Interpreting Research and the 'Manipulation School' of Translation Studies

This article examines, explains and puts into perspective what others have dubbed the ‘Manipulation School’. This group of scholars see themselves as working within descriptive translation studies (DTS), as defined by Holmes (1975), and their main methodological tool is a search for translational norms, first proposed by Toury (1980a). The article then explores how these ideas relate to current research on interpreting - especially Gile’s work - and it concludes that, with certain modifications, the theory of translational norms could be extended to interpreting

Introduction to Thematic Section on Interpreting Research

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Translation for language purpose: Preliminary results of an experimental study of translation and picture verbalization

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An Exploratory Study of Translational Norms in Simultaneous Interpreting: Methodological Reflections

This paper discusses some possibilities that the theory of translational norms (Toury 1980) may offer in connection with research into simultaneous interpreting. After a brief discussion of the concept of translational norms, I explore how this concept may be useful in interpreting research in general. I then proceed to discuss and criticize the set-up of my own project on simultaneous interpreting and translation - especially how progressive aspect was originally used as a focus of analysis. I conclude by demonstrating how the theory of translational norms has been a useful methodological tool in the analysis of my data. One result is the discovery that certain translational norms seem to be peculiar to simultaneous interpreting - for instance norms regarding what one ought to do in connection with capacity saturation

Simultantolkning: Empirisk undersøgelse af måltekst/udgangstekst-relationer - sammenfatning på dansk af ph.d.-afhandling

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Investigating SI Skills: Methodological and didactic reflections

The paper presents and discusses an empirical study of simultaneous interpreting (SI) between English and Danish, carried out with a view to improving the SI teaching situation. Since the study is still in its preliminary stages, the paper focusses on methodological and didactic reflections.One important hypothesis is that the main difference between SI and non-literary translation (herafter referred to as "translation") is to be found in transmission conditions and process rather than in objective. The paper gives the rationale of this hypothesis and, by means of examples from the empirical data, tries to examine its truth-value.For methodological and diagnostic reasons, the study concentrates on the rendition of progressive "meaning" in English and Danish. The paper explains how the subjects' mastry of progressive aspect, which is realized in very different ways in the two languages, may be used as on indicator for the communicative adequacy of their target texts (herefter referred to as TTs)

Translation-Memory (TM) Research: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?

It is no exaggeration to say that the advent of translation-memory (TM) systems in the translation profession has led to drastic changes in translators’ processes and workflow, and yet, though many professional translators nowadays depend on some form of TM system, this has not been the object of much research. Our paper attempts to find out what we know about the nature, applications and influences of TM technology, including translators’ interaction with TMs, and also how we know it. An essential part of the analysis is based on a selection of empirical TM studies, which we assume to be representative of the research field as a whole. Our analysis suggests that, while considerable knowledge is available about the technical side of TMs, more research is needed to understand how translators interact with TM technology and how TMs infl uence translators’ cognitive translation processes

Mapping Translation Technology Research in Translation Studies. An Introduction to the Thematic Section

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Précis-writing, Revision and Editing: Piloting the European Master in Translation

The paper reports on and discusses the authors’ development of and experience with Précis-writing, revision and editing, a pilot module developed especially for the European Master in Translation (EMT). The background, aim and important characteristics of the EMT are briefly explained. Inspired by the IAMLADP report from 2001, the module development included an exploratory survey of the translation industry internationally and in Denmark, employing web-based questionnaires supplemented by a focus-group interview with translator-editors of the European Commission. Our findings generated knowledge about professional précis-writing, revision and editing, including relevant norms and concepts. It also provided useful input on perceived training needs in this respect within the translation profession. The module development also comprised selecting a suitable theoretical foundation and designing a manageable course structure. Students’ written evaluations of a course taught in the spring of 2005 are summarized, and the paper concludes with the authors’ recommendations for others involved in university-level translator training.Dans cet article, les auteurs rendent compte de leur expérience du module pilote Précis-writing, revision and editing (Contraction, révision et édition de textes), qui a été mis au point dans le cadre du European Master in Translation (EMT). Les origines, les objectifs et les caractéristiques du EMT sont brièvement passés en revue. La mise au point du module, inspiré par le rapport IAMLADP de 2001, comprenait une étude exploratoire de l’industrie de la traduction, tant sur le plan international que national. L’étude a été réalisée au moyen d’un questionnaire en ligne, et a été complétée par une entrevue focalisée de traducteurs-éditeurs de la Commission européenne. Les résultats obtenus ont fourni des informations détaillées sur la pratique de la contraction, la révision et l’édition des textes professionnels, et ont permis de dégager un ensemble de normes et de concepts pertinents. L’étude a en outre contribué à identifier les besoins de formation professionnelle dans les métiers de la traduction. La mise au point du module a impliqué la constitution d’une base théorique appropriée et la mise en place d’un cadre didactique et pédagogique. Les évaluations des étudiants sur un cours donné au printemps 2005 sont résumées, et l’article se conclut sur des recommandations utiles pour l’évolution de la formation universitaire des traducteurs