Zum Problem der Übersetzung nichtterminologischer Lexik im fachsprachlichen Kontext: Ein Beitrag zur Fachtextpragmatik aus translatorischer Sicht

When translating scientific and other nonfictional texts that make use of language for special purpose (LSP; Fachsprache), the focus lies usually on the correct translation of the subject-specific terms into the target language. However, this perspective – which appears to be natural due to the traditional fixation of LSP linguistics on terminology – overlooks a central problem: The translation of non-terminological vocabulary that has special meanings or nuances in the LSP context and/or is subject to pragmatic restrictions. This is all the more true the more the respective language usage is characterized by subject-specific idioms and metaphors, i.e. not least in the LSP of the arts and humanities. The article examines this basic problem using the example of the language pair German-Finnish and the subject area of music. Translations of specialized texts on art music from different stylistic periods of the 20th century are examined with regard to the attempts to find an adequate translation of non-terminological vocabulary that takes into account technical idioms and LSP pragmatics. In addition to the analysis of typical examples, the approach of a classificatory systematization of the described problem is undertaken, with the perspective of transferability to other subject areas.