Research Projects and
End-of-Semester Assessment Items
Ke Ping
1 Comparative Reading: Source Texts
and their Translations
2 Library Study: Resources for
Studying Translation
3 Textual Study: The Translation of
Publicity Material
6 The Use of Compensatory Procedures
in Translating
7 The Use of Reference Tools in
Resolving Difficulties in Translating
End-of-Semester Assessment Item 1 ― Term Paper
0 Tips on Writing A
Term Paper
1 Assignment Sheet for Term Paper 1:
Research-based Study and Teaching of E/C Translation
2 Assignment Sheet for Term Paper 2:
A Comparative Analysis of Major Theories of Translation
End-of-Semester Assessment Item 2 ― Research Report
1 Assignment Sheet for Research
Report 1: Field Study of the Translation of Local Publicity Material
Tasks
1. Select some quality source texts with Chinese/English translations and read them carefully. (Texts may be found in, e.g. Yu, Yungeng 喻云根’s《英美名著翻译比较》[1996. 汉口：湖北教育. iii+432pp], 双语观点. in 新加坡’s《联合早报》[http://www.zaobao.com/bilingual/viewpoint_index.html], etc.)
2. Make a comparative study of the originals and their translations, commenting on both the merits and infelicities which you detect in the translations.
3. Get ready to present the results of your comparative study to the class.
Tasks
1. Search first the School Library and then the University Library for all the books, journals, media stuff and other resources for studying translation.
2. Browse these resources and pick out from them at least three items which you regard as most valuable and worthy to be recommended to your classmates, giving your reasons for making the selection.
3. Get ready to present the results of your investigation to the class.
Tasks
1. Study the following instances of translated publicity material, identifying the grammatical, textual, semantic, pragmatic, logical, or technical infelicities each of them may contain.
Jinghai Si (Jinghai Temple), Nanjing
Yuejiang Lou, Nanjing
2. Retranslate the above publicity material, stating reasons for all the revisions you made of the original translation.
3. Get ready to report to the class on how you completed the above tasks.
Tasks
1. Find online the transcript of the Chinese Foreign Minister’s answers to the questions raised by journalists covering the on-going annual full session of the country’s national legislature (National People’s Congress) as well as links to the audio or video of the Q & A session (in which the on-site interpreting part should be left intact).
2. Read in full the transcript of the Chinese Foreign Minister’s answers to media questions and then sight-translate at least one third of the text into English paragraph by paragraph.
3. Click on the audio/video links and listen to the interpreting of the Foreign Minister’s interpreter, comparing your sight translation with the interpreting. Think over what you experienced and learned in this process of comparative study and get ready to discuss it in class.
The following are some links to corresponding material for the past few full sessions of the National People’s Congress:
2005 Text: Site 1 Site
2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2. Video: Site 1 Site 2
2006 Text: Site 1 Site
2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video:
Site 1 Site 2
2007 Text: Site 1 Site
2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video:
Site 1 Site 2
2008 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2
2009 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2. Video:
Site 1 Site 2
2010 Text: Site
1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2
2011 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video:
Site 1 Site 2
2012 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2
2013 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2
Tasks
1. Find online the transcript of the Chinese Premier’s answers to the questions raised by journalists covering the on-going annual full session of the country’s national legislature (National People’s Congress) as well as links to the audio or video of the Q & A session (in which the on-site interpreting part should be left intact).
2. Read in full the transcript of the Chinese Premier’s answers to media questions and then sight-translate at least one third of the text into English paragraph by paragraph.
3. Click on the audio/video links and listen to the interpreting of the Premier’s interpreter, comparing your sight translation with the interpreting. Think over what you experienced and learned in this process of comparative study and get ready to discuss it in class.
The following are some links to corresponding material for the past few full sessions of the National People’s Congress:
2005 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2
2006 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio:
Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site
1 Site 2
2007 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio:
Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site
2
2008 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio:
Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2
2009 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video:
Site 1 Site 2
2010 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video:
Site 1 Site
2
2011 Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video:
Site 1 Site 2
2012. Text: Site 1 Site 2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2
2013 Text: Site 1 Site
2 Audio: Site 1 Site 2 Video: Site 1 Site 2.
On December 18, 2008, Hu Jintao, Secretary General of the CPC, made a speech to honor the 30th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. The speech includes the following remarks:
“我们的伟大目标是，到我们党成立100年时建成惠及十几亿人口的更高水平的小康社会，到新中国成立100年时基本实现现代化，建成富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家。只要我们不动摇、不懈怠、不折腾，坚定不移地推进改革开放，坚定不移地走中国特色社会主义道路，就一定能够胜利实现 这一宏伟蓝图和奋斗目标。”
Two official translations of “不折腾” in the speech were:
(We should) never (sway back and forth, relax our efforts, or) get sidetracked.
