,
whether it is of a literary, technical, informative, etc., and levels of usage, whether it is
formal, informal, colloquial, slang, etc., should be taken into consideration by the
translator.
3. Consult a reliable English to English dictionary and pick up the meanings which best fit
the context. The habit of consult an English dictionary first and then using the bilingual
dictionary to find the nearest equivalent in one’s own language is indispensible to
successful translation. The bilingual dictionary is therefore the last, not the first
instrument to be used by the translator.
4. Long sentences which trouble understanding or transferring can be broken into ‘kernel’
sentences, that is, keeping to the basic patterns: subject, verb, object, qualifying phrases.
5. Try to judge the writer’s purpose in writing the text. You can do this by asking
questions such as:
a. Is the wrier trying to describe or explain something?
b. Is he trying to induce the reader to accept his point of view, or is he trying to
persuade the reader to act on his suggestions or idea that he puts forward or
makes?
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6. To what extend is the writer successful in his purpose in his purpose? If he is explaining
a process, does he do so with the minimum number of words and maximum of clarity?
7. Judge the writer’s style and particularly his use of figurative language.
II. Transferring the Meaning
After having completed the processes of analysis of analysis, which involve both
grammatical and semantic aspects of the text, it is then essential that the results of the
analysis be transferred from language A to language B, that is, from the source language to
the receptor language. But this take place in someone’s brain and the translator is the person
in whose brain the actual transfer takes place. A number of persons may assist by way of
analysis and restructuring, but the transfer itself is the crucial and focal point of the
translation process. Let us remind ourselves of the priorities in the process of transfer:
1. At all costs, the contents of the message must be transferred with as little loss or
distortion as possible. It is the referential, conceptual burden of the message that has
the highest priority.
2. It is very important to convey as well as possible the connotation, the emotional
flavor and impact, of the message. This is harder to describe than the first, and even
harder to accomplish, but it is very important.
3. If, in translating from one language to another the content and connotation of the
message, one can also carry over something of the form, one should do so. But
under no circumstances should the form be given priority over the other aspects of
the message.
III. Restructuring the Meaning
Once all obscurities have become clear to the translator, and have grasped both the message
and the style through an analytical approach, s/he can start the message. In this stage the
translator determines:
1. Unit of translation
Determining unit of translation basically depends on the type of translation you want to
produce; for example, if the aim is to produce a very literal translation , then the unit of
translation may be group- to-group or sentence to sentence. On the other hand, if the
tendency is towards a free translation, the unit of translation can be the whole paragraph.
Since word-by-word and phrase-by-phrase translations are considered very primitive
methods in translating; no translation should proceed word-by-word or phrase-by-phrase;
but should take as minimal unit the longer sentences or shorter paragraphs. In translation
of such units the translator should not hesitate to employ boldness and freedom of
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expression. Moreover, the first draft should aim at fullness of expression, rather than bare
minimum of equivalence.
Remember that whatever unit of translation you choose; you must always adhere to
the stream of thought which lies behind the words and goes through the whole body
of the text.
2. Proper Equivalence
When hearing the term ‘equivalence’, the immediate thought that comes to the mind
should not necessarily be perceived as replacement of words by their straightforward,
apparent synonyms. We may think and talk of equivalence in terms of equivalent ideas,
parallel grammatical structures and equivalent effects.
3. Adjustments
The translator, no matter what he translates, is believed to be the one whose duty is
to convey the message in the best way possible. In order to achieve this, he has to
make changes or adjustments in his translation. These adjustments may be
classified as:
a. Lexical (to make changes in lexis)
These changes and adjustments are performed to reproduce natural equivalents
which in turn help the translation to be read with ease and pleasure.
Example:
I don’t know why the sales manager gave me a dirty look.
.‫نمی دانم چرا مدیر فروش به من چپ چپ نگاه می کرد‬
b. Grammatical (to make changes in grammar)
Example:
By tomorrow afternoon, I will have finished the project.
.‫تا فردا بعدازظهر من این طرح را کامل کرده ام‬
c. Both lexical and grammatical
Example:
We spread no effort to remove the misunderstanding.
