Translation Theory ZH-DE 2022

Back to Main Page. Quicklink to the Finals_Trans, the final exam paper website, where you can write your paper (deadline: Dec 28, 2022).

General Course information

Monday 14:30-16:10 Translation Theory and Practice ZH-DE 2022 29 BA students (starts Aug 29, weeks 1-16) 汉德翻译理论与实践 #腾讯会议：345-3281-9241, fall term 2022, room 602, course no. 09163073.01, weekly hours: 2, credits: 2, class size: 25 (?)

Session 1, Aug 29

Look into running translation work: First 100 book pages = 300 word pages of the Dictionary of Chinese Culture (Here we look at the last 30 book pages or 90 word pages.)

Student Roll (please update your German names)

Homeworks: 1 Check translation of Culture Dictionary. 2 Correct quotation in Kramer's afterword, 3 create powerpoint with problem, example, theory and solution; 4 another ppt;

• 曹淑娴 Cao Shuxian Saskia 女 Special:Contributions/Cao_Shuxian Homework: 0%, 95%,
• 陈衣卉 Chen Yihui Isabel 女 Special:Contributions/Chen_Yihui Homework: 100%, 90%, 98%,
• 丁浩然 Ding Haoran Leon 男 Special:Contributions/Ding_Haoran 0%, 90%,
• 傅晨 Fu Chen Tina 女 Special:Contributions/Fu_Chen Homework: 100%, 80%,
• 贺仁杰 He Renjie Renni 男 Special:Contributions/He_Renjie Homework: 100%, 90%,
• 贺扬凡 He Yangfan Jannick 男 Special:Contributions/He_Yangfan Homework: 100%,
• 黄静 Huang Jing Sirena 女 Special:Contributions/Huang_Jing Homework: 100%, 90%,
• 李德泽 Li deze Teddy 男 Special:Contributions/Li_deze Homework: 100%, 100%,
• 李思 Li Si Lisa 女 Special:Contributions/Li_Si_2 Homework: 100%, 80%,
• 李馨 Li Xin Chanyeol 女 Special:Contributions/Li_Xin Homework: 100%,
• 廖平荣 Liao Pingrong Pia 女 Special:Contributions/Liao_Pingrong Homework: 100%, 90%,
• 刘诚熹 Liu Chengxi Taddäus 男 Special:Contributions/Liu_Chengxi Homework: 100%, 80%,
• 刘嘉玲 Liu Jialing Dalina 女 Special:Contributions/Liu_Jialing Homework: 0%, 95%,
• Liu Shuo Louisa Special:Contributions/Liu_Shuo Homework: 100%, 90%,
• 刘子威 Liu Ziwei Thilo 男 Special:Contributions/Liu_Ziwei Homework: 0%, 90%,
• 王晶 Wang Jing Gina 女 Special:Contributions/Wang_Jing Homework: 100%, 90%,
• 王敏 Wang Min Minna 女 Special:Contributions/Wang_Min Homework: 100%, 100%,
• 吴瑾如 Wu Jinru Giesburg 女 Special:Contributions/Wu_Jinru Homework: 100%, 100%,
• 向宇涵 Xiang Yuhan Undine 女 Special:Contributions/Xiang_Yuhan Homework: 100%,
• 肖家玉 Xiao Jiayu Tjara 女 Special:Contributions/Xiao_Jiayu Homework: 100%, 95%,
• 肖玉 Xiao Yu Jenny 女 Special:Contributions/Xiao_Yu Homework: 100%,
• 谢芹芹 Xie Qinqin Linn 女 Special:Contributions/Xie_Qinqin Homework: 100%, 90%,
• 尹巧 Yin Qiao Frauke 女 Special:Contributions/Yin_qiao 100%, 100%,
• 张迅 Zhang Xun Gisela 女 Special:Contributions/Zhang_Xun Homework: 100%, 100%,
• 赵通 Zhao Tong Toni 男 Special:Contributions/Zhaotong Homework: 100%,

Tasks

• 刘硕 Liu Shuo Louisa 女 defines sections, writes student names behind sections, distributes the word file, collects the word file in time until 9:00 pm, merges it and submits it until 9:30 pm to the teacher
• Every student works in his section on the following:

- Adjust the form to the earlier paragraphs (e.g. order Chinese title, Chinese text, German title, German text)

- Look for repititions (one sentence or half-sentence translated two times in a row)

- Change "Im Jahr 2010" or "Im Jahre 2010" to "2010".

