constructing pathways to translation - Higher Education Commission

the chunking of information, how much to say in one go, and with how the relations
between such chunks of information are perceived and signalled. In fact, the use of
Conjunction provides an insight into the whole topic of discourse. English relies on a
highly developed punctuation system, to signal breaks and relations between chunks of
information. Urdu, on the other hand, does have a conjunction and punctuation system
but with a difference from English. This difference has been underlined in Chapters 5-8.
Smith and Frawley’s study as cited in Baker(1992) of the use of Conjunction in different
genre’s of English suggests that some genre are generally more conjunctive than others
and that each genre has its own preferences for certain types of Conjunction. Religion
and fiction use more Conjunction than science and journalism.
Adjusting patterns of Conjunction in line with the Target Language, general and specific
text – type preference is straight forward than adjusting patterns of reference. The
problem with Conjunction is that it reflects the rhetoric of a text and controls its
interpretation. This suggests that adjustment in relations will often affect both the context
and use of argumentations.
English Conjunctions Urdu Conjunctions
Today (temporal) Aaj
So( causal) Is leye
Because (causal), but (adversative) Kuyun key: Aur
And yet (additive + adversative) however (adversative) Aur: Jub key: Halan key
And finally (adversative) Ta Waqat yeh
Whether a translation conforms to the Source Text patterns of cohesion, or tries to
approximate to Target Language patterns, will depend in the final analysis on the
purpose of translation, and the extent of freedom the translator feels entitled to, in re -
chunking information, and/or uttering signals of relations between chunks. Whatever the
translator decides to do, every option will have its own advantages and disadvantages.
Following Source Language norms may involve minimal change in overall meaning. On
the other hand, noticeable deviation from typical Target Language pattern of chunking
information and signalling relations, is likely to result in a sort of text that can be easily
identified to translation, because it sounds ‘foreign’.
80