Michał Kornacki, PhD

Course Description

Course contents

The aim of this course is to develop students' translation competence. Students gain an in-depth understanding of the specifics of translation and the methodology of translation services, approaching the work from the perspective of a translator, reviewer and post-editor. Students become familiar with good translation practices and learn to solve complex translation problems by applying appropriate techniques and procedures. To this end, students translate a variety of authentic texts and justify their translation choices. The class also covers the services provided in translation, i.e. proofreading, editing, formatting, preparing for print, language consultation, as well as translator–customer relations, translation marketing techniques, and the importance of proper source and target document formatting.

Languages of the course

The languages of the course (incl. written materials on the webpage) are English and Polish. Students are required to have native-like competence in at least one language, and very good command of the other.

Requirements:

• A T T E N D A N C E
• class contribution - participation in all in-class activities, incl. discussion on home and in-class assignments, teamwork, follow-up practice
• graded in-class assignments

Positive final grade

Pass grade is calculated on the basis all graded assignments during the semester (3-4), in-class activity and attendance.

Grading system used in my courses

The course uses a balanced grading system where all assessments carry equal weight. The final grade is calculated using the average of all scores earned throughout the semester (including any retakes), along with any additional grade modifiers outlined below.

Tests

Final Grade

Grade modifiers

Students may have up to 2 absences per semester without penalty. Any additional absences require a certified excuse. If you exceed the 2 absence limit without a certified excuse, each additional absence will reduce your final grade by 0.5 points. Additionally, any student who misses more than 50% of classes (even with excuses) will be required to repeat the semester.

Retakes

Retakes are available only at the end of the semester. Please note that all grades count toward your final average. For example, if you initially score a 2, then take a retake and score a 5, your average will be 3.5. It's in your best interest to prepare thoroughly for your first attempt.

General rules

A grace period of 10 minutes will be allowed for late arrivals. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, you will need to attend an alternative class session during the same week. Please note that this accommodation cannot become a regular practice.

No man's land

HOMEWORK

Read the source and target (translation) texts below. Think about the positive and negative aspects of the translated text. Be ready to discuss them next week.

TRANSLATION

Translate the following text into Polish. Please work individually - no machine translation or AI tools are permitted :) You may use online dictionaries and Internet resources to research terminology and context. Prepare for subsequent discussion.

So when Pinkerton set off with fellow researcher Noam Leshem of Durham University on a tour of No Man's Lands across Europe to North Africa their first stop was a field in Hertfordshire in southern England called Nomansland Common. It historically fell between two church parishes, which could not decide which of them should cover it. It became a hang-out for "brigands and cattle rustlers and highway men, and indeed highway women," says Pinkerton, beyond the reach of any authority.

When somebody died on the common in the 18th Century the two parishes saw an opportunity to extend their reach, and competed to take responsibility for the corpse. But the status of the land remained unresolved until 1899, when a new law brought it under public ownership.
    

HOMEWORK

Translate the following text into Polish. Please work individually - no machine translation or AI tools are permitted :) You may use online dictionaries and Internet resources to research terminology and context. Please have the translation with you (USB?) with you next week.

Source URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34319540

Leshem and Pinkerton's journey to other No Man's Lands is expected to last a month and is taking them through 19 countries.
"We use the term today - at least colloquially - to refer to anywhere from derelict inner city areas to spaces between borders, and even tax havens. It's not just confined to military history," says Pinkerton. "Our interest is to explore other aspects - from the ecology of these sites, to their relationships to the vulnerability of human individuals and communities."

Leshem regards the essence of No Man's Land as "a place where there has been an intentional withdrawal of state power and sovereignty".

"At the same time that space has been delineated - there is a very clear sense of what is in it, and what is considered to be outside of it.

"So you have these two forces - on the one hand this intentional pulling back, and at the same time this setting apart."