- Check for book titles: They need to be in italics

- Check for English titles: They need to be in German

- Unification of and improvement of consistency in translation terms:

易经 Das Buch der Wandlungen

周易 Die Wandlungen der Zhou

佛教 Buddhismus

etc.

Please add further terms here.

Prepare for next week: Theorical basis

• Theories: Linguistic, Functional (Scopos (Vermeer), Functional Equivalency), Integrative (Mary Snell-Hornby, Appropriateness (Woesler))
• Translation Ideals: Xin, da, ya; Loyalty to the author; as free as possible, as close to the original as necessary
• Strategies: Localization-Foreignization
• Myths: Untranslatability
• Problems: Culture loaded words; distance between Chinese and German; decalage in both Chinese and German for interpretation

Session 2, Sep 5, 2022

Organizational things

My flight is on Oct 3 (now cancelled and I got a new flight on Oct 12). I would like to see the class with a classroom camera during the sessions until then.

I prepare reading material for the translation theories.

Today's Schedule

Today we are going to learn the following:

1. Understand a translation setting (here: Dictionary of Chinese culture for German readers).

2. Get assigned a task for today:

Please machine translate and post edit the section assigned to you today on the web page 20220905_translation_theory_and_practice.

3. Learn how to use deepL.com (or alternatively translate.google.com or fanyi.baidu.com or netease.com) to translate from Chinese into German.

3.1 Experience: The machine translation makes common mistakes, like

- repeating half sentences - this has to do with the line breaks - even if there are no paragraphs.

- making translation errors, like words translated into English first and then into German

- does not set book titles italic

- often does not know specific terms, which have to be translated always in the same way

- has weakness (less creativity) in culture loaded terms

4. Learn how to correct ("post edit") the machine translation.

Place original and translation above each other and compare. Sometimes whole sentences are skipped.

Always translate e.g. 易经 not with Yi Ging, but with Buch der Wandlungen.

In case you translate from your mother tongue Chinese into a foreign language like German, it helps to make a re-translation of the German into Chinese to discover some misunderstandings.

5. I will now show you in class how to do your task, then you have time to perform your task and then we go through the post edited texts together in the forum.

Homework for Sep 19, 2022

6. Homework for Sep 18, 2022 (the day before next session): Please inform yourself about the main translation theories. Please create 1 slide of a powerpoint, where you describe a translation problem, choose a translation theory/strategy, and show how you solve the problem by using the theory.

Homework for download: Media:20220919_Trans_Theories.pptx

Session 3, Sep 19, 2022

Today we meet online from Cologne and Changsha

Schedule for Session 3, Sep 19, 2022

Task 1: Present and discuss homework

Task 2: Afterword to Benjamin in German needs to be translated into English to be presented as a lecture at Hunan Normal University. Teacher shows how to scan, OCR, correct scan errors, format footnotes, translate with DeepL, set italic, then look up.

On this website Book_projects#Benjamin_Afterword, you find: pdf, German afterword, English afterword, German original texts by Benjamin, established English translation of Benjamin's texts

Task 2-1 for the students: Crowd work: Look if you find anything that needs to be put in italics and put it in italics.

Task 2-2 for the students: Look up the original quotes from Benjamin and find the existing translations by Jennings, correct the DeepL translation to the existing translations of the quotes.

Task 2-3 for the students: Look up the novel titles etc. translated by DeepL, compare them with the existing established translations and update them in the text.

Homework to be submitted until Sep 25, 2022

Homework 1: Please finish tasks 2-1 to 2-3. Task 2-2 is the most difficult. Please organize yourself how to distribute the work. Important is the team work approach. The work ethics should be: Everyone takes over the responsibility that the full task will be fulfilled in time. So if you find an error with a fellow student, please correct the error. If everybody except one falls ill, the remaining one needs to make sure that the task will be fulfilled.

Homework 2: Please look at the website Book_projects. Please choose one of the projects to work on during this term.

