Theoretical aspects of the translation of scientific and technical texts

Abstract

This article outlines the main theoretical differences involved in translating scientific and technical texts. It summarises the challenges encountered when translating texts of this nature. Various styles of language use are presented, and the structural features of the scientific and technical style are examined. The authors emphasise the importance of employing the scientific and technical style. The scientific and technical style refers to a formal style of language, which serves both written and spoken communication. The foundations of the linguistic functioning of scientific and technical texts are standardisation, syntactic completeness of the statement, the presence of analytical constructions, the frequent use of set phrases (mainly the nominal nature of the morphological components of the sentence), an extensive system of connecting elements, etc. Translating technical documents not only requires essential knowledge of translation but also takes into account the national characteristics of the instruction texts in the source language. The translator must develop a specific style whilst adapting the instructions to the standards of the target audience and striving to remain distinctive in the industrial market. This aspect is particularly relevant when translating instructions from English into Ukrainian. Significant emphasis is placed on certain quality rules for the translation of scientific and technical texts. There are three types of stylistic errors that undermine the text’s clarity: incorrect logical emphasis within a sentence, the lack of structure in sentences, and the formation of poor connections between words. By overcoming these shortcomings, the translator is likely to achieve clarity in the translation.