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A NEW CONTEXTUAL MODEL OF METAPHOR IN TRANSLATION: A CASE STUDY OF ECONOMIC REPORTS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND GERMAN Carmen Mateo Gallego Heilbronn University (Germany)
A NEW CONTEXTUAL MODEL OF METAPHOR IN TRANSLATION: A CASE STUDY OF
ECONOMIC REPORTS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND GERMAN
Carmen Mateo Gallego
Heilbronn University (Germany)
1. Introduction of the Corpus
2. Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
3. The Contextual Metaphor View: Fundamental Principles
4. The Role of Context in Metaphor Translation
5. A New Contextual Model of Metaphor in Translation
6. Application of the Model through Examples of the Corpus
7. Conclusions
8. Time for Questions
Outline
The Corpus
Institutional corpus: The IMF is one of the largest economic institutions worldwide with 189 state members.
Quality Standards of the Translations: ISO 17100 and ISO/TS 11669.
Number of words: 8223 in English, 10435 in Spanish, and 8575 words in German. Altogether 27233 words.
Languages: trilingual parallel corpus composed of English (original), Spanish, and German (direct translations).
Identification of metaphorical expressions: Metaphor Identification Procedure (Pragglejaz Group 2007).
2010 Annual Report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
More research about metaphor in institutional economic language is needed becausethe vast majority of the literature in this area is based on press articles
(Stolze 2009) (Serón 2016)
Image source : https://newtelegraphonline.com
There are two fundamental reasons for the late integration of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoffand Johnson 1980) to the discipline of Translation Studies:
The Relation between the Two
Translators work with texts and have to deal with linguistic representations (Kövecses 2014, Shuttleworth 2017, Schäffner 2017)
1. The study of language faded to the background.
2. The principle of universality underlined that metaphor goes beyond cultures and languages.
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
Rapprochment between Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies: starting in the 1990s.
• Stienstra (1993)
• Tabakowska (1993)
• Mandelblit (1995) Cognitive Translation Hypothesis
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
Conceptual Metaphor Theory Translation Studies
A Diachronic Review
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
The fundamental role of the Cognitive Translation Hypothesis within this research area:
“Metaphorical expressions take more time and are more difficult to translate if they exploit different
cognitive domains than the target language” (Mandelblit 1995:493)
Cognitive Translation Hypothesis (Mandelblit 1995)
Similar Mapping Conditions:
e.g. TIME IS MONEY is shared in many languages
Different Mapping Conditions:e.g. in Mandarin Chinese FUTURE IS DOWN
and PAST IS UP in contrast to European languages
A Diachronic Review
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
The fundamental role of the Cognitive Translation Hypothesis within this research area:
Cognitive Translation Hypothesis (Mandelblit 1995)
Similar Mapping Conditions:
e.g. TIME IS MONEY is shared in many languages
Different Mapping Conditions:e.g. in Mandarin Chinese FUTURE IS DOWN
and PAST IS UP in contrast to European languages
Similar lexicalrealizations
Different lexicalrealizations
Similar lexicalrealizations
Different lexicalrealizations
A Diachronic Review
Kövecses (2005), Al-Hasnawi (2007), Taheri (2013) and Chen (2017) postulated lists of correlations between theconceptual metaphor and its lexical representations in different languages pairs.
More translator-focused studies are needed that take into consideration factors such as:
- Time pressure- Length restrictions- Client conditions (Samaniego 2013) - Professional satisfaction (Hubscher-Davidson 2013,2016) - Self-esteem (Cifuentes Férez/Fenollar Cortés 2017)
Translator does not always opt for the corresponding metaphorical linguistic expression in the target language (Samaniego 2013, Steen 2014, Schäffner 2014, Mateo Gallego/Ruiz Yepes 2018)
Critical Conclusions of the Development of this Research Field
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
Studies focused on postulating lists with similar and different mapping conditions and lexical
realizations still have a prescriptive point of view.
