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Chapter 7. Problem solving in the translation of linguistic metaphors from Chinese into Portuguese

An empirical-experimental study
  • Márcia Schmaltz
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Eye Tracking and Multidisciplinary Studies on Translation
This chapter is in the book Eye Tracking and Multidisciplinary Studies on Translation

Abstract

This empirical-experimental study investigates the cognitive effort in the problem solving process guiding decision making in the translation of linguistic metaphors in a journalistic text by twelve professional translators from Chinese into Portuguese. The tools for the collection of the data were retrospective verbal protocols, and the Translog II program (Carl 2012), which logs keystrokes, mouse, and eye movements connected to a Tobii T120 eye tracker. Questionnaires were also used. For the quantitative analysis, a linear mixed effects regression model (LMER) was applied to the data set to indirectly measure cognitive effort for linguistic metaphor translation. The dependent variable was total production time. The controversial predictors were type of expression (metaphorical or literal), and translation strategy. For the qualitative analysis, retrospective protocols were analyzed for subjects’ verbalization of problem solving decisions regarding the linguistic metaphor under study. For the analysis and discussion, quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated, whereby parameters are proposed in order to enable the measurement of the problem solving process for the translation of linguistic metaphors. The outcomes of this study demonstrate that (1) there is no expression type effect on total production time, and (2) the predictor translation strategy is relevant to production time, which was confirmed by the retrospective protocol. This study contributes to Chinese Portuguese Translation Process Research methodologies, as well as to a deeper understanding of the complexity of cognitive processes underlying the translation of metaphors from Chinese into Portuguese, which is anticipated to contribute significantly to the teaching of metaphor translation.

Abstract

This empirical-experimental study investigates the cognitive effort in the problem solving process guiding decision making in the translation of linguistic metaphors in a journalistic text by twelve professional translators from Chinese into Portuguese. The tools for the collection of the data were retrospective verbal protocols, and the Translog II program (Carl 2012), which logs keystrokes, mouse, and eye movements connected to a Tobii T120 eye tracker. Questionnaires were also used. For the quantitative analysis, a linear mixed effects regression model (LMER) was applied to the data set to indirectly measure cognitive effort for linguistic metaphor translation. The dependent variable was total production time. The controversial predictors were type of expression (metaphorical or literal), and translation strategy. For the qualitative analysis, retrospective protocols were analyzed for subjects’ verbalization of problem solving decisions regarding the linguistic metaphor under study. For the analysis and discussion, quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated, whereby parameters are proposed in order to enable the measurement of the problem solving process for the translation of linguistic metaphors. The outcomes of this study demonstrate that (1) there is no expression type effect on total production time, and (2) the predictor translation strategy is relevant to production time, which was confirmed by the retrospective protocol. This study contributes to Chinese Portuguese Translation Process Research methodologies, as well as to a deeper understanding of the complexity of cognitive processes underlying the translation of metaphors from Chinese into Portuguese, which is anticipated to contribute significantly to the teaching of metaphor translation.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 2. A mapping exercise 11
  5. Part I. Method
  6. Chapter 3. Overcoming methodological challenges of eye tracking in the translation workplace 33
  7. Chapter 4. Eye tracking as a measure of cognitive effort for post-editing of machine translation 55
  8. Chapter 5. Analysing variable relationships and time-course data in eye-tracking studies of translation processes and products 71
  9. Part II. Process
  10. Chapter 6. Recognition and characterization of translator attributes using sequences of fixations and keystrokes 97
  11. Chapter 7. Problem solving in the translation of linguistic metaphors from Chinese into Portuguese 121
  12. Chapter 8. Working styles of student translators in self-revision, other-revision and post-editing 145
  13. Chapter 9. Visual attention distribution in intralingual respeaking 185
  14. Part III. Product
  15. Chapter 10. Subtitling of British stand-up comedy into Italian 205
  16. Chapter 11. Towards a quantitative measurement of equivalent effect and a tentative conceptualisation of cognitive equivalence 225
  17. Chapter 12. The impact of AVT mode on audience reception 259
  18. List of abbreviations 287
  19. Contributors 289
  20. Subject index 293
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.143.07sch

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 2. A mapping exercise 11
  5. Part I. Method
  6. Chapter 3. Overcoming methodological challenges of eye tracking in the translation workplace 33
  7. Chapter 4. Eye tracking as a measure of cognitive effort for post-editing of machine translation 55
  8. Chapter 5. Analysing variable relationships and time-course data in eye-tracking studies of translation processes and products 71
  9. Part II. Process
  10. Chapter 6. Recognition and characterization of translator attributes using sequences of fixations and keystrokes 97
  11. Chapter 7. Problem solving in the translation of linguistic metaphors from Chinese into Portuguese 121
  12. Chapter 8. Working styles of student translators in self-revision, other-revision and post-editing 145
  13. Chapter 9. Visual attention distribution in intralingual respeaking 185
  14. Part III. Product
  15. Chapter 10. Subtitling of British stand-up comedy into Italian 205
  16. Chapter 11. Towards a quantitative measurement of equivalent effect and a tentative conceptualisation of cognitive equivalence 225
  17. Chapter 12. The impact of AVT mode on audience reception 259
  18. List of abbreviations 287
  19. Contributors 289
  20. Subject index 293
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