Salesian Translators Handbook_2019


Salesian Translators Handbook_2019



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SALESIAN TRANSLATORS
HANDBOOK

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ii
This book has been published under the auspices of the
East Asia-Oceania Region.
Authors: The authors of this book, too many to name individu-
ally, are the more than thirty Salesian Family Translators
from the East Asia-Oceania Region.
Publishers: DB Media, Seoul.
Cover artwork: Fr Jerome April Quinto SDB, Philippines
North Province.
September 2019.

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Contents
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Foreword
CONTENTS
Five years ago, when a group of translators from the Salesian
Congregation’s East Asia-Oceania Region met at K’Long in
Vietnam, I recall telling them how happy I was about initia-
tives like these, and that they are the fruit of a profound and
rich vision.
Those Salesian men and women planted a seed. Or perhaps,
because so other men and women have dedicated their lives to
translation of our Salesian teaching and documentation since the
beginning of our Congregation, I should say that they gave the
already existing seed an important boost of slow-release fertiliser
that has now produced a remarkable fruit, this first edition of a
Salesian Translators Handbook!
I also said, five years ago, that I would like to help Provincials
to appreciate, value and strengthen this delicate and sometimes
difficult ministry by encouraging the formation of young con-
freres in the translation field, making strides in the direction of
interculturalism in formation. But of course, it is one thing to
encourage this laudable approach and quite another to describe
the practical ways that this might be taken up and put into
practice.
So, you can imagine how happy I am that a subsequent meet-
ing of East Asia-Oceania translators from the Salesian Family,
meeting at Anisakan in Myanmar this time, saw fit to take up
the ‘vision’ and translate it (yes, literally!) into a tool that will
help our Provinces and their leaders, not only in the EAO Re-

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FOREWORD
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gion but in the other six SDB regions too, as a reference point.
Of particular note is the brief section on the spirituality and
formation of the Salesian translator. We can have all the tools,
all the techniques available to us, but they need to be informed
by the same principles that have made Don Bosco’s charism a
gift of the Spirit for the Church and for society worldwide. This
Handbook can be a real instrument of formation, and I thank
the authors for the lengthy process, involving much consultation,
that has led to its production.
Translation is important, as it has been for the Church over
two millennia, and for our Congregation in just a century and
a half. It is important for society as a whole, especially in a
globalised world such as ours: the United Nations, since 2017,
has adopted the Feast of St Jerome, Patron Saint of translators,
as ‘International Translators Day’. It is encouraging to see that
it has been deemed so important by our Salesian translators
that they have felt the need to spell out their ministry through
this Handbook in an effort to encourage others to take up the
task.
I commend this Handbook not only to translators in the Salesian
Congregation, whoever and wherever they may be, but to our
Salesian Family in general, its leaders and its members.
Fr Ángel Fernández Artime,
Rector Major.

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CONTENTS

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Chapter 1
Introduction
“Translation, properly understood, is a special
case of the arc of communication… [and] inside or
between languages, human communication equals
translation” — George Steiner, After Babel: Aspects
of Language and Translation (Oxford University
Press, 1975)
Why this handbook?
From the very birth of the Salesian Congregation, the theme
of translation in our life and mission has been a crucial element
1

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
for the growth of our charism throughout Italy, Europe, the first
missions in Latin America and until the present. Our Founder,
Don Bosco, had Piedmontese as his native tongue but he also
spoke Italian, and he tells us in the Memoirs of the Oratory
that in his secondary school classical studies he had already
mastered the basic elements of Greek and had worked his way
‘through the first translations.’ He then goes as far as to claim
that he ‘translated almost the whole New Testament, the first
two books of Homer and a selection of the Odes of Pindar and
Anacreon.’ He could translate Greek as well as he could Latin
and also ‘studied French and the principles of Hebrew’ (all this
in Chapter 24 of MO). Don Bosco also confronted the need for
translation as his work expanded beyond Italy, often requiring
assistance from native speakers,.
We are now a worldwide Congregation spread throughout the
majority of countries on this planet, with many languages in
use in daily community, pastoral and educative life by Salesians
and Salesian Family members. If we include the young and
ordinary folk associated with the Salesian mission, the number
of languages increases exponentially.
There have been two Workshops held by translators in the East
Asia-Oceania Region, one in 2014 and a more recent one in
2019. Both have been strongly supported by the Rector Major,
Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, saying of translation that ‘it has
been a strongly felt need, and for quite some time, throughout
the Congregation, at the level of the General Administration, in
the Regions and also in each of the Provinces… if there should
ever be a lack of translators, it will be very difficult to commu-

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TRANSLATION – MISSION AND MINISTRY
3
nicate and pass on the charism, animation and government of
the Congregation’ (2014). He reinforced these ideas in a video
message supporting the 2019 Workshop, adding that ‘it really
means having a vision.’
It became clear to the EAO translators from the Salesian Family,
as they met on both occasions, that there was indeed a need for
a ‘vision’ and that this might best be set out in a practical way
by means of a Salesian translators handbook. Hence the item
you are now reading. It is not a vision that has been suddenly
‘invented’ at a meeting, however. It has been a discernment
process which began prior to the 2014 Workshop and has been
marked, in particular, by some forty or more interviews, a nar-
rative listening process that has proven its value. A part of one
of these interviews is included in this handbook.
Translation – mission and ministry
Two prominent religious figures in today’s world have promoted
the idea that translation is a divine mission. The view taken by
both Lammin Sanneh (born a Gambian Muslim, later became
a Catholic and was Professor of Missions, World Christianity
and History at Yale Divinity Schoo), and Andrew Walls OBE
(Scotland), is that the Incarnation was an act of translation,
Christianity is a translated religion and has been a force for
translation throughout history – most languages have grammars
and dictionaries because of the work of Christian missionaries.

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
Anybody who knows anything about Salesian missions and mis-
sionaries around the world over 140 or more years, knows that
despite being ‘Johnny-come-latelies’ in the history of Christian
missions, this contribution to languages and cultures has been
notable. Think North-East Indian hill tribes, the Shuar of
Ecuador, the Achuar of Peru, the Xavante in Brazil, just for
starters.
Thus, translators be proud! Yours is a metaphor for mission, a
ministry.
Taking a professional approach
Translation is also a professional activity in terms of the degree
of competence, knowledge, experience it requires, as well as its
need to adhere to professional standards. Almost any text which
translates the Salesian charism today is an ‘open’ text and likely
to appear in digital form. This simply reinforces the fact that
our translations must adhere to standards.
Every year, translators of all faiths celebrate International
Translators Day on 30 September. It happens to also be the
Memorial of St Jerome, Patron Saint of translators. There-
fore it is fitting to promote the celebration of International
Translators Day in our respective communities, as a way of
raising awareness of the importance of translation for the
Salesian mission. Salesians also have potential holy patrons
such as Fr Luigi Bolla, an Italian Salesian who lived among the

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TAKING A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
5
Shuar people in both Peru and Ecuador for decades, and who
translated the Scriptures into their language; Simão Bororo, a
Bororo Indian, who interpreted for German Salesian missionary
Fr Rodolfo Lukenbein. Both these latter men were killed
protecting native lands. In all three cases, their cause for
canonisation has been introduced, Bolla as a Confessor of the
Faith, Bororo and Lukenbein as Martyrs for the Faith. We can
invoke their assistance as Salesian translator patrons for the
graces needed in our translation mission.
Translation is essential to the Congregation’s current apostolic
thrust, as the former Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, said in
his letter on inculturation of the Salesian charism (AGC 411),
quoting Pope St John Paul II:
There is no salvation without incarnation, nor is
there incarnation without inculturation. Affirming,
therefore, that ‘the natural missionary role of the
Church means essentially bearing witness to the fact
that the task of inculturation, as the total spread-
ing of the Gospel and its subsequent translation in
thought and life still continues today and constitutes
the heart, the means and the scope of the new evan-
gelisation.’
At a practical level there is simply no doubt: key texts of the
Salesian charism, as represented in SDB, FMA or 30 or so other
Salesian Family Group documentation, the major websites of
the Congregation and the Salesian Family, international meet-
ings of the Salesian Family, have all required translation and

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
interpretation services, and the need for these services is in-
creasing. They also run the risk of being haphazard, stressful,
and based on emergency rather than good planning.
Because of the focus on missionary activity in the Congregation,
there are certain Salesian Regions (e.g. America South Cone,
South Asia) where translation needs and responses have been
prominent. There is a new awareness now in Africa-Madagascar.
The East Asia-Oceania Region has now held two Translators
Workshops (2014, 2019), and the handbook you are now reading
is the fruit of these meetings. Translation in every Region of ours
is significant and important for the inculturation of the charism.
Translators of the EAO Region sincerely hope that this Transla-
tors Handbook will meet a felt need within the Salesian Family,
and be a first and significant step to a more organised approach
to this crucial mission and ministry.
Mission statement
The Salesian translator provides an accurate and insightful
translation/interpretation of the charism of Don Bosco. In
response to this vocation and spirituality, with a prayerful heart
he or she conveys and makes the Salesian mission understood
in our complex contemporary world.

