constructing pathways to translation - Higher Education Commission

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translator as the great and only generalist in our age of the unique and self proclaimed
specialist” (Hornby, Ponchnacker and Kaindle, 1992:412-420).
Translation Competence ought to do at least the following;
� It should show whether translation competence is divisible into components, and
if so, describe those components and their interrelationships.
� It should be able to describe the development pathway taken in scanning how to
translate.
� It should include means for describing the differences between the performance
of different translators.
With regard to the requirements of the components of competence, a Model of
Translation Competence can be identified; which can be summarized diagrammatically
as in Table 3 (Appendix A).
The point at which translators fall along the two axes of disposition is: persistent versus
capitulating, and risk taking versus prudent. A persistent translator is one who omits as
little as possible, while a capitulating one gives up when difficulties are encountered.
Prudent translators make choices close to the norm, and risk-takers produce unusual
translation.
Overall, the very list of proposing that a competence can be divided into separate,
underlying components, implies the relative independence of those components. Textual
competence components are a facet of Target Language competence – the ability to
deploy the resources of the Target Language in a highly specialized way with regard to
requirement. (b) It implies the potential further development of components through
time. The disposition component reflects individual characteristics of the translator,
unrelated to Language Competence, and the way in which those characteristics impact
the job of translating. Monitoring competence has to do with both Target Language
Competence and individual approach. Indeed, these three components could be rephrased
as three questions:
(a) Can translators produce translation in stylistically good English?
(b) Do they have the right personality for translating?
(c) Can they turn out a text that needs the minimum of revising? (Campbell, 1998).