.‫ما برای رفع سوء تفاهم از هیچ کاری دریغ نکردیم‬
d. Revising the draft copy of translation
When the process of restructuring has been completed, it is important that
the first draft be left “ to cool ” at least for a day or so, so that the translator can
return to the work with a greater objectivity and attachment. During the process of
revision one can (a) prune out unnecessary words, (b) rearrange the component
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parts, ( c) correct errors in meaning and style, and (d) give special attention to the
connection between units.
e. Testing the Translation
Before writing the fair copy of your translation, a good way of evaluating your work is to
read it aloud to some listeners to observe their reactions. The reactions of the receptors to
the hearing of a text are important indicators of the validity of the overall impression of a
translation. The translator himself can note the points at which the reader hesitates, often
marking awkward style or word choice, as well as expressions of comprehension or
misunderstanding in the hearers. Moreover, the translator can question hearers about
matters which may not have been clear and items which could lead to misunderstanding.
This may be done by direct questions about content or by asking certain persons to explain
the substance of what they have learned.
6
Simple Prose Translation
Workshop 2
Semantics vs. Communicative Method
It is important to know method application to different types of texts and the factors that affect the
choice of the appropriate translation method which is of extremely importance as it determines
the quality of translation to a large extent. After considering all the factors, translator must
consider one of the methods and according to his/her priorities select one of them.
Definitions:
The semantic kind of translation would look back to the formal values of the source text
and retain them as much as possible; the communicative translation would look forward to
the needs of the new addressee, adapting to those needs as much as necessary (Pym, 2010).
Communicative translation attempts to produce on its readers an effect as close as possible
to that obtained on the readers of the original. Semantic translation attempts to render the
exact contextual meaning of the original as closely as the semantic and syntactic structures
of the second language allow (Newmark, 1988).
Parameter
Semantic translation
Transmitter focus
Objective, SL authorfocused
Remains within the SL
culture
Culture
Time and origin
Not fixed in any time or
locale space
Relation to SL
Always ‘inferior’ to SL
Use of form of SL
‘loyalty’ to SL author
Form of TL
More complex, awkward,
detailed, concentrated;
tendency to overtranslate
Appropriateness
For serious literature,
autobiography, ‘personal
effusion’ , any important
political or other
statements
Criterion of evaluation
Accuracy of reproduction
Communicative
translation
Subjective, TT readerfocused,
Transfer of foreign
elements into the TL
culture
Ephemeral and rooted in
its own contemporary
context
May be ‘better’ than the
SL;
overriding loyalty to TL
norms
Smoother, simpler,
clearer, more direct, more
conventional; tendency to
undertranslate
For the vast majority of
texts, e.g., non-literary
writing, technical and
informative texts,
publicity, standardized
types,
Accuracy of
communication
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The two methods may coincide
Newmark (1988) maintains that there is no pure communicative or pure semantic method of
translating a text. There are overlapping bands of methods. A translation can be more or
less communicative or semantic. Even a part of a sentence can be treated more
communicatively or more semantically. It is not possible to say that a literary text requires
a completely semantic or communicative translation. In a literary text there may be a
sentence, a paragraph or a section that require communicative translation. For instance
when a figurative usage can't be transferred or if transferred the form will be quite
misleading or incomprehensible to the reader, then it must be translated communicatively.
So, the two methods are usually taken into use alternatively with varying focuses,
and there are times when the two methods cannot be distinguished. For instance, if the
translation of serious philosophical, artistic, or technical works is not constrained by
temporal or geographical elements and a rather close translation can render the reader in the
TL with the same message and acquaint with the stylistic features of the original language,
there is no way and no necessity to identify which method is applied.
It is not always possible to say which method is better to adapt for a particular text
because texts are usually of hybrid nature. The different method can be applied within the
same text. No matter which method is applied, the measure is the accuracy of the translation
and the translator's ability to reproduce the heart of the source text.
Thus, compare the following translations from the point of translation method.
The Roots by Alex Haley
By the late evening, each family would meet back at their hut, bringing whatever each
individual had found--perhaps even a mole or a handful of large grub worms, if they were
lucky--for that night’s pot of soup, heavily peppered and spiced to improve the taste. But
such fare filled their bellies without bringing nourishment. And so it was that the people of
Juffure began to die.
