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AN20105BA Translating News IIfor second-year B.A. students
in the Translation Specialization
Spring 2017
Tutor: Mathey Éva ( ); Room 116/1. (: 512-900 /Ext. 22152)
Time and place: Tuesday 8:00-9:40; Room 54
Office hours: Monday 14:00- 15.00 andTuesday 13:00-14:00 and by appointment.
Description of the course
As the continuation and extension of Translating News I, this 3-credit seminar course offers a broadened insight into the world and the language of the various genres and forms of the media both print and broadcast.
While focus will be on the various genres and forms of the news (editorials, columns, dailies, news magazines, tabloid, etc.), topics for discussion will also be tailored according to topics including politics, business, finances, foreign affairs, sports, etc.
Some retailored course book units and exercises will be complemented with selected pieces of current news based on the topics on the agenda.
The seminar will help students develop their language skills through translating current news items, and media products primarily from English to Hungarian. Special attention will be paid to the development of students’ advanced vocabulary (specific terms, collocations, idioms) and their understanding of the idiosyncrasies of media language. Translation projects, reading-writing and summarizing exercises both from English to Hungarian and Hungarian to English will further enhance students’ translating skills.
The course will also involve real or simulated hands-on practice to be organized on a project basis, setting up quasi editorial teams, with the course instructor supervising translated works with the scrutiny of the editor-in-chief. Several other in-class exercises and projects (i.e. ‘breaking news,’ or a press conference project) will help students master the practical skills and the art of interpretation.
Requirements
Students are expected to attend class regularly, to keep up with the week-by-week translation tasks,
and continuously prepare for active in-class participation.
Evaluation
Students’ work will be assessed on the strength of their in-class performance (head-on translation of breaking news, consecutive interpretation of various news coverage from authentic media sources, press conference, in-class group work, etc.), written translation tasks (draft, summary, stylish translation, etc.), and project work.
Weekly quizzes on vocabulary, draft translation, etc. (15%)
Take-home translations (4): collected from and returned to students during the semester, each may earn 5 points (20%). 5: excellent, 4: good with some minor flaws, no mistranslation, 3: fairly good with some style problems, 2: fair enough, 1: insufficient, 0: absent.
Project work: students will form editorial groups with the assignment to edit an English-Hungarian/ Hungarian-English short news section based on the translation of 4-5 pieces of news selected from various sources of the printed media. The quality of the translation, the technical presentation, students’ role and participation in the team and their cooperation the editor-in-chief (tutor) will be evaluated, each possibly earning 5 points for the group. (Each member of the group will receive the same score.) (20%)
In-class activities: head-on translation of breaking news (10%), or consecutive interpretation of various news coverage from authentic media sources; a mock press conference(10%) based on selected items of news consulted and translated in class.
End-term paper (25%).
Bonus: ‘dictionary lost,’ or correcting mistranslations from miscellaneous sources.
More than three absences will result in a “not fulfilled” grade. Grades will be assigned according to the following conversion formulae: 0-60% = fail; 61-70% = satisfactory; 71-80% = average; 81-90% = good; 91-100% = excellent.
Borderline grades: if your grade is borderline, it depends on attendance and the general pattern of your
work if you can get a break.
Further Rules
It is an essential part of the course requirements to attend all class meetings. If you must miss a class because of illness or emergency, please let me know, and make arrangements to complete any work missed.
Students may not miss more than three classes under any circumstances. Students are kindly requested to contact their tutor at least a day before class if they are to make a presentation but cannot attend. If you do not turn up on occasions when course assignments (presentation, response papers, in-class debate) and quizzes are due and you fail to notify the tutor you will lose all the credit points on the particular assignment.
There is no excuse not to come to class when the end-term is due.
For further information see the relevant issue of IEAS Academic Handbook.
Any form of plagiarism will automatically result in fail.
Tardiness and early departures are not allowable. They are offensive to your fellow students and to the instructor because they disrupt class work. If you have a compelling reason for arriving late or leaving early, speak with your instructor about the problem. If you regularly cut the beginning and/or the end of class sessions, it can add up to unexcused full-class-time absences.
Absence policy
Regular attendance and participation are required. Students cannot miss more than three classes. Missing more than three classes will result in a 'no grade.'
Schedule of classes and topics
Week 1 (February 21): Orientation
Week 2 (February 28):Home Affairs
Week 3 (March 7): Home Affairs
Week 4 (March 14):Foreign Affairs
Week 5 (March 21): Breaking News: head-on translation of authentic news materials from various news channels
Week 6 (March 28): Hungary and the European Union + discussion of the group projects
Week 7 (April 4): Press Conference I
Week 8 (April 10-14): CONSULTATION WEEK
Week 9 (April 18): Money Matters: Finance and Business
Week 10 (April 25): Celebrities
Week 11 (May 2): Breaking News: head-on translation of authentic news materials from various news channels
Week 12 (May 9): Press Conference II
Week 13 (May 16): End-term final exam
Week 14 (May 23): Evaluation