11. JOURNALISTIC AND TOURISM TEXTS
26.10.2015
Wielcy wygrani, wielcy prze
Minoranza PD: “Il governo aiuta l’evasione Padoan chiarisca su l’agenzia delle entrate”
Működik az állami pénzmosoda
辺野古の地域振興費を直接交付へ 政府、周辺住民に伝達
Russian air strikes in Syria target Assad foes, not Islamic State
‫اتهام باشا في وفاة بكاريان سنطرال‬
NEWSPAPERS
We have to distinguish between news reports (giving information, in
theory only facts) and editorials and comments (the journalist’s opinion or
the opinion of the owner of the newspaper).
[editor = direttore editore = publisher/owner]
In most anglophone countries there is a distinction between quality
newspapers and tabloids.
Quality newspapers: clear and fairly formal English. Sober style.
Tabloids: idiomatic English, slang, puns, vulgarity. Sensational style.
ONLINE NEWSPAPERS
Mostly follow the linguistic conventions of traditional newpapers.
Innovations are related to technology: film clips, frequent updating of the
site, opportunity for readers to add their comments.
TV NEWS
No equivalent of tabloids.
Mostly news reports. In theory, opinion should be restricted to talk shows.
However, some opinion may “contaminate” the supposed impartiality of
the reporting (you may remember Emilio Fede).
TV journalists often become “stars” in a way that print journalists normally
do not.
The Tabloids and Word Games
1992 was a bad year for the British monarch Queen Elizabeth II. In that year her
son, Prince Charles, and her daughter-in-law, Lady Diana, separated; her daughter,
Anne, got divorced; and Windsor Castle was badly damaged by a fire. In her
televised Christmas message to the people she described 1992 as an “annus
horribilis”.
The Sun tabloid reported the event with the headline: “The Queen says it’s been a
bum year”. The pun involves both Latin and English.
Annus and anus (Erasmus students: be careful with the Italian anno and ano!)
Bum: 1. adjective: bad
2. noun: informal word for anus (Italian: culo)
From a quality newspaper (The Guardian) 26.10.2015
Poland lurches to right with election of Law and
Justice Party
Exit poll points to Beata Szydło becoming the country’s next prime
minister as ruling party concedes defeat
Poland has consolidated its rightwing shift after exit polls showed voters had handed an
absolute majority in its parliamentary election to Law and Justice, a Eurosceptic party that
is against immigration, wants family-focused welfare spending and has threatened to ban
abortion and in-vitro fertilisation.
The current ruling party, Civic Platform, conceded defeat following the first exit poll,
published by Ipsos moments after polling stations closed at 9pm (8pm GMT) on Sunday,
which gave the national conservative Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice party)
39.1% of the vote, putting it far ahead of Civic Platform on 23.4%. On Monday morning,
the latest Ipsos poll gave the Law and Justice party 37.7% and Civic Platform 23.6%.
The organization of a newspaper article: headline
lead
article
Readers of newpapers often do not read the complete article. They want to get
the essential information in condensed form in the first few lines. In the article
about the Polish election:
Headline: we are immediately told who has won and where that party stands on
the political spectrum. If you are busy, you can stop reading if you like.
Lead: we discover that we’re talking about exit polls rather than official results
and we learn the identity of the next prime minister. Under the lead there is a
photo, so British readers who know nothing about Polish politics can see that
Beata Szydło is a woman.
First paragraph: information about the policies of the Law and Justice Party
and the fact that it will have an absolute majority. We have all the information we
need.
The next 19 paragraphs: for people who want full details, mostly Poles living
in Britain.
Il Fatto Quotidiano 26.10.2015
Tetto contante, Franceschini incolpa Alfano: “Ha vinto lui”.