1 ‫ترجمه شماره‬
،‫ شاید آ ن یه موش صحرایی‬.‫هر مرد هنگام غروب آفتاب به کلبه اش بر می گشت و با خودش آنچه را که پیدا کرده بود می آورد‬
‫شاید مقدار زیادی کرم بود که با آن سوپ درست می کردند و برای اینکه طعمش عوض شود فلفل و ادویه هم به آن سوپ اضافه‬
‫ اما این غذا بدون آنکه خاصیت غذایی داشته باشد فقط شکمشون را پر می کرد و به همین دلیل بود که مردم جفور از‬.‫می کردند‬
.‫بین می رفتند‬
2 ‫ترجمه شماره‬
‫ شاید اگر‬-‫شبها هر خانواده در کلبه اش جمع می شد و هر کدام از آنها هر چه یافته بود و با خود آورده بود در میان می گذاشت‬
‫ فلفل و ادویه فراوان به‬،‫ تا از آن آش بپزند؛ برای این که آش خوش طعم بشود‬-‫ موش کور یا مشتی کرم درشت‬،‫بخت یارشان بود‬
‫ این بود که مرگ و میر در‬.‫ اما بیشتر این غذاها بی آنکه ارزش غذایی چندانی داشته باشند فقط شکم پر کن بودند‬.‫آن می زدند‬
.‫میان مردم ژوفوره پیدا شد‬
8
Simple Prose Translation
Workshop 3
Semantic Categories of Verb
The semantic elements like ‘Motion’, ‘Path’, ‘Figure’, ‘Ground’, ‘Manner’, and ‘Cause’, and surface
elements like ‘verb’. We examine which semantic elements are expressed by which surface elements.
This relationship is largely not one-to-one. A combination of semantic elements can be expressed by a
single surface element, or single semantic element by a combination of surface elements. Or again,
semantic elements of different types can be expressed by the same type of surface element, as well as the
same type by severa1 different ones. We see a range of typological patterns anti universal principles. Our
particular concern is to understand how such patterns compare across languages.
Figure= object; Ground= referent frame; Motion= movement from one point to another point; Path=
the course followed or site occupied by the Figure; Ground= referent object; Manner= how; and
Cause=reason
1. Ali walks.
2. Ali ghadam mizanad.
Now look at this example: The man ran back down into the storeroom.
1 2
3
Motion
Path
Ground
[Manner/Cause]
____________________________________
Surface Verbs
Examples:
Move + Manner
1. The rock sIid/rolled/bounced down the hill.
2. The gate swungshut on its rusty hinges.
3. I stumbled/rushed/groped my way down the stairs.
4. She wore a green dress to the party.
Move + Cause
5. The napkin blew off the table.
6. I sawed the tree down to the ground at the base.
7. I waved him away from the building.
8. Paint dotted the rug.
9. He choked to death on a bone.
10. His shirt flapped dry in the wind.
11. A hole burnt in the table from a cigarette.
9
Simple Prose Translation
Workshop 4
Various Types of Translation (Catford, 1965)
In terms of the rank, there are three types of translation, 1) word-by-word translation,
2) free translation, and 3) literal translation.
A. Word-by-word Translation
A word by word translation is a rank-bound translation at word-rank scale. This type of
translation suggests words in the source language material will be replaced only by words I
the target language and translation may not replace a word by a phrase or a sentence and the
way around.
1. Knowledge is power.
.‫دانش هست توانایی‬
2. What you see is what you get.
3. There are many dangerous creatures here.
4. The truth will out.
5. In for a penny, in for a pound..
.‫آنچه تو می بینی هست آنچه تو به دست می آوری‬
.‫آنجا هستند خیلی خطر ناک موجودات اینجا‬
.‫حقیقت خواهد بیرون‬
.‫ داخل برای یک پوند‬،‫داخل برای یک پنی‬
Strong Points
Invitation letter
Blood Money
Surface Structure
Deep Structure
B. Free Translation
A free translation is an unbounded translation shunt up and down the rank scale. The rank
scale is not word, phrase, or even a sentence. It tends to be at higher ranks, sometimes
between larger units than the sentence. Sometimes a word or a phrase in SL text can be
replaced by a sentence.
1. Knowledge is power.
‫توانا بود هرکه دانا بود زدانش دل پیر برنا بود‬
2. What comes with the wind goes with water.
.‫باد آورده را باد می برد‬
3. A burnt child dreads fire.
.‫مار گزیده از ریسمان سیاه و سفید می ترسد‬
4. Misery loves company.
.‫کسی که به جهنم میره دنبال رفیق می گرده‬
5. More Catholic than the Pope.
.‫ کاسه داغتر از آش‬/‫دایه دلسوزتر از مادر‬
C. Literal Translation
A literal translation is a translation that tends to follow the form of the SL but the translator
sometimes makes changes in conformity with TL grammar that is, the translation tends to
remain lexically word-by-word but keeps the characteristics of free translation.
1. Knowledge is power.
.‫دانایی توانایی است‬
2. The nurse informed the doctor that the patient hadn’t taken his tablets.
.‫پرستار به دکتر اطالع داد که بیمار قرص هایش را برنداشته بود‬
3. The new manger gets on my nerves in every single day.
.‫مدیر جدید هر روز سوار اعصاب من میشه‬
4. I guess our team is going to be one of the best in the country.
.‫حدث می زنم تیم ما (داره) میره که یکی از بهترین ها در کشور باشه‬
01
Simple Prose Translation
Workshop 5
Text Types & Translation Newmark)
Newmark (1988) categorizes 3 text types and summarizes the main characteristics of each text
type as the following.
