Translation from the Sublime to the Ridiculous Reading Answers

Jan 9, 2023

Translation from the Sublime to the Ridiculous Reading Answers contains sample answers about the translation and concerns related to it. Translation from the Sublime to the Ridiculous Reading Answers has 13 different questions. IELTS Translation from the Sublime to the Ridiculous Reading Answers contains four types of questions: complete the sentence, choose the appropriate letters, choose the correct judgements and answer the questions. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage to complete the sentence using no more than three words for each answer. Candidates need to thoroughly go through each paragraph to choose the appropriate letter from the given list of options. Candidates are required to choose which four of the Judgements are mentioned by choosing the correct ones from the options. For the last set of questions, candidates are supposed to answer the questions using no more than three words from the passage for each answer. To gain proficiency on diverse topics, candidates can practise by undertaking IELTS Reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Translation from the Sublime to the Ridiculous Reading Answers

According to the Oxford Dictionary, 'to translate' is 'to express the sense in or into another language. But what is 'the sense' really? Translating a piece of writing is not just a question of picking up the foreign language dictionary and substituting one set of words for another. Although it represents the substitution of a set of words from one lexicon for those from another, it is ultimately a form of communication, concerned, as Peter Newmark says, with transmitting culture and truth. For this reason, a translation should only be attempted after the translator has carefully studied the whole text, and asked herself a number of questions.

Firstly, it is important that she considers the purpose of the said text. In so far as all writing is a form of communication, does this particular text aim at user instructions for a household appliance, for example: simply to transmit information to a would-be user? Or does it strive for an advertisement or hotel brochure or any other piece of publicity material to arouse interest so that the reader will want to buy the product, or stay in the hotel? Or is its purpose like that of a piece of literature, or a film to stimulate the imagination, to inspire and to entertain as well as, perhaps, to instruct?

Once she has ascertained the purpose of the text, the translator needs to consider who the readers of the translated text will be. The readers of the translation will, of necessity, comprise a different group from the readers of the original- but they are likely to share certain characteristics. If the original text was aimed at a wide audience, the 'man in the street' anxious to get to grips with his new coffee maker, for example, then the reader of the translated text is likely to fall into the same category and have the same expectations. But perhaps the original was aimed at a more discrete and well-defined group, perhaps by its style and content. It has defined its readership.

Will the reader of the translation be someone with a good knowledge of the culture from which the original has sprung, or will he be someone with very sparse knowledge of it? It has been said that everything is translatable 'on condition that the two languages belong to cultures that have reached a comparable degree of development'; how up to date will he be with the requisite technical knowledge? Balancing the expectations of the potential readers with those of the writer is, in this way, part of the tightrope which the translator treads; it will dictate, for example, the extent to which annotations and footnotes will be needed in the translation, and the way in which culturally specific references and items of specialist vocabulary are (or are not) translated.

The style and register of the translated text should, for reasons of integrity and coherence, mirror that of the original. It would be misleading if the translator of a text written in a discursive and amusing style were to render it ponderous in translation; just as it would be wrong for a translator to oversimplify what was originally an erudite piece of prose. However, this is not to ignore the fact that there might well be instances in which a text that is awkwardly written in the original could be made more accessible by the translator. It is a question of judgement. The style in which something is written often represents a large part of what the writer is trying to convey, and this is particularly likely to be the case with a work of literature, such as a poem or novel: it is not only what the writer is saying, but how she says it which is important. Allusions, deliberate ambiguity, humour, parody, and language which contain alliteration and assonance, are likely to be features of such a text and to represent problems that the translator needs to solve appropriately. To that extent, translating is rather like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Other kinds of writing a piece of advertising, for example, may well contain subliminal messages to which the translator will need to be alert- as to any kind of' subtext'.

Much translation is, by default, given to those with an inadequate grasp of either the source or target language and often of both. It is frequently overlooked that the successful translator needs an excellent knowledge of the source language and a perfect mastery of the target language in its technical and colloquial aspects. The target language, for the best results, should be her mother tongue but, as Peter Newmark says, many translators who translate out of their own language 'contribute greatly to many people's hilarity in the process.' So, for example, it once happened that a sagesse normande' became, in English, 'Norman wisdom'.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Question 1 – 3
Complete the sentences below with information from the reading passage.