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WHO ARE THE ‘AUDIENCES’ FOR THIS HANDBOOK? 7
Who are the ‘audiences’ for this hand-
book?
The potential audiences for this handbook could be: (i) profes-
sional or even ad hoc Salesian translators; (ii) those who make
decisions about which Salesian material needs translation; (iii)
educators/trainers of future Salesian translators; (iv) those who
write or speak in the knowledge that what they write or say will
need to be translated; (v) those who work in the translation field
and have an interest in the specifics of Salesian history and the
practices of translation; (vi) formators of the young men and
women in initial formation; (vii) candidates who are in forma-
tion/training as translators.

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

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Chapter 2
The Salesian
Translator
Profile of the Salesian Translator
The Salesian translator is someone who engages in translation of
materials relevant in some way to the Salesian charism, alone or
in collaboration with any member of the Salesian Family and/or
who supervises the translation of any Salesian material.
The following characteristics are included among those that dis-
tinguish the Salesian translator: the individual takes up the task
9

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
as a vocation, with a view to evangelisation and the desire to
disseminate good Christian literature; the translator is guided
by Salesian spirituality and formed in a Salesian heart filled with
love for Don Bosco and the young, especially those among the
working class who are poor and abandoned; the translator seeks
a style that is simple, direct and attractive.
The requisites of a Salesian translator
The requisites of a good Salesian translator are addressed un-
der two subheadings: the spirituality and the formation of the
Salesian translator. These subsections take into account what
it means to have: a) a good knowledge of source and target
language, b) a certain familiarity with both cultures, and their
social contexts, not just the languages, c) a grasp of the knowl-
edge areas encompassed by Salesian discourse (theology, Sale-
sian history, terminology… ), d) good written and spoken abili-
ties, e) willingness to research f) willingness to improve compe-
tence, since language is a living thing and is constantly changing,
g) adaptability, h) ability to work in a team, i) willingness to
be corrected and not absolutise one’s own style or content in
translation, since translation is one element in creating ‘commu-
nion between person and person’ (C 49 SDB) and ‘speaking the
truth in love’.

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PROFILE OF THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
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The Spirituality of the Salesian Translator
The qualities of the translator may be viewed from both their
technical and spiritual aspects. The spiritual aspect necessarily
includes values such as humility, patience, commitment and ded-
ication, and, for the Salesian translator, should firstly be seen
in terms of the cardinal points of Salesian spirituality – reason,
the divine dimension, and loving-kindness. Those who take up
the calling as translator are guided by these premises, thereby
understanding the rationale for the work they do. They do it
to promote and preserve the Salesian charism in the church and
the world, imbued with the awareness of the divine, trinitarian
presence and reaching out to the visible and invisible family of
listeners, and readers.
And while the translator may often work alone, he or she never
works outside of the community aspect of Salesian spirituality,
so clearly indicated in C 44 of the SDB Constitutions: ‘The
members have complementary functions and each one of their
tasks is important’ (italics ours). In fact, this element of team-
work was strongly reinforced at the 2019 Anisakan Workshop,
particularly when it comes to the ‘checking process’ the work
of appraisal, by fellow translators or indeed the wider commu-
nity. If we seek a scriptural underpinning for this, we may well
find it in the Letters of St Paul and the team relationships he
built around him. Consider his Second Letter to Timothy where,
starting from the elderly teacher/young disciple relationship, he
steeps us in a network of very rich, joyful, always constructive
relationships, showing us how the missionary work of the primi-

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
tive Church was a team effort. Or the lengthy Letter to the Ro-
mans, where the Apostle recalls a good thirty-three people, leav-
ing aside those mentioned in general, and each one is described
with attributes that indicate the intensity of relationships in-
volved. This attitude of communion in faith and work, which
was also part of Don Bosco’s charism, is one of joy and serene
happiness. Of course, there were also lukewarm, cold, suspicious,
fearful and unbending Christians in the primitive Church, and
translators will inevitably come across them in their work too,
but there is no doubt that our Salesian translators are part of a
community of faith and fraternity which is an alternative to the
suspect and conflicted society of our day, and they are called
upon to witness to this.
There is so much more that can be said about the spirituality of
the translator, especially by drawing on inspiration from Scrip-
ture. But here, some discernment is needed. We could end up
with different spiritualities depending on what we look at. If
we think of translation in terms of service: ‘Like good stewards
of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever
gift each of you has received’ (1 Peter 4:10) we will have one
spirituality. If we think of it as a hidden task (parables of the
sower, the seed, the yeast in Matthew 13), we will have another.
Speak the truth in love
But what is ‘the greatest commandment’? It is love of God and
neighbour, as we know. And in Ephesians 4:15 we are urged to
‘speak the truth in love’. What urged Fr Luigi Bolla to spend

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PROFILE OF THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
13
decades among the native Achuar peoples in Ecuador and Peru
and translate the bible for them? Love. Why did interpreter
Simão Bororo die a martyr? Love.
The translator’s task, seen in terms of a spirituality, is a task of
love – of God and of neighbour. It is informed by love. Trans-
lation is, in a sense, obedience to the greatest commandment.
It then becomes a ‘holy’ task and a means of sanctification. It
becomes ‘hospitality to the Word’ or allowing the Spirit to min-
ister within us to others. And nobody has ever said that love is
easy. It is demanding, requires sacrifice.
Once we establish this as the key motivating principle, we may
feel free to roam the abundance that is Scripture, thinking of
it as taking a wonderful walk in a wood filled with beautiful
trees, flowers, birds of every colour. The wood is the many
images of Scripture, and we may hold a flower here, a fruit
there, and pause to look at a tree, a bird, a butterfly, gradually
familiarising ourselves with its beauty and what it means for us.
The image is not so foreign to us, if we recall the reference in the
Biographical Memoirs to the way young seminarian John Bosco
from the Becchi distinguished his name from a fellow seminarian,
also John Bosco:
The two Boscos were joking about their names and
wondering whether they should use some nickname
for clarity’s sake.
The other Bosco said: ‘Bosco means wood. I like ne-
spolo [nespo-lo] wood, so call me Nespolo.’ [or medlar
in English, a small Eurasian tree of the rose family

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
widely cultivated in Europe. Its wood is hard and
knotty].
‘I, instead, like sales [sa-les], wood which is soft and
flexible, so call me Sales.’ (BM 1:302)
Come to think of it, we could use the same metaphors for the
translator who roams the wood of Salesian literature in all its
beauty and has the skills to enable the identification of this
beauty and convey it to others.
The translators from the Salesian Family who met at Anisakan
in Myanmar in 2019, gave much time to this aspect of spiritual-
ity, seeing their work as one of incarnation, like Jesus becoming
flesh, but also involving Jesus’ paschal mystery – the grain must
die in order to bear fruit. Theirs is a work of passion and must
involve passion in every sense of that word. Or perhaps they are
like the biblical salt that brings flavour to life. The completed
and hopefully published translation bears the mark of a resur-
rection too, bringing consolation and inner joy at being able to
share a beautiful text or spiritual wealth. It is not all sweat and
tears!
But, sweat and tears there can be, and this is where the para-
bles of the sower, seed, yeast, indeed the many references in the
New Testament to the hidden nature of the Kingdom, can be
applied to the often hidden, hard-working nature of the transla-
tor’s work. It is work that may not be rewarded and a mission
that may not be fully appreciated. Yet it can be fruitful, so let
the slow and steady growth of the Kingdom be our motivation.

