Also available as an e-book.

Master of Arts Thesis, University of Ottawa, 2000.

Includes bibliographic references.

"Natural translation (NT) environment reflect and shape participants' expectations and assumptions about translation activities. This study explores the features of NT environments with particular emphasis on a language testing environment. The data consists of samples of natural translations of a translation task which is a sub-test of a second language competence test for candidates seeking admission to a bilingual university program. The study also includes a translation of the test text by a fully qualified professional translator. The findings support the view that translating ability is a complex developmental cognitive competence. In a performing the translation task, NT strategies tend to focus on a close linguistic matching of phrases. Student translators (STs), as is the case with the professional translator, appear to attend more systematically to a broader range of features including extra-linguistic factors. This attention to extra features may explain why most student translators were unable to complete the task in the allotted time. Nevertheless, the differences observed seem to be more a matter of degree than of type." (Book Cover)

CONTENTS:

Introduction

Chapter 1: Translation Environments and Translating Ability

1.1 The role of the environment

1.2 Abduction and inferencing as generalized mental processes underlying translating ability

1.3 Translating ability as an integrated cognitive skill set

1.4 Developmental stages of translating ability

1.5 Attaining the mature state

1.6 Frames of mind

1.7 Processing levels involved in translating ability

1.8 Language-based processing levels 1.8.1 Lexical and derivational morphology level 1.8.2 Syntax level

1.9 Interface of language function and other cognitive components 1.9.1 Text level 1.9.2 Discourse level

Chapter 2: Features of Specific Translation Environments

2.1 The professional Translation Environment

2.2 Translating at home, in school, and within the community

2.3 Natural translation and personal involvement

2.4 Fon children and natural translation: an 'environmental impact' study

2.5 Malakof's study 2.5.1 Age and grade related improvement 2.5.2 Separate lexical-morphological and syntax processing 2.5.3 Literacy focus and translating ability 2.5.4 Emerging strategies for higher level processing 2.5.5 The role of experience 2.5.6 Cloze task correlation 2.5.7 Metalinguistic awareness 2.5.8 Environmental support for translating skills

Chapter 3: Natural Translation in a Testing Environment for Language Teaching

3.1 Methodology

3.2 The shifting role of translation in language teaching 3.2.1 Translation as a test of language proficiency

3.3 Data for the present study

3.4 Composition of the test 3.4.1 Validity of the test 3.4.2 Test administration and protocol 3.4.3 The cloze tests 3.4.4 Translation sub-test protocol 3.4.5 Field testing of test items 3.4.6 The purpose of the translation task 3.4.7 Instructions for the translation sub-test

3.5 Selection of data for translation strategies analysis 3.5.1 Determining the source text and the translated text

3.6 Relevance to NT

Chapter 4: The Data

Part 1 Data from Test Candidates 4.1.1 Legend 4.1.2 NT Data 4.1.2.1 Instances of best-guess strategies in translating sentence segments dealing with numbers 4.1.3 Parameters used in the data analysis 4.1.3.1 Spelling 4.1.3.2 Frequency of use and collocation 4.1.3.3 Calques 4.1.3.4 Transpositions 4.1.4 Dominant strategy: the pull of the source text 4.1.5 Approach to translating strategies analysis 4.1.6 Translation key 4.1.6.1 Interpretation of translation key 4.1.6.2 The marking scheme as a reflection of an assumption schema

Part 2 Data from Translation Students 4.2.1 Level of bilingualism 4.2.2 ST data 4.2.3 Comparison of NT and ST data

Chapter 5: Analysis and Discussion 5.1 Reproducing the original untranslated in the target text 5.2 Choosing another lexeme of the same semantic category 5.3 Explicitation 5.4 Omission 5.5 Overtranslation 5.6 Best-guess strategy 5.7 Difference in speed of processing 5.7.1 An analogue of U-shaped behaviour in formal translation training: automatic versus controlled processing 5.8 Developmental phases in the acquisition of translation competence 5.9 Possible effects of training in Phase II 5.10 Phase III: Features of mature-state or professional translating 5.10.1 Features of a professional translation

Chapter 6: Conclusions 6.1 Similarities and differences between NTs and STs 6.2 Suggestions for further study

Appendix A: Marking key

Appendix B: Statistical Analyses

References

Abstract in English and French.