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Translation Practice and Theory:
An Introduction to Translation from Hebrew to English
Spring 2015
Ari Ofengenden
781-736-2979
Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex, 326
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
Translation is a complex human activity involving transfer ofmeaning between languages, cultures and forms of expression. Translation practices form the very basis of our understanding, intervention and leadership in a global world. They are also fundamental for intercultural understanding and the extension of thought and creativity which comes from development of both one’s own language and foreign language skills. Translation is also a powerful metaphor for communication itself for the transfer, decoding and adopting messages for different audiences. This course will mainly focus on the practice and theory of Hebrew to English translation. Students will translateand edit authentic materials including (literary texts, television series, film, internet sites, speeches and newspapers).We will also make use of short texts on the theory and practice of translation in order to reflect on our own translation practices.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
Daniel Weissbort, Astradur Eysteinsson, Translation: Theory and Practice: A Historical Reader, Oxford University Press, 2006.
John Biguenet, Rainer Schulte, Theories of Translation: An Anthology of Essays from Dryden to Derrida, University Of Chicago Press,1992.
Rainer Schulte and John Biguenet,The Craft of Translation, University of Chicago Press, 1989.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Assignments and Grading Policy
Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Feedback on others work and class participation through translation exercise and discussion30%
First translation project 15%
Second translation project 15%
Final Translation project 30%
Attendance, Reading and Participation
As can be seen by the grade distribution above, I place great stress on coming prepared to class, having done the relevant tasks (reading and translation), responding to the translations of others on Latte and active participation, all of which will be noted. If anything prevents you from coming or doing the assignments, please see me about it before hand.
Latte Assignments and Informational Postings
This course will have a Latte web site. An updated syllabus and many of the readingsand weekly translating materials will be posted there. You will often have to prepare a translation and post and comment on the translation of others.
Translation Assignments
You will write choose two open ended translation tasks from various media. The first will around 750 words translation the final around1250 words (students who would like to translate poetry should see me).Assignments are to be submitted on the 16th of February, 9th of March, and 27th of April (Until 12:00am). Late papers submitted without prior permission will be reduced by one grade-step for each day of lateness. All writing should be sent to my email address () and you should expect a confirmation that I have received the paper. If you have not received such confirmation, contact me.
Plagiarism and the Honor Code
This course operates under the code of Academic integrity, whose requirements you are required to know and follow. The course is designed to teach you how to translate and think about. Taking someone else translation is both is an ethical violation as well as a waste of educational resources. The minimal penalty for such offences is to fail the assignment often it is to fail the course. I will discuss the use and misuse of machine translation in class.
Disabilities
Please see me at the beginning of the course if you have any disabilities that require special academic accommodation. Please contact the Disability Support Service office
Mobile phones
Please, set your phone to vibration mode. If you have to answer a phone call, do it outside the classroom. Text messaging is absolutely prohibited in this course.
Student athletes
Letters with away-games dates should be handed in to me within the first week of classes. These letters must be signed by your coach or academic advisor.
Course Schedule
Week 1
Hebrew Text The Tower of Babel.
Chamishia Kamerit America
Week 2 (Contemporary Writing)
Habiloyim Sosh Almulzliu
Habiloyim Ballad for Single Parent
Etgar Keret Nalyon
Adam Kuman Sound of Many Angry Feet Angrily Stomping the Face of the Earth
Week 3 (The Newspaper)
Haaretz Newspaper
Ynet
Week 4 Popular Culture Television I
חמישיה הקאמרית
Week 5 Popular Culture Television II
בתולות
Week 4 (High or late Modernism)
Yacov Shabtai Bin Shmashot
Yacov Shabtai
Chanoch Levin The Gummy Traders
בצער לא רב היגון לא קודר
אני בדרכי למוסד
שחמט
Yona Wallach Poems
Week 5 (Popular Israeliness the 70’s)
אהוד מנור
ברוש
אגדה יפאנית
אברהם חלפי
עטור מצחך
Week 6 (Classic Modernism I )
Agnon The First Kiss
David Vogel Married Life
אלכסנדר פן
וידוי
Abraham Shlonsky Avnai Bohu
Week 7 _
Workshop on first translation project
Week 8 (Classic Modernism II)
Leah Goldberg Poems
Uri Zvi Greenberg Poems
Brenner Selected stories
Rachel
Week 9 (Hebrew Renaissance)
Bialik Selected Poems
Tescharnichovsky Selected Poems
Week 10
Workshop second translation project
Week 12 (Hebrew Enlightenment)
Judah Leib Gordon The Point on Top of the Yod
Abraham Mapu Ahabat Tziyyon
Moses Hayyim Luzzatto La-Yesharim Tehillah
Week 13 (Medieval and Rabbinic Hebrew Literature)
Yehuda Halevi Selected Poems
Solomon ibn Gabirol Selected Poems
Aggadah Literature
Week 14
Tanakh and Final Translation Project
Week 15 (Workshop of Final translation Project