Example of the 2010 Annual Report of the IMF:
Original American English: “The outlook is subject to considerable uncertainty”
German Target Text : “Die Zukunftsaussichten sind von wesentlichen Risiken überschattet”
Spanish Target Text: “Las perspectivas continúan rodeadas de considerable incertidumbre”
M1→ M2M → Mnew information
(The future outlook is overshadowed by certain risks)
M1 → M2
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
(The perspectives continue surrounded by considerable uncertainty)
M1 → M2
new information
Critical Conclusions of the Development of this Research Field
Once a metaphor belongs to a text it becomes a part of a whole and requires a more in-depth analysis
In the same vein, text and metaphor are both subject to the social,cultural, and historical context in which they are embedded
“Any linguistic feature has an intrinsic relationship to the whole of atext and within a different proposition it may have a differentmeaning“ (Stolze 2009:137)
Context is crucial in metaphor creation and translation into other languages
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
Critical Conclusions of the Development of this Research Field
The Contextual Metaphor View
“Context is what is defined to be relevant in the social situation by the participants themselves“ (Van Dijk 2009:5)
Kövecses (2015:189)
• Human body as context: body specificitiesand conditions. Casasanto (2009) found thatleft-handed people prefer theconceptualization MORAL IS LEFT, asopposed to MORAL IS RIGHT
• Interests and concerns• Ideology• Moral values• Memory
• Cultural, historical, and social environment
• Surrounding linguistic discourse or co-text• Dominant forms of discourse• Register • Intertextuality
Fundamental principles
The Role of Context in Metaphor Translation
DISCIPLINE OF TRANSLATION STUDIES
Weinrich (1976):
Text-in-der-Situation(Text in the Situation)Situational Context
Newmark (1988)
Semantic translation and communicative translation
depending on the cultural filter Situational Context
Zhu (1994):
Individual preferences by using metaphor
Conceptual-Cognitive Context
Lili (2005):
Intertextuality and co-text
Discourse Context
Tcaciuc (2012, 2014): Translator's behavior and
historical background Situational Context and
Conceptual-Cognitive Context
Schäffner (2017):Discourse features and
social contextDiscourse Context and
Situational Context
The importance of contextual factors in metaphor translation has been addressed in a heterogeneous way
An Overview
A Proposal for Future Research
A New Contextual Model of Metaphor in Translation
Emerging countries
COUNTRIES ARE MOVING ENTITIES
M-MPaíses emergentes
COUNTRIES ARE MOVING ENTITIES
M1-M2Schwellenländer
COUNTRIES ARE AT THE DOOR OF A HOUSE
Original English Text
Spanish Translation
German Translation
The Case of emerging countries
Application of the Model through Examplesof the Corpus
The source domain HOUSE has a long tradition in the German history and it is represented in political and economic discourse (Schäffner 2004):
Speeches of Mikhail Gorbachev (1987) about the German Reunification called to build a “Common European Home”.
Political speeches about the 1994 European Elections refer to:“The European house, in which a lot of generations had worked together” (Political Party: Die Grünen).
Politics and economics share the domain HOUSE in German, especially referred to joint plans at the international level.
Situational and discourse context are crucial to understand the translation into German of “emerging countries”.
The Case of emerging countries
Application of the Model through Examplesof the Corpus
Credit Crunch
CREDIT IS A BUILDING
M1-M2Contracción del crédito
CREDIT IS A FLEXIBLE ENTITY
M1-M2Kreditklemme
CREDIT IS A FLEXIBLEENTITY
Original English Text
Spanish Translation
German Translation
The Case of credit crunch
Application of the Model through Examplesof the Corpus
In other discourse contexts, the expression crunch acquires another meaning like for example: crunching footsteps, crunching chocolate, to crunch the numbers.
In this case, the meaning of crunch and its translation into other languages especially depends on the discourse context.
The metaphorical meaning of crunch is acquired combined with credit and within an economic text:
The Case of credit crunch
Application of the Model through Examplesof the Corpus
It is necessary to move one step forward to lists of correlations between the
conceptual metaphor and its corresponding linguistic realizations in different
languages and pay more attention to metaphor in context.
The study of metaphor translation within Languages for Specific Purposes could be
greatly enhanced by continuing in this way.
Conclusions
Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Translation Studies
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Carmen Mateo Gallego
Heilbronn University (Germany)
Al-Hasnawi, Ali R. (2007): A cognitive approach to translating metaphors. Translation Journal 11/3. Available online http://translationjournal.net/journal/41metaphor.htm.
Chen, Yi-Chen (2017): An Investigation into EFL Learners’ Translations of Metaphors from Cognitive and Cultural Perspectives. International Journal of Comparative Literature & Translation Studies 5/3, pp. 32-43.
Cifuentes Férez, Paula; Fenollar Cortés, Javier (2017): On the impact of self-esteem, emotion regulation and emotional expressivity on student translators' performance. In: Vigo International Journal of Applied Linguistics 14, pp. 71-97.
