Proceedings of the First International Conference on Communication, Language, Literature, and Culture, ICCoLLiC 2020, 8-9 September 2020, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

Research Article

Translation as Reverse Engineering, Phase 1: Converting The Words in A Text Into Pictures in The Mind

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.8-9-2020.2301322,
        author={Roger T. Bell},
        title={Translation as Reverse Engineering, Phase 1:  Converting The Words in A Text Into Pictures in The Mind},
        proceedings={Proceedings of the First International Conference on Communication, Language, Literature, and Culture, ICCoLLiC 2020, 8-9 September 2020, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia},
        publisher={EAI},
        proceedings_a={ICCOLLIC},
        year={2020},
        month={10},
        keywords={deconstruction meaning reading reverse engineering},
        doi={10.4108/eai.8-9-2020.2301322}
    }
    
  • Roger T. Bell
    Year: 2020
    Translation as Reverse Engineering, Phase 1: Converting The Words in A Text Into Pictures in The Mind
    ICCOLLIC
    EAI
    DOI: 10.4108/eai.8-9-2020.2301322
Roger T. Bell1,*
  • 1: Universitas Sumatera Utara
*Contact email: rogertbell@gmail.com

Abstract

It has long been recognised that translation is a two phase input-output process - reading (deconstructing) and writing (reconstructing) - in which the “source text” is, in some way, reformulated as the “target text”: the translation. The problem lies in the “somehow” and it is the purpose of this paper to suggest a plausible explanation of the process and outline a novel approach (Reverse Engineering) - a reformulation of the well-established technique of “close reading” - which is offered to those who are reading with the intention of creating a translation (mono- or bi-lingually) and need to bring their semi-automatic skills to the level of conscious that will allow them share what they have discovered about the text with others, either through discussion or translation. This paper deals with Phase one and paves the way for the next: Phase 2 (translating).