(中国政府门户网站)
(Don’waver, don’t relent, and) don’t do much ado about
nothing
([曾任邓小平翻译的] 高志凯)
Less formal translations of the phrase include:
avoid
self-inflicted setbacks ([中国驻纳米比亚大使] 任小萍)
no
trouble-making (季羡林)
bu zheteng
What is your take on these translations and what would be your own translation of the phrase? Explain in what ways your translation would do justice to the original.
Tasks
1. Read the following text: The Use of Reference Tools in Translation.
2. The following passages are taken from authentic texts, most of which were already translated into Chinese, though in an incorrect way. These passages contain technical terms, foreign forms, ambiguous words, or even errors. Use local and online reference tools to find out the Chinese equivalents of the italicized words and phrases in the context and translate the passages into Chinese.
You need to hand in a report in which you give your translation of these passages as well as detail:
(1) what reference tools (including both local and online ones) you consulted or searched when translating the passages; and
(2) why you believe your translation of the italicized and bold part of each passage is the Chinese equivalent of the original or renders reasonably well the meaning of the original.
(Close shot. Ilsa. She rises, still pointing the gun at Rick. Her finger rests on the trigger. It seems as if she is summoning nerve to press it. Then, suddenly, her hand trembles and the pistol falls to the table. She breaks up, covering her face with her hands. Rick walks into the shot, stands close to her. Suddenly, she flings herself into his arms.) (Casablanca)
Business
once looked to the market as the key signal for the future. Today it looks to
When the [stock] market is buoyant, it has been a signal to business that the “business climate” is favorable, and the effect on what Keynes called the “animal spirits” of executives has been to encourage them to go ahead with expansion plans. When the market is falling, on the other hand, spirits tend to be dampened, and executives may think twice before embarking on an expansion program in the face of general pessimism. (Heilbroner. Economics Explained)
In niche markets, like the market for organic products, farmers receive a higher price for their products because they are producing a specialty product that is different from what is produced on conventional farms. (US Department of Agriculture: Organic Agriculture)
If there is a determination that the level of pest population or pest infestation is too high — meaning it has exceeded the economic threshold — Ms. Pickel will provide treatment suggestions based on IPM [integrated pest management] principles. (US Department of Agriculture: Organic Agriculture)
Snap bean
LOS
ANGELES - A man who sold high-end computers, laptops and other equipment on
eBay Inc.'s online auction site pleaded no contest to allegations
of fraud totaling $453,000. Chris Chong Kim, 28, of
It's a fairly new biotechnology type product, it’s only been around about four years, the BT corn has. What it is a gene we put in the plant that protects the plant against corm (sic) bore which corn bore can reduce the yields in our corn anywhere from 15 to 40 or 50 bushel an acre yieldwise a year loss. (US Department of Agriculture: Organic Agriculture)
He won in 50.58 seconds from Switzerland’s Franz Meier, who clocked 59.95. (Ovett Wins 800 Metres [AP sports news])
Department of Languages, Literatures and Translation, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa "Luis de Camoes"
instrumentation and orchestration
The story of The Jackal and the Brahmin is an East Indian folktale. (Melvena L. Green et al. World Folktales)
Pfizer's Celebrex Lifts Heart Attack Risk in Trial
Fri Dec 17, 4:46 PM ET. Business Reuters. By Ransdell Pierson
A term paper is an original essay or
report discussing in detail a topic or subject drawn from the work done during
a school/college term. The following are some (NOT ALL) typical steps in
writing a term paper:
1. Choosing a topic:
Find something that is important and that interests and challenges you.
2. Finding and analyzing information:
Scrutinize all relevant local and online resources, jot
down notes of important details. Write down also the complete bibliographical
information such as the author’s name; title of book; name, place and date of
publication; page numbers, URLs, dates of access, etc. Any article without
bibliographical information is useless since you cannot mention its source.
3. Defining thesis: Write in
one sentence your thesis, i.e. the
main argument of your paper, a statement of something that you have valid
evidence to believe in (论点). Every section or major paragraph of your paper
should have a clear thesis statement
(论题句), i.e. one or two
sentences which expresses a main point or central idea around which the section
or paragraph is developed.
4. Making a tentative outline:
Having a good outline is the key to writing a good term paper. Include in your
outline an introduction to state the thesis and purpose of your paper.