You may use NO More Than THREE Words for each answer.

Translating a text is more than merely __________________ for others.

Answer: substitute words
Supporting Sentence: is not just a question of picking up the foreign language dictionary and substituting one set of words for another.
Keyword : foreign language, substituting, words for another
Keyword Location: paragraph 1, line 3
Explanation: In the first paragraph, it is said that translating a piece of text involves more than simply taking up a dictionary for a foreign language. It involves more than merely switching out a few words for others. These sentences imply that translating a book involves more than just changing one word for another. Therefore, the answer is to substitute words.

Each text whether informative, stimulating or instructive has ___________ that the translator needs to take into account.

Answer: A purpose
Supporting Sentence: she considers the purpose of the said text. In so far as all writing is a form of communication
Keyword : purpose, text, communication
Keyword Location: paragraph 2, line 1
Explanation: It is mentioned in paragraph 2 that every text has a purpose. To the extent that writing itself is a kind of communication. The second paragraph demonstrates its aim to arouse the imagination, similar to that of a work of literature or a movie. Or perhaps to inform as well as to inspire and amuse. From these lines, we may infer that every text, whether educational, stimulating, or otherwise, has a goal that the translator must take into account. So, a purpose is the answer.

The reader of the translation may have only a ________________ knowledge of the culture from which the original comes.

Answer: Sparse
Supporting Sentence: a good knowledge of the culture from which the original has sprung, or will he be someone with very sparse knowledge of it
Keyword : knowledge, culture, original, sparse
Keyword Location: paragraph 4, line 1-2
Explanation: It is said in the fourth paragraph that the translation will be read by someone who is well-versed in the society that gave rise to the original. Or he might only have a very basic understanding of it. It is obvious that the reader of the translation may have little or no background knowledge of the original's culture. The answer is therefore sparse.

Question 4- 6

Choose the appropriate letters

A – D and write them in Boxes 4 – 6 on your answer sheet.

Anything can be translated, provided that…

the two languages are equally developed.
the two languages have similar levels of cultural development.
the translator is up-to-date.
the translator has the same expectations as the reader.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: everything is translatable 'on condition that the two languages belong to cultures that have reached a comparable degree of development
Keyword : translatable, two languages, development
Keyword Location: paragraph 4, line 3-4
Explanation: Everything can be translated, as indicated in paragraph 4. However, only if the two languages originate from societies that have attained a similar level of development. These lines suggest that anything can be translated as long as the cultural evolution of the two languages is comparable. So, B is the correct answer.

According to the writer, it is sometimes possible to make a translation …

clearer than the original.
overly simple.
humorous.
ponderous.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: instances in which a text that is awkwardly written in the original could be made more accessible by the translator.
Keyword : instance, text, original, accessible, translator
Keyword Location: paragraph 5, line 6
Explanation: As per paragraph 5, there may be times when a translation can improve the readability of a document that was written clumsily in the original. It comes down to judgement. We can infer from these lines that the author believes it is occasionally possible to make a translation more clear than the original. The answer is therefore A.

When translating a literary text, which one of the following is important for the translator?

The way in which a writer says something as much as the content.
Subliminal messages.
Allusions.
Jigsaw puzzles in texts.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: perhaps the original was aimed at a more discrete and well-defined group, perhaps by its style and content. It has defined its readership.
Keyword : original, aimed, style, content
Keyword Location: paragraph 3, last line
Explanation: The translator must think about who will be reading the translated text, as shown in paragraph 3. Although the audience for the translation will be different from that for the original, there are sure to be some similarities. If the original text was written with a broad audience in mind, the translated text's reader is likely to belong to the same group and have similar expectations. But perhaps due to its style and content, the original was intended for a more specific and well-defined audience. It has specified who its readers are. This shows that the translator must consider the author's style as well as the text's content while translating a literary work. Therefore, the right answer is A.

Question 7 – 10

The writer mentions a number of Judgements that need to be made by the translator.

