Translation variability in a multiple parallel corpus as evidence for cognitive processes
(2023) Seminar series of the Center for English Corpus Linguistics — Location: Université catholique de Louvain (15.May.2023)
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- Abstract
- My research aims to understand the cognitive factors that shape translator choices. While most such research uses process methods, I here present a complementary corpus approach. Unlike traditional parallel corpora (which contain one translation for each source text), the multiple solutions in a “multiple translation corpus” can provide a probabilistic overview of translator choices, which in turn may help to elucidate underlying cognitive and linguistic factors. Recent compilation of the Multilingual Student Translation (MUST) corpus provides an exciting new opportunity to examine the potential of this underexplored approach. The present study concerns French translations of English noun sequences (e.g., disaster relief program coordinator → coordinateur du programme d'aide en cas de catastrophe). These common constructions pose significant challenges for translation into French, in part because potentially ambiguous relationships between constituents, which are implicit in English, often need to be stated explicitly in French. My qualitative description of translation solutions observed in MUST reveals variation at three structural levels (main constituents, linking prepositions, and surface grammar). I will illustrate how this variation can indicate different aspects of translators’ interpretations of source ambiguity. In addition, I present results of a quantitative analysis of factors that lead to increased translation variability (i.e., a higher number of different solutions for a given source instance). Finally, I discuss the results of this preliminary study in the broader context of my current PhD project, by viewing them in the framework of two cognitive models of translation (Halverson’s revised “gravitational pull” model and the horizontal/vertical model). I hope this discussion will stimulate many fruitful comments and suggestions!
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Prinzie, T. (2023). Translation variability in a multiple parallel corpus as evidence for cognitive processes. Seminar series of the Center for English Corpus Linguistics, Université catholique de Louvain. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/238367