Translation Experts Research Articles

Contextualising translation expertise

Abstract Translation expertise has been discussed intensely in (cognitive) translation studies. Most research has been conducted in laboratory settings, attempting to discern the differences between experienced translators (‘experts’) and lesser experienced translators. This has resulted in valuable, yet limited insights. We argue for the need to complement the picture with a broader perspective on translation expertise and to further investigate it in its authentic dynamic contexts, be they workplaces or other fields of practice. This implies seeing expertise as situated and performative, emerging from the interaction of social actors with their social and material environments. Emphasis is placed on the social, discursive construction of expertise and on the emic perspectives of the community being studied.

Legal Translation in Algeria: The Justice Scales to The Test of Equivalence

Legal translation is a specialized area of translation that requires a deep understanding of legal ‎systems, legal terminology, and the cultural context in which the legal document was created. ‎In Algeria, legal translation plays a critical role in facilitating communication and ensuring the ‎accuracy and clarity of legal documents. This paper will explore the challenges and ‎considerations that legal translators in Algeria face, including linguistic, cultural, and legal ‎factors. Through a thorough analysis of legal translation in Algeria, this paper seeks to shed ‎light on the essential role that legal translation plays in promoting access to justice and ‎maintaining the integrity of legal systems in Algeria, where legal translation is particularly ‎important due to the country's unique, complex, and diverse legal system, which combines ‎elements of French civil law and Islamic law, in addition to the multiple official languages, ‎including Arabic, French, and Berber. Moreover, the legal documents that require translation ‎in Algeria range from contracts and agreements to court documents and legal judgments. ‎These documents often have significant legal consequences, making accuracy and precision in ‎legal translation critical. In this context, it is essential for legal translators in Algeria to have ‎specialized training and expertise in legal translation to ensure that legal documents are ‎accurately and effectively translated across different languages and legal systems using all ‎types of equivalence for terms and concepts dealt with and comparative law study for the text ‎to be translated. ‎

Translation and validation of the Addiction Recovery Questionnaire (ARQ)

Substance abuse is a pandemic disease in Pakistan. The use of stimulants such as methamphetamine and ecstasy is common among adolescents, and it is increasing day by day. Our educational institutes are also facing this problem. So, in the present study, the Addiction Recovery Questionnaire (ARQ) was translated and validated in Pakistani culture to address the language barrier. The present study aimed to translate and validate the addiction recovery questionnaire on a sample of 140 substance users. Five independent translators who were experts in translation were selected to translate the ARQ in Urdu, which was finalized by the committee of 3 experts. Similarly, 3 English translators were contacted to translate the Urdu version back into English and shared with the Authors for their feedback. The author's recommendations were also incorporated. The alpha reliability of the ARQ was reported as α = 0.60, which shows the reliability of the measure. CFA was applied for the translated version for model fit, and to confirm the factor loading, the value of Chi-Square 63.20 with RMSEA of 0.04 indicates an adequate fit of the model. The reliability of the measure was first time established in the present study, and the CFA was also done to determine the construct-based factors of recovery. Hence, the ARQ is a reliable and brief recovery outcome that can give information about different dimensions of recovery, such as abstinence, normal living, and positive life expectancy.

Çeviribiliminin Yapay Zeka (YZ) ile Geliştirilmesi: Zorluklar, İmkânlar ve Öneriler

This theoretical study delves into the symbiotic relationship between Translation Studies and Artificial Intelligence (AI), emphasizing the need for collaboration between these two fields. The study explores the challenges and opportunities for developing Translation Studies with AI and presents proposals for advancing the integration of AI in the field. The integration of AI in translation practices has the potential to enhance translation efficiency, overcome language barriers, and expand access to the information. However, this integration also raises the important ethical considerations, such as the role of human expertise in translation, the accuracy and cultural appropriateness of translations, and the impact of AI on the workforce. The study highlights the importance of integrating AI-related topics into the curriculum of Translation Studies programs, fostering collaborative research projects between scholars and AI developers, and addressing the need to bridge the gap between AI's IQ and EQ capabilities. Translation Studies can play a crucial role in improving AI systems' accuracy and cultural sensitivity in translation by providing valuable insights into the cultural nuances, context, and ethical considerations. By leveraging the expertise of Translation Studies, AI developers and researchers can enhance the performance of AI-based translation systems, ultimately improving the quality and impact of AI in translation. Therefore, this study supports the collaboration between Translation Studies and AI to improve the quality of translation services and promote the widespread use of culturally sensitive translations.

