Der er en verden uden for sproget. Om at sikre kvalitet i oversættelse af fagsproglige tekster

Abstract

Translation of LSP-texts is not merely the transfer of "the meanings of a profession" but also the creation of a new text. Therefore, an important parameter is the neutrality of the translated text: It should observe norms and standards of original texts of a profession, written in the given target language. As many translations show, however, translators often seem not to be acquainted with such norms and standards, a subject which is normally not dealt with in dictionaries. Since a professional world has a restricted professional universe of discourse, being reflected in the - quite stereotype - texts of the profession (which is shown in the present paper with respect to technical texts), it should be possible for the translator trainee to learn what professional texts look like through the study of genuine texts of a profession, getting, at the same time, a certain understanding of the professional world reflected in the texts. It is suggested that, in teaching translation, the focus should at an early stage be put on texts of the target language, as this would secure the familiarity of the translator trainee with genuine structures of the target language before actually beginning the translation of source texts.