7 Exploratory analysis of dimensions influencing variation in translation. The case of text register and translation method
Ekaterina Lapshinova‐Koltunski · 2017
The present study investigates the interplay between two dimensions influencing translation: text register and translation method. This is achieved by a corpus-based analysis which involves the extraction of specific linguistic features occurring in multiple translations of the same texts. These translations differ, on the one hand, in registers the texts belong to, and on the other hand, in the translation method applied (human vs. machine translation). Our analysis is based on two frameworks - register theory and corpus-based translation studies - which also serve as sources for the definition of the features under analysis. Our quantitative analysis is supported with statistical methods. Unsupervised techniques are used to trace the degree of variation caused by the two dimensions, and also to identify the dimension having a greater impact on the translations. The results of our analysis shed light on the main factors influencing translation, and also deliver explanations for translation errors. In addition, further factors affecting linguistic features of translations, e.g. the experience involved, are traced in the present analysis. In this way, the study contributes to a better understanding of both translation product and translation process, and provides information which is useful for both the improvement and evaluation of translation.