33.3640, Confs: Applied Linguistics, Translation, Writing Systems/Italy

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-33-3640. Wed Nov 23 2022. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 33.3640, Confs: Applied Linguistics, Translation, Writing Systems/Italy

Moderators:

Editor for this issue: Everett Green <everett at linguistlist.org>
================================================================


Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:10:41
From: Sara Vecchiato [sara_vecchiato at yahoo.it]
Subject: Translate, Write, Simplify

 
Translate, Write, Simplify 
Short Title: SIMPLE 2022 

Date: 23-Nov-2022 - 25-Nov-2022 
Location: Udine, Italy 
Contact: Fabio Regattin 
Contact Email: simple at uniud.it 
Meeting URL: https://redattologia.uniud.it/en/projects-and-research/current-projects/simple-2022 

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics; Translation; Writing Systems 

Meeting Description: 

This conference will investigate the relations between the acts of
translating, writing and simplifying. Translating and technical writing, the
pillars of previous T&R conferences, can be related to the idea of simplifying
in various ways. At the same time, simplification can provide a bridge between
the two. The idea of simplification can thus be examined in connection with
translation, writing or both practices, both to confirm and question its
relevance. During the conference we will explore issues pertaining, but not
limited, to the following aspects. 

Translate-simplify
Simplification recurs, more or less covertly, in various studies on
translation. Many “translation universals”, such as standardization,
normalization, explicitation and the use of conventional forms, are, for
instance, linked to simplifying trends. Even prescriptive theorists like
Bauman (1991) or Venuti (1995) seem to criticize “deformations”
(rationalization, explicitation, expansion etc.) that go in the same
direction. A more positive view on simplification comes from studies on
pragmatic translation; various functionalist theories (e.g. Reiss and Vermeer
1984, or Holz-Mänttäri 1984) explicitly focus on the reception of the
translated text, as does Gutt’s application of Sperber and Wilson’s theory of
relevance to translation (2000, 2013). Another field of investigation can be
machine translation or computer-assisted translation: we need only think of
the risk of fluent inadequacy (Bernardini and Garcea 2020) in the former case,
or of the standardization caused by translation memories in the latter, which
allow translators to unify translation choices, but also hinder innovation
even where it would be desirable. 

Write-simplify
In the field of professional writing the idea of simplification, intended as
the removal of linguistic barriers to comprehension, seems ever-more central.
Recent studies on technical writing have shown that the simplification of
reader-centred re-writing imposes some strategies that affect the contents
namely, by adding or removing information that is considered more or less
relevant for the reader (Clerc et al. 2006; Clerc 2019) and by making the
communicative macro-act explicit (Vervier 2014; Vecchiato 2021). In other
words, simplification and editing strategies have less to do with paraphrasing
techniques and more to do with summarizing and explicitation techniques
(Gerolimich e Vecchiato 2018; Vecchiato 2021). In this category we can also
include re-writings intended for different groups of readers, such as people
with cognitive and/or reading/comprehension disabilities, who need “a
simplified language”, a leichte Sprache (Bock 2019; Crestani 2020). In
general, “audience awareness” is essential for good writing (Schriver 1997;
Cho & Choi 2018). 

Write-translate-simplify
These three acts can be explored together in at least one major field, that of
popular science. In an ever complex and hyper-specialized world, a good deal
of (re)writing will have to be dedicated to forms of simplification that can
broaden the audience’s access to certain types of information. It is also
well-known that the act of dissemination is often seen as a form of
translation (intra- or interlinguistic translation according to the case). In
this context a key role is played by terminology and, in particular, by
socio-terminology which aims at investigating different types of “linguistic
ergonomics” (Gaudin 2003; 2021). The “translation model” of scientific
dissemination can be accepted or questioned.

According to the contexts and fields of application, simplification can be
seen as something to avoid, an objective to reach, or simply as a trend to
acknowledge and come to terms with. This conference – and the proceedings to
be published -  wants to investigate all these perspectives, in translation
and writing studies.

Streaming on Microsoft Teams available. Write an email to simple @ uniud.it
 






------------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************    LINGUIST List Support    ***************************
 The 2022 Fund Drive is under way! Please visit https://funddrive.linguistlist.org
  to find out how to donate and check how your university, country or discipline
     ranks in the fund drive challenges. Or go directly to the donation site:
                   https://crowdfunding.iu.edu/the-linguist-list

                        Let's make this a short fund drive!
                Please feel free to share the link to our campaign:
                    https://funddrive.linguistlist.org/donate/
 


----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-33-3640	
----------------------------------------------------------