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PROFILE OF THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
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Salesian translators, apart from nourishing themselves with
these thoughts, also nourish the spiritual life of the Salesian
Family, sometimes in very precise ways when the translation
is, as it often is, about some aspect of this spiritual life. It is
no less nourishing, however, when it strengthens the ongoing
formation of our brothers and sisters, increases their sense
of belonging to the worldwide Salesian community, or when
it becomes a witness to the history of salvation through the
Salesian Congregation and its wider family, perhaps like the
Mongolian translator who is aware that she is feeding the
faith of neophytes (new Catholics) who can now have some
spiritual reading in their own language. And, of course, it is
also nourishing for the translator.
Ultimately, if translation is a spiritual act, it will call on the
Spirit to be part of it. As translators we are accustomed to
occasionally rewording, rephrasing something for greater impact.
Perhaps, then, we may be allowed to conclude this section on
the spirituality of our task with a passionate plea:
Veni Translator Spiritus … !
The formation of the Salesian translator
The most recently revised (2016) Salesian Ratio contains at least
two comments that are of interest to the Salesian translator.
One is a reference to the Salesian brother, but would be equally
applicable to the Salesian priest or members of the wider Sale-
sian Family:

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
The fact is that the needs of our mission are
many and varied, and therefore qualification in the
professional field includes acquiring the necessary
skills needed to fulfil tasks in various other fields
besides professional training, such as, for example,
the school, social communication, social work,
administration and management (From a 2012
letter of the then Formation Councillor, Fr Cereda,
regarding the formation of the Salesian Brother).
The reference is clearly not restrictive. We could add ‘transla-
tion’ to the examples listed above.
The other comment is more specific, taken from the section on
ongoing formation, where it speaks of:
...establishing – at the level of a Region, a linguis-
tic grouping or Provincial conference, and according
to possibility and convenience – centres for ongoing
formation. These centres offer their services to the
Provinces, the communities and individual confreres
in a variety of ways, organizing, for example, courses
or programmes, preparing and distributing materi-
als for the animation of communities or arranging
for the translation of Salesian texts (12.4.4, no. 550,
emphasis ours).
The translator is there by implication since someone, obviously,
would need to translate those texts! Perhaps the day may come
when the translator is there explicitly, and formation for trans-
lation is included in such ongoing formation centres. It is pleas-

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PROFILE OF THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
17
ing to note that recognition of the translator is becoming more
explicit in Salesian institutional documentation, exemplified by
the recently published 3rd Edition (2014) of the Youth Ministry
Department’s Frame of Reference:
It is incumbent upon us to express our heartfelt grat-
itude to all who, with their precious but hidden work
of translation, have ensured that the pastoral reflec-
tion of the Congregation can reach all parts of the
world.
Their generous service is a true and proper ministry
which is ever more appreciated.
Another guide that needs to be included in any reference to
formation of the translator in the Salesian context comes from
the institutional document known as the SSCS (The Salesian
Social Communication System, bold text is ours):
117. The management of language resources and
translation takes into consideration:
Ensuring the terminological consistency of Sale-
sian discourse both internally and as addressed to
others; see to the faithful, communicative trans-
lation of messages and communications from
the Rector Major and his Council, and other bod-
ies of animation, formation and information; ‘faith-
ful’ here means fidelity to the original language
and context, ‘communicative’ here means un-
derstandable to readers in their cultural context;

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
promoting standards, especially in textual prod-
ucts of the General Administration.
118. The DSC [Department of Social Com-
munication] supports the management of the
Congregation’s linguistic data in collaboration
with the Salesian Central Archives, through the
digitisation of text, text memory (TM), etc..
The DSC offers its skills and advice to the Salesian
Central Archives and others responsible for the
management of linguistic data of the Congregation.
119. The DSC in collaboration with the Secretary-
General and/or the Vicar of the Rector Major sees to
co-ordination of the ’pool’ of translators and
offers support services for their task.
120. The DSC draws up style guides for differ-
ent situations, for example, the General Adminis-
tration, for translators in different languages.
(SSCS 117-120).
It is clear that formation to the translator’s role can both draw
content from the above but also the expectation of support!
From time to time, in other institutional documents, there are at
least oblique references to the translator, occasionally a transla-
tor’s note or two, but something we might draw from these docu-
ments overall, especially in more recent years, is the by now com-
mon adoption of a spiritual discernment process: recognising,
interpreting, choosing, which is clearly applicable to the transla-

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PROFILE OF THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
19
tor’s task too. In fact, one of these documents, Young Salesians
and Accompaniment, Orientations and Guidelines, which along
with its companion study of personal accompaniument by the
same name (author Marco Bay), is the most recent of the insti-
tutional documents at the time this handbook was written. It
clearly says that this discernment process ‘is now no longer some-
thing optional, but must become the habitus of every Christian
community.’
It is interesting to note, however, that in the document just
quoted (the Orientations and Guidelines) we find, perhaps for
the first time in a Salesian institutional document, an awareness
of translation issues as such, as for example in no. 175:
Evangelii gaudium is very clear on this point (though
unfortunately not in the English translation): ‘To-
day more than ever we need guides who, on the ba-
sis of their own experience of being accompanied, are
familiar with processes that call for prudence, under-
standing, patience and docility to the Spirit.’ (EG
171, our translation from the Spanish).
The authors here are recognising that the official English trans-
lation of a papal document is at least unclear (other translators,
commenting on the same papal document, have considered that
in places it might even be in error, and likewise go back to the
Spanish, considering that given Pope Francis’ background, it
might well have been the original). Without the need for us to
subscribe to those thoughts or not, we do note that this is ‘trans-
lator territory’ and something that translator training needs to

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
take into account: what is the source language and what does it
say? Is there any possibility of mistranslation or even ideological
bias creeping in? And so on.
What follows are the collected thoughts of translators from the
East Asia-Oceania Region, as a contribution to the formation
of the translator here and now.
A practical example
One of the best ways to understand the many dimensions that
could potentially be part of the translator’s formation is to listen
to an experienced translator, in this case Fr Hilario Passero from
Brazil, who has worked as a translator at Salesian Headquarters
in Rome for many years. He was responding, at the time, to a
simple question: How did you begin or learn to translate? This
is what he had to say in response. The italics are ours, merely
to highlight some key components of translator formation:
Let us say that first of all I had to study the lan-
guages that were part of my secondary school cur-
riculum (4 years), novitiate (1) and post-secondary
(3). There were 7 languages: Latin (8 years), Greek
(5), Portuguese (8), French (7), Spanish (1), Ital-
ian (5) and English (3). Grammar was part of all
these. For Latin and Portuguese, little by little we
also studied the history of their literature.
We could also say that translation and other versions
were the order of the day.

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PROFILE OF THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
21
Second, to be able to teach and gain teacher certifica-
tion, I had to I had to study Romance languages at
University level: Latin, Portuguese, French, Spanish,
Italian (and for each of these: Grammar and the his-
tory of grammar, literature, and for Portuguese we
had to study both Portuguese and Brazilian litera-
ture; for Spanish, the literature of Spain and His-
panic countries in Latin America…). We also had to
touch on Romanian in the history of languages.
Third, later on, to study English: 2 intensive courses
in Brazil; 2 years in the USA: 9 ‘stages’ (between MU
- University of Missouri), (IEP - Intensive English
Programme) and San Francisco University (Jesuits);
and 2 months (1980) at Oxford (Britain).
Fourth, while doing the Lyceum we also did the Phi-
losophy course (3 years), where texts were only in
Latin at the Salesian Faculty at Lorena-São Paulo;
Fifth, Theology (4 years), where texts were in Latin
or Italian, at the Pio XI Institute – Pontifical Sale-
sian University, São Paulo.
And sixth, during the day I was in charge of the Ed-
itrice Dom Bosco (São Paulo) and had to check trans-
lations of books done by outsiders, while at night, to
improve my management of the publishing house I
did a course in ‘Business Administration’ (4 years),
at the Pontifical Catholic University, São Paulo.