The researchers use the words "abandonment" and "enclosure" to encapsulate these ideas, and point out that they apply logically to areas left too poisoned for human habitation by weapons testing or mining, or weapons of war.
    

Post-editing principles

THEORY

Fundamental Post-Editing Principles

1. Understand the purpose

Post-editing can range from light to full editing depending on the intended use of the translation:

• Light post-editing focuses on correcting only major errors that affect comprehension, making the text understandable but not necessarily stylistically polished. This is suitable for internal documents or when quick turnaround is prioritized over quality.
• Full post-editing aims for publication-ready quality that reads as if originally written in the target language. This requires more time but produces professional results suitable for external publication.

Before beginning, always clarify with clients or supervisors which level of editing is expected to avoid spending unnecessary time or delivering insufficient quality.

2. Know your source and target languages deeply

Effective post-editing requires more than basic bilingual ability:

• Cultural references: Understand cultural allusions in both languages and how to appropriately adapt them
• Idioms and expressions: Recognize idioms in the source language and find natural equivalents rather than translating literally
• Current usage: Stay updated on evolving terminology, slang, and conventions in both languages
• Register variations: Be familiar with formal, informal, technical, and colloquial language modes in both languages

This deep linguistic knowledge allows you to identify subtleties that machine translation typically misses.

3. Identify the text type and domain

Different types of content require specialized approaches:

• Technical texts prioritize accuracy of terminology and clarity of instruction
• Legal documents demand precision and consistency with established legal language
• Marketing content requires creativity and cultural adaptation
• Academic texts focus on logical structure and accurate representation of complex ideas

Recognizing the domain helps you apply the appropriate standards and expectations during editing.

4. Document your changes

Systematic documentation improves your editing process:

• Keep track of recurring errors to identify patterns
• Create personal glossaries for challenging terminology
• Note problematic sentence structures that frequently need restructuring
• Share findings with translation teams to improve future translations
• Use change tracking when available to maintain transparency

This documentation becomes a valuable resource for improving your efficiency over time.

Post-Editing Workflow

1. Initial assessment

Begin with a complete read-through to:

• Gauge the overall quality of the translation
• Identify sections requiring significant revision
• Spot recurring issues that might need systematic correction
• Determine the level of effort required
• Plan your approach based on the type and severity of errors

This assessment helps you allocate time efficiently and tackle problems strategically.

2. Accuracy check

Compare source and target texts carefully to ensure:

• No content has been omitted
• No information has been added unnecessarily
• Names, numbers, dates, and facts are correctly transferred
• Ambiguities in the source text are appropriately handled
• Technical terms are correctly understood and translated

This step focuses on the informational accuracy of the translation.

3. Terminology verification

Ensure proper handling of specialized vocabulary by:

• Checking adherence to client glossaries or terminology databases
• Verifying industry-standard terminology
• Confirming consistent use of terms throughout the document
• Checking for false friends and common terminological errors
• Adapting terminology to the target audience when appropriate

Terminology errors can be particularly problematic in technical, medical, or legal translations.

4. Language quality

Focus on linguistic correctness including:

• Grammar and syntax errors
• Punctuation according to target language conventions
• Spelling and typos
• Word order and sentence structure naturalness
• Appropriate prepositions and articles
• Agreement in gender, number, and person

This step ensures the translation follows the rules of the target language.

5. Style and tone

Adjust the language to match appropriate conventions:

• Check that register (formal/informal) matches the source or brief requirements
• Ensure consistent tone throughout the document
• Adapt style to the text type (instructional, persuasive, informative)
• Check that language is appropriate for the intended audience
• Maintain brand voice if applicable
• Consider cultural appropriateness of expressions and examples

Style editing makes the difference between an accurate but awkward translation and one that reads naturally.

6. Final review

Read the edited text independently of the source to:

• Ensure it flows naturally in the target language
• Check for consistency in terminology and style
• Verify that the text makes sense on its own
• Catch any remaining errors or awkward phrasing
• Confirm the text fulfills its communicative purpose

This final quality check focuses on how the translation works as an independent text.

