What is it about?
Both translating and paraphrasing require expressing the same or similar sense in different words. When we translate we express the same meaning in a different language and when we paraphrase we express the same meaning but in different wording in the same language. We explain that both tasks require that we understand the original meaning and put it in different words. In our experiment we measure which task is more demanding for professional translators.
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Why is it important?
Although Jakobson (1959) explained that translating is also done within the same language (intralingual translation, i.e. paraphrasing, rewording) not only across languages (interlingual translation) not much, if any, empirical research has investigated and compared the two kinds of translation in a controlled experiment. Our study fills the niche in empirical research and shows that both tasks are carried out in the same stages but the effort needed to translate is much larger because when translating we have to switch between two different languages. We use modern tools such as eye-tracking and key-logging to measure mental effort in both tasks.
Perspectives
Reporting on research done within a grant project funded by the National Science Centre Poland has allowed me to express and empirically validate my longstanding belief that translating is a broad concept and also refers to reformulating the same meaning for a different purpose and/or audience but in the same language. Being able to explain my research in plain language is exactly the same kind of exercise. This means that translating, in the most general sense is a universal human skill, but more effort is needed when we translate across language barriers. Our study shows that this is also the case for experienced professional translators who can transfer their expertise to paraphrasing in the same language.
Professor Boguslawa Whyatt
Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Similar and different: cognitive rhythm and effort in translation and paraphrasing, Poznan Studies in Contemporary Linguistics, January 2016, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/psicl-2016-0007.
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