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
Seventh, from 1973 to 1980 (7 years) I was the editor
of the Brazilian ‘Salesian Bulletin’; and continued to
assist the BS for a further 10 years (1990-2000).
Eighth, I spent 10 years as Technical and Artistic Di-
rector of the ‘Centro Gaúcho de Audiovisuais’ (Sale-
sian), in Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil, working on more
than 100 audiovisuals.
Ninth, while working on the audiovisuals, I com-
pleted the complex and demanding course in theo-
retical and practical journalism (4 kinds): print, ra-
dio, film, television at the ‘Facoltà dei Mezzi di Co-
municazione Sociale’ (FAMECOS), at the Pontifical
Catholic University, Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS),
at Porto Alegre (run by the Marist Brothers).
Finally, while looking after the Salesian Bulletin (see
above, 7) I attended 3 ‘stages’ in Photography: the-
oretical, practical, artistic – courses completed later
because they were needed for Audiovisual produc-
tion, and because required for the Journalism course
(see above, 9).
We could say that everything that was part of my for-
mation – normal and ongoing – has also been part of
communication, since it must be clear: ‘knowingly or
otherwise we all communicate.’ Even without saying
a word. All the cultural and linguistic infrastructure
ends up as … what someone does. In the transla-
tor’s case, his or her translations. Just the same,

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PROFILE OF THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
23
the language or languages we know well are the key.
So, this was my general and remote preparation – in
content and language – for the ministry of transla-
tion. In my case – as for any Salesian – life, prepara-
tion and action all come together as ‘crescit eundo’,
that is: we grow as we go!
An impressive curriculum vitae indeed! But note at least the
highlighted items and their implications: familiarity with lan-
guage and languages (7 in his case), their grammar, and history
of their literature; philosophy and theology; editorial work; the
range of translation genres, including audiovisual; journalistic
abilities; technical and artistic preparation, photography; all-
rounded, ongoing effort, the importance of ‘what someone does’
(translation); and that beautiful concluding phrase: life, prepa-
ration and action all come together as ‘crescit eundo’, that is:
we grow as we go.
Dimensions of and approaches to translator formation
The formation of the Salesian translator may cover at least the
following fundamental areas/dimensions:
# Language proficiency: SL (source language) and TL (target
language) and in addition, or seen from another perspective, the
A and B language of the translator/interpreter [see glossary
at the end of this book for these and other terms relevant to
translation and interpretation].

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
# Translation techniques: learning by translating (e.g. starting
from one page – e.g. Cagliero11).
# Fostering writing and speaking capacity (verbalising, sum-
marising, storytelling in writing).
# Learning to write proficiently about the Salesian charism for
youth and the wider public.
The formation of the Salesian translator may employ the follow-
ing approaches. These are just suggestions and none of them
are exclusive of the other:
# For all Salesians or Salesian Family members in initial for-
mation: presentation of the translation theme and first ‘trial’ of
translation work. This could be done to encourage the desire
and help discover talents or interest among prospective young
translators.
# Fostering the multi-lingual capacity of young Salesians and/or
Salesian Family members.
# Offering opportunities for cross-cultural experience, as many
Provinces are attempting to do.
# Introduction to the use of the basic electronic tools (Google
Translate, Wordfast, OmegaT…) and Salesian Glossary, using it
as a means for deepening the understanding of the charism.
# Translation itself as a learning strategy for the sharing and
imbibing of the charism.

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MOVING FORWARD
25
Moving forward
It has been the experience, at least in the EAO Region, that
when translators come together for a workshop, their resolutions
always include the desire for further collaborative work, but
especially for suitable training. There comes a time when these
desires need to meet a practical response. We have experienced
translators in our wider Salesian Family, and not only in our
own Region.
It is not beyond our capability to think of providing some formal
training for translation, and considering the acknowledged limits
of personnel and resources that our Provinces or Regions always
have, we could consider a three-level or three-pronged approach
offered online:
An introductory course
Intended for people with no or only limited translation expe-
rience, the ad hoc translator perhaps [see glossary], but who
would like to build up skills and study over a longer period.
This level would introduce the individual to translation tech-
niques, to understanding the role of the translator in the Sale-
sian context, and explore some of the theoretical aspects.
Perhaps this level could involve a number of translation assign-
ments on a range of topics chosen by the course coordinator.

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CHAPTER 2. THE SALESIAN TRANSLATOR
Any tutorial activity would need to take place online as well –
email, Skype, Google Translator Toolkit, Whatsapp…
Improver’s level
The focus here would be the professional rather than the ad hoc
translator. It would require the preparation of suitable training
materials regarding key concepts of translation, and again would
involve set translation assignments and tutorial activity. The
assumption would be that candidates for this level have proven
capability in language(s) and some experience already behind
them.
Ongoing training
Aimed at fine-tuning skills, building on strengths and focusing
on weaker or problem areas. In terms of levels, this ongoing
training would assume that the individual translator is already
at the ‘improver’ stage, but seen in terms of a three-pronged
approach, it could also be undertaken by the beginner or ad hoc
translator.

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Chapter 3
Key Translation
Processes
All translators develop their unique style with years of practice.
However, it is true that there are several processes which are
crucial to any translation work. Following them ensures that
the translation accurately reflects the source text and sounds
natural in the target text.
We could sum these processes up very briefly as: understanding,
translating, reviewing. The process of understanding the source
text and the needs of those who asked for its translation will
involve many of the points that follow in this chapter. The
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CHAPTER 3. KEY TRANSLATION PROCESSES
chapter also looks at some of the translation problems that arise
and how they might be resolved. It is not uncommon for a
translator to first do a ‘draft’ translation which will contain all
the content but may not read very well. This draft then needs
to be turned into natural language for the target audience and
culture.
The following chapter will look at the review process.
The importance of teamwork and col-
laborative translation
The Salesian Family gives depth to its presence in our provinces
and delegations in and through translation of Salesian material.
The broader concerns of the insertion of the charism within the
Region are responded to when the ministry of translation is
strengthened. And one of the key means for strengthening it is
to involve a team. Indeed, the two Translators Workshops held
in the EAO Region have identified their need to work as part
of a team as a ‘sine qua non’ of their task, while at the same
time acknowledging the difficulty in finding, forming, involving
people in such a team.
It is merely a suggestion, by way of example, but a Province
team might comprise the following personnel (SDB and Lay)
1. One who is competent in Italian and English,

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THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATIVE TRANSLATION
2. One who is competent in (local) literature,
3. One who has a good Salesian, theological, Church knowledge
background,
4. One who is a coordinator, appointed by the Provincial.
The translation team, be it at the regional or provincial level, en-
sures continuity of the core members of the team, and welcomes
new members even as one may discontinue. It also ensures the
quality of translation, with each translation group having an
expert from the source language and target language.
The decision on what needs to be translated (either in print or
as digital or audio-visual material) resides with the translation
office/team, if there is one, and/or with the Social Communica-
tion commission or with the Provincial or someone he delegates.
It could also happen that some translation becomes popular
as a need/requirement for a locality and from there to other
settings. Such popular material could then require a translation
authentication.
A group of translators from the Region could benefit from com-
ing together to check their work, and improve the art of trans-
lation in the process. This kind of workshopping could be a
trimonthly exercise or event at the province level, and annu-
ally at the regional level. This could also offer opportunity to
translators for ongoing formation.

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CHAPTER 3. KEY TRANSLATION PROCESSES
Establishing boundaries
Sometimes the translator walks a tightrope between author, ed-
itor, publisher, reader, or in a Salesian context this might be
between the person asking that something be translated, who-
ever will see to its publication or dissemination, and those who
will read what has been completed. So there is a need for clear
boundaries.
The sorts of issues that arise, then, might include:
– consultation with key players in the process,
– how best to capture the style of the author (we are not always
translating historical material where the author is deceased!
Sometimes the author will be alive and needs to be consulted),
– the challenges translators face, one of which is technical – the
translator should normally receive, or work from a Word file or
text only file, not a PDF or something with too many charts
and images to worry about,
– the translator as ‘editor’ (because mostly, we are not responsi-
ble to a separate editor and have to do our own proof-reading),
though despite self-editing, the translator ideally also needs to
engage others where possible, especially for proof reading.
– other roles the translator might have to take on (he or she
might have to ‘sell’ the work to its readership, or even do pre-
press work),

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SOME TRANSLATION PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS 31
– the need for style sheets or style indications including the ques-
tion of gender inclusive language, sometimes even when it is not
found in the original.
Some translation problems and solu-
tions
The problems translators face are many. However, they could
be grouped into two areas: one having to do with translation
issues per se, and the other with technical issues.
Translation Issues per se
In general, the following deserve attention while translating:
• Titles
The expectation often is that a title of a book, a paper, a confer-
ence, whatever, be translated directly, but translators know that
often this just does not work, since titles are often condensed
ideas in a language that don’t ‘condense’ in the other language
the same way! This is why, for example, the Italian transla-
tion of ‘Dead Poets Society’ (the film) was ‘L’attimo fuggente’
in Italian (The fleeting moment). The Italian translator knew
that ‘dead poets’ were not going to work for an Italian audi-
ence! But to come up with ‘L’attimo fuggente’ needed a very

