Applying computer-assisted tools to literary translation: The case of punctuation

V. A. Nuriev

Federal Research Center “Computer Science and Control” of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract: The article highlights the opportunities that the integration of computer-assisted tools into the literary translator's workbench provides in navigating the complexities of interlingual punctuation asymmetry. Across natural languages, punctuation principles can vary, which results in differences in the punctuation repertoire and its usage rules. For literary translators, understanding these differences is essential to accurately convey the artistic integrity of the source text. While interlingual punctuation asymmetry has long been studied, modern advancements in computer and language sciences, particularly, the corpus-based approach, offer new theoretical and practical insights that can greatly enhance the translation process. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of punctuation nuances leading to more informed translation choices and decisions. Thus, the article contributes to the recent trend of applying computer-assisted tools to literary translation.

Keywords: computer-assisted literary translation, punctuation, asymmetry between languages, corpus-based translation studies, parallel corpus, English, French, Russian.

Received: 05.07.2024

Language: English

DOI: 10.14357/19922264240314