ABSTRACT
In so far as all texts can be categorized in terms of genre, there is no reason to give special attention to any one genre rather than any other. However, since most language students are not trained in science or technology, they are often in awe of 'technical' texts, and this chapter is devoted to problems confronting the translator of texts in this genre-category. By 'technical' translation, we mean translation of empirical/descriptive texts written in the context of scientific or technological disciplines. In fact, of course, any specialist field, from anthropology to zymurgy via banking, history, numismatics and yachting, has its own register, its own 'technical' jargon, its own genre-marking characteristics, with which translators have to be familiar if they are to produce a convincing TT in the appropriate field. In any case, the problems met in translating technical texts are to a great extent no different from those met in translating in any genre, specialized or not. A textual variable is a textual variable, a hyponym is a hyponym, whatever the genre and whatever the subject matter; and the relative merits of literal and communicative translation need to be considered in translating any text. Nevertheless, the very fact that technical texts are at the far extreme of unfamiliarity for most language students makes them especially clear illustrations of all these points. There are two reasons, then, for giving a chapter to technical translation: first, because it is often so unnerving for language students; and second, because it is so exemplary of issues crucial to translation methodology.