1. An informative text type presents plain communication of facts, i.e. information,
knowledge, and opinions, etc. The language dimension used to transfer information is
logical or referential, and the content or topic is the main focus of the communication. Of
its features are passive constructions, verbs of present and present perfect tenses,
literal (nonfigurative) language, Latinized vocabulary, jargon, and compound
names.
2. An expressive text type means creative composition, in which the author uses the aesthetic
dimension of language. Of its features are unusual collocations, original metaphors,
untranslatable terms, unconventional syntax, and neologisms.
3. An operative text type induces behavioral responses. The aim of its function is to appeal to
or persuade the reader or receiver of the text to act in a certain way. The form of language
is dialogic, and the focus is appellative. Of its stylistic features are use of second person
singular personal pronoun, infinitive, imperative or subjunctive constructions,
impersonal passive sentences, and hypoconstic names. The table below adopted from
Newmark (1981) summarizes the principles of text-type translation in Persian.
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How to translate these texts?
Reiss’s (1989:109) suggestions on specific translation methods according to the text type are as
the following:
1. The translation of informative texts should convey the full referential or conceptual
content of ST. The translation should be in plain prose without redundancy and
necessary explication should be used.
2. The translation of an expressive text should convey the aesthetic and artistic form of ST.
The translation should use the identifying method and the translator should adopt the
viewpoint of the author of ST.
3. The translation of an operative text should create the desired response in the TT readers.
The translation should use the adaptive method and make an equivalent effect among
the TT readers.
Expressive Text
Now he was there, one foot on the moon, then the other foot on the moon, the fine powder, like
velvet, underfoot. With one hand still on the ladder, he comments, “The surface is fine and
powdery I can … I can kick it up loosely with my toe.” And as he releases it, the grains fall back
slowly to the soil, a fan of feathers gliding to the floor. “It does adhere in fine layers like powered
charcoal to the sole and sides of my boots. I only go in a small fraction of an inch. Maybe an
eighth of an inch. But I can see the footprints of my boots and the treads in the fine sand particles.
‫ همچنانکه هنوز یک دستش به نردبان‬.‫ همچون مخمل زیر پایش‬،‫ گردی نرم‬،‫ یک پایش روی ماه و سپس پای دیگرش‬،‫حاال آنجا بود‬
‫ می توانم بی هیچ زحمتی با پنجه پایم این گرد را به هوا بلند کنم)) و به‬....‫ می توانم‬.‫ (( سطح اینجا گرد نرم ا ست‬:‫ می گوید‬،‫است‬
.‫ چون دسته ای پر که به نرمی بچرخد و بر زمین فرود آید‬،‫ دانه های آن به آرامی باز بر زمین می نشیند‬،‫محض آنکه رهایش می کند‬
‫ شاید یک هشتم اینچ در‬،‫ پایم را کمتر از یک اینچ‬.‫ مانند خاکه ذغال‬،‫((به صورت الیه های نازک به پاشنه و ساق چکمه ام می چسبد‬
.‫ اما می توانم اثر چکمه هایم و جای پایم را در این ذرات شن نرم ببینم‬.‫آن فرو می برم‬
Informative Text
Forget about smoking. The number-one health hazard in Italy these days is driving. In recent
weeks the amount of carbon monoxide in some areas has exceeded “red alert” levels, prompting
bans or severe limitations on car travel in 11 major cities. Hardest hit was Florence where for
three days in a row last week driving was prohibited in most areas for 11 hours. While trying to
enforce the ban a traffic cop fainted and was hospitalizes with carbon monoxide poisoning.
‫ در هفته های اخیر مقدار‬.‫ رانندگی است‬،‫ این روزها خطر مهمی که سالمتی را در ایتالیا تهدید می کند‬.‫سیگار کشیدن را فراموش کنید‬
‫مونو کسید کربن در بعضی مناطق از حد مجاز فراتر رفته است و موجب اعمال انواع ممنوعیت یا محدودیتهای جدی برای استفاده از‬
‫ حاد ترین وضعیت در فلورانس پیش آمد که هفته گذشته سه روز متوالی استفاده از اتومبیل در‬.‫اتومبیل در یازده شه ر بزرگ شده است‬
‫ یک پلیس راهنمایی و رانندگی هنگامی که می کوشید مقرارت منع رفت و آمد را‬.‫اکثر مناطق آن به مدت یازده ساعت ممنوع شده بود‬
.‫ از حال رفت و به سبب مسمومیت ناشی از مونو کسید در بیمارستان بستری شد‬،‫اعمال کند‬
02
Operative Text
Where an agent purchases on behalf of an undisclosed client, such agent shall be personally liable
for payment of purchase price to the Auctioneer and for delivery of the lot to the said client.