Machine Translation Post-Editing Specific Tips

1. Watch for typical MT errors

Machine translation has predictable weaknesses:

• Misunderstanding complex or ambiguous phrases
• Literal translations of idioms and metaphors
• Difficulty with long, complex sentences
• Problems with unusual sentence structures
• Misinterpretation of context-dependent meanings
• Inappropriate handling of cultural references

Recognizing these patterns helps you quickly spot issues that need correction.

2. Beware of source language influence

MT often creates translations that follow the structure of the source language too closely:

• Unnatural word order that mimics the source
• Sentence structures that don't work well in the target language
• Excessive use of passive voice when active is more natural in the target language
• Direct translation of prepositions that require different equivalents
• Calques (word-for-word translations) of idiomatic expressions

Restructuring sentences to follow target language patterns improves readability significantly.

3. Check for omissions and additions

MT can inconsistently handle content:

• Sometimes skipping words, phrases, or even sentences
• Occasionally duplicating content
• Adding filler words or phrases not in the original
• Omitting negations (which completely changes meaning)
• Dropping conditional elements

These errors can be subtle but critically affect meaning.

4. Verify numbers, dates, and units

Critical information often requires special attention:

• Check that all numbers are accurately transferred
• Verify date formats follow target language conventions
• Confirm units of measurement are appropriate (convert if necessary)
• Check currency symbols and formats
• Verify proper handling of decimal separators and thousands markers

These factual elements have zero tolerance for error.

5. Look for consistency issues

MT often translates the same term differently throughout a document:

• Check for variations in key terminology
• Verify consistent handling of proper names
• Look for inconsistent formatting of similar elements
• Check that repeated phrases are translated consistently
• Verify consistent handling of acronyms and abbreviations

Consistency creates a more professional, coherent final product.

Tools and Resources

1. CAT tools with QA features

Computer-Assisted Translation tools enhance efficiency:

• Quality assurance checks for consistency, spelling, and formatting
• Term recognition and suggestion features
• Translation memory to leverage previous translations
• AutoSuggest features that speed up editing
• Built-in glossary management
• Integrated QA features that catch common errors

Popular options include SDL Trados, memoQ, Wordfast, and Memsource.

2. Terminology databases and glossaries

Specialized vocabulary resources ensure accuracy:

• Client-specific terminology lists
• Industry-standard term bases (IATE for EU terminology, for example)
• Multilingual specialized dictionaries
• Custom glossaries for recurring projects
• Subject matter expert resources
• Collaborative terminology management systems

These resources help maintain consistency and accuracy in specialized fields.

3. Style guides

Reference materials that establish standards:

• Client style guides specifying preferences
• Publishing house style manuals
• Industry-specific style conventions
• Language-specific style and grammar guides
• Localization guidelines for specific markets
• Brand voice documentation

Following these guides ensures the translation meets expected conventions.

4. Parallel texts

Authentic target language examples provide invaluable reference:

• Original texts in the target language on similar topics
• Previously published translations considered exemplary
• Official bilingual documents in relevant fields
• Comparable texts from similar genres or domains
• Target language websites for reference on current usage
• Publications from authoritative sources in the target language

Test

GRADED

Translate the following fragment into Polish. Your goal is to make sure the text reads well in the target language.
Should you have any questions to the client, please ask them before you start working on the translation.
Make sure the formatting of the source is kept.