Adaptation of characteristics of successful EFL teachers questionnaire (CoSEFLT-Q) into Turkish


 
 
 
 
 In the study Moafian et al. (2019) it is aimed to adapt the Characteristics of Successful EFL Teachers Questionnaire (CoSEFLT-Q) into Turkish. The questionnaire utilized in this study was the Turkish version, and it was administered to a total of 502 students who were enrolled at Atatürk University during the academic year of 2022-2023. In the adaptation study, The English-to-Turkish translation and evaluation experts' opinion was taken. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the data. The reliability analysis, the internal consistency and Cronbach alpha value of the scale were studied in this study. The scale's total internal consistency coefficient was discovered to be .995. It can be said that the Turkish version of the CoSEFLT-Q Scale is a reliable measurement tool with acceptable values.
 
 
 

Platforming Effect in Rendering Culturonyms` Coinage at the Expert Translation and Interpreting Level in International Activities

The given paper views the impact of the process of platforming and digital translation platforms (DTP) on the rendering of cultural meaning in the dialogue of cultures at the expert translation and interpreting level. The main topic is the problem of finding mechanisms for preventing loss and distortion of the meaning of key cultural concepts in the digital age. The authors aim at analyzing methods of adequate translation and interpreting of the interlinguistic meaning of culturonyms (key cultural concepts) as influenced by platforming processes and DTP use, and their unambiguous understanding by representatives of foreign-language culture, including these interpretations in the dictionary-manual elaborated by the authors. The issue in question is the inclusion into the dictionary-manual the adequate translation determining interlanguage correlation, new culturonyms,unknown cultural meanings, and revealing and describing hidden meanings of English and Russian culture-specific elements and idioms. The authors applied a culturally oriented approach to translation and interpreting that has showed the diversity and cultural value of culturerelated codes. The cultural analysis has indicated most significant culturonyms. The authors have systematized examples of the use of cultural concepts and their translation into Russian in the word entries within the dictionary-manual, which now comprises 151 word entries. A contrastive analysis of nonequivalent lexis has revealed lacunae and non-included meanings in both printed and electronic dictionaries. The heuristic method has been used to create open-type heuristic translation tasks. The authors have received practical approval of the results. The empirical research method was used to analyze digitalization processes and assess the suitable DTP for the research purposes. The dictionary proposed herein is of theoretical and practical significance in new understanding of culturonyms, training foreign affairs specialists, and may be used in teaching translation and interpreting in higher school linguistic and cultural studies, creative education, as well as in business consulting for international companies.

“It is untranslatable, but we try hard”: Translators and Translation Experts on the Current Problems of Translation Theory and Practice

This paper summarises the materials of the discussion devoted to the role and specificity of artistic translation in the contemporary world, which was held in the summer of 2023. The participants of the discussion are specialists from Argentina, the UK, and Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg), all of whom are active translators, as well as researchers, lecturers, and translation editors. The participants received questions they were offered to answer, and their written responses make up the text of the article. The article is relevant, as today, the role of translation is increasing, and translation theory is one of the dynamically developing areas of modern scholarly knowledge. The contributors examine such topical issues of translation theory as translatability/non-translatability, didactics of translation, and the reliability of the source base for translation. The discussion also considers the role of new translations of classical literary works whose earlier translations have already entered the receiving culture, and translations meant for different groups of readers. Additionally, the contributors of the article express their views on the identity of the translator, on what it means to be a “good translator”, the requirements and demands that are placed upon them.