‫ این کارگزار شخصا مسئول پرداخت قیمت خرید به مامور‬،‫هر گاه کارگزاری به وکات از طرف موکل معرفی شدهای به خرید بپردازد‬
.‫مزایده و تحویل کاال به موکل مزبور است‬
03
Simple Prose Translation
Workshop 6
Register Analysis in Translation
Register, or context of situation as it is formally termed, "is the set of meanings, the
configuration of semantic patterns that are typically drawn upon under the specific
conditions, along with the words and structures that are used in the realization of these
meanings" (Halliday, 1978). It is concerned with the variables of field, tenor, and mode, and
is a useful abstraction which relates variations of language use to variations of social context.
A. Field: experiential domain, goal-orientation (short-term vs. long-term), social activity,
B. Tenor: agentive role, social role (hierarchic vs. non-hierarchic), social distance
(minimal vs. maximal)
C. Mode: language role (ancillary vs. constitutive), channel (graphic vs. phonic),
medium (spoken vs. written)
Register is reflected in lexical and grammatical variation. More precisely, it is reflected in
the relative frequency of particular lexico-grammatical features. That is, means lexicogrammatical and quantitative analyses.
1. Grammatical Variation
“Well, to make a long story short, she said she come from somewheres they call Red Lion,
and lived on a farm.”
)).‫ اون گفت اهل یک جایی است به اسم ردالین و توی مزرعه ای زندگی می کرده‬،‫ این قصه دراز را خالصه کنم‬،‫(( خوب‬
2. Lexical Variation: Spelling & Meaning
A. Spelling
“Here now”, said he.” Ye know what I am now. I know what I mint to be at the beginnin’ av
my service. I’ve tould ye time an’ again, an’ what I have not, Dinah Shadd has.”
B. Meaning
Somewhere in his lush prose Oscar Wilde speaks of the tendency of nature to imitate art-a
phenomenon often observed by persons who keep their eyes open. I first became aware of it,
not through the pages of Wilde, but at the hands of an old-time hack-driver named Peebles
who flourished in Baltimore in the days of this history. Peebles was a Scotsman of retiring
character, but nevertheless he was something of public figure in the town.
(Adopted from: A Girl from Red Lion: H.L. Menken, 1880-1956)
04
‫(( اسکاروایلد در نثر فصیح خود‪ ،‬جایی از میل طبیهت به تقلید هنر صحبت می کند‪ ،‬پدیده ای که غالبا کسانی شاهد آن هستند که‬
‫چشمهایشان را باز نگاه می دارند‪ .‬نخستین بار‪ ،‬نه از طریق آثار وایلد‪ ،‬بلکه توسط یک درشکه چی قدیمی به نام پیبلس‪ ،‬که در‬
‫زمان وقوع این داستان در بالتیمور می زیست‪ ،‬از این موضوع آگاه شدم‪ .‬پیبلس اسکاتلندی بود و شخصیتی انزواطلب داشت‪ ،‬اما با‬
‫این وجود در آن شهر نسبتا سر شناس بود‪)).‬‬
‫‪“I’ll tell you first”; she began, “before you see the poor thing herself. When Peebles yanked‬‬
‫‪the bell this morning I was sound asleep, and so was all the girls… I stuck my head out of the‬‬
‫‪window, and there was Peebles on the front steps. I said: “Get the hell away from here! What‬‬
‫‪do you mean by bringing in a guest at this time of morning? Don’t you know us poor‬‬
‫‪working people gotta get some rest? But he hollered back that he didn’t have a guest, and‬‬
‫‪needed my help, so I went down do the door and by that time he had the girl out of the hack,‬‬
‫‪and before I could say ‘scat’, he had shoved her into the parlor.‬‬
‫)‪(Adapted from: A Girl from Red Lion: By H.L. Menken, 1880-1956‬‬
‫‪2. Get the hell away from here: (sl.) get away from here‬‬