Hubscher-Davison, Séverine (2013): Emotional Intelligence and Translation Studies: A New Bridge. In: Meta: Translator’s Journal 58/2, pp. 324–346.
Hubscher-Davison, Séverine (2016): Trait Emotional Intelligence and Translation: A Study of Professional Translators. In: Target 28/1, pp. 132–157.
Kövecses, Zoltán (2005): Metaphor in Culture: Universality and Variation. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Kövecses, Zoltán (2014): Conceptual Metahor Theory and the Nature of Difficulties in Metaphor Translation. In: Miller, Donna; Monti, Enrico (eds.): Tradurre Figure / Translating Figurative Language. Bologna: Centro di Studi Linguistic Culturali(CeSLiC), pp. 25-39.
Kövecses, Zoltán (2015) Where Metaphors Come From: Reconsidering Context in Metaphor.
Lakoff, George; Johnson, Mark (1980): Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
References
Lili, Quin (2005): Extra-linguistic Context and Metaphor Translation. Candian Social Sciences 1/1, pp. 112-116.
Mandelblit, Nili (1995). The cognitive view of metaphor and its implications for translation theory. Translation and Meaning 3, pp. 483 − 495.
Newmark, Peter (1981/1988): Approaches to translation. Language Teaching Methodology Series. New York: Prentice Hall.
Samaniego, Eva (2013): Translation Studies and the Cognitive Theory of Metaphor. In: Gonzálvez García, Francisco; Peña Cervel, María Sandra; Pérez Hernández, Lorena (eds.): Review of Cognitive Linguistics: Metaphor and Metonomy Revisited beyond the Contemporary Theory of Metaphor: Recent Developments and applications. Special Issue of Review of Cognitive. Linguistics 9/1, pp. 265-282.
Schäffner, Christina (2004): Sprach- und Textnormen als Übersetzungsproblem aus sprachwissenschaftlicher Sicht. In: Kittel, Harald; Frank, Armin Paul; Greiner, Norbert (eds.): Übersetzung Translation Traduction. Handbücher zur Sprach-Kommunikationsforschung (HSK). Bd. 26.1. Wüppertal: pp. 483 – 493.
Schäffner, Christina (2017). Metaphor in translation. In: Semino, Elena: Zsófia Demjén (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Metaphor and Language. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: Routledge, pp. 247-263.
Serón, Inmaculada (2016): Financial translation, a neglected field. The case of the Key Investor Information document. Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts 2/1, pp.5-25.
References
Shuttleworth, Mark (2017): Studying Scientific Metaphor in Translation: An Inquiry into Cross-lingual Translation Practices.
New York/ London : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Steen, Gerard (2014): 15 Questions about metaphor research for Gerard Steen. In: Metaphorik 25, pp.155-167.
Stienstra, Nelly (1993): YHWH is the Husband of His People: Analysis of a Biblical Metaphor with Special Reference toTranslation.Kampen: Kok Pharos.
Stolze, Radegundis (2009): Fachübersetzen – Ein Lehrbuch für Theorie und Praxis (Forum für Fachsprachen-Forschung 89.)Berlin: Frank & Timme.
Tabakowska, Elzbieta (1993): Cognitive Linguistics and poetics of Translation. Tübingen: Günther Narr Verlag.
Taheri-Ardali Mustafa, Bagheri Mohamed, Eidy Redy (2013): Towards a New Model to Metaphor Translation: A Cognitive Approach.Iranian Journal of Translation Studies 11, pp. 35-52.
Tcaicuc, Luciana Sabina (2014): The conceptual metaphors MONEY IS A LIQUID an ECONOMIC IS A LIVING ORGANISM in RomanianTranslations of European Central Bank Documents. In: Miller, Donna; Monti, Enrico (eds.): Tradurre Figure/TranslatingFigurative Language. Bologna: Centro di Studi Linguistico-Culturali (CeSLiC), pp.99-112.
Weinrich, Harald (1976): Sprache in Texten. Stuttgart: Klett.
Zhu, Xiao-an (1994): Kontexttheorie der Metapher. Ein Modell zur Erklärung der Metapher. In: Sprachwissenschaft 19 (3-4), 423-454.
References
TIME FOR QUESTIONS
Carmen Mateo Gallego
Heilbronn University (Germany)
