ELEGANT VARIATIONS

Elegant variations on literal or one-to-one translation are common, and sometimes satisfy the translator's understandable wish to write in a style or phrase that is entirely natural to him. More often, however, they are irritating to the critic, introduced to exhibit the translator's flair for colloquialisms or synonymy, and, even when insignificant, unnecessary. They are not justified in semantic or even communicative translation. They are a temptation (and an indulgence) for any translator.

Literal translation may appear tedious, but there is satisfaction in weighing it against this or that more elegant version and finding it more accurate and econo- mical. Thus the first sentence of Bendicks" advert:

Bendicks of Mayfair have established a reputation respected throughout the world for the manufacture of chocolate confectionery of the highest quality.

'Bendicks of Mayfair' ant ttabli lew reputation, reconnue dans le monde entier, pour la confection de chocolats de la plus haute qualite.

The translation is lexically and grammatically literal, but for 'confectionery', which has to be changed and is satisfactorily conflated with 'manufacture', and the two unnecessary elegant variations, leur and reconnue.

BACK-TRANSLATION TEST (BTT)

The validity of literal translation can sometimes be established by the back- translation test: e.g. (crudely) a 'black frame' should translate back centrally as un cadre noir, ein schwarzer Rahmen, etc. The back-translation test is not valid in the case of SL or TL lexical gaps: thus 'a murky street', 'a bright vision' (or unepersonne maladive) will not translate back satisfactorily. But 'the literary dictates of his time' will never translate back satisfactorily into les modes litteraires de son temps.

Note also that the figurative element in language militates against literal translation when it is a cultural or a stock metaphor, but favours literal translation when it is universal and/or original.