BSTD 810: MA Thesis

The thesis will be a translation of a previously untranslated text and should have an appropriate introduction that puts the text and its translation into the appropriate historical, doctrinal, and literary context. By April 30th of the first year of study in the MA program, the student must submit a Thesis Proposal (approx. 1,500 – 1,800 words), developed in collaboration with the Thesis Supervisor, for approval by the Graduate Committee at CBS. In order to proceed to the third semester of study it is a requirement that this committee approves the thesis proposal.

This course is a bi-weekly workshop in which students will exchange translations of the texts they are working on for their thesis and discuss other translations of related material when relevant. By the beginning of the fall semester, students should have draft translations of a significant portion of their thesis texts to share with the class. The aims of this workshop are to: 1) provide structure and accountability at the early stages of the thesis project, 2) give students an opportunity to discuss their own texts/genres and the specific challenges of translating these, 3) create an opportunity for students to learn from each other’s work and understanding, 4) identify and articulate specific solutions and strategies for themselves and future translators, and 5) polish the grammar, style and clarity of their translations. Discussions will focus primarily on the specifics of translation while also keeping in view larger concerns of method and theory. Students will be responsible for distributing and presenting their own translations and other relevant material, reading and commenting on classmates’ translations in advance of seminar meetings, and compiling a digest of key translation problems and solutions related to their texts.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of the first year of the MA.

This course involves independent reading in the genre of the text chosen for the thesis to familiarize students with the vocabulary, idioms and conventions of that genre. Students also do secondary reading on such topics as history, philosophy, philology, anthropology, and textual criticism as it relates to their chosen texts. Student are guided in their reading by the Thesis Supervisor and, during bi-weekly meetings, they discuss key points of the texts being read as it relates to translation issues and examine the student’s understanding of the content of the texts.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of the first year of the MA.

This course is a translation workshop where students bring their translations for critique and comment from the faculty member (an experienced translator) and their fellow students. Issues of accuracy, clarity, concision, readability, and suitability are considered and discussed. A suitable text is selected and translated by the entire class. In addition to sessions where students’ translations are analyzed and critiqued, the history of the text and its place in the overall cultural and religious history of the tradition are discussed and analyzed in plenum with the faculty member and other students.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of BSTD 707: Translation Workshop I

This course is a translation workshop where students bring their translations for critique and comment from the faculty member (an experienced translator) and their fellow students. Issues of accuracy, clarity, concision, readability, and suitability are considered and discussed. A suitable text is selected and translated by the entire class. In addition to sessions where students’ translations are analyzed and critiqued, the history of the text and its place in the overall cultural and religious history of the tradition are discussed and analyzed in plenum with the faculty member and other students.

Prerequisites

None.

The Methodology Seminars are courses on translation method and include discussion of issues such as target language style, audience, translation policy, cultural context, variant meanings, consistency in usage, issues in translation studies and handling translation problems. Also discussed in these courses are the methodological issues involved in translating religious texts in general and Buddhist texts in particular. The courses introduce the student to the field of Translation Studies while making use of specific case studies to analyze translation methods of particular relevance to the translation of Buddhist texts, with an emphasis on texts written in Sanskrit and Tibetan. The courses develop the ability of the graduate student to engage in critical scholarship and research in the field of Translation Studies.

Prerequisites

The previous course in the series.

The Methodology Seminars are courses on translation method and include discussion of issues such as target language style, audience, translation policy, cultural context, variant meanings, consistency in usage, issues in translation studies and handling translation problems. Also discussed in these courses are the methodological issues involved in translating religious texts in general and Buddhist texts in particular. The courses introduce the student to the field of Translation Studies while making use of specific case studies to analyze translation methods of particular relevance to the translation of Buddhist texts, with an emphasis on texts written in Sanskrit and Tibetan. The courses develop the ability of the graduate student to engage in critical scholarship and research in the field of Translation Studies.

Prerequisites

The previous course in the series.

The Methodology Seminars are courses on translation method and include discussion of issues such as target language style, audience, translation policy, cultural context, variant meanings, consistency in usage, issues in translation studies and handling translation problems. Also discussed in these courses are the methodological issues involved in translating religious texts in general and Buddhist texts in particular. The courses introduce the student to the field of Translation Studies while making use of specific case studies to analyze translation methods of particular relevance to the translation of Buddhist texts, with an emphasis on texts written in Sanskrit and Tibetan. The courses develop the ability of the graduate student to engage in critical scholarship and research in the field of Translation Studies.

Prerequisites

None.

These courses are readings undertaken by students individually with the help of a Sanskrit Instructor. The texts read in this course are normally classical texts from the Sanskrit literary traditions but may include other traditions and genres of Sanskrit literature relevant for understanding Buddhist texts in their South Asian context. The courses are designed to help students develop the ability to read, interpret and translate complex Buddhist material in Sanskrit. Students write papers in which they reflect on the methodology of interpretation and translation as it relates to the Buddhist tradition and in light of modern disciplines of philology and interpretation. This course option is recommended only for students who are already reading classical Tibetan at an advanced level.

Prerequisites

Completion of BSTD 703: Advanced Buddhist Readings I – Sanskrit.

These courses are readings undertaken by students individually with the help of a Sanskrit Instructor. The texts read in this course are normally classical texts from the Sanskrit literary traditions but may include other traditions and genres of Sanskrit literature relevant for understanding Buddhist texts in their South Asian context. The courses are designed to help students develop the ability to read, interpret and translate complex Buddhist material in Sanskrit. Students write papers in which they reflect on the methodology of interpretation and translation as it relates to the Buddhist tradition and in light of modern disciplines of philology and interpretation. This course option is recommended only for students who are already reading classical Tibetan at an advanced level.

Prerequisites

Prior Sanskrit study.

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