Measuring translation difficulty: An empirical study

• Autores: Sanjun Sun, Gregory M. Shreve
• Localización: Target: International journal of translation studies, ISSN 0924-1884, Vol. 26, Nº. 1, 2014, págs. 98-127
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The purpose of this study was to find a method to measure difficulty in a translation task. Readability formulas have been suggested to be a useful tool and yet this needs to be empirically tested. In this study, NASA Task Load Index, a multidimensional scale for measuring mental workload, was used to assess the level of translation difficulty for the translator. It was found that a text�s readability only partially accounts for its translation difficulty level. Translation quality score was found to be an unreliable indicator of translation difficulty level, while time-on-task was significantly, but weakly, related to translation difficulty level. A formula was developed to predict a text�s translation difficulty level for a translator by using the translator�s pre-translation rating.