Save the translation as a DOCX file (Last name_graded1.docx) and upload it here: Upload folder link

Time limit: 1 hour

The Legend of What Actually Lived in the "No Man's Land" Between World War I's Trenches

Born of the horrors of trench warfare, a ghoulish tale of scavengers and scofflaws took hold 100 years ago

James Deutsch
September 8, 2014

No Man's Land could be the most terrifying of places. "Men drowning in shell-holes already filled with decaying flesh," wrote one scholar. No Man's Land by Lucien Jonas, 1927, Library of Congress

During World War I, No Man's Land was both an actual and a metaphorical space. It separated the front lines of the opposing armies and was perhaps the only location where enemy troops could meet without hostility. It was in No Man's Land that the spontaneous Christmas truce of December 1914 took place and where opposing troops might unofficially agree to safely remove their wounded comrades, or even sunbathe on the first days of spring.

But it could also be the most terrifying of places; one that held the greatest danger for combatants. "Men drowning in shell-holes already filled with decaying flesh, wounded men, beyond help from behind the wire, dying over a number of days, their cries audible, and often unbearable to those in the trenches; sappers buried alive beneath its surface," wrote scholar Fran Brearton in her 2000 history The Great War in Irish Poetry: W.B. Yeats to Michael Longley. No Man's Land, said poet Wilfred Owen, was "like the face of the moon, chaotic, crater-ridden, uninhabitable, awful, the abode of madness."

URL (reference only, not to be translated): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/legends-what-actually-lived-no-mans-land-between-world-war-i-trenches-180952513/

Stara gorzelnia

TRANSLATION

Archeolodzy odsłaniają historię miasta. Pod ziemią znaleziono ślady dawnej gorzelni. Zaniedbane miejsce zmieni swoje oblicze

Tomasz Chudzyński

Pozostałości XIX wiecznych budynków odkryto przy ul. 3 Maja w Nowym Dworze Gdańskim, na niezagospodarowanych działkach. W miejscu tym trwają prace archeologiczne. Są też plany, co do tego miejsca.

Historyczne odkrycie w Nowym Dworze Gdańskim

Ulica 3 Maja jest jedną z najstarszych w Nowym Dworze Gdańskim. Niegdyś nazywała się Schloßgrund. To przy tej uliczce powstały w XIX wieku zabudowania należące m.in. do rodziny Stobbe, zajmującej się produkcją słynnej jałowcówki Machandel.

Do czasów dzisiejszych przetrwał na miejscu murowany piętrowy spichlerz. Natomiast większość sporego kompleksu gorzelniczego, w tym kamienice mieszkalne, znajdujące się przy samej ulicy, do dzisiejszych czasów nie zachowała się w pierwotnej postaci.

Na terenie tym w czasach PRL funkcjonowała rozlewnia piwa i wody mineralnej, będąca najpierw częścią browaru elbląskiego, a następnie miejscowej Gminnej Spółdzielni Samopomoc Chłopska. Część obiektu zajmowała miejscowa OSP. W późniejszych latach pozostałości dawnej rozlewni zostały usunięte. Tereny zyskały nowych właścicieli.

Na tym terenie rozpocząć ma się niebawem budowa nowego obiektu. Jako, że teren ten objęty jest nadzorem konserwatora zabytków konieczne było przeprowadzenie prac archeologicznych. Te trwają.

Na razie pod warstwą gruntu odsłonięto fragmenty posadzek dawnych budynków, ceglane i kamienne ściany fundamentów, piwnice. Są też części metalowych zbiorników dawnych zakładów gorzelniczych.

Odkryto również trochę dawnych butelek i resztek dawnego wyposażenia.

Jak poinformował nas Paweł Bodziacki, właściciel działki, w miejscu tym powstać ma obiekt mieszkalno-usługowy, w stylu dawnych kamienic, które stały przy obecnej ulicy 3 Maja. Prace miałyby się rozpocząć w ciągu kilku najbliższych miesięcy.

Source URL: https://dziennikbaltycki.pl/archeolodzy-odslaniaja-historie-miasta-pod-ziemia-znaleziono-slady-dawnej-gorzelni-zaniedbane-miejsce-zmieni-swoje-oblicze/ar/c1p2-28888387

Don Alphonso

TRANSLATION

Translate the following fragment of soap opera into Polish.

