A Multi-Case Study Of Translation Processes Of Translators With Different Translation Expertise

Since the 1970s, studies on translation processes have gained great development. Numerous research and projects have been conducted to reveal the cognitive processes that a translator goes through in fulfilling a translation task. Interesting findings have been reported on various aspects involved in a translation process. However, there have been few studies on the translation processes of Chinese translators. The present study, with an attempt to provide new insights in this area, is conducted to reveal the features of three translators with different translation expertise in accomplishing the same translation tasks, their use of translation strategies, medium of thought and the role of the mother tongue in the processes.Data of the present study were collected from various sources, mainly think-aloud protocols, supplemented by open-ended questionnaires, interviews and autobiographical essays. The think-aloud protocols were records of the participants'concurrent thoughts in translating the two texts; the questionnaires, interviews and essays provided supplementary information for exploring possible reasons of the participants'particular features in translation. A qualitative approach was adopted for data analysis.The study finds that the three translators went through roughly similar processes in finishing a translation task, namely comprehending, planning, translating and revising; however, the student translator and the semi-professional translator were not so strategic in planning and/or revising as the professional translator. The three translators demonstrated few differences in the total number of the types of strategies adopted; however, the professional translator was capable of using the strategies more flexibly, and adopted a wider range of frequently used strategies than the other two translators. The mother tongue turned out to be the dominant medium of thought in the translation processes of all the translators. It had several roles in the translation processes:backup resource for equivalent retrieval, screen for selecting a best equivalent, reasoning mechanism for structural analysis, evaluating device for translation solutions, and monitoring device for the process. The professional translator could effectively facilitate his translation with the aid of the mother tongue; however, the student translator and the semi-professional translator could not activate the overall functions of the mother tongue, and L1 interference was more often in their selection of lexical equivalents and determination of syntactic structures.The thesis concludes with a summarization of the main findings of the present study. It provides implications for translation teaching and translator training. Teachers are suggested to adopt a more comprehensive teaching approach with an aim to help students solve the frequently encountered problems in translation; translators should cultivate their capability of employing different types of translation strategies to facilitate their translation; translator training programs should be individualized based on the translators'different expertise. The thesis finally puts forward suggestions for future studies in the area.