Prospectus

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Cultural Translation

Course
2016-2017

Tags

HD

Admissions requirements

Art of Reading or What is Culture, or permission of instructor

Description

Everybody knows translation as the activity of turning text into another language, e.g. Chinese into English (inter-lingual and inter-cultural translation). Sometimes, there is no exact equivalent for a word in another language, e.g. there is no English equivalent for Slavic “doček”.

Apart from inter-lingual translation, there are many other translational activities: what about the process of making a film version of a novel? (inter-medial translation) And if you talk to people outside academia about your studies, you have to “translate”, even if the other person is speaking the same language; if a researcher has collected data, and s/he wants to write an academic publication about it, those data have to be “translated” into an academic narrative (intra-lingual and intra-cultural translation).

In this course we will explore various aspects/kinds of translation, also looking at theoretical approaches. It will address issues of (un)translatability, power, otherness, historicity, etc. Every lecture will start with a case study. Active participation is paramount.

Course objectives

This course will introduce students to major themes and methodologies in cultural translation.

Upon completion of the course, students are able to:

  • demonstrate profound knowledge of major themes of cultural translation

  • identify, explain, and employ theoretical notions such as (un)translatability, power, otherness, historicity, etc.

  • devise and execute a well-argued research essay.

Timetable

Once available, timetables will be published here.

Mode of instruction

There will be two 2-hour sessions per regular week, organized as a balance of seminar instruction, discussions and student presentations.

Assessment

To be confirmed in course syllabus:

  • Seminar participation: 15%

  • Oral presentations in class: 20%

  • Short written analyses of assigned texts throughout the course: 25%

  • Final Research Essay: 40%

Blackboard

There will be a Blackboard site available for this course. Students will be enrolled at least one week before the start of classes.

Reading list

Assigned readings will be made available on Blackboard.

Registration

This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Curriculum Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.

Contact

a.kallergi@hum.leidenuniv.nl