Date of Award
1-17-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Discipline
Arts
Department
Translation
First Advisor
Prof. LUNG Wai Chu Rachel
Second Advisor
Prof. BAI Liping
Abstract
In empirical translation studies, the interplay of domain knowledge and domain-specific translation training in assessing translation competence and terminological competence is intriguing and yet much neglected. Which of these two elements counts more on scientific and technical translation? In order to investigate the two elements, this thesis has chosen the specific technical domain of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in examining the translation processes of TCM translators at novice and semi-professional levels between Chinese and English languages. The assessment of their terminological competence is significant as it is closely related to the issues of translation competence and technical knowledge. This study seeks to provide thematical and pedagogical insights into student translators with domain knowledge and domain-specific translation training.
In this thesis, both TCM students and translation students are involved, given their dual roles as major terminology users and TCM translators. First, the translation processes of three groups of TCM students as novice translators are studied, in order to observe how terminological competence varies with different matrices of domain knowledge and translation training. Next, three groups of translation students as semi-professional translators are investigated to determine how terminological competence varies with the levels of domain-specific translation training in TCM. Finally, TCM students and translation students are compared as two large groups. Translators’ terminological competence is defined in this study as the combination of two translation skills: the ability to generate viable translations of terms, and the ability to select one viable translation for each term efficiently and with justified confidence. A total of six indicators were analyzed, comprising translation acceptability, generation scores, evaluation scores, and self-reported data involving familiarity scores, difficulty scores, and confidence scores. These indicators can be explored by observing the translation processes using methodological triangulation materialized in retrospective think-aloud protocols, screen recordings, and interviews.
Through quantitative and qualitative analysis of translation processes, this study reports that significant differences lie primarily between the terminological competence of TCM students as novices and that of translation students as semi-professionals. Significant similarities in terminological competence are found within three groups of TCM students with varying TCM knowledge and within three groups of translation students with varying TCM translation training. This study enriches the empirical research data and furthers the understanding of technical translators’ terminological competence. It also sheds light on the rarely discussed interrelationships between domain knowledge and domain-specific translation training and encourages us to rethink technical translator training.
Keywords
terminological competence, traditional Chinese medicine, translation process, methodological triangulation, retrospective think-aloud protocol
Language
English
Copyright
The copyright of this thesis is owned by its author. Any reproduction, adaptation, distribution or dissemination of this thesis without express authorization is strictly prohibited.
Recommended Citation
Tan, G. (2025). Understanding terminological competence disparities: An empirical study of novice and semi-professional translators in traditional Chinese medicine (Doctoral thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/otd/243/