Seeing scientists' voices: Towards a 'grammar' of scientific translation?

This paper seeks to illustrate how Halliday’s analysis of the language of science as a syndrome of features can be used to develop a “grammar” of scientific translation. While systemic-functional grammar has been frequently used for the purposes of translating in general, Halliday’s work on the language of science is mainly referred to in the description of special languages, but is not applied consistently in scientific translation. First, Halliday’s contribution to the discussion of issues in translation and the language of science will be outlined against the backdrop of current studies in both areas. Second, it will be argued that Halliday’s syndrome of features in the language of science proposes a dynamic model of interrelated characteristics that can provide a holistic approach to the problems of scientific translation. Third, these features will be described and illustrated through a series of examples taken from a corpus of nuclear/particle physics. A dynamic grammar of the language of science can thus be fruitfully employed together with other frameworks of analysis to provide a holistic view of problems in the translation of science.