‫)‪4. Holler: (sl.) yell (to indicate excitement‬‬
‫‪6. Shove: (col.) push‬‬
‫‪1. Yank: (col.) a sudden sharp pull‬‬
‫‪3. Gotta: (sl.) got to‬‬
‫‪5. Scat: (sl.) go away‬‬
‫ترجمه الف‬
‫شروع به صبحت کرد‪ (( :‬اول قبل از آنکه آن طفلک را ببیند برایتان بگویم‪ ،‬امروز صبح وقتی پیبلس زنگ را ناگهان به صدا در آورد‪،‬‬
‫در خواب عمیقی بودم و همه دخترها هم همین طور‪ .‬سرم را از پنجره بیرون کردم و پیبلس روی پله ها ورودی ایستاده بود‪ .‬گفتم‪:‬‬
‫گورت را از اینجا گم کن! منظورت از این که در این وقت صبح مهمان به اینجا آوردی چیست؟ نمی دانی که ما مردم فقیر و زحمتکش‬
‫باید کمی استراحت کنیم؟ اما او فریاد زد و گفت که مهمان ندارد و به کمک من احتیاج دارد‪ .‬پس پایین آمد و به طرف در رفتم و او‬
‫هم تا آن موقع دخترک را از درشکه پیاده کرده بود و قبل از آنکه بتوانم بگویم (( بزن به چاک)) ‪ ،‬او را به اتاق پذیرایی برده بود‪)).‬‬
‫ترجمه ب‬
‫شروع به صبحت کرد‪ (( :‬اول قبل ازاونکه اون طفلک را ببینی برات بگم‪ ،‬امروز صبح وقتی پیبلس ناگهان زنگ را به زد‪ ،‬خواب خواب‬
‫بودم و همه دخترها هم همین طور‪ .‬سرم را از پنجره بیرون کردم و پیبلس را دیدم روی پله ها جلوی ساختمان ایستاده بود‪ .‬گفتم‪ :‬گورت‬
‫را گم کن! منظورت چیه که این وقت صبح مهمون به اینجا آری ؟ مگه نمی دونی که ما مردم فقیر و زحمتکش باید کمی استراحت‬
‫کنیم؟ اما اون داد زد و گفت که مهمون نداره و به کمک من احتیاج داره‪ .‬پس اومد پایین به طرف در تااون موقع هم دختره رو از‬
‫درشکه پیاده کرده بود و تا اومدم بگم (( بزن به چاک)) ‪ ،‬او راتوی اتاق پذیرایی ا نداخته بود‪).‬‬
‫ترجمه ج‬
‫شروع به صبحت کرد‪ (( :‬اول قبل ازاونکه اون طفلک را ببینی برات بگم‪ ،‬امروز صب وختی پیبلس یه هو زنگ را به زد‪ ،‬خواب خواب‬
‫بودم و همه دخترام هم همین طور‪ .‬سرمو را از پنجره بیرون کردم و پیبلس رو دیدم روی پله ها ایستاده‪ .‬گفتم‪(( :‬گورت را گم کن))‬
‫منظورت چیه که این وخت صب مهمون اینجا می آری ؟ مگه نمی دونی که ما مردم فقیر و زحمتکش باهاس یه خورده استراحت‬
‫کنیم؟ اما اون هوار کشید و گف که مهمون نداره و به کمک من احتیاج داره‪ .‬منم اومدم پایین رفتم به طرف درو تااون وخ اونم دختره‬
‫رو از درشکه پیاده کرده بود و تا اومدم بگم (( بزن به چاک)) ‪ ،‬اونو انداخته بود تو اتاق مهمونی‪)).‬‬
‫‪05‬‬
Text # 1
It is the wish of almost every Englishman, whether he is an admiral, a merchant, a painter, an explorer
or minister, to spend the last days of his life in his own garden, planting flowers and vegetables, his
only anxiety being lest the weather should change, or insects and rabbits cause damage. He also likes
to chat with his neighbors who know something about gardening.
English people are greatly attached to gardening, and they don't show the same degree of interest even
in sports. The mental peace which is obtained through gardening is by far greater that the joy and
satisfaction from material progress.
Great Britain, in proportion to its area and population, has more private gardens than any other country
in the world. Whoever wishes to know an Englishman well, should observe him in his garden where he
worn his oldest and the most stained clothes, and has escapes the torment of customs and traditions. It
is in this state that he reveals his true nature.
Text # 2
It was in the middle of November that I had my next idea, and it came by sheer chance. We were taken
up every Thursday under guard to have a hot shower at a bath-house outside the main fence of the
camp. As nothing irregular had ever happened on previous occasions, the guards had become very
slack and instead of patrolling round the outside, used to come inside the changing rooms and sit there
with us until the bath were over.
