Comparing the participants’ drafts and revisions, translators seemed to adopt some of these speedy production strategies more when they translated Text 2 than when they translated Text 1.
1. Delaying the response/(Skipping the message and translating it later). The same
discrepancy remains between the translators and the interpreters. The latter still adopt this strategy more than the former. Below is an in the present experiment produced already more or less complete translation in their drafts, the interpreters relatively adopted this strategy more. Below is an example comparing Participants 006 (translator) and 004 (interpreter) (see
Table 42).
While the translator translated every bit of information even in the drafting phase, Participant 004 did not translate “in search of personal gain” in the drafting phase. S/he translated it as “謀求益處” (literally “seeking benefits”) in the revising phase.
Table 42. Comparing Translations of Participants 006 and 004
ParticipantID
Text (including typos)
Original Text
Caring is something that should flow honestly from the heart, from a true sense of concern for others, not from the head, where one puts forth a robotic, intellectual effort to fake caring in search of personal gain.
Draft 006 關心應該是發自內心的，出自對於他人的真實關懷，而不是經
過考慮而來，為了一己之私，經過算計、機械式地表達假關心。
004 關懷應該是要誠摯發自內心，真心地牽掛著他人，不是機斤斤
計較工於悉心計地假情假意。
Revision 006 關心應該是發自內心的，出自對於他人的真實關懷，而不是經
過算計而來，為了一己之私，機械式地、費盡心機表達假關心。
004 關懷應該要誠摯發自內心，真心惦記著他人，而不是凡事計
較，為謀求益處而工於心計假意關懷。
2. Consulting documents readily accessible/(Researching for information, such as consulting reference books, doing online research, etc.). The design of the experiment
forbade any access to external resources and hence this strategy is not possible during the process.3. Replacing a segment with a superordinate term or a more general speech segment/Abstraction change. Overall, this strategy does not seem common in the
participants’ drafts and revisions, but still the interpreters seemed to adopt it more than the translators. Below is an example comparing Participants 002 (translator) and 026 (interpreter) (see Table 43).While the former translated “when they believe you care about them” as “一旦對方感受 到關懷” (literally “once they feel/sense [your] care”), the latter translated it as “真誠待人”
(“becauserely treat people”). Both translations showed certain degree of abstraction although the interpreter still seems a bit more abstract than the translator.
Table 43. Comparing Translations of Participants 002 and 026
ParticipantID
Text (including typos)
Original Text
People respond positively when they believe you care about them.
They want to be around you, to be your friend, to do business with you.
Draft 002 一旦對方感受到＿釋出＿關懷，對方＿也ｒｕ．４＿就會報以
正向回應，會想接近你˙當你的朋友，或和你談生意。
026 真誠待人，人也會真誠待你。大家自然就會想跟你做朋友或談
生意。
Revision 002 一旦對方感受到關懷，就會報以正向回應，會想接近你、當你 的朋友，或和你談生意。
026 真誠待人，人也會真誠待你；這樣大家自然就會想跟你做朋友
或談生意。
4. Explaining or paraphrasing/Paraphrase. Both of the interpreters and the
translators seem to adopt this strategy to the same degree. Below is an example comparing how Participants 020 (translator) and 004 (interpreter) translate the quote, “if you care, you are there.” The translator rendered it as “如果你關心，你就成功了” (“if you care, you are successful”) while the interpreter translated it as “關懷就會成功” (“care, and [you] succeed”) (see Table 44).Table 44. Comparing Translations of Participants 020 and 004
ParticipantID
Text (including typos)
Original Text
Even now I still carry around a quote from a book I read a long time ago. It says, simply, “if you care, you are there.”
Draft 020 很久以前我讀過一本書,到現在我都還會引用書中的一
句話.那句話很簡單;'如果你 ej0 vup 關心在乎,你就成功 了.'
004 直到現在我身上都還帶著很久以前在書上唱讀到的一段
話：如果你付出關懷，心在了人也在。
Revision 020 很久以前我讀過一本書，到現在我都還會引用書中的一
句話。那句話很簡單：如果你關心，你就成功了。
004 直到現在我身上都還帶著很久以前在書上讀到的一段
話，言簡意賅：關懷就會成功。
5. Reproducing the sound heard in the source-language speech/(Leaving it as it is and translating it later). None of the participants’ drafts or revisions show a sign of this
strategy presumably because the source texts are easy to translate.6. “Instant naturalization”/Loan, calque. This only happens between a pair of
languages based on the same system, such as English and French, or Chinese and Japanese.Hence, the researcher did not find any example in the participants’ drafts and revisions.
7. Transcoding/Loan, calque. The researcher did not find specific examples for this
strategy in the participants’ drafts and revisions presumably because the source texts consist of easy-to-understand contents with a simple vocabulary, and hence the participants did not have to resort to this strategy.8. Form-based interpreting/Literal translation. Overall, both groups of the
participants used a lot of this strategy, i.e. their translations largely follow the order of words in the source texts, but the interpreters still adopted more of this strategy than the translators did. Below is an example comparing Participants 009 (translator) and 019 (interpreter) (seeTable 45).
