Translation Quality Model

Analyzing Evaluating Translation Quality Models and Macbeth Translated by Dariush Ahoori.

Jahandar Borzoei

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Abstract

This paper aims to analyze a very important issue in the world of translation called evaluation of translation quality. Actually, many critics commented on translation evaluation and criticized its subjectivity. Even some of those critics refer to it as “relative”. As there are different translation models, it goes without saying that translated works are based on the theories that such models have been theorized upon so the translated works are reflections of such underlying theories. A modest attempt has been made in this study to analyze translation quality models

For instance, Lauscher (2000, cited in Manafi Anari, 2004 p.3) argues that “translation scholars have tried to improve practical translation quality assessment by developing models which allow for reproducible, inter-subjective judgment (e.g. Reiss 1972: 12-13; Wilss 1977: 251; Amman 1993: 433-34; Gerzymisch-Abrogast 1977)”. Lauscher (2000, ibid) believes that “they [the translation scholars] hoped to achieve this goal [improving a practical translation quality assessment] by building their models on scientific theories of translation, which can provide a yardstick, and by introducing a systematic procedure for evaluation.” By the way, House (2001) also reveals a similar viewpoint where he thinks that translation quality assessment is really in need of a theory of translation.

By the same token, a lot of scholars worked in the field of translation teaching and proposed different and sometimes contradictory ideas regarding the nature of teaching for translation courses (e.g. Delisle 1993; Hurtado 1995; Nord 1988 and 1996; Kussmaul 1995; Pym 1996; Gouadec 1981 and 1989; Presas 1996)

3-Approaches in Translation Quality

A target-language-oriented approach

In this approach, the most important thing is that whether the translated text is as natural as other authentic texts available in the target language or not.

3.3. A translation-effect-oriented approach

Very similar to Nida’s dynamic equivalence, in this approach we want to see whether the translated works has any effects on the teachers, students, readers and publishers or not. Actually, by analyzing the effects we can see whether the effects were positive or negative and how the totally affected the general impression of the reader.

3.4. A top-down or a bottom-up approach

In a top-down approach, general issues and the holistic nature are important; however, in a bottom-up approach details are salient in the evaluation process.

4- Translation Evaluation and Some Theoretical Factors

Although it may seem very easy, first we should discuss why we seek to evaluate a translated work at all. According to Tajvidi (2003, cited in Farahzad, 2004, p.104), the main goals for the evaluation of translation can be categorized as: evaluation for educational goals, evaluation for the purpose of criticizing, and evaluation for employing a