AL-MUTARĞIM المترجم
Volume 19, Numéro 1, Pages 137-166
2019-06-30

The Translator’s Cognitive Decision Making

Authors : Yahia Rouba .

Abstract

The translator goes in his translation process through different phases which makes his work so complex. Gouadec distinguishes a total of 156 sequences of potential operations in a translation process. In other words, I propose the three c’s to describe the work phase of a translator: Chance, choice and change. So whenever the chance of translating knocks his door, the translator had better seize the opportunity which is like a cloud and will not last long. Then he will surely show signs of change provided that he makes the right choice and takes the convenient decision. However, the ability to choose among multiple available alternatives is not always a piece of cake. In short, is the cognitive decision made by any translator based on a careful analytical deliberation, or on a hidden, unseen, mysterious and instinctive thought? Sometimes, the translator is at the roundabout with various roads and he is undecided about the right destination he should follow. He finds himself in a dilemma about which word or expression he has to select. Thus, he thinks about it for a while and many ideas are hanging over his head. Suddenly, he is in favour of a particular option. So what happened in his black box? When, for instance, the translator is in front of two words such as : "دخل" and "ولج" , then he opts for one of them and forgets about the other, bearing in mind that the two words in Arabic are not really identical and have different meanings. Is it an intuitive choice? Or, is it a matter of real awareness and a beforehand acquired knowledge? Or, is it simply an act of inability to get the adequate solution to solve the problem? Is it always possible to have a logical description and explanation for the adopted choice?

Keywords

Decision making; Problem solving; Choice; Intuition; Awareness; Translation process.