Holistic Model of Technical Translator Competence (PACTE Group)
According to the Holistic Model of the PACTE Group (Hurtado, 2001), the translation competence is a system of knowledge, aptitudes and abilities, qualitatively different from bilingual competence, basically operational, and between which there are relationships, hierarchies and variations and which is structured in six sub competences:
1) Communicative competence in two languages
According to PACTE, translation competence consists of a number of six sub-competencies that are integrated and interrelated. The first sub-competence is the one related to the communicative competence in two-languages.
This sub-competence is associated with the knowledge and skills for communication. Also, it distinguishes four sub-competencies: grammatical, sociolinguistic, discursive, and strategic. The first one involves vocabulary, word and phrase formation, pronunciation, spelling, and semantics. The second shows the ability to produce and understand a language in sociolinguistic contexts, bearing in mind the purposes of communication and linguistic variation. On the other hand, the discursive sub-competence relates how to manage the grammatical forms of a language and their meanings to elaborate a text or an oral discourse in a coherent and cohesive way. Finally, the strategy refers to the ability to compensate for communication failures. In conclusion, the communicative competence is composed of a set of competences that a translator requires in order to establish clear and truthful communicative processes, and to solve problems of this type that may arise because the constituent elements of each language are different. This sub-competence allows translators to do their job more efficiently no matter how specific or specialized the vocabulary of the text to be translated is.
2) Extra-linguistic competence
When carrying out a specialized translation in addition to linguistic knowledge, the use of extralinguistic resources is essential. These include all knowledge about the world in general and particular areas. It is made up of bicultural knowledge (knowledge of the two cultures with which one works), encyclopedic knowledge (knowledge about the world in general) and thematic knowledge (knowledge of more specific areas).
Through the application of extralinguistic resources, the comprehension and re-expression phases are facilitated. Without them, the translator who only has good linguistic knowledge could find himself in the situation of having to deal with a text that is incomprehensible to him, which would lead to mistakes in the translation process, such as, for example, false sense.
This particular text consists of a scientific translation, it is essential to know about the subject, as well as the reader to whom the information is directed. In the context of the translation, several topics are discussed related to the treatment of biceps tendon tears, for this, the anatomy of the arm must be investigated in order to identify the structures. It also describes various surgical treatments and finally develops the topic of tissue engineering. Documentation is necessary to handle the basic concepts and thus achieve a reliable translation.
3) Transfer competence
In accordance with the holistic model of the PACTE Group, all translation subcompetences work together to construct the translation competence. Between these subcompetences there are: relationships, hierarchies, and variations. Thereby the most important hierarchy subcompetence is occupied by the transfer competence because it has the responsibility to integrate all the other five (communicative in two languages, extra-linguistic, instrumental and professional, psychophysiological and strategic).
In this sense, transfer competence is the ability of transferring from the original text to the elaboration of the final text, with the objective to re-express the text in the target language according to the purpose of the translation and the characteristics of the receiver.
As stated by Zainurrahman (2010), transfer competence is required most of the time while translating, than before or after the translation. Why is this? Because the translator may have to scan and study the original text to obtain the type, purpose, function, and recipient of the text before it starts the translation.
In addition, the translator is demanded to have sufficient linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge, especially the necessary for the text context that is being translated. For example, if it is a medical text, the translator must be familiar with the specialized terminology.
“It seems like transfer competence will be assumed as the highest competence demanded for all translators in this world”, Zainurrahman. Remember that translators must transfer words, grammatical and semantic aspects of language, but also mental images implied in the text, to create a precise, fluent final text.
4) Instrumental and professional competence
This competence encompasses knowledge and skills related to the practice of professional translation, including expertise on knowledge and use of documentation sources of all kinds (glossaries, dictionaries, specialized journals, texts, databases, thesaurus, parallel texts, corpus, translation memories and terminology managers, etc.), knowledge and use of new technologies, and the most useful computer applications adapted to the type of translation orders.
