Textual equivalance in translation

 Translation is the communication of meaning of a source-language text by means of a equivalent

target-language text.

Translation equivalence is the similarity between a word ( or expresion) in one language and its
translation in another language. This similarity results from overlapping ranges of refference.

What it’s textual equivalence in translation?

 Textual equivalence refers to the equivalence between a SL text and a TL text in term of information
and cohesion.

Equivalence or similarity in meaning between the SL and TL text, and how to achieve it, are major
concerns in translation.

Types of equivalence:

I. Formal equivalence
II. Dynamic equivalence
III. Gramatical equivalence
IV. Idiomatic equivalence

1. Formal equivalence – the attention is on the message, both in form and content. In this translation
the translator is concerned with such correspondence as poetry, sentence to sentence, and concept
to concept.
The message of the receptor language should be compared to the source language message as
in this way it can determine standards of accuracy and correctness.

2. Dynamic equivalence – if a translation is dynamic we mean that the original meaning is

communicated naturally in it, as well as accurately. A dynamic translation pays careful attention to the
natural features on the target language.

Example:

Formal equivalance: ’’ Than he (John) suffered him (Jesus). ’’ ( word-for-word )

Dynamic equivalance: ’’ So John agreed.’’ ( sense-for-sense )

3. Gramatical equivalence -  refers to the diversity of grammatical categories across languages.

Grammatical rules may vary across languages and this may pose some problems in terms of finding
a direct correspondence in the TL.
 There are a variety of grammatical categories, which may or may not be expressed in different
languages. Mona Baker mentions five categories that commonly lead to difficulties in finding
the equivalence during the process of translation.
They are:
- Number
- Gender
- Person ( the system of pronoum )
- Tense
- Voice

Example: Table of pronouns

English equiv. Subject form

we nous
you vous
they (masc) Ils
they (fem.) Elles

4. Idiomatic equivalence – an idiom or fixed expression may have no equivalent in target language.
One language may express a given meaning by means of single word, another may express by
means of an idiom, and so on.
An idiom is an expression that has a different meanings of the individual words with in it.

Example: John is undecided about going with us to Magic Mountain, so our plans are still up in
the air.

The phrase up in the air does not literally mean that the plans were floating above their heads.
The idiom up in the air means that the peole were undecided about what they were going to do.

Idiomatic equivalent translation of expresions from French into English:

C’est gross comme un maison. = It’s a plain as the nose on your face.
Mettre en marche. = To start up.
A la bonne heure! = Well done!

CONCLUSION:

’’ Anything which can be said in one language can be said in another; unless the form is an
essential element of the message. ’’
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