The present work reports on an empirical study aimed at investigating translation problems across multiple language pairs. In particular, the analysis is aimed at developing a methodological approach to study concordance search logs taken as manifestations of translation problems and, in a wider perspective, information needs. As search logs are a relatively unexplored data type within translation process research, a controlled environment was needed in order to carry out this exploratory analysis without incurring in additional problems caused by an excessive amount of variables. The logs were collected at the European Commission and contain a large volume of searches from English into 20 EU languages that staff translators working for the EU translation services submitted to an internally available multilingual concordancer. The study attempts to (i) identify differences in the searches (i.e. problems) based on the language pairs; and (ii) group problems into types. Furthermore, the interactions between concordance users and the tool itself have been examined to provide a translation-oriented perspective on the domain of Human-Computer Interaction. The study draws on the literature on translation problems, Information Retrieval and Web search log analysis, moving from the assumption that in the perspective of concordance searching, translation problems are best interpreted as information needs for which the concordancer is chosen as a form of external support. The structure of a concordance search is examined in all its parts and is eventually broken down into two main components: the 'Search Strategy' component and the 'Problem Unit' component. The former was further analyzed using a mainly quantitative approach, whereas the latter was addressed from a more qualitative perspective. The analysis of the Problem Unit takes into account the length of the search strings as well as their content and linguistic form, each addressed with a different methodological approach. Based on the understanding of concordance searches as manifestations of translation problems, a user- centered classification of translation-oriented information needs is developed to account for as many "problem" scenarios as possible. According to the initial expectations, different languages should experience different problems. This assumption could not be verified: the 20 different language pairs considered in this study behaved consistently on many levels and, due to the specific research environment, no definite conclusions could be reached as regards the role of the language family criterion for problem identification. The analysis of the 'Problem Unit' component has highlighted automatized support for translating Named Entities as a possible area for further research in translation technology and the development of computer-based translation support tools. Finally, the study indicates (concordance) search logs as an additional data type to be used in experiments on the translation process and for triangulation purposes, while drawing attention on the concordancer as a type of translation aid to be further fine-tuned for the needs of professional translators. ***

Research on translation in general, and on specialised translation in particular, has long abandoned a purely linguistic perspective and has embraced principles and methodologies coming from neighbouring disciplines such as terminology, cognitive psychology, philosophy and sociology. The translator’s job is today seen as an activity where considerations of a purely linguistic nature are often accompanied, if not superseded, by a wide array of considerations that were traditionally thought to pertain to the extra-linguistic sphere (and therefore seen as lying outside the scope of studies of translation). The paper provides a brief overview of recent discussions of the two notions of “translation norm” and “translation competence”, seen from an essentially sociological perspective. Reference is made to how such discussions can positively contribute to the teaching of translation, and implications are drawn for a redefinition of the professional translator’s status.

Over the last fifteen years several bilingual dictionaries on CD-ROM have been published in Italy, some of which are intended as an alternative to the printed edition. The purpose of this paper is to assess the degree to which these dictionaries exploit the possibilities offered by CD-ROMs as regards search options and inclusion of multimedia content. After a brief discussion of the pros and cons of electronic dictionaries as opposed to dictionaries in paper form, a selection of titles is reviewed, consisting of bilingual Italian/English dictionaries likely to be used by translators, interpreters and trainees for both professions. Each title is evaluated with particular reference to the following aspects: differences from the printed version, search options, characteristics of the graphical interface and presence of multimedia content. The reviews highlight that some titles do represent a valid alternative to the printed version and indeed make searching both quicker and more accurate than paper-based dictionaries.

Software localization, the process of translating and adnpting a software product into another language, is by definition an extreme example of target-oriented translation. This strong target-orientation derives from the very particular nature of the textual components contained in a software product. Typically, these are text strings embedded in the software interface and on-line and printed documentation. These components not only transmit operational information but also help in giving the product its commercial appeal. The translation process is thus subject to a double constraint: on the one hand, it must provide a text which is as effective as the original in transmitting information; on the other, it must ensure that the translated product has the same commercial appeal as the original. A cursory survey of the strategies and techniques adopted by localizers in the translation of software applications from English into Italian reveals that the source-language text is often substantially adapted, if not reworked, to meet the stylistic and cultural requirements of Italian users/consumers. Nonetheless, far from being a special case of language transfer, software localization can be considered as just another example, however extreme, of the cultural and extra-linguistic constraints placed on any act of translation.

Texts written in English by non-native speakers can be considered instances of mediated language, where the mediation takes place between a writer’s native language and English, seen, respectively, as the “source” and “target” poles. In investigating such texts, the methods of analysis can thus draw on some assumptions and approaches used in translation studies, starting from the idea that in mediated communication the target product always shows traces of interference from features and traits associated with the source material. This chapter reports on an investigation of written academic language in English. The investigation is corpus-based and the texts included in the corpus include research papers in two different academic disciplines written by either native speakers or non-native speakers of English. Initial findings of the investigation are discussed in relation to two specific aspects: part-of-speech distribution and preference for pre- or post-modification in noun groups.