A Framework for Assessing and Improving Decision-Making in the Translation of Research and Innovation for Impact

The successful translation of research and innovation into impact has never been more important to solve the complex problems facing societies and existential threats to our planet. University research and innovation holds a key to unlock solutions. Innovation practitioners and university research translation offices seeking to support and foster promising innovations face a challenge in determining which innovations have sound prospects for development through to the market. Approaches such as mission-oriented innovation; as well as open innovation, entrepreneurial universities, and educating the educators considered in previous letters all may help, but how can we be sure that our assessments of any given initiative are sound? What are the requisites for successful translation to impact, and what tools might aid in decision making for complex endeavours? There are many theories, tools and methods in use; yet the performance of research translation efforts at universities around the world vary wildly with only a very small number clearly successful and the vast majority, achieving at best, modest results, that are well below their expected potential. At our university, we assembled a multidisciplinary team bringing together research translation expertise and innovation researchers with a record of entrepreneurial success to consider tools that can aid identification and assessment of promising innovations, with a view to best aligning university support. Reflecting on existing translation readiness assessment tools and practitioner knowledge, we argue that a more encompassing and dynamic framework is needed to aid universities in early and ongoing assessment of innovations to effectively steward their development and enhance their potential for success. We provide an early outline of this multi-dimensional assessment tool.

Translation techniques used and its shift in Stranger Things movie

The use of inappropriate translation techniques can cause distortion and a shift in meaning from the source language to the target language. In addition, the limited space for writing words in subtitles is a challenge for a translator. This study reviewed the use of translation techniques for expressions of fear that were realized in the form of sentences and the shifts that occured as a result of using these techniques. The data were the subtitles of the film Stranger Things season 1. To analyze the data, the researcher used a qualitative content analysis model (Santosa, 2021). In this study, the researcher used the theory of translation techniques (Molina & Albir, 2002). All data were expressions of fear in both English (SL) and Indonesian (TL). In addition, in analyzing the data, the researcher was assisted by two translation experts in analyzing the use of techniques and shifts that occurred in the translation data. In this study, the most widely used technique was established equivalent. With this technique, the translation results sounded natural in the target language. However, the use of reduction and discursive creation techniques distorted the meaning. Specifically, discursive creation distorted meaning in the target language; meanwhile reduction techniques caused a reduction of information. Furthermore, this study found that there was a shift in the function of commanding speech into asking speech due to the use of inappropriate translation techniques.

How the Saudi EFL Students at Undergraduate Level Translate English Proverbs into Arabic: Problems, Strategies and Solutions

This study aims to explore some obstacles that Saudi translation department students encounter when translating proverbs from Arabic into English and the types of strategies they employ when translating. To achieve the goals of this study, the researcher selected a random sample of 20 students studying in the Department of Languages and Translation at Northern Border University. The researcher employed a translation test that consisted of ten famous English proverbs. The students were asked to translate these proverbs from English into Arabic. Finally, the researcher also conducted semi-structured interviews with five translation experts to obtain more information about the obstacles, causes, and strategies the students employed to translate proverbs from Arabic to English. The analysis included an analysis of the translation tests using SPSS in addition to the analysis of the interviews using thematic analysis. The findings showed that the students’ attempts to interpret the proverbs acceptably failed, especially those that depend on the cultural dimension, i.e., those that need an understanding of the cultures of both the target languages and the source language. However, they failed to translate the proverbs acceptably due to the nature of the wrong strategies they employed, such as literal translation and rewording strategies. Finally, based on the results, this study provided some practical recommendations to improve the level of the students in translating the idiomatic translation for the university students and develop their skills in this regard.

