Translation as a Third Code: An Empirical Study in Translatedness

Bc. Martina Bartůňková

Master's thesis

Anotácia:

This thesis tries to find out whether it is possible to distinguish between a translated and a non-translated text, i.e. a text written in the mother tongue, purely on the basis of linguistic features of the text with the focus on unique items that tend to appear more in non-translations than in translations. Further, the thesis surveys whether readears´ sex, age, education, field of study, language competence, reading preferences, and time spend by reading make them prone to higher percentage of correct answers. For the purpose of the thesis, fifteen extracts (six translations and nine non-translations) of various genres (detective story, travel writing, popular-scientific literature, and newspaper article) were chosen. In connection with the extracts, respondents were to decide whether the particular extract is a translation or a non-translation and commented on their decision. The data for the analysis were collected through an electronic questionnaire.

Abstract:

This thesis tries to find out whether it is possible to distinguish between a translated and a non-translated text, i.e. a text written in the mother tongue, purely on the basis of linguistic features of the text with the focus on unique items that tend to appear more in non-translations than in translations. Further, the thesis surveys whether readears´ sex, age, education, field of study, language competence, reading preferences, and time spend by reading make them prone to higher percentage of correct answers. For the purpose of the thesis, fifteen extracts (six translations and nine non-translations) of various genres (detective story, travel writing, popular-scientific literature, and newspaper article) were chosen. In connection with the extracts, respondents were to decide whether the particular extract is a translation or a non-translation and commented on their decision. The data for the analysis were collected through an electronic questionnaire.

Keywords

translation, translations versus originals, unique items, translatedness, third code, translationese, empirical study

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 22. 1. 2009

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 30. 1. 2009
• Vedúci: Mgr. Renata Kamenická, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / odbor:
Philology / English Language and Literature