Translating differences : a hybrid model for translation training

A hybrid method of translation was developed during a joint project that produced Chinese translations, published in 2009, of five Australian children's books. It is argued that all translation tasks fall somewhere along a continuum with domesticating and foreignising at either end according to text genre, the purpose in translating it, intended readership, etc., and each task requires different degrees of domesticating or foreignising on different levels of the text. The paper also discusses specific issues encountered during the translation process with a focus on foreignising. It compares some of the students' translations with the final, revised versions to demonstrate how cultural and linguistic differences were retained. It is clear from this that the hybrid translation model would enable students to approach translation tasks with greater flexibility and produce more appropriate translations.