The Translator's Handbook

Book excerpt: This handbook introduces general principles of translation while focusing on translating French and Spanish into English within a conference setting. General principles are elucidated in an introduction, in a postlude entitled &"The Elements of Good Translation,&" and throughout the French and Spanish parts. Part I, Translating from French into English, is organized alphabetically to cover French words and phrases that cannot be translated literally (absence, abuser, adapt&é &à . . .), English locutions with connotations differing from those of their French counterparts (actually, analyze, as well as, also . . . and special problems (abstract nouns, ambiguity, archaisms). Part II, Translating from Spanish into English, has the same alphabetical organization, covering tricky Spanish terms (abordaje, acciones, actitudes. . .), problematic English translations (alternate, although, aspect . . .) and special problems (ambiguity, Anglicisms, dictionaries . . . ). Part II also has an entry under Portuguese, dispelling the assumption that facility in translating Spanish guarantees capability to handle Portuguese.