Minoranza Pd: “Nel governo c’è chi favorisce evasione”
Il ministro della Cultura: "Io ero contrario, mi sono adeguato alla
maggioranza". Ma punta il dito contro l'esponente Ncd. Altro fronte
aperto nel governo: il sottosegretario Zanetti invita il direttore
dell'Agenzia delle entrate a dimettersi. Il bersaniano Speranza:
"Inaccettabile, segnale preoccupante". L'esecutivo: "Soglia denaro a
3mila euro per soddisfacimento bisogni di stretto consumo". L'appello di
Libera: "Facilita solo gli affari sporchi”
“Con Alfano abbiamo discusso più volte, questa volta ha vinto lui”. Così il ministro
della Cultura Dario Franceschini, in un’intervista a Radio 24, butta la palla nell’altro
campo della maggioranza, quello di Ncd, sulla responsabilità della decisione di
alzare il tetto dell’uso dei contanti a 3mila euro, dai mille attuale.
Linguistic characteristics of headlines and leads
Information density. Strings of content words; omission of function words (e.g.
articles and copular verbs)
Especially in English, words replaced by shorter synomyms (wed for married,
foe for enemy etc.)
Especially in Italian, direct speech in quotation marks. “However, it is often far
from clear whether the quote is genuine or not: very often the writer simply
interprets the participant’s words or feelings.” (Taylor p. 139)
The same story told by two tabloids
Drone footage shows thousands of refugees crossing
farmland in search of a better life
The aerial images captured the refugees as they moved out of
Croatia and across the border into Slovenia
Incredible drone footage shows the moment thousands of refugees trek across
sprawling farmland as they attempt to cross the border from Croatia over to
Slovenia.
The clip shows thousands of people journeying from one refugee camp to
another near the Slovenian border settlement of Rigonce.
(The Daily Mirror 26.10.2015)
Great Migrant March to the West: Shock pics of
THOUSANDS heading our way as EU nears brink
MARCHING in an almost perfect single column, tens of thousands
of migrants weave through fields as they edge their way through
Europe in bitterly cold conditions.
The incredible movement was filmed high from the sky as an unprecedented
number of refugees crossed through Rigonce in Slovenia, as the country's prime
minister warned the crisis could destroy the European Union.
Mahmoud Awad, a UNHCR field protection officer, said about 1,000 people
passed through the Serbian border town of Berkasovo and into Croatia
overnight.
(The Daily Express 26.10.2015)
The headline-lead-article structure applies to newpapers, both
traditional and online. How is a TV news bulletin structured?
Tourism texts
Often described as the "Little Paris of Middle Europe", Budapest is famous not only
for the monuments reflecting its own 1,000-year-old culture, but also for the relics
of others who settled here. Remains from both Roman occupation and much later
ruled by the Turks can still be seen in the city. After the Ottoman Empire the union
with Austria has a particular influence on the city's form and style.
The capital has two sides, Buda and Pest, stretching along the banks of the Danube,
representing two different characters of the city.
Suburban Buda and its historic castle district offer medieval streets and houses,
museums, caves and Roman ruins. The dynamic Pest side boasts the largest
parliament building in Europe, riverside promenades, flea markets, bookstores,
antique stores and café houses.
Budapest has a lot to offer. Museums and galleries, churches and synagogues,
palaces and historic buildings, baths and pools are presented together with the
influence of Secession in the city.
There is an unmistakable feeling that something out of the ordinary is just around
the corner, but what it will be is up to you to find out…
http://visit-hungary.com/budapest
Once you’ve travelled around Poland, you realize this: Warsaw is different. Rather
than being centred on an old market square, the capital is spread across a broad area
with diverse architecture: restored Gothic, communist concrete, modern glass and
steel.
This jumble is a sign of the city’s tumultuous past. Warsaw has suffered the worst
history could throw at it, including virtual destruction at the end of World War II –
and survived. As a result, it’s a fascinating collection of neighbourhoods and
landmarks. Excellent museums interpret its complex story, from the joys of
Chopin’s music to the tragedy of the Jewish ghetto.
It’s not all about the past, however. Warsaw’s restaurant and entertainment scene is
the best in Poland. You can dine well and affordably here on cuisines from around
the world, and take your choice of lively bars and clubs. This gritty city knows how
to have fun.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/poland/warsaw
Sardegna, non solo mare
L'isola offre numerosissime insenature, altipiani, boschi e una tale varietà di formazioni
rocciose paragonabili a quelle presenti nel Verdon in Francia e nel Parco Nazionale
dell'Ordesa in Spagna: località predilette dagli amanti delle vacanze attive.