It was my invariable habit to have rather a quick bath, for there were hot pipes in the bathroom on
which I liked to dry my towel. These pipes were just by the frosted glass windows at the far end of the
room. One day, while collecting my towel, I opened one of the windows. Suddenly I saw the blind spot
in the defenses that I had been looking for. As long as the guards were inside the changing rooms,
there was nothing to prevent anyone from dropping out of this window onto a field track. This seemed
deserted, being probably forbidden to civilians, and fifty yards would bring one to the outskirts of a
wood with tangled undergrowth.
Text # 3
The Only Thing People Are Interested In Today Is Earning More Money
Once upon a time there lived a beautiful young woman and a handsome young man. They were very
poor, but as they were deeply in love, they wanted to get married. The young people's parents shook
their heads.
"You can't get married yet.", they said. "Wait till you get a good job with good prospects." So the
young people waited until they found good jobs with good prospects and they were able to get married.
They were still poor, of course. They didn't have a house to live in or any furniture, but that didn't
matter. The young had a good job with good prospects, so large organizations lent him the money he
needed to buy a house, some furniture, all the latest electrical appliances and a car. The couple lived
happily ever after paying off debts for the rest of their lives. And so ends another modern romantic
fable.
We live in a materialistic society and are trained from our earliest years to be acquisitive. Our
possessions, "mine" and "yours" are clearly labeled from early childhood. When we grow old enough
to earn a living, it does not surprise us to discover that success is measured in terms of the money you
earn. We spend the whole of our lives keeping up with our neighbors, the Joneses. If we buy a new
television set, Jones is bound to buy a bigger and better one. If we buy a new car, we can be sure that
Jones will go one better and get two new cars: one for his wife and one for himself. The most amusing
thing about this game is that the Joneses and all the neighbors who are struggling frantically to keep up
06
with them are spending borrowed money kindly provided, at a suitable rate of interest, of course, by
friendly banks, insurance companies, etc.
It is not only in affluent societies that people are obsessed with the idea of making more money.
Consumer goods are desirable everywhere and modern industry deliberately sets out to create new
markets. Gone are the days when industrial goods were made to last forever. The wheels of industry
must be kept turning.
"Built-in obsolescence" provides the means: goods are made to be discarded. Cars get tinnier and tinnier.
You no sooner acquire this year's model than you are thinking about its replacement.
This materialistic outlook has seriously influenced education. Fewer and fewer young people these days
acquire knowledge for its own sake. Every course of studies must lead somewhere: i.e. to a bigger
wage packet. The demand for skilled personnel far exceeds the supply and big companies compete
with each other to recruit students before they have completed their studies. Tempting salaries and
"fringe benefits" are offered to them. Recruiting tactics of this kind have led to the "brain drain", the
process by which highly skilled people offer their services to the highest bidder. The wealthier nations
deprive their poorer neighbors of their most able citizens. While Mammon is worshipped as never
before, the rich get richer and the poor, poorer.
Text # 4
1. Indians in the United States are faced with significant problems. 2. First, as groups of people with
their own languages and cultures, each tribe wants to keep up its traditions and preserve some of its
native customs. 3. The adults want their children to be proud of Indians, as well as to survive in the
outside world. 4. The young people want to enter the modern world, which they see on television and
in movies. 5. Like everyone else, they are anxious to get a good education and a good job. 6.
However, the Indians see little prospect for success and become frustrated because they usually go to
inferior schools and often cannot adjust to life in the city. 7. In addition, many Indians feel they are
discriminated against, partly because they see themselves as losers in movies and in history books. 8.
They have lost much of their self-confidence and pride, and they must acknowledge this fact in order
to get rid of their problem.
Text # 5
Fire! Fire! What terrible words to hear when one wakes up in a strange house in the middle of the night!
It was a large, old wooden house- the sort that burns beautifully- and my room was on the top floor. I
jumped out of bed, opened the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of thick smoke.
I began to run, but as I was still half-awake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite
direction. The smoke grew thicker and I could see flames all around. The floor became hot under my
bare feet. I found an open door and ran into a room to get to the window. But before I could reach it,
one of my feet caught in something soft and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a bundle
of clothes, and I picked it up to protect my face from smoke and heat. Just then the floor gave way
under me and I crashed to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.
I saw flaming doorway in front, put the bundle over my face and ran. My feet burned me terribly, but I
go through. As I reached the cold air outside, my bundle of clothes gave a thin cry. I nearly dropped it
in my surprise. Then I saw a crowd gathered in the street. A woman in a night dress and a borrowed
man's coat screamed as she saw me and came running madly.