Can you tell the difference? A study of human vs machine-translated subtitles

ABSTRACT While machine translation offers the potential for improved efficiency and cost savings, there are concerns about its accuracy and reliability compared to human translation. This study aims to investigate the potential of machine translation systems by analysing viewers’ ability to distinguish between subtitles generated by ChatGPT and those created by human translators in the English to Spanish language pair. The study involved 119 Translation and Interpreting degree students who watched eight subtitled clips containing puns, cultural references, humour, and irony: five of these were generated by ChatGPT and the remaining three were created by a human translator. Results indicate that participants were unable to accurately distinguish between ChatGPT-generated and human-generated subtitles, although lower quality subtitles were associated with non-human translation. Factors such as experience with ChatGPT and exposure to subtitled content were not significant predictors of the ability to identify ChatGPT-generated subtitles. However, year of study was found to be a significant predictor, suggesting that translation expertise is a crucial factor for non-human subtitle detection. Overall, these results have important implications for the use of machine translation in subtitle generation and the quality of subtitled content.

Ogniwo Artura Marii Swinarskiego w serii translatorskiej utworów Johanna Wolfganga Goethego

Based on the findings of translation experts on the translation series, the author focuses on Polish-German tropes in the works of A.M. Swinarski, carrying out a detailed analysis of selected translations of Goethe’s poems. A comparison of translations by Swinarski, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Stefan Zarębski, Feliks Konopka and Andrzej Lam reveals changes in the sphere of meanings designed in the original and reflects on the principles of literality and interpretation in translation practice.

Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Recommendations from the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome†.

Recommendations from the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome†.

An evaluation of Google Translate for Sanskrit to English translation via sentiment and semantic analysis

Google Translate has been prominent for language translation; however, limited work has been done in evaluating the quality of translation when compared to expert translators. Sanskrit, one of the oldest written languages in the world was added to the Google Translate engine in 2022. Sanskrit is known as the mother of North Indian languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali. Sanskrit has been used for composing sacred Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. In this study, we present a framework that evaluates Google Translate for Sanskrit using the Bhagavad Gita. We first published a translation of the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit using Google Translate and then compared it with selected prominent translations by experts. Our framework features a BERT-based language model that implements sentiment and semantic analysis. The results indicate that there is a low level of similarity between the Bhagavad Gita by Google Translate and expert translators in terms of sentiment and semantic analyses. We found major inconsistencies in the translation of philosophical terms and metaphors. We further implemented a qualitative evaluation and found that Google Translate was unsuitable for the translation of certain Sanskrit words and phrases due to the poetic nature, contextual significance, metaphor and imagery. The mistranslations are not surprising since the Bhagavad Gita is known as a difficult text not only to translate but also to interpret since it relies on contextual, philosophical and historical information. It is difficult to distinguish different names and philosophical concepts such as karma and dharma without knowing the context and having a background of Hindu philosophy. Our framework lays the foundation for the automatic evaluation of other languages that can be translated by Google Translate.

The Relation Between Explicitation and Translation Expertise in the Rendition of Nominalisation and Participles in Legal Qurʾānic Verses Specific to Purification and Prayer into English: A Corpus-Based Study

The Relation Between Explicitation and Translation Expertise in the Rendition of Nominalisation and Participles in Legal Qurʾānic Verses Specific to Purification and Prayer into English: A Corpus-Based Study

The TRAPD approach as a method for questionnaire translation.

Surveys and questionnaires are widely used in various areas of psychological and psychiatric research and practice. Many instruments have been used in several languages and across cultural contexts. A popular method of choice for their translation into another language involves translation and back-translation. Unfortunately, this method's ability to detect flaws in translation and necessities for cultural adaptation is limited. To address these shortcomings, the Translation, Review, Adjudication, Pretest, and Documentation (TRAPD) approach of questionnaire translation from cross-cultural survey design has been developed. In this approach, several translators with different professional backgrounds translate the questionnaire on their own first and then come together to discuss their versions. Since the translators' expertise is required to vary (e.g., survey methodology experts, translation experts, expert knowledge in the questionnaire's topic) the team approach results in a high-quality translation as well as offering opportunities for cultural adaptation. This article illustrates the application of the TRAPD approach on the basis of the translation process of the Forensic Restrictiveness Questionnaire from English into German. Differences and advantages are discussed.