Episode 1271 - "The Priest"

I do not have the actual show images nor the actual title, so, again, I generated this image to colour your life :)

[Don Alphonso opens the door]

DON ALPHONSO: - Maria! Who is this man?

MARIA: - What do you mean, my darling? He is not a man, he is Padre Roberto!

PADRE ROBERTO: - (smiling gently) - Good evening, Don Alphonso. I assure you, I come in peace.

DON ALPHONSO: - (narrowing his eyes) - Peace? Is that what you call it? A priest at my doorstep, unannounced?

MARIA: - (stepping forward) - Please, my love, let him speak. Padre Roberto has come to offer guidance, not to intrude.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (raising a hand) - I understand your concern, Don Alphonso. But I have come to discuss something of great importance.

DON ALPHONSO: - (crossing his arms) - Important? Or is it merely an excuse to steal away my beloved?

MARIA: - (frustrated) - Don't be ridiculous! Padre Roberto is like family to us.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (calmly) - Maria is right. I have watched over you both for years. But now, I must address the shadows that linger between you.

DON ALPHONSO: - (scoffing) - Shadows? What shadows? The only shadow I see is the one cast by your presence!

MARIA: - (pleading) - Alphonso, please! Let him speak. We cannot ignore the truth any longer.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (taking a step closer) - Love is a fragile thing, Don Alphonso. It requires nurturing, understanding, and sometimes, a little sacrifice.

DON ALPHONSO: - (softening slightly) - Sacrifice? What do you know of sacrifice, Padre? You live in a world of vows and solitude.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (with sincerity) - I know that love can be both a blessing and a burden. I have seen it tear families apart and bring them together.

MARIA: - (tears in her eyes) - I don't want to lose you, Alphonso. But we must confront what lies between us.

DON ALPHONSO: - (looking between them) - And what is that, Maria? What is it that you fear?

PADRE ROBERTO: - (gently) - The fear of losing each other, of not being enough. But love, true love, is about embracing those fears together.

DON ALPHONSO: - (sighing) - Perhaps you are right, Padre. But how do we begin to mend what is broken?

MARIA: - (reaching for his hand) - We start by being honest with ourselves and with each other.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (nodding) - And I will be here to guide you, as long as you are willing to listen.

DON ALPHONSO: - (looking into Maria's eyes) - Then let us listen, together.

[The tension in the room begins to dissolve as they all take a moment to breathe, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.]

PADRE ROBERTO: - (taking a deep breath) - There is something I must confess, something that has haunted me for years.

DON ALPHONSO: - (frowning) - What is it?

PADRE ROBERTO: - (voice trembling) - Alphonso, I am your father. I left your mother and you when I thought I could not be accepted for who I was. There was darkness in me, and I thought it was best for you both if I disappeared.

DON ALPHONSO: - (staggering back) - No... it can't be. My father? The man who abandoned us?

PADRE ROBERTO: - (tears in his eyes) - I was a coward. Your mother died of a broken heart after I left. I never wanted to hurt you, but I was too afraid to face the truth.

MARIA: - (shocked) - But... there is more, yes?

PADRE ROBERTO: - (nodding slowly) - Yes, Maria. You are my daughter. After I left, I went to Juarez, where I met a wonderful woman named Isabela. We had you, but guilt consumed me. I thought I could never be a good father, so I left again to become a friar.

DON ALPHONSO: - (voice rising) - You left us both? You abandoned your family for a life of solitude?

PADRE ROBERTO: - (pleading) - I thought it was for the best. I wanted to protect you from the shame I believed I would bring upon you. But I was wrong.

MARIA: - (whispering) - All this time... we were so close, and yet so far apart.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (with deep remorse) - I have watched over you both from afar, never knowing you were so close to each other. I heard the voice of God telling me it was time to reveal the truth, to bring our family back together.