5. Organising collected and analyzed information and writing the first draft:
Sort out all pertinent information you collected and work out the first draft
on the basis of your outline. Quote precisely. Document (i.e. provide written references or citations for) any
idea you obtained from reading the resources and used in your paper either
directly or in the form of a paraphrase or summary.
6. Revising the draft: Use
quality reference tools wherever needed to help to spot and rectify content
errors in your paper. Proofread the final paper for punctuation or misspelled
words, verify all the facts and figures, organize and re-organize ideas to
stick to your outline. Finally, get some people to read your paper for
secondary checking.
7. Submitting the final paper:
Before typing the final paper, read this assignment sheet once more to make
sure that you meet the requirements given here. Be sure that your final output
is neat.
ECCET End-of-Semester Assessment: Term Paper
南京大学外国语学院英语系翻译课程考核 (期末论文)
院系 外国语学院英语系 年级 本科二年级 教师 柯平 学年 202 -202 学期 _ 课程 翻译导论 时间 4周 开闭卷 开卷 AB卷 N/A
1. Write a term paper of 6 to 8 typed A4 pages on the following topic:
[Main title] … [To be decided on by yourself according to the focus of your research attention]
[Explanatory subtitle] : Personal Experience of and Observations on Research-based Study and Teaching of E/C Translation
2. Hand
in a computer printout of your paper and at the same time send via email an electronic copy of it
to the instructor no later than the last class session. Late submission
will result in a deduction (10 scores per day) from the scores you obtain for the end-of-semester
assessment item.
1. For tips on how to write a term paper, click here.
2. Complete the paper independently. Don’t be a copycat. Never attempt to plagiarize, i.e. take the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as your own. Students are reminded that they will get a zero point score for a plagiarized paper.
3. The submitted paper should be typewritten on A4 sheet with sufficient margins left (top: 2.54 cm; bottom: 2.54 cm; left: 3.5 cm; right: 2.54 cm). The typefaces (fonts) used must be kept consistent throughout the paper. Times New Roman 12 pt (for English) and 宋体 五号/10.5 pt (for Chinese) are to be used for the main text (1.2-line spaced), and bold Arial (for English) and 黑体 (for Chinese) for headings and subheadings (single spaced). A block quotation should be single spaced and indented 0.74 cm from the left and right margins of a normal paragraph. The first line of each paragraph in the main text or in a block quotation should begin with an indentation of ONE TAB. For more information about the format of the paper, please visit the page “南京大学外国语学院英语系本科学位论文写作规范” (http://nlp.nju.edu.cn/kep/UNsThMD_LunwenXiezuoGuifan(YuyanxueFanyixueCidianxueFangxiang).pdf).
4. All
cited sources must be properly documented following the APA style. For illustrations of proper APA-styled
documentation and formatting, you may consult, among others, the following
page:
http://thecraftycanvas.com/static-resources/library/docs/apalite.pdf.
5. The scheme for marking the paper is as follows:
■ Content (significance of the topic and its relevance to what we studied and discussed in this semester’s course, value of the information gathered, amount of research involved, etc.) (30%);
■ Structure (application of critical method in organizing the content according to a consistent plan, following a consistent train of thought and showing awareness of relevant critical issues) (20%);
■ Critical thinking and conclusions (use of information and structure to develop an argument, going beyond literal arguments and description to position the work in a wider structure of ideas) (20%);
■ Editorial presentation (correctness, clarity, coherence, and idiomaticity in language use, correctness in the citation of sources [documentation], etc.) (20%);
■ Graphic presentation (both physical and visual) (10%).
ITS End-of-Semester Assessment: Term Paper
南京大学外国语学院英语系翻译学/语言学课程考核 (期末论文)
院系
外国语学院英语系 年级 研一 教师 柯平 学年 20 -20 课程 翻译研究导论 时间 4周 开闭卷
开卷
1. Review the course books, browse through the notes you took while attending the lectures of the course, carefully reflect on and compare the major schools of thought on translation we discussed in this semester’s course.
2. Write a term paper of 5 to 10 typed A4 pages on the following topic:
[Main title] … [To be decided on by yourself according to the focus of your research attention]
[Explanatory
subtitle] : A
Comparative Analysis of the … [names of the
theories of translation which you decide to discuss after accomplishing Task 1] Theories of Translation,
reporting the results of your comparative analysis with reference to what we studied and practised in this semester’s course.
3. Revise the paper carefully until you are confident that you’ve satisfactorily completed Task 1 and Task 2 and everything about the paper (both content and presentation) is right.
4. Submit both an electronic copy (via email) and a computer printout of the final version of your term paper to the instructor no later than the last class session. Late submission will result in a deduction (10 scores per day) from the scores you obtain for the end-of-semester assessment item.
