Genre Analysis : Investigation of the Functions of Simple Present and Simple Past Tenses in Translator's Introduction

Abstract

The present paper aims to investigate the functions of tenses within the rhetorical moves of the translator's introduction collected from partial researches found in the Translation and Arabicization Unit in Khartoum University and written by M.A. Translation Program Students fulfilling the requirements of the M.A. in translation. It also aims to verify whether translator's introductions follow a certain tense aspect or not and how much tenses use and usage within moves coincide with Swales ( 1981b, 1985)and Bhatia ( 1993 ) Models . Concerning the data collection method , the sample of the study was collected randomly and manually consisting of 50 translator's introductions . As regards the data analysis method , the researcher used the qualitative method . He also employed the quantitative method and used the SPSS – 22 program to process the data .He sorted, coded and identified the tenses and categorized them in terms of form and functions depending on Swales genre Analysis model. The researcher came up with several results that can be summarized as follows. The results indicate that simple present tense performed certain functions in relation to and within certain moves. It frequented 34 times representing 58.62%to perform the function of a technical definition of translation. The simple present also recurred 40 times representing 93% to describe the rationale of selecting the book for the translation. Again the simple present occurred 7 times with the frequency of 38.89% to indicate the difficulties the translators encountered since they decided to select a book . For the function of describing the method of translation , the simple present frequented 20 times recording 46.51% .On the other hand the results indicate that simple past tense had certain uses in relation to and within moves. Concerning the definition move , simple past frequented 20 times representing 34.48% to state a historical background of translation . Difficulties relating to conceptual aspects within the definition move frequented 22 times reporting 37.93%. Moreover, simple past frequented 31 times registering 72.09% to show the action of the selection of the material to be translated. Again , as regards the method move , the results indicate the use of simple past frequented 3 times representing 6.98% to indicate the action of the selection of the method to be used in the translation , whereas the use of the past frequented 37 times recording 86.05% to express the steps adopted in the method of translation. In relation to the difficulty move, the past frequented 18 times with the percentage of 100% and the usage of simple past within such move showed no other uses.The researcher has observed the existence of a possible correlation between the functions of tenses and the steps of the moves therefore he recommends that further examination to be conducted on the steps which form the moves separately . The researcher also recommends that further investigation to be conducted on the relevance of tenses' functions to the steps of the moves.

Keywords: present, past, tense, move.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-3-06