台灣成人英語學習者之中譯英錯誤分析

Abstract

本研究採用量性和質性兩種方法對30位本地語言學校以英語為第二外學的成年學生進行中英翻譯錯誤的研究。本研究中受測學生所採用的兩個翻譯試題係來自臺灣教育部（MOE）中英文翻譯能力檢定考試。受測學生的翻譯樣本資料係透過電子郵件蒐集。每回施測完成的中英翻譯，受測學生會獲得對他們的翻譯成果的回饋，並實施回顧性訪談，確認表現最佳和最差的名學生所使用的翻譯策略。研究者透過電子郵件發送自願參與歷程研究的訊息給所有的參與者。當研究者收到所有60個研究翻譯樣本，即以美國翻譯協會（ATA）和皮姆的著作（1992）翻譯錯誤類型學為基礎，發展出一翻譯錯誤的類型。錯誤被歸類為文體/詮解錯誤或語言錯誤，皆占有相同的比重。受測的翻譯樣本係基於評分表以人工評定錯誤的分數。並使用SPSS和(可靠度預估方法) 來進行統計分析包含配對t檢驗，以評定錯誤的頻率和顯著性。 本研究的結果顯示，多數受測學生的翻譯成績在前後兩次施測樣本中有顯著改善。研究數據亦顯示了第二次施測中，風格/詮解和語言的翻譯錯誤的有顯著降低。出人意料地，語言錯誤的總百分比在第二次施測時增加，且為比例最高的錯誤類型。以整體而言，排名第二、第三和第五種最常見的錯誤類型都是語言錯誤。研究者希望此項研究的成果可以作為日後更進一步研究的基礎，並針對臺灣語言學校成人學生最常見的中英翻譯錯誤類型提供初步的觀察與瞭解。

This study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the Chinese-to-English translation errors of 30 adult Taiwanese EFL students in Taipei. The two translations were sourced from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) Chinese and English Translation and Interpretation Competency Examinations. Translation data were collected via email and students received feedback on their performances. Retrospective interviews were then held to ascertain the translation techniques of the students with the top five and bottom five translation scores. Voluntary biographical surveys were then emailed to the participants. Next, an error typology based on that of the American Translators Association (ATA) and the work of Pym (1992) was developed. Errors were categorized as either stylistic/rendition errors or language errors and were equally weighted. The translations were hand coded for errors and assigned scores based on a rating scale. Statistical analyses, including paired t-tests, were conducted using SPSS and Prism to determine the frequency and significance of errors. The results of the study clearly indicate that the majority of student scores improved significantly from the first translation to the second. The data also reveal a marked decrease in the number of both stylistic/rendition and language errors in almost every category for the second translation. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the total percentage of language errors increased in the second translation and language errors accounted for the first, second, third, and fifth most frequent types of errors overall. It is hoped that the results of this study can be used as a basis for further research, as well as offer preliminary insight into the types of errors most common to adult Taiwanese language school students.