‘Default’ translation

Investigating translation and interpreting from the perspective of a non-computational theory of cognition requires continuing development of the requisite theoretical constructs. As part of the ongoing elaboration of this alternative approach, this paper proposes the construct of ‘default translation’ as a specific phase of translation production. This phase is characterized by rapid, relatively uninterrupted production and in this paper the kinds of knowledge accessed in this phase are outlined. The proposal is that default translation involves primarily bilingual linguistic knowledge (including communication norms), metalinguistic knowledge, and a specific understanding of the translation/interpreting task. The paper suggests a means of identifying the phase in process data. Finally, the construct is positioned relative to the idea of ‘literal translation’ and a proposal for terminological use is given in the concluding remarks.