Target. International Journal of Translation Studies - Volume 33, Issue 1, 2021

Abstract

The concept of a cognitive map has been borrowed from psychology by literary scholars to denote the mental representation of the spatial layout of (a) storyworld(s). The classic Chinese novel 紅樓夢 Hongloumeng ‘The Story of the Stone’ (also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber) is particularly well-known for its topographic representation of a storyworld of self-contained totality and detailed veracity. Using David Hawkes’s English translation of the novel and various materials from his notebooks, this article demonstrates the translator’s (mental) cartographic effort to conjure up ‘maps in mind’ in response to the textual spatial cues. I argue that Hawkes’s cognitive maps offer explanations to some translational performances that have been too readily glossed over as insignificant. The article also aims to chart a new path forward for systematic investigation into the significance of the translator’s imaginative participation in ‘the world inside the text’, for the sake of an enriched understanding of translation, both as a product and a process.

Abstract

This study explores the coordination between subtitles and other semiotic resources in films, from within a systemic functional semiotic framework. The paper focuses on the subtitling of interjections (e.g., ‘oh’, ‘wow’, ‘yay’) to examine how subtitles are synthesized in films with respect to the presence of facial expressions and/or bodily gestures which might be perceived as conveying similar meanings. The analysis of multiple versions of intralingual subtitles of two English-language films shows that the seemingly random omission of soundtrack interjections from subtitles is patterned to a considerable degree – those interjections which are concurrent with semiotically correlated actions were frequently omitted. The findings suggest that subtitling is a complex process involving synergy between subtitles and other semiotic resources, which calls for interdisciplinary research integrating translation, multimodality, and linguistics.

Abstract

This article explores the role of the affective in interpreting in intractable conflicts. Drawing on the results of a participatory research project exploring the lived experiences of civilian interpreters and Spanish military personnel who worked in Afghanistan, the article argues that emotions shape the interpreter’s behaviour and have an impact on the interpreter’s positionality. There are differences, however, between national and local interpreters, which stem from their previous experiences and how these have shaped their understanding of the conflict. This has also led them to develop different attitudes that influence their perception and interpretation of reality. Accepting that emotions do exist and that they influence the interpreter’s decisions and behaviour should inform the design of tailored training programmes. The key aspects of a well-informed training programme are therefore not limited to language and culture, professionalism and ethics, and military competencies, but also include awareness about the role of emotions.

Abstract

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) has been proposed as a means to enhance state-of-the-art computer-assisted interpreting (CAI) tools and to allow machine-learning techniques to enter the workflow of professional interpreters. In this article, we test the usefulness of real-time transcription with number highlighting of a source speech for simultaneous interpreting using InterpretBank ASR. The system’s precision is high (96%) and its latency low enough to fit interpreters’ ear–voice span (EVS). We evaluate the potential benefits among first-time users of this technology by applying an error matrix and by investigating the users’ subjective perceptions through a questionnaire. The results show that the ASR provision improves overall performance for almost all number types. Interaction with the ASR support is varied and participants consult it for just over half of the stimuli. The study also provides some evidence of the psychological benefits of ASR availability and of overreliance on ASR support.

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of word order asymmetry between source language and target language on cognitive load during Chinese–English sight translation. Twenty-five MA students of translation from a Hong Kong university were asked to sight translate sentences with different degrees of between-language structural asymmetry from Chinese into English, in both single-sentence and discourse context conditions. Their eye movements were recorded to examine cognitive load during sight translation. The results show: (1) There was a significant effect of word order asymmetry on overall cognitive load as indicated by the considerably longer dwell times and more frequent fixations for the asymmetric sentences, but it was only during the later-processing stage that structural asymmetry exerted a strong influence on local processing in terms of first fixation duration and regression path duration; (2) the role of context in offsetting the asymmetry effect was very limited; and (3) although reordering may place a greater burden on working memory, most participants preferred reordering over segmentation to cope with the asymmetric structures. The empirical data point to the need to consider word order asymmetry as a variable in theoretical accounts of the interpreting process, especially for interpreting between languages that are structurally very different.

Abstract

This study explores the potential effects of musical congruence and incongruence on translation quality and creativity. An experiment was carried out in which participants translated excerpts from happy and sad narratives while they listened to source-text congruent and incongruent soundtracks. Statistical analyses were performed to compare translation performance under three different sound conditions: musical congruence, musical incongruence, and silence. The results reveal a positive influence of congruent musical stimuli on translation creativity. Correlations are also found between levels of empathy and creativity, suggesting that an increase in translation creativity under the effects of music could be mediated by reported high levels of empathy under the musical congruence condition.

This article reviews The Neurocognition of Translation and Interpreting

This article reviews Linguistic and Psychological Indicators of Stress in Simultaneous Interpreting

This article reviews Contrebande littéraire et culturelle à la belle époque. Le « hard labour » de Georges Eekhoud entre Anvers, Paris et Bruxelles