Behavioral and neurocognitive correlates of backward and forward translation

GARCÍA, ADOLFO M.

Germersheim

Simposio; TRA&CO Symposium; 2016

Faculty of Translation Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

In recent years, my team and I have examined the neurocognitive differences between backward and forward translation (BT and FT, respectively). This lecture brings together our key findings to date. First, an analysis of translation disorders in bilingual aphasics suggests that BT and FT rely on functionally autonomous circuits. Second, behavioral data indicate that such circuits become entrenched during the early stages of translation training, but not during later stages in the development of expert translation competence. Third, via a functional connectivity study with professional translators, we explored how multiple brain areas exchange information during BT and FT. Finally, using intracranial recordings, we assessed the role of frontal and temporal networks in each translation direction. Our findings suggest that BT is characterized by a predominance of automatic, low-level processes, whereas FT involves greater executive control demands. This empirical corpus shows that each translation direction relies on different neurocognitive mechanisms, providing hints into the organization of the translator?s mind. Moreover, the findings have theoretical and didactic implications for translation studies at large.