Reverse Engineering

Ever since the establishment of Translation Studies as an independent academic discipline in 1970s, there has been ongoing debate about relationship between theory and practice, to which this paper aims make a modest practical contribution form novel procedure for textual analysis synthesis. Intellectual advances are often triggered by flashes inspiration suggest analogies that facilitate shifts perception focus that, turn, lead changes understanding. What is offered here may not be flash but is, at least, new analogy definition translation: kind engineering, specifically reverse engineering. Through lens RE, translation redefines itself mental-physical, two-phase, input-output process texts deconstructed (read understood) reconstructed (written) resemble originals copies them. This suggests model translating recognizes crucial role efficient reading realized straight-forward, simple revealing Procedure: mechanism expanding individual translator’s competence reader writer sharing increased expertise with others. The approach outlined here, Reverse Engineering (TARE), would exist insights from others, particular specific proposal Ali Darwish (2008) and, crucially, broad sweep Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), its view language purposeful social action (1978) more recent translation-oriented work Munday et al. (2008, 2021). Procedure described detail demonstrated deconstruction potential reconstruction three short texts. value lie way it facilitates translator becoming part his or her toolkit (to borrow Chesterman & Wagner’s 2002 term), perhaps, contributing bridging current gap practice.