The Role of Corpora in Enhancing Translation Accuracy and Fluency Feasibility of Using Corpora as a Tool in Translation Practice

Abstract

Translators employ an array of tools to streamline the translation process, ensuring precision and coherence. The necessity of these tools is particularly pronounced when tackling authentic materials, such as texts from the United Nations (UN). Among these tools, corpora stand out as a pivotal resource. In light of this, this study undertook a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative exploration into the impact of UN parallel corpora on novice translators. The research sought to address two fundamental questions: Does the utilization of parallel corpora significantly enhance translation performance? Furthermore, what specific areas of improvement, if any, are facilitated by the incorporation of parallel corpora? To address these questions, a cohort of 30 students undertook two translation tasks of equal complexity. The initial task was conducted without the support of UN corpora, while the subsequent task integrated the use of these corpora. Employing a t-test, the study scrutinized the statistical significance of divergence among the participants. The outcomes illuminate that the integration of corpora within translation pedagogy, particularly for UN texts, plays an indispensable role. This integration furnishes students with authentic source materials, facilitating comprehension of intricate terminologies inherent in these documents. Furthermore, corpora enable students to discern underlying linguistic patterns, encompassing syntax, collocations, and discourse structures. This linguistic insight equips translators to faithfully convey intended meanings and registers in their translations. Notably, the T-test outcomes establish a substantial positive influence of corpora utilization on the achievement of students.