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32
CHAPTER 3. KEY TRANSLATION PROCESSES
thorough knowledge of the plot. Solution? It comes down to
skill and experience.
• Regional issues
The word ‘locale’ (not ‘local’) is relevant here. Portuguese is a
language, Brazilian Portuguese is a ‘locale’. Brazilian readers
don’t like many aspects of Portugal’s Portuguese! The same
happens in English, relating to spelling, grammar, punctuation
(en-us, en-au, Singlish, Chinglish, Taglish etc. etc.). Solution?
Consultation with people requesting the translation and knowl-
edge of readership potential. And, of course, a clear understand-
ing of ‘locale’ differences. Attention to internationalisation and
localisation.
• Translating humour, poetry…
It is notoriously difficult to translate humour and poetry. Pos-
sible solutions: consult with a native speaker or someone who
does a lot of this kind of work; find existing translations of the
material (internet). Humour almost always needs a replacement
(literal translation rarely works), e.g. replace a joke in one lan-
guage with an equivalent one in the other language. Poetry re-
quires a thorough knowledge of elements like metre and rhyme.
In this case, what does one try to emulate? The ‘content’ or
concepts of the poem or the rhyme pattern? The metre? Some-
times a choice of one or more of these needs to be made as a
solution.
• Translating the untranslatable
Some words just won’t seem to translate (i.e., with a single

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SOME TRANSLATION PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS 33
equivalent word). Translators, who are very well aware that
language and meaning are context-dependent, will not normally
accept the term ‘untranslatable’, and will seek the contextual
understanding that will allow them to translate the idea the
so-called ‘untranslatable’ word represents: by severalword or a
phrase, if required; the word left in the source language but itali-
cised; a glossary, or occasionally a translator’s footnote, but this
can become obtrusive (as do lengthy bracketed explanations).
• Translation from a secondary source
Occasionally, the translator may not know the language of the
original source and be presented with a translation in what is his
or her B-Language as the source language. In this instance, the
person or persons requesting the translation should first ascer-
tain that the translated source is accurate. The translator would
also do well to request revision by someone who also knows the
primary source language and, indeed, the primary source text.
Finally, a good translator will:
• Determine if he or she has the language skills and the
subject knowledge to attempt the translation in the first
place.
• Bring creative energy and imagination to the work, with-
out losing the author’s style, message or unique flavour.
• Think carefully about substitutions or changes, and dis-
cuss it with whoever needs to know about these choices (if

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34
CHAPTER 3. KEY TRANSLATION PROCESSES
anybody).
• Have an editor. The translator will heed an editor’s fresh
approach to the text, knowing that he or she will be seeing
it with new eyes, and judging it as English prose.
• Strike a fine balance between making the work accessible
to new readers, while still maintaining its essential ‘for-
eignness’ and differences.
• Keep careful notes of changes and decisions made in the
process of translating. The translator may need to go back
to these and justify them.
• Take careful consideration of humour, puns, jokes and lit-
erary allusions, names of places and characters, as well as
cultural references and ideology…
On the other hand, a good translator will not:
• Take major liberties with the author’s text without refer-
ence to relevant individuals (author if alive and accessible,
Translation Commission team, etc.).
• Play with the structure or the sequence of time or events,
except in consultation with relevant individuals as above.
• Refuse help from the author, editor or another transla-
tor; every insight, every set of eyes, provides a new depth
of understanding, and possible resolutions to difficulties
faced.

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SOME TRANSLATION PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS 35
Technical problems and solutions
As regards technical issues, one needs to remember that trans-
lators are first and foremost linguists, not computer whiz-kids,
but at the same time, some basic technical understanding is
needed. Nevertheless, there can be a wide range of ‘technical
issues’ which may include:
Document assessment prior to translation
• Is the text legible? If not, ask for a better copy!
• Is the text in a software format that facilitates or hinders
translation? If it hinders, ask for one that facilitates.
• The linguistic resources (dictionaries, human contacts)
to ensure that one can translate unfamiliar words and
phrases. if this requires funding, then the funding needs
to be sought.
• How long will it take? Determine a time frame that is rea-
sonable given the likelihood that the translator has many
other roles.
• If one is translating script-writing, then it will call for
editing skills as well as involving visual readability, text
size, font size, colour combination and positioning within
the visual frame etc.

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CHAPTER 3. KEY TRANSLATION PROCESSES
• Multimedia translation is dealt with in a separate
appendix to this handbook.
Computers and internet issues
• Digital technology as it relates to translation is in a con-
stant state of change, but translation remains an essen-
tially human, not a machine task. ‘Computers will never
replace translators but translators who use computers will
replace translators who don’t!’ (Timothy R. Hunt).
• The bare minimum is a good, current personal computer.
• The software in most common use the world over for a com-
pleted translation is Microsoft Word, which may then be
converted to PDF but the Word file remains the ‘original’
for the target language. There are substitutes in the Free
and Open Source scene (e.g. Libre Office) but eventually,
it is a .doc or .docx file that will probably be needed.
• Translation from PDF files involves prior conversion to
Word, possibly Excel, or text only, or obtaining the origi-
nal in those formats. Translations directly from PDF are
technically difficult to manipulate. PDF might be used to
save or to send documents in heavily formatted originals
in order to preserve the original format (font, margins, lay-
out etc.) but it should not normally be the responsibility
of the translator to do these conversions.

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SOME TRANSLATION PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS 37
• Some people like to work with Machine Transla-
tion (MT) such as Google Translate or DeepL
(https://www.deepl.com/en/translator) or similar.
This is helpful but not infallible. It should not be relied
upon to ‘do the work’, but only to assist. It is worth
noting that Google Translate offers more than is initially
apparent. DeepL is closely connected with Linguee
(https://www.linguee.com/), and both can be of interest
to the translator in the religious sphere, since some of
the contributions to the database common to both come
from religious institutions.
• Some people like to work with Translation Memory (TM).
This can be very helpful for larger items since it facilitates
consistency and can reduce work. But for others it actu-
ally increases work! There is more finesse involved in using
such programs. There are very professional (and costly)
types of software like Trados, less costly ones like Word-
Fast (which also has a free version with some limitations)
and completely free software like OmegaT or the kind
of option referred to above (Google Translator Toolkit).
The programs mentioned here are all examples of what
is known as CAT or computer-assisted translation, where
the human translator interacts with machines that help
the process in one or more ways.

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CHAPTER 3. KEY TRANSLATION PROCESSES
Terminology
There is an urgent need to ensure terminological consistency in
the sphere of what we might call the ‘Salesian Knowledge Base’
– a history of language and cultural development of a Salesian
nature (and as the charism regenerates in ever new cultures and
times) over 150 years or so.
Glossaries, dictionaries, term bases: Glossaries are simple
word or phrase-pair items (two columns). A dictionary
is more extensive. A term base is a little more techni-
cal. We have an example in the ‘Salesian Dictionary and
Glossary’ (which at the time of writing is accessible at
http://www.sdb.org/vocabulary/eaogloss.html), an effort to
marry all three to some extent. The Salesian Dictionary and
Glossary thus acts as a rich resource to which one can keep
adding, as in Wikipedia, and thus create a common resource for
the continued benefit especially of the translation community.
East Asia-Oceania translators have their own version of the
Salesian Dictionary and Glossary, and some have added in their
own language equivalents.
As of November 2019, there is now a Salesian Dictionary in print
(and also available on www.sdb.org. It is a comprehensive effort
to compile a list of terms in current (and sometimes historical)
use in Salesian discourse in English. For the most part it is an
Italian-English dictionary but does contain some terms in other
languages.
At the very least, Salesian translators should always work with

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TERMINOLOGY
39
a glossary in the appropriate language pair, and if one does not
exist, they are urged to collaborate with others to ensure that
one is developed. It is also recommended that they identify
and refer regularly to existing Catholic or other appropriate
glossaries.

