The Neurocognition of Translation and Interpreting: (147 Benjamins Translation Library)

This groundbreaking work offers a comprehensive account of brain-based research on translation and interpreting. First, the volume introduces the methodological and conceptual pillars of psychobiological approaches vis-à-vis those of other cognitive frameworks. Next, it systematizes neuropsychological, neuroscientific, and behavioral evidence on key topics, including the lateralization of networks subserving cross-linguistic processes; their relation with other linguistic mechanisms; the functional organization and temporal dynamics of the circuits engaged by different translation directions, processing levels, and source-language units; the system’s susceptibility to training-induced plasticity; and the outward correlates of its main operations. Lastly, the book discusses the field’s accomplishments, strengths, weaknesses, and requirements. Its authoritative yet picturesque, didactic style renders it accessible to researchers in cognitive translatology, bilingualism, and neurolinguistics, as well as teachers and practitioners in related areas. Succinctly, this piece establishes a much-needed platform for translation and interpreting studies to fruitfully interact with cognitive neuroscience.

Review :
This book is a prodigious achievement. It bridges the gap between neurocognitive research methods and solid model building in translation studies. Adolfo M. García does a brilliant job of satisfying our curiosity about the bilingual brain while illuminating the deepest questions of what is going on in the translator’s and interpreter’s black box. The book is highly innovative and stimulating. In this bold and ambitious book, Adolfo M. García left no stone unturned and achieved his goal to create “a seamless synthesis” of the key concepts and exciting discoveries that research on the neurocognition of translation and interpreting has so far afforded us. He has succeeded in making the “unknown known” with the book’s highly effective conceptual structure and the depth of its coverage. The insights García brings to the state of the art through his welcomed focus on the neuroscientific perspective make this book highly unique and valuable. A one-in-a-decade contribution, this book extends cognitive translation and interpreting studies with a much-needed, evidence-based neuroscientific scope that will shed light on uncharted areas and levels of translation and interpreting processes. García’s well-written monograph lucidly and critically articulates a compelling view of the translating brain, with an underlying research program that may keep several generations of (neuro)cognitive TIS researchers busy. The book insightfully covers multiple aspects of neural research (e.g., specific techniques, experimental designs and paradigms, variables and manipulations, data analysis) and delves into some of the big questions in translation studies like directionality, units of translation and cognitive processing in interpreting. García contextualises brain-based paradigms through a lucid critical review of non-neural approaches like corpus studies, thinkaloud protocols, psycholinguistic testing, eye-tracking and key-logging [...]. It is notable how balanced García’s take is when he positions neuroscientific evidence with respect to less tangibly grounded approaches which he broadly calls ‘humanistic’. He escapes the allure of indiscriminately praising brain-based work, arguing instead for a co-constructive and pluralist mindset. Another asset is that the author addresses many of the possible roadblocks openly, such as the prospects of inter-institutional cooperation or the practical and didactic considerations behind wider use of brain-based methods. [...] Overall, what speaks to the author’s acuteness is that he preempts questions that readers could pose[...]. García gives the readers a chance to see for themselves, and the answer will be more and more obvious as neurocognitive approaches in translation studies come into their own. This work is thorough, scholarly and engaging, making this the ideal book for anyone wishing to find an accessible entry point to this burgeoning discipline. This book is [...] an essential read for scholars who are interested in studying the real black box of T&I, using tools and methods from cognitive neuroscience, and for researchers in the fields of bilingualism and neurolinguistics who wish to explore the novel and distinctive tasks involved in cross-language processing. If one plans to conduct studies on the neurocognitive aspects of translation and interpreting across modalities, as either a novice or experienced researcher, they can equip themselves with an understanding of the linguistic brain, an appropriate research design and a tool required for their questions to be answered, thanks to this concise book. This monograph serves as an invaluable reference for researchers and professionals in the field of cognitive TIS, paving an exciting avenue for future explorations. Most importantly, the stance it takes on neural-based approaches – tools not superior but complementary to non-neural approaches – is exemplary in being objective, a prerequisite for conducting any scientific research. Written by a leading neuroscientist and T&I researcher, García’s book raises neurocognitive work in the field to new, impressive heights. To anyone interested in the topic, this volume will remain the standard reference work.