ABSTRACT
The central argument of this chapter is that the same close and distant reading (CDR) methodology used to analyse the source text can also be used to compare source text and draft translation, helping the translator to assess whether translation goals have been achieved. The four sections deal with different ways of comparing source text (ST) and draft target text (TT). Section 6.1 looks at the use of ‘standard’ CDR analyses discussed in Chapter 2, and also explains the process of aligning the ST and TT and converting them into a searchable parallel corpus. Section 6.2 compares sentence length and structure, mirroring the analysis in Chapter 5. Where one chapter was found to have a greater observed-than-expected word count and average sentence length, it is investigated in detail and a suggested explanation put forward. Section 6.3 looks at repetitions, focusing on examples of both frequent and infrequent repetitions, showing how thematically important but widely distributed repetitions can easily be missed without the aid of distant reading. Finally, Section 6.4 looks at the often-overlooked use of high-frequency function words such as and, showing how their patterns of usage can be stylistically important and how changing them in translation can affect the text’s impact on the reader.
