Written Translation as Mediation Between Academic Cultures: Semantic Faithfulness and Pragmatic Relevance

Abstract

This monograph work presents an analysis of the challenges faced upon translating into English the use of language (morphosyntax, figures of speech, types of sentences, and stylistic choices) contained within a systematic review article. Different translation requirements such as the strict observation of cultural and linguistic contrasts and the adjustment of nuances and local cultural terminology to an international academic audience were identified; translation techniques theoretically supported by prominent authors were used; and literary analyses of morphosyntactic, semantic, and cultural order were conducted. It was established that the proper strategy to translate the selected text must effectively combine different translation techniques, which made possible a final rendition that observes semantic faithfulness and pragmatic relevance. The resulting text was obtained through the use of techniques including the adaptation, faithful, and semantic translation, and of micro-techniques that include transposition, modulation, and equivalence.