Major 6 class assignment

Name :kuvadiya prinsi h

Subject: major 6 

Class:s.y.b.a (english)

College: maharani shree nandkunvarba mahila arts and commerce College 

Class assignment 

History of Translation in English:

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1. Ancient Beginnings

• Translation has existed since humans first spoke multiple languages.
• The earliest recorded translations include:
  • Mesopotamia (c. 2000 BCE): Bilingual Sumerian–Akkadian texts.
  • Egyptian & Greek: Religious and literary works translated for cross-cultural exchange.

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2. Classical Period

• Greek to Latin (3rd century BCE onwards):
  • Works of Greek philosophers, poets, and scientists were translated into Latin.
  • Cicero and Horace discussed translation methods: literal vs. sense-for-sense.
• These ideas influenced later European translators.

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3. Medieval Period

• Translation focused on spreading religious texts.
  • St. Jerome (4th century CE): Translated the Bible into Latin (the “Vulgate”). He is considered the patron saint of translators.
• In England:
  • King Alfred (9th century): Translated Latin works into Old English to educate his people.
  • Wycliffe Bible (1380s): First complete English Bible, translated from Latin.

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4. Renaissance (14th–16th centuries)

• Revival of Greek and Roman classics through translation.
• William Tyndale (1526): Translated the New Testament into English from Greek, which later influenced the King James Bible (1611).
• Humanists emphasized faithfulness and elegance in translation.

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5. 17th–18th Centuries

• Translation became a tool of cultural exchange.
• Debate grew between “free” translation (adaptation) and “literal” translation.
• Famous translators:
  • John Dryden (England): Classified translation into metaphrase (word-for-word), paraphrase (sense-for-sense), and imitation (adaptation).

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6. 19th Century

• Romanticism influenced translation.
• Focus on capturing the spirit and style of the original, not just meaning.
• Friedrich Schleiermacher (Germany): Suggested two methods:
  • Bringing the reader to the author (foreignizing).
  • Bringing the author to the reader (domesticating).

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7. 20th Century

• Translation became an academic discipline (Translation Studies).
• Thinkers like Eugene Nida introduced concepts:
  • Formal equivalence (literal closeness).
  • Dynamic equivalence (meaning and effect).
• Literary translations spread world literature globally.

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8. 21st Century – Digital Age

• Machine translation (Google Translate, DeepL, AI models).
• Computer-assisted translation (CAT tools).
• Focus on localization (adapting text culturally and linguistically).
• Translation now blends human creativity with artificial intelligence.

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✅ In short: Translation history in English evolved from religious preservation (Bible translations), to cultural exchange (classics), to professional and academic study, and now into the digital AI era.

Refrense 

“Books & Authors

1. Bassnett, Susan. Translation Studies. Routledge, 1980.
   → A foundational book on the history and theory of translation.

2. Munday, Jeremy. Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications. Routledge, 2001.
   → Covers historical and modern approaches.

3. Venuti, Lawrence. The Translator’s Invisibility. Routledge, 1995.
   → Discusses English translation history and strategies.

4. Robinson, Douglas. Western Translation Theory: From Herodotus to Nietzsche. Routledge, 1997.
   → A collection of key writings from ancient to 19th century.

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📖 Articles & Journals

• Meta: Journal des traducteurs (academic journal on translation studies).
• Translation Studies (Taylor & Francis journal).

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🌍 Online References

• Encyclopaedia Britannica → Entry on Translation.
• Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies (edited by Mona Baker).
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy → Articles on language and translation.

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Thank you