Cohesion and coherence in translation theory and pedagogy

Abstract

This paper attempts to call attention to the role of cohesion and coherence in translation, and makes suggestions for introducing those concepts into tertiary translation instruction. Theoretical grounding and basic understandings open the study. A discussion of thematic progression in texts follows, leading to that of the relationship between cohesion and coherence. Sample passages translated from English into Chinese illustrate how some shifts in cohesion and coherence necessarily occur. Although the former is overt and interlingual while the latter is covert and rhetorical, the two kinds of shifts are often intertwined, and covert coherence may in fact be altered by manipulating textual components, either overtly tied to the level of syntax or covertly tied to that of lexis. Further discussion and additional examples demonstrate how shifts could be recognised, and how shifts could sometimes be made to serve the interests of translation equivalence. The paper concludes with the implications that the capability to manipulate cohesion and coherence has for both instructor and learner, and points out the broader benefits it brings to the translation curriculum.