Following the recent tradition of research on situations of language contact and, in particular, on the reciprocal influences between languages in terms of textual patterns and argumentative and rhetorical structures, the paper reports on the analysis of a small corpus of parliamentary questions, observed in two different settings, one national (Italy) and one supranational (the European Parliament). More specifically, the analyzed corpus includes: 1) written questions by MPs in the two Chambers of the Italian Parliament; 2) written questions in Italian by Italian MEPs; 3) written questions tabled by British MEPs and translated into Italian. The aim of the analysis was to identify the possible influence exerted by the supranational context on the lexical and syntactic make-up of the texts produced by Italian MEPs. The results show that, especially from the point of view of syntax and discourse structure, questions by Italian MEPs are closer to the translated questions than to the questions tabled in the Italian Parliament.

Gli studi linguistici basati su corpora vantano una recente ma già ricca tradizione che vede affiancarsi ricerche di carattere eminentemente quantitativo a indagini di stampo più marcatamente qualitativo. I contributi presentati in questo volume sono nati nell’ambito del progetto Attribuzione d’autore, di traduttore e di lingua di partenza: un approccio statistico-linguistico, finanziato dall’Università degli Studi di Trieste. I motivi portanti delle indagini illustrate nel volume sono l’idea del “contatto” e la ricerca di “tracce”. A stabilire un contatto tra lingue e comunità di parlanti sono, tipicamente, le traduzioni oppure l’uso di una “lingua franca” (oggi soprattutto l’inglese). Di tale contatto possono essere identificate, nei testi, tracce di vario genere, a partire da quelle morfosintattiche fino a quelle lessicali e retorico-discorsive. I contributi inclusi nel volume esplorano vari scenari di contatto linguistico cercando di identificare e interpretare le tracce che ne derivano. Vengono esaminati testi tradotti e testi in lingua inglese rivolti a un pubblico internazionale, ma anche i romanzi al centro del maggiore caso letterario degli ultimi anni, ossia quelli a firma di Elena Ferrante.

ABSTRACT. In the last few decades, research on translation competence (TC) has been quite productive and fostered the conceptualisation and analysis of translation-specific skills. TC is generally assumed to be a non-innate ability (Shreve 1997, 121), which is “qualitatively different from bilingual competence” (PACTE 2002, 44–45) and, as a “basic translation ability[,] is a necessary condition, but no guarantee, for further development of a (professional) competence as a translator” (Englund Dimitrova 2005, 12). However, apart from these agreed-on assumptions, the definition and modelling of TC still remain open questions and have resulted in a wide variety of concurrent (near-synonymic) terms and conceptual frameworks aiming to identify the essential constitutive components of such competence. From the mid-1980s, empirical studies have considerably contributed to the investigation of TC and, in some cases, led to the development of empirically validated definitions and models (e.g. PACTE 2003; Göpferich 2009). However, most empirical analyses focus on the translation process, i.e. the behavioural and procedural features of (un)experienced translators, and aim to identify possible patterns which might be conductive to high (or poor) translation quality. To provide a complementary perspective to this approach, an empirical longitudinal study was designed which is mainly product-oriented but also encompasses process-related data. The aim of the study is to observe whether different levels of competence reflect on different linguistic patterns and common procedural practices, which might be used to define TC and the stages of its development. The study monitored the performances of a sample of professional translators and BA- and MA-level translation trainees, who carried out six translation tasks over a three-year period. Each translation task involved the translation of a non-specialist English source text into the participants’ L1 (i.e. Italian) as well as the compilation of a post-task questionnaire inquiring on their translation processes. The synchronic and diachronic analysis of data mainly adopted a descriptive perspective which considered both product-related data, i.e. mainly lexical and syntactical features, and the process-related data concerning delivery time and the participants’ responses to the post-task questionnaires. Moreover, the assessment of translation acceptability and errors allowed for the association of specific descriptive trends with the different levels of translation quality which have been identified. The findings led to the profiling of three different stages in the acquisition of TC (i.e. novice, intermediate, and professional translator) and to the development of training guidelines, for both translation trainers and trainees, which may help anticipating and preventing possible unsuccessful behaviours and speeding up the learning process.

Lo studio si propone di analizzare la traduzione di una particolare categoria di elementi coesivi, i connettori interfrasali, in un corpus di articoli di argomento economico tratti da quotidiani e riviste specializzate tradotti dall’inglese in italiano. Lo studio mette in rapporto i risultati sulla frequenza dei connettori con quelli derivanti dall’analisi di un corpus comparabile di articoli scritti originariamente in italiano. Soffermandosi in particolare sui casi di esplicitazione traduttiva tramite l’inserimento di connettori non presenti nel testo di partenza, lo studio conclude che tale esplicitazione può, da un lato, essere collegata al tentativo dei traduttori di uniformarsi a una norma di produzione testuale tipica dell’italiano e, dall’altro, essere considerata come spia del processo di decodifica dell’informazione (spesso di carattere specialistico) veicolata dall’originale.