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CHAPTER 3. KEY TRANSLATION PROCESSES

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Chapter 4
Post-translation
Processes
Reviewing a text before submitting it to those who commis-
sioned the translation is essential. In general terms it will in-
volve putting the source text and the translation side-by-side
and ensuring that all essential content has been translated and
that no extra information has been added. There also needs to
be a grammar and spell check and then a final check to ensure
that everything sounds ‘natural’ for the target audience and
culture. These general processes have some technical terms as-
sociated with them. This chapter provides information on these
terms and processes.
41

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CHAPTER 4. POST-TRANSLATION PROCESSES
Copyediting
Copyediting is largely a post-translation matter, the process of
reviewing and correcting written material to improve accuracy,
readability, and fitness for purpose, and to ensure that it is free
of error, omission, inconsistency, and repetition. It becomes
clear, then, that it is something the translator cannot avoid,
even though it seems to be a separate set of skills which hopefully
would be applied by a person other than the translator. This
can rarely be the case in our situation, so it is important for the
translator to at least be aware of the skills involved. But ideally,
this is where a translation commission comes into play.
Editorial work
Editorial work really begins prior to translation and begins with
classification of the levels of translation to be undertaken: the
classification could be according to potential readers of the ma-
terials and the seriousness of the materials to be translated.
Once the level of translation required has been determined, the
second stage is to decide, based on the importance of the materi-
als to be translated, to whom the material should be entrusted,
and how seriously the material should be treated in the whole
process of translation, including the post-translation stage.
The translated text is edited or revised by the translator in the
first instance, and the team of translators if such exists, and

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EDITORIAL WORK
43
at various stages of the work requires editorial supervision and
approval before reaching the publication stage.
Omissions
If omissions are found in the translation during the copyedit-
ing process, the translator responsible should be informed, and
discussion needs to take place, since the translator may omit
some words, phrases, even whole paragraphs intentionally, in
some cases for the sake of clarity. Sometimes, the target cul-
ture/audience of the work influences the work of translation
(i.e. some of the expressions may be omitted to avoid scandals
and misunderstanding; and some words, punctuation, matching
ideas from source text, quotes, acronyms may have to be added
for the better understanding of the facts.
Format
The format of the translated work should be faithful to the origi-
nal text for easy reference to the original and for the smoothness
of editorial work, but bearing in mind what has earlier been said
about the difficulty of working with PDF originals (which are
rarely if ever the originals). We also should acknowledge that
in some cases, such as when intentional omissions are involved,
the format may not be faithfully followed.

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CHAPTER 4. POST-TRANSLATION PROCESSES
Mistranslations
A word and/or phrase can be completely mistranslated. The
grammar, sentence construction and idiomatic expressions of
the source language should be paid close attention. Sometimes,
the target language may have different connotations according
to the region.
The unknown or the untranslatable
There will always be words or concepts that still need further ex-
ploration, and some terms have no single word equivalent. Since
languages are alive, we come across new words daily. There are
also technical terms which need much attention. At times, key
Salesian terms such as ‘amorevolezza’, ‘assistenza’, just by way
of example, since there can be others as well, have either not
been given appropriate equivalents in other languages, or have
run the risk of adopting equivalents that may carry some local
ideological bias. Clearly this is where a well-considered glossary
and the always essential teamwork are involved.
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, footnotes
Spell-check or grammar-check on a computer are not infallible
and may be ‘localised’ e.g. US English only.

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EDITORIAL WORK
45
Clarity
At times, there may be a failure to clearly convey the meaning
of a particular part of the text or to include all important ideas
from the source text. There are times we need to further explain
some words, phrases, proverbs, idioms, etc… There are terms
peculiar to the Salesian context that need to be clearly conveyed
in the target language. If necessary, some translators’ notes
could be added in brackets for further clarification, but always
with care to ensure that these are not too many and intrusive.
Ultimately, the translator should be as ‘invisible’ as possible.
Consistency
The title of persons or an object may receive one name in one
part and another name in another part. The use of British or
American spelling should also be consistent. This is one area
where the glossary comes into play. The glossary should be
consulted frequently for the translation of proper nouns. It is
likewise important to capture the intention of the author and
the spirit of the text of the source language in a consistent way.
Sound-alike words (homophones)
There can be sound-alike words between source language and
target language. Italian-English is a good example of this. ‘Ge-
niale’ sounds like ‘genial’ but it is not! Language pairs will al-

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CHAPTER 4. POST-TRANSLATION PROCESSES
ways have many examples of these misunderstandings and they
can be critical. There are already too many cases of this kind
of error ingrained in Salesian ‘English’, for example.
Style
Does the translation reflect the style of the original text? Does
it compare with the style of the instructive kind of material that
is popular in the language, region, locality? The literary style
of the source language should be respected. The use of slang
and popular jargon should be normally be avoided, especially in
formal documents, as also the use of oral language, unless it is
seen to be intrinsic to the style.
There are exceptions. For example, if the materials target a
specific audience such as young people, use of their language
may ensure better reception. Other cases may involve materials
intended to have a short life span.
Levels of Editorial Approval
Once editorial work arrives at its final stages of completion there
arises the issue of appraisal and approval. The completed trans-
lation deserves to be examined by others in the team, if such
exists, ideally by the wider community (representatives of poten-
tial readership) and those who initially authorised or requested

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LEVELS OF EDITORIAL APPROVAL
47
the translation or, as in the case of documents which come under
the authority of the Ordinary, by the Censor Deputatus.
By the translator team
Networking is helpful for translators. There is a need for net-
working and team building. The recognition of translation as a
ministry calls for a structural intervention for adequate coordina-
tion. There is a need for a group of translators at province level
if possible (even a recognised body of regional level translators)
to come together to cross-check the efficacy of the translation.
Such translator teams would need a basic frame of reference or
statutes.
Each Province/Vice-province/Delegation is encouraged to form
a translators team with a clear vision and mission, objectives
and lines of action. This team can be inserted into the Provincial
Social Communication Commission and be referred to as an
element of the Provincial Directory.
The Provincial Translator Team shall ideally include one full-
timer (SDB/Lay) who is proficient in English, Italian and the
target language if different from either.
The team shall meet periodically to enhance their work.
Networking among the Salesian translators is to be encouraged
– to share and for mutual enrichment.

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CHAPTER 4. POST-TRANSLATION PROCESSES
The Region may organise an annual gathering of Salesian Trans-
lators.
By wider community appraisal
This level of verification, though rarely considered, has a signif-
icant function. It calls for a translated item to be disseminated
among some of its potential readership for comment before final
approval.
By final approving authority
This may be the Church (Censor Deputatus if still re-
quired) or a Provincial Commission or equivalent body. The
province/provincial secretary in case of absence of a translation
team, or a person appointed as the spokesperson of the province
could be entrusted with the task. The approval of the veracity
of the content and style belongs to the local authority, (taking
our cue from the systemic change brought about by Pope
Francis whereby each Bishops Conference becomes the ultimate
authority on translation, and not the Roman Curia or office).
Care needs to be exercised whenever citing official document
titles.

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OTHER POST-TRANSLATION PROCESSES
49
Other post-translation processes
It would not normally be the responsibility of the translator to
be responsible for other post-translation processes, once his or
her job of translating and reviewing is complete. Nevertheless,
the translator is part of an overall production cycle and should
be aware of processes to follow, some of which could once again
call on that individual’s expertise.
Copyright
Seeking copyright permissions is not the translator’s responsi-
bility, but as copyright arrangements are sometimes made after
the main text has been translated, the translator may be called
upon to translate copyright indications and other ‘front matter’
items.
Publication processes
Again, these are not the responsibility of a translator, but this
person may be called upon to assist, even at the late stage of
the printing and publication process, especially where it has
required some adjustments to text and layout.

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CHAPTER 4. POST-TRANSLATION PROCESSES
Preservation of translated materials
The matter of preservation of materials once again, and is cru-
cial as it is, cannot be solely the responsibility of the translator.
It would be hoped that a Province/Vice-Province/Delegation
has developed a policy that ensures preservation of all forms
of media, especially the more ephemeral digital material. At-
tempts have already been made at the Congregational level
(Salesian Digital Library, SDL http://sdl.sdb.org) and in var-
ious Province websites.
And yet, this is an area where the translator can provide an
important lead. It is precisely in this matter that the use of
TM (Translation Memory) takes on importance. It not only
assists the translator while working, since segments once trans-
lated need not be repeated (the TM will alert the translator to
the possibility of reusing that segment), but also ensures that
the completed text is retained in memory, either ‘locally’ on
the translator’s computer, or in the cloud, if TMs are kept in
cloud-based storage. TMX or Translation Memory Exchange
also comes into play here, since it enables combination of TMs
or exchange between colleagues.

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Appendix A
Oral Interpretation
Protocols for interpretation scenarios
Code of ethics
A code of ethics implies confidentiality, accuracy, completeness,
being non-judgemental and being professional. These are elabo-
rated as follows.
Accuracy and Completeness
The interpreter will interpret accurately in both languages.
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APPENDIX A. ORAL INTERPRETATION
By accurate interpretation we understand an interpretation
that preserves the meaning of the message, the register of
each speaker (high, low or both) without omissions, additions,
distortions or alterations. Accuracy presupposes proficiency in
both languages.
Confidentiality
The interpreter will respect the confidentiality and privacy of
all parties under all circumstances, unless otherwise required by
law.
Impartiality
The interpreter will remain impartial. He/she will not attempt
to introduce personal views into what is being interpreted.
Limitation of practice
The interpreter will know his/her linguistic limitations and de-
cline assignments that require knowledge or linguistic or other
skills that go beyond his/her competence.
Professional Development
The interpreter:

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PROTOCOLS FOR INTERPRETATION SCENARIOS 53
will seek professional development opportunities to maintain,
improve and expand interpretation skills and general knowledge
through self-teaching, formal, and informal ongoing education;
will acquire the proper terminology and enhance his/her knowl-
edge by creating and updating terminology files;
will seek feedback and practise self-evaluation concerning
his/her performance.
Interpreter best practice
Best practices include things like: clear voice, conciseness, im-
partiality, be as unobtrusive as possible… There can be TWO
sets of best practices: one for the interpreter (as above for the
code of ethics) and one for the person who requests interpreta-
tion (envisaging a more formal situation, perhaps, not the ad
hoc need on a daily basis that might go on in a mission context).
For this latter, best practice includes:
– Introducing onself to the interpreter. It helps that both know
each other to some extent.
– Requesting that the interpreter interpret everything, and into
the first person (avoiding ‘he said, she said’).
– Acknowledging the interpreter as a professional in communi-
cation.
– Respecting his or her role.

