Abstract:

Translation is a complex activity. It is determined by various factors, and it consists of many phases. Introducing students to translation must be therefore a systematic process focused on the transfer of a text from the source (original) context into the target context in its complexity and it should emphasize the translator as a creative living part of it. Translation should not be understood by students as a simple strictly linguistic operation without any previous analysis.

The proposed paper deals with the act of interpretation as one of the most important parts of the translation process determining the whole understanding of the text as well as the decision-making process of the translator and the final product - the translation. Based on the author’s experience with translation training at the university, it also contains some of the basic types of mistakes related to the lack of interpretation that can be identified in student translations most frequently. As it appears that many students tend to underestimate the importance of the interpretation (or any analysis of the text), the paper aims to map the possible results of such attitude in real practice and present some notes on how to discuss these mistakes with the students from the teacher’s point of view.

Keywords:

Translation, interpretation, translator, translation training, translation errors.