Fare alpinismo, arrampicare e camminare lungo i numerosissimi sentieri presenti nell'isola,
addentrandosi tra scenari unici e incantevoli, possono diventare semplici pretesti e buoni
motivi per scoprire luoghi meno visitati e proprio per questo ancora custodi di una forte
identità locale che si riflette tra le pieghe dello stesso paesaggio montano, ancora integro,
misterioso e ricco di peculiarità ambientali e di biodiversità uniche in Europa.
Sardinia, so much more than a seaside holiday
Thanks to its mild climate almost all year round, plus a stunning array of scenery set against a
rich natural background, Sardinia has become, over the past few years, the ideal venue for
lovers of the outdoors and such sporting activities as on-road cycling, Nordic walking, free
climbing, trekking, canyoning, paragliding, mountain biking, canoeing, horse riding, sailing
and diving.
The island offers visitors a large number of bays and inlets, upland plains, woods and forests,
alongside a formidable choice of rock formations comparable to those in the Verdon in France
or the Ordesa National Park in Spain, both popular destinations for those on the lookout for an
active vacation.
http://www.sardegnaturismo.it/en/article/sardinia-so-much-more-seaside-holiday
The characteristics of tourism texts
Lists of all kinds: monuments and places to visit, architectural styles, historical
periods, activities to try, restaurants and cafés etc.
Comparisons with other places: the "Little Paris of Middle Europe", comparable to
those in the Verdon in France or the Ordesa National Park in Spain, Warsaw is
different.
Highly expressive adjectives: a stunning array of scenery, the city’s tumultuous
past, a fascinating collection of neighbourhoods, this gritty city. Nothing is simply
“good” or “nice”.
Direct appeals to the reader, addressed as “you”: There is an unmistakable feeling
that something out of the ordinary is just around the corner, but what it will be is
up to you to find out…
Implications for the translator
We have seen that with legal and commercial texts much of the language is
formulaic, so the translator has no opportunity to be expressive or creative. He or
she has a lot of technical terminology to learn, but having done so translation
becomes relatively straightforward. Exactly the same expressions will be used in
many target texts.
In journalistic texts it is essential not to distort the facts stated in the source text
(even if we suspect that those “facts” have already been distorted). There is nothing
formulaic, however, so the translator can choose between synonyms and near
synonyms. In the Daily Express article, “marching in an almost perfect single
column” could be translated in a way that eliminates the military connotations.
Tourism articles give the translator more scope to be expressive, even creative.
“This jumble is a sign of the city’s tumultuous past” contains two words that will
force the translator to consider various options.
Next we will look at two text types that actually oblige the translator to be creative:
advertising texts and literary texts.
FALSE FRIENDS 11
What are the problems with commedia and comodità?
Complexion. This word refers to the colour of someone’s skin, e.g. Scandinavian people
usually have a fair complexion, so they have to use protective cream when they sunbathe in
Sardinia. The Italian translation is carnagione. The Italian word complessione translates as
constitution.
Comprehensive. This means complete and covering all aspects. In Italian esauriente, e.g. a
comprehensive bibliography lists practically every text that has ever been written about a
particular subject. The Italian word comprensivo translates as understanding or sympathetic,
e.g. That teacher is very understanding with pupils who have difficult family backgrounds.
THE DIARY OF A BRAVE TRANSLATOR VERILY IN LEG – PART 11
My uncle came to our house yesterday. It was a real surprise because he hardly ever
visits us. In fact we only see him every death of a pope. Then he surprised us some
more when he asked about our financial position and said that if we ever needed a
little help we only had to call him. This was incredible because all his life he has been
really attached to the money. Then he announced that he’s going to get married again.
At 88! Then it was all clear: he’s beginning to give the numbers.
Once in a blue moon
Stingy, mean, tight, tight-fisted
Lose one’s marbles, lose one’s mind, go a bit gaga, go senile