DON ALPHONSO: - (voice breaking) - How can I trust you after all this? You shattered our lives!

PADRE ROBERTO: - (with tears streaming down his face) - I know I cannot undo the past, but I am here now. I want to make amends. I want to be the father I should have been.

MARIA: - (looking at Don Alphonso) - We have a choice, Alphonso. We can either let this tear us apart or we can try to heal together.

DON ALPHONSO: - (taking a deep breath) - But what about the truth? If anyone finds out that we are siblings, it would be a disaster.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (firmly) - You must face the truth, both of you. Love cannot thrive in shadows.

MARIA: - (desperate) - But we love each other, Padre! We cannot let anyone take that away from us.

DON ALPHONSO: - (looking at Maria, then back at Roberto) - We can't let you ruin this for us.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (shocked) - What are you suggesting?

MARIA: - (voice trembling) - We can't let you tell anyone. You have to understand, Padre.

DON ALPHONSO: - (growing more intense) - If you refuse to keep our secret, then you leave us no choice.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (realizing the gravity of the situation) - You cannot be serious. This is madness!

MARIA: - (with a steely resolve) - We will do what we must to protect our love.

DON ALPHONSO: - (nodding) - We have connections, Padre. We can make this happen.

PADRE ROBERTO: - (pleading) - You don't understand the consequences of your actions!

MARIA: - (interrupting) - No, you don't understand! We will not let you destroy us.

DON ALPHONSO: - (turning to Maria) - We need to act quickly.

MARIA: - (nervously) - Are you sure?

DON ALPHONSO: - (determined) - It's the only way. We can't let anyone find out.

[The tension in the room thickens as they exchange glances, the weight of their decision hanging heavily in the air.]

PADRE ROBERTO: - (voice shaking) - You are making a grave mistake.

DON ALPHONSO: - (coldly) - No, Padre. The mistake was yours when you chose to reveal the truth.

[Scene shifts to a dimly lit alley where Don Alphonso and Maria meet with the cartel members.]

CARTEL MEMBER: - (smirking) - So, you want us to take care of a priest? Why?

DON ALPHONSO: - (with a fierce intensity) - He's a threat to you. He's been telling your secrets to the police.

CARTEL MEMBER: - (nodding) - You sure? He's dead. We can make him disappear. No one will ever know.

[Scene shifts back to the house, where Padre Roberto is still in shock.]

PADRE ROBERTO: - (voice trembling) - You can't do this! I am your father!

MARIA: - (with tears in her eyes) - You made your choice, Padre. Now we must make ours.

[The scene fades out as the sound of footsteps approaches, and the screen goes dark, leaving the audience in suspense about the fate of Padre Roberto and the consequences of Alphonso and Maria's desperate decision.]

Theory — groupwork

GRADED ASSIGNMENT

Work as a group to prepare an outline of translation strategies, procedures, methods, techniques, and shifts. I envision this as a PDF in which each classification is briefly explained with examples—preferably your own—and the relevant authors are cited.
The core classifications are provided below. I have also enclosed a paper by Molina and Hurtado Albir, which may be of great value for this task.

- Translation Strategies (Chesterman, 1997)
- Translation Strategies (Venuti, 1995)
- Translation Procedures (Vinay & Darbelnet, 1958)
- Translation Methods (Newmark, 1988)
- Translation Techniques (Molina & Hurtado Albir, 2002)
- Translation Shifts (Catford, 1965)

Translation Techniques Revisited: A Dynamic and Functionalist Approach by Lucía Molina and Amparo Hurtado Albir

As a group, find your own team leader, designate tasks, and feel free to ask me questions if needed. Each person will receive the same grade based on the quality of the final document. Hopefully, this will be of great help when preparing for your MA exam next year.

Newmark — Methods of Translation (Szydłowska, Landos, Borkiewicz, Płoński)

Translation Techniques Revisited (Urbaniak, Szewczyk, Rymkiewicz)