The translator, as user, processor and producer of information must be qualified and trained in documentary competence. Therefore, it must point towards an expert competence in search tasks, determination of needs, use of strategies to obtain and use documentation, as well as in the tasks of discrimination and evaluation of the same, for decision-making.
We cannot leave out of the characterization of this subcompetence, that the use of ICT (Information and Communication) tools constitutes the principle of assisted translation, contributing to the optimization of the translator's and terminologists work, automating the most repetitive aspects, and allowing them focusing on the tasks of the translation processing of texts There is no doubt that ICTs have greatly modified the modus operandi of IT (Interpretation and Translation) professionals, and have become a sine qua non requirement for translating the new multimedia formats, while significantly increasing the productivity of the translator, constituting an added value for its curriculum.
On the other side, the professional component of this sub competence, addresses aspects such as the knowledge of the labor market and professional practice management, about aspects like prices and types of reports, budgets and tax obligations, among others.
5) Psychophysiological competence
As already mentioned, the PACTE group proposes a holistic model to explain the functioning of the translation competence and how to acquire it to carry out written translations. According to PACTE, translation competence consists of a number of six sub-competencies that work in an integrated manner.
One of these six sub-competencies is psychophysiological, which has to do with the development and application of different resources and abilities such as memory, reflexes, creativity and logical thinking, among others.
The work carried out by the translator demands not only the knowledge of the languages involved. It is also imperative that said professional manages resources such as memory (to achieve a result in compliance with the demands of the language and the translation project), but also the creative capacity to solve translation problems. In this sense, the translator must apply logical thinking to guarantee that the translation will be accurate to the characteristics of the source text. That is why this sub-competence is of paramount importance.
Obviously, during the translation process of the source text, it was necessary to apply the skills related to psychophysiological sub competence. In this sense, it was not only necessary to respect the conventions of the language and the target audience, but also to use the skills of memory, creativity and, above all, logical thinking to achieve coherence and cohesion of the text.
6) Strategic competence
It is understood as the individual procedures used to solve the problems regularly found in the development of the translation process. And by containing all the individual procedures, it includes conscious and unconscious, verbal or non-verbal procedures used in the resolution of translation problems.
Within the holistic model of PACTE Group, and in terms of the interaction with the other sub competencies, the strategic one occupies a central place, by observing, regulating, compensating and correcting deficiencies in the rest of the sub competencies, and in general, by assisting in solving problems, as well as in the decision-making process of the translator.
Specialized translation demands an intensive use of strategic sub competence, which in fact is, in terms of interrelacion, the most important sub competence of the holistic model. It allows us to correct mistakes and solve problems that arise, in order to provide meaning to the target text without losing the meaning in the source language. This expertise is highly valued in the thematic field of life sciences, due to the high responsibility that specialized translations entail,. In them, any error of meaning or omission, endangers the physical integrity and the very life of the patients to whom the result of the translation might be used or applied.
References
Basich, K., Cortés, J. y Figueroa I. (2012): “Competencia Traductora vs. Subcompetencia tecnológica: El caso Facultad de Idiomas Mexicali “. Memorias del XIII Encuentro Nacional de Estudios en Lenguas. Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. P. 4-7
http://www.usfx.bo/nueva/vicerrectorado/citas/SOCIALES_8/Idiomas/KEB%20Peralta.pdf
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GRUPO PACTE (Hurtado, 2001): La competencia traductora y su adquisición. Quaderns. Revist de Traduccio, 6 2001. p 39-45.
Valdenebro, J. (2019). La importancia de la subcompetencia extralingüística en el análisis (FR-ES) de expresiones marcadas culturalmente. Estudio de las expresiones de las películas L’auberge espagnol y Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu ? Entreculturas, 10, 199–217.
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Márquez, D. (2013). Las once competencias del traductor: el perfil ideal en servicios de traducción. Comunicación, Cultura Y Política, (4), 53-68. Recuperado a partir de https://journal.universidadean.edu.co/index.php/revistai/article/view/659
Zainurrahman. (2010). Five Translation Competencies. Zainurrahman’s Personal Journal. Available online at: https://zainurrahmans.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/five-translation-competencies/
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