Translating for progress (eBook)

In the last decade or so translation handbooks have increased their visibilityand today they are featuring prominently in publishers’ catalogues all overthe world. A basic Google search makes available dozens of titles, rangingfrom theoretical or methodological readers1, applied works on practical aspects of translating addressing more or less specialised areas and domains2,language-specific manuals adopting a contrastive approach with a didacticoutlook3, and volumes on professional translator training and translationpractice developed from a vocational perspective4.The present handbook belongs to the third category, although it does notappear to be entirely geared towards a contrastive approach: rather, it seemsto be more informed by a functionalist perspective, which will be discussedshortly. The text has been designed to be used as course book on a one-yeartranslation exam in a postgraduate curriculum offered at the Faculty ofModern Languages at Università Cattolica. Students enrolled in this coursedo not typically have any background knowledge in translation studies, apartfrom having being exposed to translation as a language-learning activity intheir previous academic career.