Are primary conceptual metaphors easier to understand than complex conceptual metaphors?
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Antin Fougner Rydning
Abstract
The present behavioural study explores the cognitive processing of primary and complex conceptual metaphors during the first step of the translational process: comprehension. According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980), primary and complex conceptual metaphors are based on different conceptual architectures, a simpler one for primary conceptual metaphors, and a more sophisticated one for complex conceptual metaphors. As far as we know, there is no empirical evidence that understanding primary conceptual metaphors requires less cognitive effort than understanding complex conceptual metaphors. In order to know whether primary conceptual metaphors are easier to understand than complex conceptual metaphors, a psycholinguistic experiment was designed and run to investigate processing speed and conceptual clarity during comprehension. Among other interesting results, our study provides evidence that conceptual clarity is greater with primary conceptual metaphors than with complex conceptual metaphors. Therefore, a translator will not be challenged in the same way depending on the type of metaphor s/he has to understand. As a first step towards understanding the mechanisms of comprehension, this study paves the way for further investigations on how comprehension influences the subsequent stages of translation, especially regarding how conceptual clarity may vary during comprehension and help determine the quality of the translation.
Abstract
The present behavioural study explores the cognitive processing of primary and complex conceptual metaphors during the first step of the translational process: comprehension. According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980), primary and complex conceptual metaphors are based on different conceptual architectures, a simpler one for primary conceptual metaphors, and a more sophisticated one for complex conceptual metaphors. As far as we know, there is no empirical evidence that understanding primary conceptual metaphors requires less cognitive effort than understanding complex conceptual metaphors. In order to know whether primary conceptual metaphors are easier to understand than complex conceptual metaphors, a psycholinguistic experiment was designed and run to investigate processing speed and conceptual clarity during comprehension. Among other interesting results, our study provides evidence that conceptual clarity is greater with primary conceptual metaphors than with complex conceptual metaphors. Therefore, a translator will not be challenged in the same way depending on the type of metaphor s/he has to understand. As a first step towards understanding the mechanisms of comprehension, this study paves the way for further investigations on how comprehension influences the subsequent stages of translation, especially regarding how conceptual clarity may vary during comprehension and help determine the quality of the translation.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword xi
- Methods and strategies of process research 1
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Part I. Conceptual and methodological discussions
- Interpreting in theory and practice 13
- Reflections on the literal translation hypothesis 23
- Tracking translators’ keystrokes and eye movements with Translog 37
- Seeing translation from inside the translator’s mind 57
- Metonymic language use as a student translation problem 67
- Sight translation and speech disfluency 93
- Time lag in translation and interpreting 121
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Part II. Process research in interpreting and translation
- A new pair of glasses 149
- Are primary conceptual metaphors easier to understand than complex conceptual metaphors? 169
- Innovative subtitling 187
- Errors, omissions and infelicities in broadcast interpreting 201
- On cognitive processes during wordplay translation 219
- “Can you ask her about chronic illnesses, diabetes and all that?” 231
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Part III. Studies of interpreting and translation expertise
- Effects of linguistic complexity on expert processing during simultaneous interpreting 249
- Process and product in simultaneous interpreting 269
- Developing professional thinking and acting within the field of interpreting 301
- Results of the validation of the PACTE translation competence model 317
- “This led me to start thinking about how this happened, and what the process behind it would be” 345
- Publications by Birgitta Englund Dimitrova 361
- Notes on contributors 367
- Index 373
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword xi
- Methods and strategies of process research 1
-
Part I. Conceptual and methodological discussions
- Interpreting in theory and practice 13
- Reflections on the literal translation hypothesis 23
- Tracking translators’ keystrokes and eye movements with Translog 37
- Seeing translation from inside the translator’s mind 57
- Metonymic language use as a student translation problem 67
- Sight translation and speech disfluency 93
- Time lag in translation and interpreting 121
-
Part II. Process research in interpreting and translation
- A new pair of glasses 149
- Are primary conceptual metaphors easier to understand than complex conceptual metaphors? 169
- Innovative subtitling 187
- Errors, omissions and infelicities in broadcast interpreting 201
- On cognitive processes during wordplay translation 219
- “Can you ask her about chronic illnesses, diabetes and all that?” 231
-
Part III. Studies of interpreting and translation expertise
- Effects of linguistic complexity on expert processing during simultaneous interpreting 249
- Process and product in simultaneous interpreting 269
- Developing professional thinking and acting within the field of interpreting 301
- Results of the validation of the PACTE translation competence model 317
- “This led me to start thinking about how this happened, and what the process behind it would be” 345
- Publications by Birgitta Englund Dimitrova 361
- Notes on contributors 367
- Index 373
