Resumen de When translation makes the difference: sentence processing in reading and translation

Pedro Macizo Soria, M.T. Bajo

• In two experiments we compared normal reading and reading for translation of object relative sentences presented word-by-word. In Experiment 1, professional translators were asked either to read and repeat Spanish sentences, or to read and translate them into English. In addition, we manipulated the availability of pragmatic information given in the sentences. In Experiment 2, we reversed the source language and translators were instructed to read and repeat English sentences or to read and translate them into Spanish. Compared to normal reading, in both experiments, online comprehension was slower under reading for translation, showing that sentence comprehension varies depending on the goal of the reading.

  Pragmatic cues facilitated on-line comprehension only when Spanish was used as input, indicating an asymmetrical use of pragmatic information induced by the source language. Results agreed with a horizontal perspective of the translation task.