Required textbook: Hervey, Sándor and Ian Higgins, (2002) Thinking French
Translation (hard copy or e-book)

How do translators decide how to render texts accurately (and beautifully) into a different language?  What makes one translation “better” than another?  What can the act of translating teach us about French and English?  This course brings together aspects of translation theory and translation methodology in order to develop our skills as translators and as readers.

In this course, we will translate both from French into English and from English into French, paying particular attention to the formal and linguistic differences that can pose problems for translators. One of the main questions we will address is the role of intercultural knowledge in the act of translation. How can we translate idioms and cultural references without betraying the initial text, but still be relevant in another cultural and linguistic context?

We will also explore the benefits and limits of dictionaries (paper, online, bilingual and monolingual), automated translation tools (like Google Translate), and search engines, to use them as efficiently as possible to produce the best translations.

Prerequisites:
French 102 or equivalent.
Additional Information:
This course satisfies 1 "Culture"; or 1 "Elective"; course requirement in the French Major.  Satisfies one course requirement in the French Minor.  Course conducted in French.