Which Four of the Judgements below are mentioned?
Write your answers ( A – H) in Boxes 7 – 10 on your answer sheet.

List of Judgements

Weighing up why a writer says what she says.
Determining the importance of poetry.
Making a decision as to how far to stick to the original.
Judging who the target audience of a translation will be.
Whether translating is best done from the mother tongue.
Deciding how many explanations, footnotes, and comments on vocabulary to include.
Deciding on which information to use from dictionaries.
Whether to oversimplify a text.

________

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: The style in which something is written often represents a large part of what the writer is trying to convey
Keyword : style, written, represents, writer, convey
Keyword Location: paragraph 5, line 6-7
Explanation: It is said in paragraph 5 that a lot of what a writer is trying to say can be conveyed by the way something is written. With a literary piece, like a poem or novel, this is very likely to be the case. What's crucial is how the author says it, not just what she's saying. These lines explain how a writer must carefully consider her arguments before expressing them. Therefore, the answer is A.

________

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: If the original text was aimed at a wide audience-…….. -then the reader of the translated text is likely to fall into the same category
Keyword : text, aimed, audience, translated
Keyword Location: paragraph 3
Explanation: The reader of the translated text is likely to fall into the same category as the original work's intended audience and have similar expectations. This had been stated in the third paragraph. But perhaps due to its style and content, the original was intended for a more specific and well-defined audience. It has specified who its readers are. These lines advise choosing how closely to adhere to the original. Therefore, the answer is C.

________

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: there might well be instances in which a text that is awkwardly written in the original could be made more accessible
Keyword : instances, translator, written, original, accessible
Keyword Location: paragraph 5, line 5-6
Explanation: The translator may be able to make a text that is difficult to understand in the original in some circumstances, as mentioned in the fifth paragraph. It comes down to judgement. These lines denote determining the translation's intended audience. The answer is hence D.

________

Answer: F
Supporting Sentence: Balancing the expectations of the potential readers with those of the writer is, in this way, part of the tightrope
Keyword : balance, expectation, tightrope
Keyword Location: paragraph 4, line 5-6
Explanation: According to the fourth paragraph, one of the challenges a translator faces is juggling the expectations of the writer with those of the intended audience. It will determine, for instance, how much annotation and footnote content is required in the translation. Aside from that, consider how technical terms and references that are culturally distinct are translated. The number of explanations, footnotes, and vocabulary comments to include is shown on these lines. The answer is therefore F.

Question 11 – 13

Answer the questions below using information from the passage.

You may use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in Boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.

Translation is a form of communication; what does it, in essence, transmit?

Answer: culture and truth
Supporting Sentence: it is ultimately a form of communication, concerned, as Peter Newmark says, with transmitting culture and truth
Keyword : communication, concerned, transmitting
Keyword Location: paragraph 1, line 5
Explanation: As per paragraph 1, translation is essentially a sort of communication that is concerned with passing along culture and truth, as Peter Newmark puts it. These lines suggest that translation is a type of communication. Truth and culture are essentially transmitted. So, culture and truth are the answers.

What do readers of a translation and readers of the original text often share?

Answer: certain characteristics/ the same expectations
Supporting Sentence: comprise a different group from the readers of the original- but they are likely to share certain characteristics
Keyword : different group, readers, original, characteristics
Keyword Location: paragraph 3
Explanation: As per paragraph 3, the audience for the translation will be distinct from that of the original. But it's conceivable that they have some traits in common. If the original material was written for a broad audience. Then, the reader of the translated text will most likely fall into the same category and have similar expectations. These lines imply that specific traits or elements of the translated text ought to correspond to the original. As a result, the answer is that they share some characteristics or expectations.

Which aspects of the translated text should reflect the original?

Answer: style and register
Supporting Sentence: The style and register of the translated text should, for reasons of integrity and coherence, mirror that of the original
Keyword : translated, reasons, coherence, mirror, original
Keyword Location: paragraph 5, line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph 5, the translation should follow the original's style and register for the sake of consistency and coherence. The text states in these lines that before attempting a translation, the translator must carefully consider the style and register. Style and register are the answers, thus.

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