LITERAL

translation
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 What is literal
translation?
Literal translation is
is where
where the
the forms
forms of
of the
the original
original are
are retained
retained
as
as much
much as
as possible,
possible, even
even ifif those
those forms
forms are
are not
not the
the most
most natural
natural
forms
forms to
to preserve
preserve the
the original
original meaning.
meaning. Literal
Literal translation
translation is
is
sometimes
sometimes called
called word-for-word
word-for-word translation
translation (as
(as opposed
opposed toto thought-
thought-
for-thought
for-thought translation).
translation).

When using literal translation, each word is translated directly.

The target text must be idiomatic and retain the same word order,
meaning and style as the source text.
This technique can miss the nuances of the original text, and is
only possible with languages and cultures that are extremely
close.
Example: The English ‘I want a glass of water’ would be
translated literally as ‘Je veux un verre d’eau’ in French.
 DEFINITION BY SOME AUTHORS

 Palumbo (2009) explains that it is a translation

strategy or technique involving a choice of TL
equivalents that stay close to the form of the
original while ensuring grammar in the TL.

 Newmark (1981) agrees that this technique is the

best option for translating texts where the form is
as important as the content such as great
speeches, autobiographies, literary works.

 Delisle et al. define literal translation as a translation

strategy which preserves the formal features of the ST,
while conforming to TL grammar.
 Wilss defines it as structural idendity or near-identity
on the syntagmatic and syntatic level between the ST
segment and its corresponding TT segment.
 BENEFITS OF LITERAL TRANSLATION
 It is the fastest type of translation service,
decreasing turnaround time for translation
projects.
 It makes content understandable in the
target language while remaining easy and
straightforward.
 It ensures that no important information is
excluded from the source content.
 Because literal translation is simpler, it can
make good use of cutting-edge translation
technology.
DISADVANTAGES OF LITERAL
TRANSLATION
Literal translations experience difficulty with
content that is more personal, as the main
problems with literal translation arise from
idioms and context. This makes literal
translation particularly unsuited for
consumer-facing content or content
designed to inspire or persuade.
For example, in English, ‘let the cat out of
the bag’ is an idiom meaning ‘to give away a
secret’. A direct, literal translation of this
idiom into another language does not take
into account the context of the idiom, and
instead may leave you sounding more
concerned about feline escape artists than
you are for your audience.
 LITERAL TRANSLATION OF IDIDOMS

Idioms can be considered as a part of everyday language. They

are the essence of any language and the most problematic part to
handle with. Not all idioms have direct equivalents in another
language, because they are linguistic expressions which are typical
for a language and specific to a single culture. It is impossible to
define any unique approach in the translating process since so
many idioms are culturally specific and thus the pragmatic meaning
must be much more prized than the literal meaning. If they are to be
translated literally or word for word, they lead to extreme confusion.
 EXAMPLES OF LITERAL TRANSLATION IDIOMS
FRENCH RUSSIAN JAPANESE

The idiom: Avaler des The idiom: 猫をかぶる

couleuvres. The idiom: Галопом по Literal translation: “To wear
Literal translation: “To swallow Европам. a cat on one’s head.”
grass snakes.” Literal translation: What it means: “You’re hiding
What it means: “It means “Galloping across Europe.” your claws and pretending to
being so insulted that you’re What it means: “To do be a nice, harmless person.”
not able to reply.”  something hastily, The idiom:  猫の手も借りたい
The idiom: Sauter du coq à haphazardly.” Literal translation: “Willing to
l’âne. The idiom: На воре и borrow a cat’s paws.”*
Literal translation: “To jump шапка горит. What it means: “You’re so
from the cock to the donkey.” Literal translation: “The busy that you’re willing to take
What it means: “It means to thief has a burning hat.” help from anyone.” 
keep changing topics without What it means: “He has an The idiom:  猫舌
logic in a conversation.”  uneasy conscience that Literal translation: “Cat
The idiom: Les carottes betrays itself.” tongue.”
sont cuites! What it means: “Needing to
Literal translation: “The wait until hot food cools to eat
carrots are cooked!” it.”
What it means: “The
situation can’t be changed.”
 CONCLUSION

Literal translations usually are good and useful only when you need or want
to show how different languages build phrases and sentences, and the
dangers of trying too hard to find exact equivalents.

A literal translation can be good or bad, depending on the purpose of the

translation. It would be extremely difficult to match the cadence of a poem
in translation but the literal translation of a legal document may be the best
translation.

Translating idioms are arguably the most complex and problematic task for
translators.
The translator should choose a proper strategy according to the purpose of the
translation but at the same time bears in mind that nothing should be eliminated. Every
concept in one particular language has its own correspondent in another language.
So omitting a word or an idiom from a text is not a wise action to take. In order to better
translate an idiom, the translator should identify it from those expressions which are not
idioms. Then investigate the classification to which that particular idiom belongs and
selects the suitable strategy for his translation.
Thank you for attention