1. For tips about how to write a term paper, click here.
2. Complete the paper independently. Don’t be a copycat. Never attempt to plagiarize, i.e. take the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as your own. Students are reminded that they will get a zero point score for a plagiarized paper.
3. The submitted paper should be typewritten on A4 sheet
with sufficient margins left (top: 2.54 cm; bottom: 2.54 cm; left: 3.5 cm;
right: 2.54 cm). The typefaces (fonts) used must be kept consistent throughout
the paper. Times New Roman 12 pt (for English) and 宋体 五号/10.5
pt (for Chinese) are to be used for the main text (1.2-line spaced), and bold
Arial (for English) and 黑体
(for Chinese) for headings and subheadings (single
spaced). A block quotation should be single spaced and indented 0.74 cm
from the left and right margins of a normal paragraph. The first line of each
paragraph in the main text or in a block quotation should begin with an
indentation of ONE TAB. For more information about the format of the paper, please visit the
page “英语语言文学、外国语言学及应用语言学专业语言学、翻译学、词典学方向硕博士学位论文写作规范” (Instructions for NJU English Linguistics
/ Translation Studies / Lexicography Majors on the Preparation of Theses and
Dissertations. Available from http://nlp.nju.edu.cn/kep/UNsThMD_LunwenXiezuoGuifan(YuyanxueFanyixueCidianxueFangxiang).pdf).
4. All
cited sources must be properly documented following the APA style. For illustrations of proper APA-styled
documentation and formatting, you may consult, among others, the following
page:
http://thecraftycanvas.com/static-resources/library/docs/apalite.pdf.
5. The scheme for marking the term paper is as follows:
■ Content (significance of the topic and its relevance to what we studied and discussed in this (and previous) semesters’ course, value of the information gathered and the conclusion(s) reached, amount of research involved, etc.) (30%);
■ Structure (application of critical method in organizing the content according to a consistent plan, following a consistent train of thought and showing awareness of relevant critical issues and concentrated effort at clarifying and/or solving them) (20%);
■ Critical thinking and conclusions (use of information and structure to develop an argument, going beyond literal arguments and description to position the work in a wider structure of ideas) (20%);
■ Editorial presentation (correctness, clarity, coherence, and idiomaticity in language use, correctness in the citation of sources [documentation], etc.) (20%);
■ Graphic presentation (both physical and visual) (10%).
FWT / ITS End-of-Semester Assessment: Research Report/Paper
南京大学外国语学院英语系翻译学/语言学课程考核 (期末论文)
院系
外国语学院英语系 年级 研一 教师 柯平 学年202 -202 课程 基础笔译
/ 翻译研究导论 时间 2周 开闭卷
开卷
1. Identify a major issue or a group of significant and interrelated issue(s) in bilingual/multilingual practice or studies (translation, interpreting, bilingual/multilingual terminology, contrastive linguistics, language & translation technology, etc.), research it/them as informed by or with reference to the content of this course.
2. Write in English or Chinese a research paper of no less than 4,000 words on the basis of your research, reporting how you identified the issue(s), how you analyzed it/them, the conclusion(s) drawn from your analysis, the rationale (the set of fundamental reasons or logical basis) behind your analysis and conclusion(s), as well as specific solution(s) to the issue(s) you provided on the basis of your research.
3. Revise the paper until you are confident that the issue(s) identified has/have been justifiably solved and everything about the paper ― both content and presentation ― is right.
4. [On a separate page and in Chinese] Briefly review what you studied and practised in this semester’s course. Tell if there are things which you’ve now recognized as especially important for you to learn and unlearn in order to translate well (and, in a more general sense perhaps, do well in other jobs, too).
5. Submit both a computer printout and an electronic copy (via email) of the final version of your term paper and your course study review to the instructor no later than December 30. Please leave your computer printout in the instructor’s mail drop at Qiaoyu Building and send your electronic copy to: keping@nju.edu.cn. If you have not received the receipt of your email three days after sending it, resend the mail using another mail client.
1. To refresh your memory on how to
write a paper, see quick tips here.
2. Complete the research and report it in your term
paper independently.
Don’t be a copycat. Never attempt to plagiarize
(taking the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as your own)
and be reminded that you may get a zero point score for plagiarized academic
work.
3. The submitted paper should be typewritten on
A4 sheet with sufficient margins left (top: 2.54 cm; bottom: 2.54 cm; left: 3.5
cm; right: 2.54 cm). The typefaces (fonts) used must be kept consistent
throughout the research report. Times New Roman 12 pt (for English) and 宋体 五号/10.5 pt (for Chinese) are to be
used for the main text (1.2-line spaced), and bold Arial (for English) and 黑体 (for Chinese) for
headings and subheadings (single spaced). A
block quotation should be single spaced and indented 0.74 cm from the left and
right margins of a normal paragraph. The first line of each paragraph in the
main text or in a block quotation should begin with an indentation of ONE TAB.
