Applying an Empirical Approach to the Search for Equivalents in Translating Administrative Terms Used in Civil Status Records

Abstract

Equivalence is a central concept in translation theory, but it is also a controversial one. According to Catford 1965; Nida and Taber 1969; Toury 1980; Pym 1992, 1995, 2004; and Koller 1995, translation is defined in terms of equivalence relations. While some authors develop a theoretical notion of equivalence, others have an empirical approach. Indeed, Toury (1980) identified an empirical use of the term: equivalence could be a descriptive term, denoting concrete objects in two languages and subject to direct observation. This paper adopts Toury’s conception of equivalence. It aims to discuss how equivalence is achieved in translation. To this end, administrative terms found in civil status records are used as examples to show how the search for equivalence is carried out in a real-life situation. Even though administrative divisions’ names may appear normal on birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, etc., searching for their equivalents in translation may pose problems. One of the difficulties is that administrative divisions differ from country to country. Examples cited in this paper consist of administrative terms used in Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal. This research takes an empirical approach. Indeed, the search for equivalents in the target language (i.e. English or French) is based on real-life experience and observable data. The findings reveal that source language and target language items rarely have ‘the same meaning’ in the linguistic sense; but can function in the same situation. The contextual meaning of a term is more important in this discussion than the linguistic sense. Equivalence is not only a theoretical notion but also an empirical concept.