TRANSLATION PROCESS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF POLYVARIETY OF TRANSLATION

Abstract

The research focuses on the process of translation in its psycholinguistic, cognitive and semiotic aspects. While observing students at the Institute of Translation and Interpreting at the Department of Russian language at the University of Heidelberg the author of this study came up with the idea to describe the process of translation, which consists of some conscious cognitive processes, in order to apply these to the translators’ and interpretors’ training. The theoretical basis taken for the concept of polyvariety of translation is the postulate under which essentially the entirety of translation and interpreting (T&I) theory can be subsumed – Roman Jakobson’s eminent postulate of “equivalence in difference”. This postulate firstly states the relation between source and target, which is based on a difference, i.e. on an implicative relation in the semiotic sense, and secondly equivalence consists in a diversity of translation variants which are in a relationship of difference to the original, since the translator understands partly unconsciously and partly consciously; always selectively and purposefully; partly cognitively and partly intuitively; always subjectively, which permits the availability of multiple translations of one and the same text by different translators with comparable translation competence which in their totality establish the polyvariety of translation. Such complex attitude at the process of translation opens a new sight on the theory of translation, builds a bridge between the theory and practice of translation and can be successfully applied to the didactic purposes.