For more information about the format of the paper, please visit the page “英语语言文学、外国语言学及应用语言学专业语言学、翻译学、词典学方向硕博士学位论文写作规范” (Instructions for NJU English
Linguistics / Translation Studies / Lexicography Majors on the Preparation of
Theses and Dissertations. Available from http://nlp.nju.edu.cn/kep/UNsThMD_LunwenXiezuoGuifan(YuyanxueFanyixueCidianxueFangxiang).pdf).
4. All cited sources must be properly
documented following the APA style. For illustrations of proper APA-styled
documentation and formatting, you may consult, among others, the following
page:
http://thecraftycanvas.com/static-resources/library/docs/apalite.pdf.
5. The scheme for marking term papers is as follows:
■ Content: significance of
the topic and its relevance to what we studied and discussed in this semesters’
course, value of the information gathered and the conclusion(s) reached, amount of research involved, etc. (30%);
■ Structure: application of
critical method in organizing the content according to a consistent plan,
following a consistent train of thought and showing awareness of relevant
critical issues and concentrated effort at clarifying and/or solving them (20%);
■ Critical thinking and conclusions:
use of information and structure to develop an argument, going beyond literal
arguments and description to position the work in a wider structure of ideas (20%);
■ Editorial presentation:
correctness, clarity, coherence, and idiomaticity in language use, correctness
in the citation of sources (documentation), etc. (20%);
■ Graphic presentation:
both physical and visual (10%).
ECCET End-of-Semester Assessment: Research Report
南京大学外国语学院英语系翻译课程考核 (期末论文)
院系 外国语学院英语系 年级 本科二年级 教师 柯平 学年 202 -202 学期 _ 课程 翻译导论 时间 4周 开闭卷 开卷 AB卷 N/A
1. Select at least three local public places where travelers from other countries or foreign nationals may frequent or regularly visit. Make a trip to those places in groups of two or three, collecting as many translations or English versions of the publicity material of those places as possible. (Examples of publicity material include public signs, shop signs, ads, commercial brochures, profile of a tourist attraction, information on tickets for public parks or museums, explanatory texts accompanying exhibits in a gallery, museum, or monument. You may use a digital camera to record the Chinese originals and their translations or English versions.)
2. After returning to the campus, study the collected translations or English versions of the Chinese originals carefully, analyzing their semantic accuracy and functional appropriacy, and identifying all referential, pragmatic, and intralingual infelicities in them. Your analysis should be informed by the content of the course Advanced English-Chinese & Chinese-English Translation (including whatever we went through in class and all the suggested readings you read out of class) and you are expected to specify the sources your analysis is informed with.
3. Retranslate or revise, on the basis of completed Task 2, all faulty/inappropriate translations or English texts you have discovered, supplying solid evidence (e.g. definitions and citations in quality reference tools, comparable texts in the target language, etc.) to justify your retranslations or revisions.
4. Revisit
the places where you collected data for this research. Find the management
and/or technical personnel of the site (or contact them by post/email if they
are truly unavailable), requested permission to report to them the most
important findings of your research, and submit in both written and spoken form
detailed suggestions as to how the errors and infelicities you identified
should be corrected. Seek feedback from them and make a note of the feedback
along with the contact information of the person(s)
who provided the feedback.
5. Write
a research report in English on an individual basis, detailing how you
completed Tasks 1 through 4, what results or findings your research action in
Tasks 2 and 3 produced, and what implications you think those results or
findings have. The report should also include the feedback you received when
performing Task 4 as well as the
contact information of the person(s) who provided the
feedback. The submitted report is to be typewritten on A4 paper with sufficient
margins left (top:
6. Make preparations to give a presentation of your research in class (depending on time available).
1. All cited sources must be properly documented following the APA style. For illustrations of proper APA-styled documentation and formatting, you may consult, among others, the following page:
http://thecraftycanvas.com/static-resources/library/docs/apalite.pdf.
2. The marking scheme for this research project is as follows:
Task 1: 20%
Task 2: 20%
Task 3: 20%
Task 4: 20%
Task 5 and (optionally) Task 6 (organization, language, presentation, etc.): 20%.
3. The deadline for submitting the research report is June 15. Late submission will result in a deduction of 10 scores per day from the scores you obtain for the final examination / end-of-semester research project which, incidentally, contributed 40% of the total scores for this course.