Session 4, Sep 26, 2022

Homework 1: Please inform yourself about the main translation theories. Please create 1 slide of a powerpoint, where you describe a translation problem, choose a translation theory/strategy (a different one from last time), and show how you solve the problem by using the theory.

Session -, Oct 3, 2022

Holiday in Varna (Bulgaria).

Session 5, Oct 10, 2022

Today we meet in the high speed train to Berlin, where I dig into the archives of the Foreign Ministry for the establishment of the German-Chinese relations in 1972, which are now publically accessible.

We will together review the homework.

First of all, I will show you the last corrections of the Kramer afterword. The final version Media:Nachwort.docx was already submited to Prof. Kramer. Please review the final version and especially look for your own part.

Homework for Session 6, Oct 17, 2022

Homework 1 to be submitted until Oct 17: Every student selects a book project. I especially recommend Han Han's books.

The links will be updated by me within the next days. You can already write your name behind the book titles if you already know which book project you like.

• Han Han: San Chong Men (in Arbeit) Xie Qinqin Xiang Yuhan Liu Shuo Wang Jing Xiao Jiayu Liao Pingrong Liu Chengxi
• Han Han: Ta de guo (in Arbeit) Li Xin Wu Jinru Liu Jialing Xiao Yu Cao Shuxian Liu Ziwei
• Han Han: Guang rong ri (in Arbeit) Chen Yihui Fu Chen Zhaotong
• 《春风染绿红山下》Fruehlingswind Englisch (in Arbeit)Huang Jing
• 《岭南万户皆春色》Lingnan Englisch (in Arbeit) Ding Haoran Liu Chengxi
• 《金银潭抗疫纪事》Goldbank Englisch (in Arbeit)

Please display the homework solution (1 book title with 1 student name) in the form of two lists here: One list sorted by book title and one by student names.

Homework 2 (you can already start to do this in class now, because our internet connection is unstable):

Please take the two surveys:

• Please take the EU survey here: http://shijiehanxue.mikecrm.com/Dv0btFP. The short link is: http://bit.ly/EU-SURVEY.
• Please take a short questionnaire on the awareness of data rights and data security: https://limesurvey.uni-wh.de/index.php/238655?lang=en, the short link is: http://bit.ly/Eval-01

Session 6, Oct 17, 2022

50 years ago, the Federal Republic of Germany and China established diplomatic relations, while the eastern part of Germany, the so-called GDR, had already established relations with China in 1949.

Today we jointly work on a translation of a new paper which presents a finding from the archives of the German Foreign Ministry: The handwritten communiquée between the German and the Chinese foreign minister on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Link: Book_projects#50 Years

Homework

for TODAY (Oct 17, 2022, 20 pm) Please finish the whole Chinese version of this paper Details_of_the_Establishment_of_Diplomatic_Relations_between_Germany_and_China.

Everybody should copy edit (核对) the paragraphs behind his/her name and select another paragraph from further down which has not been taken yet.

Please also compare your correction with the correction by the professional translator here: Media:Hedui.docx and finalize your Chinese paragraph. In the end, only the final version should stay on this website, because the teacher then will copy all the Chinese parts of this website and submit it as a paper to Guo Yi, who is going to edit the book on German-Chinese relations.

for Session 7, Oct 24, 2022

The following homework is moved to next week: Homework 1 of Sep 26 for Oct 10 for each student to create a new slide for a powerpoint. Please upload the powerpoint under session 6 here.

Homework for Oct 24: Media:10.pptx

Session 7, Oct 24

• I give you a brief insight into ongoing translation projects "Globalization", "Eastern Wisdom", "Poverty Allevation".
• Today we set up Paypal accounts http://bou.de/fanyi.html for the translation fees earned with our translations.
• We distribute the Han Han books and work together on it.
• If there is time, we look into the Media:10.pptx slides with translation problems and theories.

Homework for Session 8, Oct 31

• Please translate a new book, a guide for children during the Corona pandemic, from German into Chinese. Look for your name on the book page here: Kinder_in_der_Corona-Krise_DE
• Please work on the Han Han translation and the other ZH-DE translations on the Wiki platform (see Book_projects).

