1. Summary Translation Sep, 2016
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University
The Faculty of Languages
Summary Translation
Sep, 2016

2. The Outline: Definition of Summary Translation
Characteristics of Summary Translation
Characteristics of a Good Summary
The Process of Producing a Summary Translation
How to Write a Good Summary
Why and When is a Summary Translation Needed?
How Long a Summary Translation is?
Challenges in Summary Translation
Assessment of Summary Translation

3. 1. Definition of Summary Translation:
Summary translation is a condensed or shortened version of a ST content.
It provides a gist or a synopsis of the ST.
It presents only the main or key points.
It leaves out the details and supporting ideas.
It is often in response to an information request.
It helps the reader to have an overview of the ST content and conclusions.

4. 1. Definition of Summary Translation:
A summary could be generic (general) or targeted (written in response to certain needs).
Customers could be looking for information about a specific topic or answers to specific questions, rather than attempting to summarize all of the main points of ST.

5. 1. Definition of Summary Translation:
Summary Translation has other names such as:
Gist translation and gisting
Précis translation
Extractive translation.

6. 2. Characteristics of Summary Translation:
It’s an intellectual process that involves various skills: reading, analysis, evaluation, information reduction, reformulation of ideas, summarizing, writing, translating.
It’s not a word-for word translation.
It presents only the key points of the whole text or only a part of it, depending on the translation brief.
It’s cost- and time-effective.
It’s always much shorter than the original.

7. 2. Characteristics of Summary Translation:
However, different organizations and employers have different expectations and requirements from translators. Therefore, if you ever undertake a summary translation task, make sure that you have a clear idea about the expectations of whoever requests the translation. Ask for a written list of instructions or requirements in terms of: (style, length, degree of details, level of complexity, deadline for submission, what to focus on, etc.)

8. 3. Characteristics of a Good Summary:
Accurate and faithful to the ST
Short and concise
Free from repeated ideas and minor details
Coherent and cohesive
Unplagiarized

9. 3. Characteristics of a Good Summary:
Gives a clear idea of the ST.
Objective
Begin with the main idea of the original text
Balanced in terms of paragraph length

10. 3. Characteristics of a Good Summary:
To minimize subjectivity in evaluating summary translation, ask specific questions:
What are the key words that should be there in the summary?
What cohesive devices did the author use to connect his sentences and make the paragraph coherent?
What are the major parts of the text about?
Give an example of an irrelevant information based on the translation brief.
Give an example of a relevant, but minor, piece of information that should not be included in the summary.

11. 4. The Process of Producing a Summary Translation:ST
reading and exploring
comprehending and analyzing
identifying main and subordinate ideas
extracting main ideas only
Summary
reformulating the summary TT
translating the summary

12. 5. How to Write a Good Summary:
Read the text and try to identify the main and subordinate points.
Use any technique that can help you separate the main points from subordinate ones.
Find key words; make a list of gist words, try to find synonyms for these words to help you write the summary in your own words.
Start the summary by writing the writer’s name, the text title, and a sentence telling what the whole text is all about.

13. 5. How to Write a Good Summary:
Give a statement about the purpose of the text (why is this text written).
Find the thesis statement (what the author is saying about the topic, and it could be in the introduction or in the conclusion.
Do the same with each paragraph: find the thesis statement, and the key supporting points. Eliminate the minor details (examples, rhetorical questions, ).
Eliminate any repetitions, lists, examples and detailed descriptions

14. 5. How to Write a Good Summary:
Make sure the ideas are logically connected (cohesion and coherence, relationships between sentences)
Do not include your opinion.
Revise your summary.
Translate your summary
Revise your translation.

15. 6. Why and When is a Summary Translation Needed?
When a full translation is not needed
When it is cost effective
When the turnaround time is very tight
To find out if a full translation is needed
To determine whether ST has useful information
To have a rough idea about the content of a document
Summaries are also important in academic research, in conferences and symposia

16. 7. How Long a Summary Translation is?
This depends on the purpose of the translation and the requirements or instructions (the translation brief) given by whoever requested the summary translation.
Generally, a summary can be as short as a few sentences or longer, depending on the complexity of the text and the level of detail you are required to provide.

17. 8. Challenges in Summary Translation:
When a text has a high density of information
When a text is highly technical
When a text is inference based
When a text has intentional deception
When the meaning is beyond the literal

18. 9. Assessment of Summary Translation:
Assessment should focus on the two main skill involved in summary translation:
summarizing and translation the summary.

19. 9. Assessment of Summary Translation: e.g.
5 marks
Translation
Content accuracy 1
1.5
Including only the main ideas
Language accuracy
0.5
Rephrasing
Cohesion and coherence 3
Organization

20. Some useful links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGWO1ldEhtQ

21. Thank You