Abstract 75: Swahili Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Cancer Stigma Scale (CASS) for Use in the Non-Patient Population in Tanzania

Abstract Purpose: The Cataldo Cancer Stigma Scale (CASS) was developed to measure patient experienced stigma, and further modified for use in non-patient communities. The aim of this study was to adapt a Swahili language version of the CASS for use in the Tanzanian non-patient community, to identify the current level of stigma towards children with cancerand create a measure to monitor changes in perceptions following future community based interventions. Methods: An expert group of medical providers, community advisors and social scientists reviewed the 26 original statements in the CASS survey to determine relevancy in the Tanzanian context or Swahili language. A team of six native Swahili speakers was used to translate, back translate, reconcile, and adjudicate differences during the translation process. The final forward translation had in independent review by three bilingual translation experts to select the most appropriate translation for each item. The translated items were further refined using concurrent cognitive interviewing. Each round of interviews included five non-patient community members in the Mwanza region of Tanzania, and continued until >80% concordance reached. Results: Three rounds of revisions were completed with 15 respondents in total. A total of 62% of questions (22/36) were fully comprehended after the initial evaluation. Additional reviews included grammar and specific Swahili word selection changes to clarify the item’s meaning. After three rounds of interviews, all questions obtained at least 80% comprehension with no further revisions required. The final survey included 23 core questions and 10 alternate questions to target community beliefs identified during qualitative interviews. These included personal responsibility items evaluating the perception that cancer is caused by witchcraft and that cancer in children is a form of ancestral punishment. Conclusions: A Swahili adapted CASS for use in the non-patient community had good comprehension among rural and urban members of the Mwanza community. The survey will require additional quantitative validation to determine both the structural validity and reliability of the constructs. This adapted tool will allow for a meaningful intervention response evaluation that can be used in cancer stigma research throughout East Africa. Citation Format: Kristin Schroeder, Kashinje Mayolwa, Suhana Posani, Norbert Mtenga, Hong Pham, Zakia Meck, Hillary Sued, Francis Karia, Erica Sanga. Swahili Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Cancer Stigma Scale (CASS) for Use in the Non-Patient Population in Tanzania [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Closing the Research-to-Implementation Gap; 2023 Apr 4-6. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 75.

Investigating the Perspectives of Translation Experts on Defining the Criteria of Translation Assessmen

Investigating the Perspectives of Translation Experts on Defining the Criteria of Translation Assessmen

Semantic and structural challenges of translating modern English agro-engineering terminology into Ukrainian

The study analyzes semantic and structural peculiarities of translating modern English agro-engineering terminology. Agro-engineering terms represent the up-to-date level of agriculture development noted for advanced mechanization, application of various technical processes, new technologies, etc., this causing additional translation problems. Besides, agricultural terminology encapsulates field-specific lexis as well as mathematical, mechanical, biological and general scientific terms. Translation difficulties are closely related to lingual characteristics of agro-engineering terms (structural peculiarities, synonymy, homonymy). Playing a significant role in forming this segment of professional lexicon, multi-component units are difficult to translate due to their length and non-prepositional bonds in most cases. The main research methods include comparative and contrastive analysis as well as the quantitative method. The results obtained reveal that a variety of techniques applied to translating English agro-engineering terms into Ukrainian include equivalence, analogue, descriptive techniques, transliteration, grammatical and lexical transformations. Yet, the most frequent technique is equivalence. Application of different translation techniques in multicomponent phrases can cause inconsistences in the number of components in a terminological phrase in a target language. The authors suggest an algorithm of English-Ukrainian translation of agro-engineering multicomponent terms. The paper is intended for a wide range of specialists interested in translating agro-engineering texts, teaching ESP, students of translation departments and experts in the relevant field of knowledge.