On The Principles Regulating Translational Acts

Abstract

This paper tries to refine the translator’s work by evoking some reliable and handy pragmatic values, most of which have been enunciated by Grice. As it is, the producer of the translated text often fuses new, old and implicit elements to convey the communicative intention of the producer of the S T (source text). One of the principles that regulates the balance already mentioned is effectiveness. Through it, the producer of the translated text transmits relevant content or fulfils his/her communicative endeavour. Another regulating principle is efficiency through which we achieve things in the most economical manner. It also, in a sense, entails less processing effort. The principle of relevance which governs that which is left out and that which is unnecessarily repeated (i.e ellipsis and redundancy) means that the translator, as a producer of a text, has to pay attention only to relevant information. Quality as a regulating principle requires that one’s production must be supported by evidence. Quantity, an operative principle, pragmatically demands that one’s contribution be as informative as possible. Other operative principles regulating translation, in my opinion, are the strategy of the SL and/or the TL and the avoidance of a literal production.
This paper intends to explore these regulating principles of the translated text and to show that they are quite important in producing a translation of substance.