The translator’s translation is more form-based compared to his/her translation of Text 1. It should be noted that his/her revision is more more-based than his draft. Overall, the two participants’ drafts and revisions shown below are both very form-based, although the interpreter is still slightly more so.
Table 45. Comparing Translations of Participants 015 and 019
ParticipantID
Text (including typos)
Original Text
The great philosophers spend their whole lives asking deep questions about the meaning of life, morality, truth and so on.
Draft 015 偉大的哲學家終其一生都在探尋深層 深刻問題的答案，像是
生命的意義為何，道德、真實的意義又為何等等。
019 偉大的哲學家終其一生都在思者考深刻的問題,，像是人生的
意義’‵’，道德，真理等等。
Revision 015 偉大的哲學家終其一生都在發問深刻問題，像是生命、道德、
真實的意義為何等等。
019 偉大的哲學家終其一生都在思考深刻的問題，像是人生的意
義、道德、真理等等。
9. Referring delegates to another information source /Visibility changes (notes, glasses, etc.). The researcher did not find any specific example that suggests the adoption of
this strategy, presumably because both pieces of the source text do not pose particular untranslatability that might need this strategy.10. Omitting the content of a speech segment/Partial translation. While the
translators seem to have adopted this strategy more when translating Text 2, the interpreters still obvious adopt it more. Below is an example comparing Participant 032 (translator) and 026 (interpreter). While the translator has decides to leave “a long time” and “simply”unexplicitated, the interpreter left out “even now,” “from a book,” and “simply” (see Table
46).
Table 46. Comparing Translations of Participants 032 and 026
ParticipantID
Text (including typos)
Original Text
Even now I still carry around a quote from a book I read a long time ago. It says, simply, “if you care, you are there.”
Draft 032 我以前在書上讀過一句話我到現在都還記得,上面 ru.就寫
道:[如果你真的關心,你就到場.]
026 我謹記一句很久以前讀到的話：「關心，參與。」
Revision 032 我以前在書上讀過一句話，我到現在都還銘記心頭。上面是這
樣寫的：「若你真的關心，就到場出席。」
026 我謹記一句很久以前讀到的話：「不僅在乎，更要實地付出。」
When translating Text 2, the translators also tended to adopt more of the other two strategies preferred by the interpreting in Text 1’s translation.
1. Use spoken expressions when acceptable. Below is an example comparing the Text
2 translations of Participants 006 (translator) and 022 (interpreter). While Participant 006 used more literary expressions and Participant 022 used more spoken ones when translating Text 1, the former now used mostly spoken expressions when translating Text .Table 47. Comparing Translations of Participants 006 and 022
ParticipantID
Text (including typos)
Original Text
I am not speaking of false caring, or a situation where a person pretends to care about you so she can get something from you. An individual might be able to bluff for a while, but, in any meaningful, long-term relationship, such behavior will be discovered—and the consequences won’t be pretty. Nor should they be.
Draft 006 我所說的關心並不是，或者某個人為了得到某些好處而假意親
近你。偽裝也許可以持續一段時間，但若就任何長遠的關係來 看，如此的行為終究會被發現，而且結果通常不會太好，也不 應該。
022 我說的關心不是虛情假意，更不是為了要謀求別人給你好處。
這種人騙得了一時，騙不了一世，而且屆時被揭穿了假惺惺的 行為，後果往往很難堪。這種物偽善的人罪有應得。
Revision 006 我所說的關心並不是不當關心，或者某個人為了得到某些好處
而假意親近你。偽裝也許可以持續一段時間，但就任何長遠的 關係來看，如此的行為終究會被發現，而且結果通常不會太 好，也不應該太好。
022 我說的關心不是虛情假意，更不是為了事後想佔別人便宜而先
假裝噓寒問暖。這種人騙得了一時，騙不了一世，而且屆時被 揭穿，後果往往很難堪。這種偽善的人罪有應得。
2. Revise less and save time on crafting the beautiful language. The translators
seemed to pay less attention to their choices of words and style of language when they translated Text 2.Below is an example comparing the Text 2 translations of Participants 011 (interpreter) and 015 (translator). In contrast to their translations of Text 1, now there is no obvious distinction between their drafts—both are problematic in their style of writing and have typos but keep the main information.
Table 48. Comparing Translations of Participants 011 and 015
ParticipantID
Text (including typos)
Original Text
If it is obvious that asking questions is such a powerful way of learning, why do we stop asking questions? A possible explanation is that some people are so lazy they assume that they know all the main things they need to know and they do not bother to ask more.
