2011, Vol.1, No.

T&I REVIEW 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 1.52

pISSN : 2233-9221 / eISSN : 2713-8720
https://journal.kci.go.kr/erits

A translation task must be geared toward the students’ level of competence. If the task presents too many difficulties, the learners will not be able to show what they have learned already, and the motivation is lost. Drawing on a functional approach to translation, the author argues that in translator training programmes and courses as well as individual classes should be organized according to an appropriate learning progression. The distinction between inter-subjective translation problems and individual translation difficulties can be used as a tool to grade the difficulty of translation tasks and to choose learning and teaching materials in such a way that students are guided from easy to exacting tasks without losing their motivation to prepare for the profession. A few examples from a translation course for beginners are used to show how this can be done.

With reference to survey research on quality in conference interpreting, which constitutes a cohesive line of investigation in interpreting studies, the paper highlights the role of replication in the scientific process and reviews examples of studies carried out since the 1980s. With the pioneering survey by Bühler among members of the International Association of Conference Interpreters serving as the starting point, a number of studies among end-users of conference interpreting are mentioned before the focus of the paper shifts to research efforts aimed at replicating Bühler’s work on quality criteria as seen from the perspective of professional interpreters. In the analysis, which places the emphasis on methodological issues but also presents some relevant findings, several replication studies are closely examined, and various shortcomings as well as advances in research design are discussed.

This article examines the translation of Chinese political discourse in China in light of the influence of the “Cultural Turn” in Translation Studies (TS). After illustrating the key features of cultural oriented and power-focused transformations in the development of TS, this article proposes an integrated approach, drawing upon both linguistic analysis and cultural studies to explore the complexity and manipulated nature of the translation of Chinese political discourse. Then, it discusses the main rhetorical and discoursal characteristics of Chinese political discourse. Finally, this integrated approach is illustrated with a sample study analysing the translation of the 2008 Chinese Government Report by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.