“I don’t translate, I create!” – This is the slogan of a translation agency called “Sternkopf Communications” located in Flöha, Germany. The translators at this translation agency are specialized in the field of marketing and perceive creativeness their daily bread. But what does this actually mean – I don’t translate, I create? Undoubtedly, the translation of a text from one language into another is not an easy and straightforward process. On the contrary, the translator needs to invest much time and one or the other headache before a target text (TT) finally sounds natural, fluent, coherent and logical for the target audience. Different possible translation solutions will have to be considered, language as well as culture-related equivalents often are not easily at hand etc. Would it not be pleasant if machine translation (MT) was there to help with this process? Yet, despite the enormous importance of creativity in translating, computer-aided translation (CAT) tools are being used frequently by professional translators, not to replace but to support the translator in their daily business. CAT tools enable their users to translate in a more consistent way, since they search source texts for words, phrases or sentences that have already been translated before and stored in the TM so that the translator does not need to translate this text unit again ‘from scratch’. Considering that this process brings about what could be called ‘semi-mechanical’ TTs, the use of CAT tools seems to stand in stark contrast to the importance of creativity mentioned above. Thus, the question arises whether CAT tools influence the creative energy of translators and, if this is the case, whether translators regard this influence as rather positive or negative. In this context, it is also important to consider which fields of expertise generally demand a high degree of uniformity/consistency in translations and which subject fields generally allow for a high degree of creative freedom. Accordingly, this paper pursues two related purposes. The first is to compare five CAT tools in their degree of usability. The second purpose is to identify translators’ perspectives on uniformity and creativity in translations with the goal to shedding light on the question whether CAT tools generally tend to positively or negatively influence the translation process on a rather linguistic than technological basis.

“I don’t translate, I create!” – This is the slogan of a translation agency called “Sternkopf Communications” located in Flöha, Germany. The translators at this translation agency are specialized in the field of marketing and perceive creativeness their daily bread. But what does this actually mean – I don’t translate, I create? Undoubtedly, the translation of a text from one language into another is not an easy and straightforward process. On the contrary, the translator needs to invest much time and one or the other headache before a target text (TT) finally sounds natural, fluent, coherent and logical for the target audience. Different possible translation solutions will have to be considered, language as well as culture-related equivalents often are not easily at hand etc. Would it not be pleasant if machine translation (MT) was there to help with this process? Nevertheless, as promising as this may sound, no machine or software developed so far is able to independently produce TTs meeting the standards of marketable translations, despite copious efforts to do so. This just goes to show how important the human capacity of creativity in language and text production is for the translation process. Without human creative thinking, TTs would, in fact, truly only read like translations, i.e. mechanical reproductions of the source text (ST) in a different code, rather than natural texts in their own right. Good translations, however, distinguish themselves by not revealing their readership that they are “merely” renderings of the original text. Hence, a slogan such as “I don’t translate, I create”, emphasizes the effort that is put into the translation process quite well, making the customers of Sternkopf Communications instantly aware of the fact that their texts are in good hands and will eventually not read like mechanical translations but as if they were well-composed originals. Yet, despite the enormous importance of creativity in translating, computer-aided translation (CAT) tools are being used frequently by professional translators, not to replace but to support the translator in their daily business. From the 1990s onwards, using CAT tools has been becoming increasingly popular for the following reason: They are said to help translators to achieve faster turnaround times by storing completed translations in a translation memory TM. In so doing, CAT tools enable their users to translate in a more consistent way, since they search source texts for words, phrases or sentences that have already been translated before and stored in the TM so that the translator does not need to translate this text unit again ‘from scratch’. Accordingly, this paper pursues two related purposes. The first is to compare the different CAT tools in their degree of usability to gain an impression of which of these translation memory solutions is perceived to meet translators’ technological requirements best. The second purpose is to identify translators’ perspectives on uniformity and creativity in translations with the goal to shedding light on the question whether CAT tools generally tend to positively or negatively influence the translation process on a rather linguistic than technological basis.

Translation and Creativity discusses the links between translation and creative writing from linguistic, cultural, and critical perspectives, through eleven chapters by established academics and practitioners. The relationship between translation and creative writing is brought into focus by theoretical, pedagogical, and practical applications, complemented by language-based illustrative examples. Innovative research and practice areas covered include ideas of self-translation and the 'spaces' of reading, mental 'black boxes' and cognition and the book introduces new concepts of transgeneric translation, pop translation and orthographical translation.

"Tapping into Translators' Creativity" book started as a project within a project and it was basically "born" on Twitter. I was so intrigued by how creative translators are on so many levels, that I wanted to write about it. I had no idea that what started as an idea, and a few thoughts written down in a children's playground, would eventually become a book featuring 21 translators.The book explores how translation and creativity intersect and overlap and it is inspired both by translators and creatives and the things they have in common.A simple book, written in a simple language.Examples are drawn from different sources, from translation, art and writing, but what makes it special is its recurrent theme, the painting Girl With a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.Book review: http: //ritamaia.com/blog/tapping-into-translators-creativity

Why did Italo Calvino decide to translate Les Fleurs bleues by Raymond Queneau? Was his translation just a way to pay a tribute to one of his models? This study looks at Calvino’s translation from a literary and linguistic perspective: Calvino’s I fiori blu is more than a rewriting and a creative translation, as it contributed to a revolution in his own literary language and style. Translating Queneau, Calvino discovered a new fictional voice and explored the potentialities of his native tongue, Italian. In fact Calvino’s writings show a visible evolution of poetics and style that occurred rather abruptly in the mid 1960s; this sudden change has long been debated. The radical transformation of his style was affected by several factors: Calvino’s new interests in linguistics, in translation theory, and in the act of translation. Translation as Stylistic Evolution analyses several passages in detail and scrutinizes quantitative data obtained by comparing digital versions of the original and Calvino’s translation. The results of such assessment of Calvino’s text-consistency suggest clear interpretations of the motives behind Calvino’s radical and remarkable change of style that are tied to his notion of creative translation.

Same version with Color Interior (includes colored pictures): https://www.amazon.com/Tapping-Translators-Creativity-Magda-Phili/dp/1521236887Translators are (re)writers, they are dot connectors, they know how to read between the lines, tap into the heart of texts with all their layers, do research, use glossaries, work with software, network, create brands, help people communicate across the globe.Creativity helps translators become better at their craft, find ways to market their services, establish an online presence, design beautiful websites. But there's more: translators often pursue hobbies in art, crafts and music. Translators are also creative when it comes to finding ways to cope with the challenges of a highly demanding, yet underappreciated profession. Their creativity is paramount to their professional development and fulfillment and it is key in understanding the value translators bring into the written world.In this writing journey, inspiration comes not just from translation but from the world of art and in particular, Vermeer and his most famous painting "Girl With a Pearl Earring".