Directionality in Collaborative Translation Processes

Pavlović, Nataša. (2007). Directionality in Collaborative Translation Processes. PhD Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of English Language and Literature. [mentor Hansen, Gyde and Pym, Anthony].

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Abstract

Translation into the second language (L2 translation) is a reality in many settings around the world, especially – but not exclusively – in those cultures that use a “language of limited diffusion”. Even translators whose mother tongue is one of the “major” languages are more and more frequently required to work out of their first language (L1) into English, the dominant language of the globalizing world. This makes L2 translation an increasingly important issue for the practitioner, and research on L2 translation a very relevant topic for Translation Studies. In the past, prescriptive approaches to translation denounced the practice of L2 translation as unprofessional or even impossible. As a result, L2 translation was until recently largely neglected both in translation theories and in research. Over the past ten to fifteen years, however, the number of studies dealing with L2 translation has been on the increase, with translation into the non-mother tongue even becoming the main topic of forums and conferences, and their subsequent publications (e.g. Kelly et al. 2003; Grosman et al 2000). The aim of this study is to compare L1 and L2 translation processes by novice translators, in order to isolate the features that differ significantly according to direction, with a view to improving translation teaching. To this end, the study sets out to test the following general hypothesis: “L1 and L2 translation display some differences that can be attributed to direction of translation”. More specifically, it is hypothesized that L1 and L2 translation differ not only in products, but also in some important aspects of translation processes. The following features are therefore selected as likely to be relevant: - The number and type of problems the subjects encounter; - The solutions they consider; - The ways in which they assess the solutions and make final decisions; - The resources they consult; - The actions/interactions they take; - The arguments they use in making decisions; - The quality of their final products. The study is set up as a set of experiments involving novice translators – university students who have just passed their final translation exam. All the subjects have Croatian as their first language L1, and have been learning English as their second language for at least 12 years. Two comparable general- language source texts, one in English and the other in Croatian, are used in the experiments. The method of data collection used in the experiments is the “collaborative translation protocol,” a type of verbal report obtained from collaborative (group) translation sessions. Four groups of three subjects are asked to translate the two texts, one into their L1 (L1 translation task) and the other into their L2 (L2 translation task). Collaborative translation (cf. Kiraly 2000a), albeit not typical of professional translation practice, is nevertheless used in educational settings, and has been part of the subjects’ translation training. The translation sessions are recorded by a digital video camera, and transcribed. Pre- and post-experiment questionnaires complement the data from the translation sessions. Control experiments aimed at comparing collaborative and individual translation are carried out with comparable subjects and involve choice network analysis (cf. Campbell 2001) and integrated problem and decision reports (cf. Gile 2004). Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are used to process the data. The findings are expected to be applicable in translation training, especially in settings where L2 translation is taught at university level.

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