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APPENDIX A. ORAL INTERPRETATION
– Speaking directly to the audience, not to the interpreter.
– Speaking more slowly rather than more loudly.
– Speaking at an even pace in relatively short segments.
– Pausing so the interpreter can interpret. The interpreter is
the medium, not the message. If the one speaking feels that he
or she are not getting the type of response they were expecting,
they can restate the question or consult with the interpreter to
better understand if there is a cultural barrier that is interfering
with communication.
– Being aware that many concepts expressed have no linguistic or
conceptual equivalent in other languages. The interpreter may
have to paint word pictures of many of the terms used. This
may take longer than the original speech.
– Giving the interpreter time to restructure information in
his/her mind and present it in a culturally and linguistically
appropriate manner. Speaking a language does not mean
thinking in that language.
– Avoiding certain things like: highly idiomatic speech, compli-
cated sentence structure, sentence fragments, changing an idea
in mid-sentence, and asking multiple questions at one time.
– Encouraging the interpreter to ask questions and to alert the
speaker to potential cultural misunderstandings that may come
up.
– Being patient. Providing care across a language barrier takes
time. However, the time spent up front will be paid back by

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PROTOCOLS FOR INTERPRETATION SCENARIOS 55
good rapport and clear communication that will avoid wasted
time and dangerous misunderstandings…
Interpreter qualifications
An interpret’s qualifications for this task will include at least
the following:
Command of language pair involved;
Practice;
Skills of attention, analysis, memory, language transfer (finding
congruent expressions in the target language);
Note-taking skills (it can often happen that the numbers, names
in longer talks are distorted simply due to no notes being taken);
Cultural awareness;
Clear, audible speech;
Adaptability;
Knowledge of subject matter.

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APPENDIX A. ORAL INTERPRETATION

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Appendix B
Multimedia
translation
Multimedia translation, also sometimes referred to as Audio-
visual translation, is a specialised branch of translation which
deals with the transfer of multimodal and multimedial texts into
another language and/or culture. and which implies the use of a
multimedia electronic system in the translation or in the trans-
mission process. It is often called for, in the Salesian context,
when major events take place over a number of days or sessions,
and the translator is called upon to assist with video or other
media prepared during or after the event.
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APPENDIX B. MULTIMEDIA TRANSLATION
Almost inevitably, such translation involves the following possi-
bilities:
– Subtitling;
– Dubbing;
– Voice-over;
– Hybrid of the above possibilities.
Subtitling
There are a number of things to be taken into account:
– The maximum number of characters allowed is usually 36 or
thereabouts. This means that, say, Italian audio rendered in
English subtitles may be too short. It will require effort to see
that the implied meanings are included in the relatively brief
English subtitle.
– Video scenes and sequences do not occur in a vacuum: other
potential filmic features may be involved such as soundtrack,
musical score, effects, the characters’ tone of voice, facial ex-
pressions and body language, camera movement, distance and
angles, and montage (cuts, fade-in, dissolve, etc.). The func-
tion of a subtitle is to provide connectivity despite the inability
to represent these features. If anything, this requires what is
known as transcreation, the ability to recreate the emotion and
thrust of the original.

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DUBBING
59
– It does not work for a technical instruction video. One cannot
read something like ’Pull the latch release under the cover to
get access to the control knob underneath’ and watch how it’s
done at the same time.
– Audiences that have limited or no fast-reading ability (small
children, illiterate people, visually impaired people, migrants as
yet unfamiliar with the language) will have limited or no access
to the content.
It may be worth the translator’s while to point out these nega-
tive aspects of subtitling to those who request it.
Dubbing
Dubbing is highly specialised, since it may and usually does
involve lip-sync. If it is only off-screen narration, there is no
such problem.
Voice-over
Voice-over is more common in Salesian settings. The output
inevitably looks and feels ‘cheap’, as there is a continuous re-
minder of its having been translated. Sometimes, depending on
the content, it gives the feeling that the intention was to have it
dubbed, but the budget did not allow it. If there is any dramatic

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APPENDIX B. MULTIMEDIA TRANSLATION
interpretation, it will be completely lost, as the translation is
read with minimum interpretation, like a newscast. But it does
give spectators more time to follow the video, since there is no
distraction from subtitles.
Hybrid
In this process, the narrator, and sometimes the leading char-
acters, are dubbed. All other appearances, such as testimonials
by different people, are subtitled. It calls for a lot of common
sense to decide which roles will be dubbed, and which will be
subbed. There must be some logic in this, otherwise frequent
– especially if unjustified – shifts between reading and listening
will impair the spectator’s attention.
But in the end, it all comes down to a translation. Too many
people believe that a video must be transcribed first, and then
translated. This is not true. If it has to be translated from one
language into another, good translators work directly from the
audio/video to provide the translated script.

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Appendix C
Translators prayers
The following prayers have been offered by translators in the
EAO Region as an encouragement to translators everywhere.
Translators prayer – FMA
Almighty God, you so loved the world that you sent your only
Son to the world to translate your love to humankind. Your Son,
Jesus Christ, faithfully translated your infinite love through His
words, deeds and healing. We ask you to help all translators who
carry on Your Son’s mission to spread your love through their
work of translation. Strengthen them with your grace, so that
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APPENDIX C. TRANSLATORS PRAYERS
they experience the joy in their work which at times is spent in
silence, with much fatigue and sacrifices. Grant them a burning
desire to make your Word and Don Bosco’s charism known to
many people. May they be faithful and creative in translating
your message with a language that is familiar and with quality.
We ask this through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Translators prayer – VDB
Praise and thanks to you, Lord, for this special grace of being
an instrument in making your message known and understood
in our own language. This special vocation as translator is born
in silence hidden from the eyes of the world and largely unappre-
ciated. Nevertheless, I am convinced of the need to continue the
mission as an assistance to my sisters and our Institute. Thus I
seek your guidance and grace to persevere. Amen.
Translators prayer – Lay Mission Part-
ner
We pray to God, the creator of time and space. May God help
us with wisdom and love. May God give us inspiration and
experience in the spirit to share the love of God and our Father
Don Bosco. In the love of Jesus and Mary Help of youth. May
God show us love today. Amen

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TRANSLATORS PRAYER - SDB (2014)
63
Translators Prayer - SDB (2014)
Dear Lord, thank you for entrusting me with a wonderful mis-
sion as a translator in the Salesian Family. Help me to under-
stand what this article, this book is telling me – show me the
true meaning and how to express it in my own language, so
that it will help to build up the Church and give growth to the
Salesian charism.
Translators prayer – Salesian Coopera-
tor
Father God, in Jesus’ name with the Holy Spirit, thank you for
showing us your loving action in translating your Divine Love
in the person of your Son Jesus with the ever-living presence
of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through this act of yours, we
are encouraged to participate with grateful hearts in translating
this same love to others. Through the inspiration of our Father,
St John Bosco, may we have the courage to own this gift as
Salesian translators. We pray that we may be able to deliver
the intention that St John Bosco had, to help in the salvation
of souls and to bring your Kingdom here on earth to the lives
of your people, especially the young. Grant us your wisdom,
so that in the work of translating we will acknowledge your
presence and direct our action towards your great glory. This
we pray through Christ our Lord!

