Chapter One Introduction引言
将翻译作为一个产品进行了初步的研究，看作具体的、可触摸的。然而，考虑到翻译过程很少关注，产品逐渐出现。但最近有关于翻译的新的概念，例如，“翻译越来越被视为一个过程，是一种形式的行为”（切斯特曼，1993，p. 2）。这看起来在翻译，有关信息输入过程，其内在的思想过程和输出。然而，内部的器官不能直接观察到的作用机理。Translation has been primarily studied as a product that is concrete and easy totouch. However, little attention has been given to the translation process from which theproduct gradually emerges. But recently there have been new conceptions abouttranslation, for instance, “translation is increasingly seen as a process, as a form ofbehavior” (Chesterman, 1993, p. 2). This looks at translation as a process that concernsthe input of information, the inner thought process and the output. However, themechanism of the inner organ cannot be directly observed.Some previous achievements of the process research have been made founded onexperience and theories from other subjects such as linguistics, functionalist translationtheory and so on. Nevertheless, translation takes place in the human brain, and both theexperiential and theoretical perspective cannot disclose the psychological reality of thetranslation process. TAPs, borrowed from psychology and increasingly applied into thetranslation studies, is one method that is believed to demystify the thought process ofthe human brain.The thesis probes into the contrastive analysis of the C-E and the E-C translationprocess from the perspective of TAPs. http://www.ukassignment.org/ These brief opening remarks are followed by ashort but full introduction to TEM 8 translation, the outline of significance of thecurrent research, research methodology and data collection, research questions andstructure of the thesis.
1.1 An introduction to TEM 8 translationTEM 8翻译介绍
First administered in 1991, TEM 8 has been used for the evaluation of theadvanced stage of the college English teaching, i.e., the third and fourth year. The test isintended to ensure that test takers demonstrate the necessary English proficiency, andthat the teaching institutions meet the requirements stipulated in the teaching syllabus.Translation test is part of the whole test format, including the C-E translation andthe E-C translation. Its topic centers on society, economy and culture that is chosen fromliterary works or the periodical articles, which are familiar to the test takers.
1.2 Significance of the study研究意义
Compared with the rich output of research on translation as a product, the currentresearch concentrates on the less covered area---translation as a process with TAPs.“Stagnation in theory has made it necessary to expand the methodological perspective”(Wilss, 1982, p. 14). What is more, the translated version comes out of the translationprocess. And in this sense, the research on the product does not hit nail on the head.Only on the basis of empirical studies of the translation process, can hypotheses of whatgoes on in the translator’s mind be tested, refined and formed. Thus, light can be shedon translation as a psychological process which is still largely unknown anduninvestigated.Besides, the process research forms an inseparable part of the translation research.Holmes proposed that the translation studies should be established as an independentsubject in 1972, when the Third Convention of International Applied Linguistics washeld in Copenhagen. In his paper “The Name and Nature of Translation Studies”, heelaborated on the components of the translation studies as an independent subject. Hisoutline can be found in Toury (2001).Considering the arguments over the validity of TAPs itself, the current researchcan be said to be a trial to prove the effectiveness and usefulness of the method. As longas the external and relevant factors are adequately controlled, it turns out that TAPs canproduce abundant protocols.By tracing the cognitive processes of translators at work, it is possible to uncovertheir problem-solving and decision-making moves and strategies in translating.Therefore, it is hoped that some suggestions can be made for the TEM 8 translationdesign, teaching and learning, one of the large-scale and high-stakes tests that areimplemented in China but do not catch so much attention as CET.
1.3 Research questions研究问题
Translation process involves finding solutions to problems one encounters duringthe process. Is there any similarity and difference between the C-E translation and theE-C translation? The unit of translation and translation strategy concern the studenttranslator most; therefore, the existing research selects these two aspects as the researchtopic.In general, the current research is carried out through the contrastive analysis of theC-E and E-C translation process of TEM 8 testees. To be concrete, the thesis centers onthe following questions:1) What does the translation process in general look like?2) What similarity and difference can be found in the translation strategy betweenC-E and E-C translation?3) What similarity and difference can be found in the translation unit between C-Eand E-C translation?
