A systems theory perspective on the translation process:

Carl, Michael; Tonge, Andrew; Lacruz, Isabel

doi:10.1075/tcb.00026.car

Article published In:

Translation, Cognition & Behavior
Vol. 2:2 (2019) ► pp.211–232

A systems theory perspective on the translation process

Michael Carl | Kent State University

Andrew Tonge | Kent State University

Isabel Lacruz | Kent State University

The translation process has often been described as a sequence of three steps, source text (ST) analysis, source-target transfer, and target text (TT) generation. We propose a radically different view, in which the human translation process consists of a hierarchy of interacting word and phrase translations systems which organize and integrate as dissipative structures. Activation of word (or phrase) translation systems is a non-selective subliminal process in the translator’s mind not restricted to one language. Depending on the entropy (i.e., the internal order) of the word translation systems, a human translator spends more or less time and energy during the translation process, which can be measured in the form of gaze patterns and production duration.

Keywords: translation production, entropy and dissipation in translation, translation effort

Article outline

1.Introduction
2.Models of the bilingual mind
3.Cognitive effort and entropy in translation
4.Entropy and negentropy
5.Word translation entropy
6.Dissipative structures
7.Entropic gravity
8.Information philosophy
Notes
References

Published online: 6 September 2019

https://doi.org/10.1075/tcb.00026.car

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