My baby! My baby! She cried. The crowd cheered wildly as she took the smoke-blackened bundle out of
my arms. I had some difficulty in recognizing her. She was the Mayor's wife, and I had saves her baby.
I was a hero.
07
Text # 6
After qualifying as a doctor I went straight into practice in a country village. For some while no
patients came, except two misguided persons, no doubt crazed by pain, who called to have their
teeth extracted. Then one day I was asked to go at once to see Mrs. D. Her husband was the captain
of the fire-brigade and the owner of the village store, which supplied bacon, bootlaces, blottingpaper, ready-made clothes, groceries, sundry agricultural implements, sweets in big stopper jars- in
fact, almost everything the local inhabitants could want. His shop was also the center for gossip and
general scandal. I knew my opportunity was come, for it lay in the power of Mr. and Mrs. D. to
make or mar my reputation.
Entering the best parlor I found a large, pink, full-bodied woman in an armchair, surrounded by her
family and intimate friends who were not going to miss such a treat. After a brief examination, I
hurried home to make a mixture. Into a large bottle I put some liquorices powder, a generous
helping of syrup of orange blossom, and a tablespoonful or two of glycerin, filling it up with tapwater.
Next morning I called on my patient again but found a feeling of hostility amongst the bystanders. I
was soon enlightened as to the cause. It seemed that Mr. D. had heard a loud noise and rushing in,
had found his wife in a faint and ceiling and walls covered with brown splashes. My bottle of
medicine had blown up!
Text # 7
By collecting things, man can give free rein to his inherent avarice. Whether the desire to collect is
inborn or not, is not clear. At any rate, it makes its appearance very early in life. Hardly a little boy is
to be found who does not collect something: marbles, stamps, coins or birds' eggs. Children are
concerned not so much with the quality of the things they gather, as with the number. They will
proudly tell you they have 4876 stamps and go on counting and recounting them, like a miser going
through his hoard. They engage in a primitive kind of barter: two match boxes equal four stamps and
so on. Most of us grow out of this tendency. Those who do not, become obsessed with their collections
and throughout their lives go on adding to them relentlessly; classifying them scientifically; and boring
their friends with long accounts of their progress. Those few who have made a successful job of
collecting money, find new and exciting toys to buy: expensive antiques, rare pictures, and autograph
manuscripts replace the tin soldiers and cigarette-cards of their childhood.
The desire to amass objects is not to be found in individuals only. It expresses itself on a national scale.
There can hardly be a great city in the world which does not pride itself in its museums, art galleries,
and libraries. Here the business becomes very complicated indeed, for it involves obtaining trains and
ships for science museums; dinosaurs and fossils for natural history museums; panthers and tropical
fish for zoos and aquariums. Even quite small towns have their museums in which to house the dusty
relics, bones and arrow-heads that have been excavated from surrounding fields.
08
Text # 8
Punctuality is a necessary habit in all public affairs of a civilized society. Without it, nothing could ever
be brought to conclusion; everything would be in a state of chaos .Only in a sparsely populated rural
community is it possible to disregard it. In ordinary living there can be some tolerance of
unpunctuality. The intellectual, who is working on some abstruse problem, has everything coordinated
and organized for the matter in hand. He is therefore forgiven, if late for a dinner party. But people are
often reproached for unpunctuality when their only fault is cutting thing fine. It is hard for energetic,
quick-minded people to waste time, so they are often tempted to finish a job before setting out to keep
an appointment. If no accidents occur on the way, like punctured tires, diversions of traffic, sudden
descent of fog, they will be on time. They are often more industrious, useful citizens than those who
are never late. The over-punctual can be as much a trial to others as the unpunctual. The guest who
arrives an hour too soon is the greatest nuisance. Some friends of my family have this irritating habit.
The only thing to do was ask them to come half an hour later than the other guests. Then they arrived
just when we wanted them.
09
Simple Prose Translation
Portfolio No. 1
Date: ____________
Name: _______________
Student No.: _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
21
Simple Prose Translation
Portfolio No. 2
Date: ____________
Name: _______________
Student No.: _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
20
Simple Prose Translation
Portfolio No. 3
Date: ____________
Name: _______________
Student No.: _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
22
Simple Prose Translation
Portfolio No. 4
Date: ____________
Name: _______________
Student No.: _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
23
Simple Prose Translation
Portfolio No. 5
Date: ____________
Name: _______________
Student No.: _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
24
Simple Prose Translation
Portfolio No. 6
Date: ____________
Name: _______________
Student No.: _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
25
26