written by:
Brenda buhr
In translation procedures, culture is also indispensable. Just like for educational purposes, we need to understand the motivations, target audience, where the translation will circulate and other details in order to choose the best method for the text. Roger Bacon was the first scholar to say that a translator needed to know not only the source language and the target language, but also have knowledge about the subject of the text. This new point of view introduced by Bacon helps us to understand that, in translation, is not about the language only, is about everything around it.
Culture, in this case, is essential for the professional of the text to comprehend what some expressions and ideas mean for the source culture, aiming to translate not only the linguistic part, but also the equivalent idea for the target culture and language. In the USA, for example, the national sport is american football, which is significant for the culture of this country.
But, if we are talking about this sport in a context that are a lot of fans and people cheering for it, the translator needs to convert it, using Brazil’s soccer, for example. Doing so, the general idea of a sport for the masses will function like a cultural aspect for the source and target’s languages.
Therefore, I believe that teaching or translating is not possible without considering culture.
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