Translation in Practice

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Translation in Practice

Instructor: Yuan Yao

60,414 already enrolled

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6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

257 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

257 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Taught in English

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

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There are 6 modules in this course

This course offers you basic but valuable techniques used by a good translator in the translation between English and Chinese. We’ll discuss what is translation, what is good translation, and learn about how to produce good translations.

All the examples used in this course are taken from the course instructor's own translations of various genres and topics of writing. These examples are elaborated on to show you how to understand the idea, style and tone of the writer, the historical and cultural context of the writing, as well as the explicit and implied meanings of words, the grammatical structures of sentences, and the logic of sentences and paragraphs in order to achieve faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance in the translation. After completing this course, you will know what makes a qualified professional translator and acquire the abilities and skills that such a translator needs

This module discusses why translation matters, what is translation, and what is good translation. It also gives an overview of the content of the entire course.

What's included

3 videos3 discussion prompts

This module discusses the four-step process of translation. Each step is discussed in detail.

What's included

4 videos3 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

4 videosTotal 52 minutes

Four-Step Translation Process12 minutes
Gathering Background Information14 minutes
Deciding on the Word Meaning13 minutes
Looking for Appropriate Expressions14 minutes

3 peer reviewsTotal 160 minutes

The Process of Translation60 minutes
Deciding on the Word Meaning60 minutes
Expressing Word Meanings Appropriately40 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

The significance of gathering background information in translation10 minutes

This module discusses how to understand word meaning in the source language and how to express word meaning in the target language.

What's included

6 videos6 peer reviews

6 videosTotal 82 minutes

Identifying Specialized Vocabulary13 minutes
Analyzing Grammar and Logic13 minutes
Making Conversions13 minutes
Adding or Omitting Words, Phrases, Clauses15 minutes
Considering Connotations and Tones14 minutes
Being Flexible15 minutes

6 peer reviewsTotal 310 minutes

Identifying Specialized Vocabulary60 minutes
Analyzing Grammar and Logic40 minutes
Making Conversions60 minutes
Adding or Omitting Words, Phrases, Clauses60 minutes
Considering Connotations and Tones40 minutes
Flexibility in Expression50 minutes

This module discusses the techniques often used in the translation of sentences: keeping/changing the original word order and dividing/combining sentences.

What's included

4 videos4 peer reviews

This module discusses the awareness of cultural elements in the source language and the translation of these cultural elements.

What's included

3 videos3 discussion prompts

This module discusses the translation of different genres of writing, including scientific writings, legal documents, public speeches, and literary works.

What's included

4 videos2 peer reviews2 discussion prompts

4 videosTotal 61 minutes

Translating Scientific Writings14 minutes
Translating Legal Documents11 minutes
Translating Public Speeches21 minutes
Translating Literary Works15 minutes

2 peer reviewsTotal 120 minutes

Translation of Scientific Writings60 minutes
Legal Document Translation60 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 120 minutes

Public Speech Translation60 minutes
Literary Translation60 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(95 ratings)

Yuan Yao

Nanjing University

1 Course60,414 learners

Offered by

Nanjing University

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Showing 3 of 257

Reviewed on May 25, 2020

It would be great if the assignments are graded by professors.

Reviewed on Dec 5, 2023

The "Translation in Practice" course is well structured and has depth. I feel like I have been learning for a year at the University. I am a better Translator now. Thank you!

Reviewed on Jul 14, 2025

Excellent course, the only thing is that it is English and Chinese and I do not speak Chinese.

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