03 May 2014

Show 'em what you can do_#2

The web page I've chosen to translate for this exercise is called
Les paris gagnés de DCN.

Although out of date (DCN became DCNS is 2007), it presents plenty of challenges that will, I hope, give me a chance to present and discuss my approach to translation/adaptation as outlined in Translation by emulation, take #1 and Translation by emulation, take #2.


Preliminary assumptions

The first step towards producing a reader-centred translation is to define the readership.
The target readership I have in mind can be described as keen and technically aware but non-specialist. In other words, people who regularly read about naval and defence issues, but are specialists in neither. I also assume no in-depth knowledge of France, French institutions or DCN. I further assume that a significant proportion will be reading in their second or third language.

Title (Les paris gagnés de DCN)

The first translation challenge proper is the title or heading.
Literally it translates as either 'Winning DCN hands' or 'DCN winning hands'.
Unfortunately, neither sounds particularly natural or works well as an attention grabber.

Although not entirely satisfied, I propose:
DCN innovates time and again.

The idea of building the heading around an active verb was proposed by rereader and colleague Roger Depledge of Toulouse, France.
Roger suggested the Biggles pattern
[Entity] [verb] [key word or two (no more than two or three syllables each)].

Biggles flies again is a good example.
Before even beginning to search for a reminder of the style used in Captain W.E. Johns' Biggles comics, I understood instantly what Roger meant.
(I also realise that this may indelibly stamp our respective generations.)

ChatGPT, a drafting aid for translation by emulation

On 17 October 2011, I published the first of two posts summarising my general approach to the type of translation/adaptation services I was ...