Session 8, Oct 31

• I give you a brief insight into ongoing translation projects "Globalization", "Eastern Wisdom", "Poverty Allevation".
• Today we set up Paypal accounts http://bou.de/fanyi.html for the translation fees earned with our translations.
• We distribute the Han Han books and work together on it.
• If there is time, we look into the Media:10.pptx slides with translation problems and theories.

Homework for Session 8, Oct 31

• Please translate a new book, a guide for children during the Corona pandemic, from German into Chinese. Look for your name on the book page here: Kinder_in_der_Corona-Krise_DE
• Please work on the Han Han translation and the other ZH-DE translations on the Wiki platform (see Book_projects).

Session 9, Nov 7

• Ongoing translation projects Mutter, Kinder_in_der_Corona-Krise_DE
• Everybody reports: Who is working on which project and how is the progress?
• Check if paypal accounts are all confirmed (manual: http://bou.de/fanyi.html, Fanyi update your information there => test to receive money there

Homework for Session 9, Nov 14

• Please finish the translation of Kinder_in_der_Corona-Krise_DE until tomorrow, Tuesday
• Please continue the translation of Traditionelle_Architektur next weekend (translation until Sunday noon, proof reading of your fellow student's work until Monday Nov 21 noon)

Session 9 Nov 14

• Review of current translations
• Information about status of sim card purchase in Germany
• Translation Theories: Continue to go through the ppt Media:10.pptx, pick up some theories, search articles and practical examples for their usage (also on this platform, see the "search" field on the left). Teacher will provide some pdfs with English and Chinese textbooks explaining the theories.

Homework for Session 10, Nov 21

• Please translate Fragebogen_zum_Wohlbefinden next weekend (translation until Sunday noon, proof reading of your fellow student's work until Monday Nov 21 noon)
• Please continue the translation of Traditionelle_Architektur next weekend (translation until Sunday noon, proof reading of your fellow student's work until Monday Nov 21 noon)
• Please continue your book project and do some edits, teacher will randomly control what you have achieved
• Translation Theory: Please create a list of Translation Theories or Theorists, type in the key word in the "search" field on the left side and try to understand the theories => create a new powerpoint slide and integrate it into Media:Trans_theories_11.pptx
• Prepare questions for Dec 16 lecture by Professor Kramer on Walter Benjamin

Session 10 Nov 21

• Review of current translations

1. Kinder in der Corona-Krise DE This is the newest project in German, which needs to be translated into Chinese for publication in China.
2. Fragebogen zum Wohlbefinden - please finish translation

• Information about status of sim card purchase in Germany
• Translation Theories: Continue to go through the ppt Media:10.pptx, pick up some theories, search articles and practical examples for their usage (also on this platform, see the "search" field on the left). Teacher will provide some pdfs with English and Chinese textbooks explaining the theories.

Homework for Session 11, Nov 28

• Please continue the translation of Traditionelle_Architektur
• Please continue your book project and do some edits, teacher will randomly control what you have achieved through the Special:Contributions/Xiang_Yuhan function
• Translation Theory: Please create a list of Translation Theories or Theorists, type in the key word in the "search" field on the left side and try to understand the theories => create a new powerpoint slide and integrate it into Media:Trans_theories_11.pptx
• Prepare questions for Dec 16 lecture by Professor Kramer on Walter Benjamin

Session 11 Nov 28

• Review of current translations: Goethe,_Qu_Yuan_und_Lu_Xun Lecture at Conference on Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
• Introduction to Surveys

1. https://limesurvey.uni-wh.de/index.php/378779?lang=zh-Hans
2. https://limesurvey.uni-wh.de/index.php/956493?lang=zh-Hans
3. https://limesurvey.uni-wh.de/index.php/859797?lang=zh-Hans

• Information about status of sim card purchase in Germany
• Translation Theories: pdf received. Continue to go through the ppt Media:10.pptx, pick up some theories, search articles and practical examples for their usage (also on this platform, see the "search" field on the left).

Homework for Session 12, Dec 5

• Please take the 3 surveys. Sorry for some weird or sensitive questions, teacher will explain background.