Draft 015 如果問問題是這般楊而強而有力的學習法，那我們為什麼不問
物吞問題了呢？可能僅
有些人可能是因為太懶惰，他們以為，他們以為自己知道得夠 多了，也不想要再多問什麼。
011 入問問題是依種這麼有效的發法，為何現今我們不在問問田？
可能的解釋是，人們認為自己知道的夠多了，因此不想花力氣 問更多問題，。
Revision 015 如果問問題是這般強有力的學習途徑，那我們現在為什麼不問
問題了呢？比較可能的解釋是，有些人太懶了，他們以為自己 知道得夠多，也不想再多問什麼。
011 如果問問題這麼有效，為何現今我們不再問問題了？可能的解 釋有很多，其中之一是，人們假定自己已經知道的夠多了，因 此不想花力氣問更多問題。
Why Translators Adopted More Speedy-Production Strategies on Text 2
While interpreters almost remained at exactly the same speed at translation both texts, they spent significantly less time on drafting and more time on revising when translating Text 2; however, their translations of the two texts did not seem different in terms of qualities or strategies they have adopted. One possible explanation is that their translation behavior did not change; the only thing they changed is to move part of their editing to the revising phase.
Given the decent qualities of most participants’ drafts of Text 1, it is fair to say that the revising has begun in their drafting phases. This can be illustrated by the following figure:
Text 1: the interpreters’ translation process
Drafting Phase Revising Phase
Orientation Drafting Revising I Revising II Revising III
Text 2: the interpreters’ translation process Drafting Phase Revising Phase
Orientation Drafting Revising I Revising II Revising III
Retrospective interviews also supported this hypothesis. Many of the interpreters decided to give up upon correcting/revising the work in the draft phase of Text 2; after all, they pointed out, they could just correct these errors in the revising phase.
However, it should be noted that Dimitrova (2005) has pointed out that “As for relative
allocation of time for the different phases of the process, the results indicate that there is no
one single pattern that characterizes translation expertise as such” (p. 230) In fact, she mentioned that earlier research from Jakobsen, Jääskeläinen, and Norberg actually gives contradictory evidence. Hence, no conclusion can be made in this regard.Dimitrova (2005) also points out, “revising is an integral part of the writing[translating]
phase and that monitoring and evaluating the TT while it is being produced, and making previous that are considered necessary, is to some extent an automatic process” (p. 143).
In contrast, the responses from the translators are less consistent. While some of them decided to give up correcting/revising in the drafting phase, some others tried to find ways to revise their work under the keyboard/mouse constraint. One of them, for instance, use the Enter key and the four arrow keys to move words that s/he did not want to the bottom of the document and came back to type again.
It is possible that some of the translators are guided to adopt the speedy production strategies in the simulated context and the disabling of correction keys. However, it is possible that because some other translators tried to correct under the constraint anyway and hence slowed down their translation speed.
Although, the t-test suggested that the translators did not do faster on translating Text 2, this indication is contradictory to the t-test result that the interpreters are faster than translators on translating Text 1 but are about as fast on translating Text 2.
In other words, if there is an inter-group speed difference on translating Text 1 but not on translating Text 2, one of the two groups must have grown relatively faster. Based on the descriptive quantitative data, it is more likely that the translators became faster when they translated Text 2.
What the Interviews Tell Us
The retrospective interviews also yielded some very interesting information about the internal decision-making processes in the minds of these participants.
Summary of the Answers to the Four Main Interview Questions
Most participants stated that although the experiment settings are somewhat different from their usual working environment, the difference that affected their speeds and qualities of translations is mainly the limitation imposed by the experiment, namely the disabling of correction keys. When they encountered such a constraint in the drafting phase of Text 2, some of them chose to mainly skip through mistakes while some others kept re-trying until they got the particular expressions right; this pattern is mixed in both groups and it is hard to generalize between the two groups. Overall, the participants said Text A and Text B are about the same in terms of translation difficulties despite minor differences between the two texts.
It should be noted that while most of the interpreters stated that the disabling of the correction keys were only moderate interference to them and they did not get stuck if they could not type the right things. In contrast, half of the translators said the same constraint interrupted their thoughts and slowed their translation processes, but the quantitative data revealed they in fact tend to speed up even though they felt that they were slowed down by the disabling of the correction keys.
Professional Experiences Affected Translation Strategies. While this should not
come as a surprise, hands-on experiences indeed play a role in the decision-making process of T&I work. Those translators and interpreters who have done more written translation asked more detailed questions about the requirements of the translation tasks—what style of translation the editor is asking for, what kind of readers exactly should they target, etc. In other words, they tried to tailored their translation strategies according to what their clientsmight be looking for. In this case, their global strategies are “ governed by preliminary norms, i.e., the translation brief: How does the client want the translation event to be?” (Gambier, 2010, p. 416). It should be noted that although this study focuses on the participants’ local strategies, i.e. rendering messages at the micro level, the global/macro-level strategies inevitably affects local strategies.
Indeed, when comparing experienced translators with novice ones, Dimitrova (2005) has noticed that the former “set from the start a clear goal for their TT, to adapt it to its future readers,” and thus activate relevant translation principles to guide their decision-making in their translation processes (p. 150).