1.4 Research methodology and data collectionThe existing study研究方法和数据收集
, methodologically speaking, is a qualitative research. However,it does not exclude the quantitative analysis of the protocols elicited. To be specific, theresearch methods adopted in the current research contain TAPs and case study.TAPs has been one of the empirical methods used in the investigation of thepsychological aspect of the translation process. Participants who face the task ofproducing a translation are asked to say aloud whatever comes into their minds whilethey are working on it. Their verbalizations are recorded and then meticulouslyanalyzed.Apart from that, the case study is resorted to with the hope of enriching theresearch result. Testee 1 and Testee 2 are picked up from all the valid seven as thesubject for the case study.1.5 Structure of the thesisThe structure is to the whole thesis what bone is to body. The organization of thethesis plays a significant role in conveying thought and content. This thesis can bedivided into five chapters, each with its special task to perform as shown below.Chapter 1 gives an overview of the current research which helps catch a glimpse ofthe whole thesis. It covers an introduction to TEM 8 translation, significance of thecurrent research, research methodology and data collection, research questions andstructure of the thesis.Chapter 2 moves on to the literature review of the previous studies on thetranslation process which assists establish the rationale of the current research. Thereview is conducted through the experiential, the theoretical and the empiricalperspective.Chapter 3 provides the methodological framework of the existing research. Itexplains in detail TAPs itself and how the current research is carried out step by step.Chapter 4 focuses on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the TAPs. Thequalitative analysis is primarily conducted through the case study of Testee 1 and Testee2, while the quantitative analysis is based on the statistics of the protocols produced byall the 7 testees.Chapter 5 finally summarizes the main findings of the present research, and itslimitations and implications are also elaborated on.
Chapter Five Conclusions结论
在前四章，笔者努力探讨翻译过程的对比分析。提出本文的技术之前，研究人员将再次向读者提出问题：1）一般是什么样子的翻译过程？2）什么的相似性和差异性可以在英汉互译的翻译策略发现？3）什么的相似性和差异性可以在英汉互译的翻译单位发现？五章，论文的最后一部分，总结了主要的发现，局限性影响的研究。In the previous four chapters, the author has made painstaking efforts to exploreinto the contrastive analysis of the translation process. Before presenting the researchresult of the thesis, the researcher will once again brief the reader on the researchquestions:1) What does the translation process in general look like?2) What similarity and difference can be found in the translation strategy betweenC-E and E-C translation?3) What similarity and difference can be found in the translation unit between C-Eand E-C translation?Chapter five, the last part of the thesis, summarizes main findings, limitations andimplications of the current research.
5.1 Primary findings最初的发现
The current research has made the following findings:The qualitative analysis shows that the translation process in general is non-linearbut recursive. It is not the novel finding of the current research but the furthertestification.In terms of UT, 1) the participant intends to deal with the translation at the higherUT of SC and SS, while the translation process ends up at the lower level of OW andOP. 2) The number of SUT in C-E translation is a little bit more than that in E-Ctranslation, whereas the number of OUT in C-E translation is much less than that of theOUT in E-C translation. 3) SP consists of the majority of the SUT in C-E translation andSC in E-C translation, though the proportion in the latter is not so prominent. However,OW makes up the largest part of the OUT in both kinds of translation.In terms of ST, 1) there is no obvious difference in the use of ST1-ST2, ST3,ST5-ST6, ST7, ST9 and ST13. 2) different strategy patterns appear in the translationprocess, ST18/ST15-ST11 pattern in the C-E translation process, and theST17/ST11-ST19 pattern in the E-C translation process. 3) The first five strategies oftranslation in the former are ST11, ST18, ST19, ST15 and ST21, while the last five areST10, ST14, ST20, ST4 and ST9. By contrast, strategies like ST11, ST17, ST19, ST18and ST12 rank the first five in the E-C translation; whereas ST10, ST14, ST4, ST15 andST20 rank the last five. 4) ST4, ST10 and ST14 have never been applied in the E-Ctranslation, while ST10 alone is not visible in the C-E translation. 5) In both types oftranslation, ST11 forms the most frequently adopted strategy. 6) ST12, ST17 and ST19are used more frequently in the E-C translation than in the C-E translation. Itdemonstrates that it is easier for the testees to monitor the production of the translatedversion, make corrections and automatically produce the translation in the E-Ctranslation when the target language is his or her mother tongue. It is another case forST16, even though the mother tongue acts as the target language. It is adopted moreoften in the C-E translation than otherwise. In the C-E translation when the mothertongue works as the source language, the participant tends to paraphrase the source text.The point can be testified by the use of ST15, 54 in number and 9% in percent in theC-E translation and 5 in number and no more than 1% in percent in the oppositetranslation. 7) In terms of ST18, the proportion in the C-E translation process is morethan 2% higher than that in the E-C translation.
5.2 Limitations and implications局限性和含义
No research comes without drawbacks. The researcher has made the utmost effortsto keep the research full and objective on the one hand, but on the other, he has to admitthat the research itself is imperfect.First, even though the current research in general is a qualitative study, it has to beacknowledged that the sample is not large enough. The number of participants is only 7.Second, the protocols coding and analysis such as UT and ST classificationinevitably carry the subjective feature. However, the author has made efforts to keepthem as objective as possible.Third, the intercoder reliability is not put into this research. It is owing to the factthat it is difficult to find another peer or teacher to tackle the complicated TAPs.Fourth, the contrastive analysis of the translation process is made from the microview of only two aspects of UT and ST. http://www.ukassignment.org/ As a matter of fact, the translation processinvolves a multitude of other factors such as translation brief, affection, etc.These are the drawbacks coming with the thesis. The future studies are advised to beundergone from a larger perspective such as larger samples, more translation aspects.Moreover, efforts should be made to improve TAPs itself.
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