1. https://limesurvey.uni-wh.de/index.php/378779?lang=zh-Hans
2. https://limesurvey.uni-wh.de/index.php/956493?lang=zh-Hans
3. https://limesurvey.uni-wh.de/index.php/859797?lang=zh-Hans

• Please continue the translation of Traditionelle_Architektur
• Translation Theory: Please create a list of Translation Theories or Theorists, type in the key word in the "search" field on the left side and try to understand the theories => create a new powerpoint slide and integrate it into Media:Trans_theories_11.pptx
• Prepare questions for Dec 16 lecture by Professor Kramer on Walter Benjamin

Homework for teacher

• Prepare donation campaign

Session 12 Dec 5

• Watch movies in German language (Matrix 黑客帝国), (Peripheral/Peripherie)
• Introduction to Survey http://shijiehanxue.mikecrm.com/MrMYU7Q, shortlink is https://bit.ly/2022-SURVEY
• Information about status of sim card purchase and Paypal balances in Germany
• Translation Theories: pdf received. Continue to go through the ppt Media:10.pptx, pick up some theories, search articles and practical examples for their usage (also on this platform, see the "search" field on the left).
• What questions regarding Benjamin do you have?

Homework for Session 13, Dec 12

• Please take the survey.
• Please finish the translation of Traditionelle_Architektur or other translation tasks assigned
• Translation Theory: Please create a list of Translation Theories or Theorists, type in the key word in the "search" field on the left side and try to understand the theories => create a new powerpoint slide and integrate it into Media:Trans_theories_11.pptx
• Prepare questions for Dec 16 lecture by Professor Kramer on Walter Benjamin
• Prepare advertisement for lecture by Prof. Kramer (hopefully we get an audience of 300 students)

Dec 6, 2022

• 7 pm: Donation Campaign

Dec 12, 2022

Please enter your question to Professor Kramer here:

傅晨 Fu Chen Tina

Bedeutet die Tatsache, dass Menschen vergangene Werke aus einer bestimmten historischen Perspektive verstehen und aktuelle Ansichten über vergangene Werke zum Ausdruck bringen, dass sich die Ansichten der Menschen über vergangene Werke ständig ändern?

李思 Li Si Lisa

Wie verstehen Sie Benjamins Aussage, "die Metapher [sei] ein Ausdruck der Gewohnheit"? Halten Sie Benjamins Bild der "Prostituierten" für angemessen, um die Kombination von Metapher und Ware zu veranschaulichen?

李馨 Li Xin Chanyeol

Ist Benjamins Aura-Theorie zur Überprüfung des Umfelds der Kunst heute überholt?

廖平荣 Liao Pingrong Pia

Wie verstehen Sie Benjamins Aussage: Was immer dem Menschen als Erkenntnis des Wesens präsentiert wird, ist in ihm eine selbstreferentielle Reflexion über die Idee desselben Wesens? Liegt es daran, dass die Reflexion des Menschen über die Natur der Dinge die Natur seiner Selbsterkenntnis widerspiegelt?

Ich finde den deutschen Originaltext nicht, deshalb übersetze ich ihn selbst. Und ich verstehe ihn auch nicht ganz genau:凡作为对本质之认识而呈现给人的，在人身上就是关于同一本质之思想的自我认识性反思。

王敏 Wang Min Minna

Benjamin sagt: "Die Aufgabe der Kritik ist viel weniger die Beurteilung eines Werkes als die Methode seiner Vollendung." Wie also vervollständigt die romantische Kritik das Werk?

肖家玉 Xiao Jiayu Tjara

Wie hat Benjamin seinen Begriff der Kritik philosophisch entwickelt?

谢芹芹 Xie Qinqin Linn

Wie stehen Sie selbst zu Benjamins Verständnis, dass ein Kunstwerk durch Kunstkritik Selbsterkenntnis und Selbstbeurteilung erlangt? Kann Kunstkritik nicht auch irren oder ungerecht sein?

尹巧 Yin Qiao Frauke

Wie verstehen Sie die Aussage Benjamins„ Kunst ist nur Durchgangsstadium der großen Werke. Sie sind etwas anderes gewesen (im Zustande ihres Werdens) und sie werden zu etwas anderem werden (im Zustande der Kritik)“?

Dec 16, 2022

• 7 pm: Lecture by Prof. Kramer