Translation (Chinese)
“Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.”
Anthony Burgess
Is translation a science or an art? Is there always a best way to translate? What is a translator’s role as compared to that of an author? And what role does translation play in political, cultural and social issues, especially in a multilingual society like Singapore? We have a lot to learn in and about translation. In this subject, you will develop skills in the precise comprehension of source texts and accurate reproduction in the target languages. This subject will also allow you to obtain a better understanding of translation theories and strategies, as well as critical appreciation of translation as both an art and science.
Our Curriculum
Translation (Chinese) is a Chinese medium subject designed to develop students’ interest and proficiency in practical translation as well as critical appreciation of translations. The H2 Translation (Chinese) is made up of two components – linguistics and translation. The linguistic component serves as a foundation, providing students with the required tools for systematic analysis of both the English and Chinese languages. The translation component builds upon this foundation and provides students with the theories and strategies for translation tasks. Furthermore, the translation component develops students’ ability to critically analyse translated texts as well as to appreciate the cultural contexts in translating texts from Chinese to English and vice-versa.
Our Enrichment
Translation is very much about practice. Working with our external partners, we will expose our students to experienced practitioners and their real-world translation practices. Students will also have the opportunities to learn translation in more specific areas such as subtitling and computer-assisted translation (CAT). Translation is fun, when you get the right meaning of it.