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APPENDIX C. TRANSLATORS PRAYERS

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Appendix D
Glossary
This handbook uses a number of terms some of which may be
unfamiliar to some readers. They are listed below.
A-Language: the mother tongue of a translator.
B-Language: a language that a translator can speak and write
almost as well as their mother tongue.
CAT: computer-aided translation, or computer-assisted,
machine-aided or machine-assisted translation with the
aid of computer programs such as translation memory
(see term), terminology management, designed to reduce
the translator’s workload and increase consistency of
style and terminology. Not to be confused with machine
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APPENDIX D. GLOSSARY
translation (see term).
Charism: in Christian theological language, sanctifying grace
given to all believers through baptism, or a gift granted
a person or group for the benefit of the community, and
hence an attitude of service of others. In this case there is
a distinction between natural and supernatural gifts. We
can thus speak of the Salesian charism = sanctifying grace,
a gift granted for the benefit of the community, an attitude
of service…
Code of ethics: a guide consisting of principles that help pro-
fessional people conduct their work honestly and with in-
tegrity.
Dictionary: a compilation of words, their meanings and their
usages.
EAO: East Asia-Oceania, the Salesian Region stretching from
as far north as Mongolia to as far south as New Zealand,
from as far west as Pakistan to as far east as Samoa.
Foreignness: the nuances inherent in every language, part
of its specific essence. The features composing that
language’s ‘foreignness’. Translators use this term in a
positive way. While wanting to be truly faithful to their
own culture, they endeavour to preserve the essential
‘foreignness’ of the text they are working with.
Glossary: a collection of words, a word list, if you like, with
the associated meanings of the words listed. In any given
glossary the words may relate to specific subjects, texts,

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language or dialect. Another way to describe a glossary is
a brief dictionary, alphabetised for quick reference.
Inculturation: the integration of the Christian faith in human
culture(s).
I18N: the abbreviation for Internationalisation (or Interna-
tionalization in American English). Because these two
spellings differ just in one character, the idea was to use
an expression that works for both. ‘I’ stands for the first
character, ‘18’ for the number of characters between the
first and last character, and ‘N’ for the last one.
Internationalisation: a process that enables localisation to be
carried out effectively. This is often overlooked in the
preparation of documentation in its original form. All of
the items that will require localisation need to be thought
of beforehand (date and time, currency references, charac-
ter, sentence, paragraph lengths and so on) because they
will affect various aspects of subsequent translation.
Interpretation: the action of the interpreter that translates
verbally the utterance of a speaker into the language of a
listener. Interpretation always refers to oral communica-
tion.
L10N: abbreviation for Localisation (or Localization in Amer-
ican English). As for I18N, because these two spellings
differ just in one character, the idea was to use an expres-
sion that works for both. ‘L’ stands for the first character,
‘10’ for the number of characters between the first and last

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APPENDIX D. GLOSSARY
character, and ‘N’ for the last one.
Language pair: the language someone is translating from and
the language that person is translating into.
Literal translation: translation that closely adheres to the
grammar and construction of the source text. A literal
translation usually appears ’stilted’ and unnatural.
Localisation: the translation and cultural adaptation of web-
sites, software, documentation and games. It is more than
a simple translation, since the content has to be adapted
to the local cultural context and the local market. It often
depends on good internationalisation in the first place. In
the case of literary translation (literary, not literal!) it
may also involve transcreation (see this term below).
Machine translation (MT): translation produced by a com-
puter program or use of a translation program to trans-
late text without human input in the actual translation
process. The quality of machine-translated text, in terms
of terminology, meaning and grammar, varies depending
on the nature and complexity of the source text, but is
never good enough for publication without extensive edit-
ing. Not to be confused with computer-aided translation.
Mistranslation: to translate incorrectly, this word ‘incor-
rectly’ encompassing translation ‘sins’ of omission and
commission!
Pre-press work: the processes and procedures that occur be-
tween the print layout and the final printing. Very often

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the translator can be (and usually should be) involved in
final checking at this stage, since the processes may involve
adjustments to text.
Proof-reading: checking a text or a translation to ensure that
there are no mistakes and that the text is fluent. It’s now
a synonym for revising.
Regional issues: a reference to the issues that may affect
translation in a locale: a language, even dialect specific
area. A Salesian region may contain many locales, such
as is the case for English in the EAO region: Filipino
English, Chinese English, Australian English… among
many others.
Salesian Knowledge Base: in simple terms this refers to the
fact that over 150 years, the Salesian Family has become
a knowledge-intensive organisation. In other words, we
maintain a large amount of distributed structured and
semi-structured data, and if anything, this is on the
increase. Nor does this data exist only or even especially
on paper. There are now thousands of Salesian websites,
including official ones, populated with documents, forms,
calendars of events, news, link, collections, databases,
newsletters and forums. As a consequence we have a
huge repository of semi-structured knowledge distributed
widely.
SL: abbreviation for Source Language, the language a transla-
tor translates from.

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APPENDIX D. GLOSSARY
Sound-alike words: the technical term is ‘homophone’.
Words in the SL (see term) that sound the same as words
in the TL (see term) can be a trap for the translator
because they may have either a completely different
meaning (as in Italian ‘geniale’ and English ‘genial-) or a
different semantic range (Italian ‘animazione’ has a wider
semantic range than the English ‘animation’, which is
generally restricted to ‘entertainment’ rather than ‘giving
life’ to a community.
Source Culture: the culture where the text one has to trans-
late has been produced.
Target Culture: the culture one has to translate a text for.
Target Language: the language one has to translate into.
TC: abbreviation for Target Culture.
Term base: a contraction of ‘terminology database’; it could
also be described as a database containing approved ter-
minology (or terms). A glossary can be formatted and
imported into a term base.
TL: abbreviation for Target language
TM: abbreviation for Translation Memory (see below)
TMX: Translation Memory eXchange. This is the pure content
of the TM, without the container. If you imagine a TM
as a bottle full of water, a TMX file is the water that can
be poured from one bottle to another. It is used precisely
to exchange work between colleagues, or to combine two

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or more TMs together. It can be file-based (saved in a
computer) or server-based (saved on a remote server).
Transcreation: (or creative translation) is the adaptation of a
creative work into another language or culture. Therefore,
it is more than direct translation or localisation of the text,
as transcreators focus on capturing the desired persuasive
or emotive effect of the original. Transcreation services
are a growing new industry.
Transcription: the process of transcribing a speech to obtain
a written text. The text can then be translated.
Translation: for the insiders, ’translation’ refers exclusively to
written communication, otherwise we are talking about
interpretation.
Translation Memory (TM): a TM is a database which stores
chunks of texts and corresponding translations. While
translating using a CAT tool, the program progressively
saves each original sentence and the corresponding trans-
lation. In this way it creates a database of translated ex-
pressions. Every time one comes across the same sentence
(imagine one is translating an instruction manual where a
lot of expressions are repeated) the CAT tool will suggest
the translation previously done and saved. One can then
accept it or change it. It keeps a memory of translated
segments. Of course, a segment can be one single word,
but generally speaking a TM is not just a list of words. If
one wants a words database then a terminology database
can be used. A Translation Memory reduces the work load

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APPENDIX D. GLOSSARY
since two identical items need not be translated twice.
Translator as editor: In every good translation there are at
least two key steps involved in producing a high-quality fin-
ished product: translating and editing. Generally, these
two steps are completed by two different linguists in or-
der to ensure that the translation is seen by two different
experts (or more if it is proofread). But most translators
often work as both translator and editor. While the two
jobs are similar, they must be approached differently and
the translator must take on a slightly different mindset
while completing each task.

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Bibliography
[1] Bosco, St John. Memoirs of the Oratory of St Francis de
Sales, Salesiana Publishers, New Rochelle, 2010.
[2] Chávez, Pascual, “Inculturation of the Salesian Charism”,
Acts of the General Council 411, Rome, 16 August 2011.
[3] Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco. Formation of Sale-
sians of Don Bosco: Principles and Norms (Ratio Fun-
damentalis Institutionis et Studiorum), 4th Edition, Rome,
2016.
[4] Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco. Salesian Social Com-
munication System: Guidelines for the Salesian Congrega-
tion, 2nd Edition, SDB Publishers, Rome, 2011.
[5] Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco. Salesian Youth Min-
istry: Frame of Reference, 3rd Edition, Rome, 2011.
73

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
[6] Lemoyne, Giovanni Battista. The Biographical Memoirs of
St John Bosco, Vol 1, Salesiana Publishers, New Rochelle,
1965.
[7] Newmark, Peter. A Textbook of Translation Skills, first pub-
lished by Prentice Hall, Hertfordshore, 1988.
[8] Steiner, George. After Babel. Aspects of Language and Trans-
lation, Oxford University Press, 1975.
[9] Two internet resources:
The EAO
Salesian
Dictionary
&
Glossary
https://www.bosco.link/bosconet/eaogloss/eaogloss.html,
and Salesian Digital Library, http://sdl.sdb.org