2 The impact of translation direction on characteristics of translated texts. A multivariate analysis for English and German
-
Abstract
This chapter investigates the influence of the source and target language on translations in a selection of 150 pairs of source and target texts from a bidirectional parallel corpus of English and German texts, applying a combination of multivariate analysis, visualization and minimally supervised machine learning. Based on a procedure developed by Diwersy, Evert and Neumann (2014), it investigates the way in which translations differ from comparable original texts depending on the translation direction and other factors. The multivariate approach enables us to detect patterns of feature combinations that cannot be observed in conventional frequency-based analyses, providing new evidence for the validity of interference or shining through in translation. We report a clear shining through effect that is more pronounced for translations from English into German than for the opposite translation direction, pointing towards a prestige effect in this language pair.
Abstract
This chapter investigates the influence of the source and target language on translations in a selection of 150 pairs of source and target texts from a bidirectional parallel corpus of English and German texts, applying a combination of multivariate analysis, visualization and minimally supervised machine learning. Based on a procedure developed by Diwersy, Evert and Neumann (2014), it investigates the way in which translations differ from comparable original texts depending on the translation direction and other factors. The multivariate approach enables us to detect patterns of feature combinations that cannot be observed in conventional frequency-based analyses, providing new evidence for the validity of interference or shining through in translation. We report a clear shining through effect that is more pronounced for translations from English into German than for the opposite translation direction, pointing towards a prestige effect in this language pair.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- 1 Gravitational pull in translation. Testing a revised model 9
- 2 The impact of translation direction on characteristics of translated texts. A multivariate analysis for English and German 47
- 3 Variability of English loanword use in Belgian Dutch translations. Measuring the effect of source language and register 81
- 4 The effects of editorial intervention. Implications for studies of the features of translated language 113
- 5 Phraseological patterns in interpreting and translation. Similar or different? 157
- 6 Contrasting terminological variation in post-editing and human translation of texts from the technical and medical domain 183
- 7 Exploratory analysis of dimensions influencing variation in translation. The case of text register and translation method 207
- 8 Typological differences shining through. The case of phrasal verbs in translated English 235
- 9 English-German contrasts in cohesion and implications for translation 265
- Index 313
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- 1 Gravitational pull in translation. Testing a revised model 9
- 2 The impact of translation direction on characteristics of translated texts. A multivariate analysis for English and German 47
- 3 Variability of English loanword use in Belgian Dutch translations. Measuring the effect of source language and register 81
- 4 The effects of editorial intervention. Implications for studies of the features of translated language 113
- 5 Phraseological patterns in interpreting and translation. Similar or different? 157
- 6 Contrasting terminological variation in post-editing and human translation of texts from the technical and medical domain 183
- 7 Exploratory analysis of dimensions influencing variation in translation. The case of text register and translation method 207
- 8 Typological differences shining through. The case of phrasal verbs in translated English 235
- 9 English-German contrasts in cohesion and implications for translation 265
- Index 313
