Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Little scholarly reflection has been published on the subject of medical research and
translation. The aim of this study is to contribute to such literature by investigating the quality
of original and retranslated medical questionnaires. The various steps medical researchers
follow when translating their questionnaires are considered and discussed. Particular attention
is given to questionnaires on AIDS-related topics in South Africa, as well as to the role of
translation in ensuring the collection of valid data in medical research.
Different translation approaches, which are followed when translating medical texts, and the
impact they have on the quality of the research, are discussed. These approaches are the
linguistic, text-linguistic and functional approaches. Attention is given to translators as
communicators and mediators, as well as to the more general role of the translator.
This study hypothesises that the quality of translations of medical research questions is
largely inadequate in communicating effectively with the target culture for which they are
intended. The retranslation hypothesis stating that retranslations are closer to the source text
(ST) than original translations is supported.
Afrikaans- and Xhosa-speaking adolescents from two secondary schools in the Cape
Peninsula participated in a before-after study. These learners received self-administered
medical questions on the two occasions. The first set comprised original translations, while
the second set contained retranslations of the ST questions. Evaluation questions were
included to assess the quality of these translations.
The design, translation approach and quality of the original translations are explained, as is
the development of the retranslation and evaluation questionnaires. Translations that do not
consider their target audience lead to communication gaps, which have an adverse effect on
the validity of data derived from questionnaires that are used in medical research.
The results of most of these questions are compared for the two target cultures and are
analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The data are further explored to establish whether
and how the translational quality of medical questionnaires can be improved.
These aspects and the suggested translation process are discussed while bearing in mind the
limitations of a study of this kind. Recommendations are made for possible improvement to
the quality of translations of medical questionnaires. Projections for further studies in this
direction complete this empirical investigation into translation and medical research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Relatief min akademiese nadenke is gepubliseer oor die onderwerp mediese navorsing en
vertaling. Hierdie studie wil 'n bydrae maak tot sodanige literatuur deur 'n ondersoek na die
kwaliteit van oorspronklik vertaalde en hervertaalde mediese vraelyste. Die onderskeie stappe
wat mediese navorsers ten opsigte van die vertaling van hulle vraelyste volg, word bespreek.
Aandag word spesifiek gerig op vraelyste oor vigsverwante temas in Suid-Afrika, asook op die
rol van vertaling in die versekering dat geldige data in mediese navorsing ingesamel word.
Verskeie benaderings wat gevolg word in die vertaling van mediese tekste en die impak wat
hulle het op die kwaliteit van die navorsing word bespreek. Hierdie benaderings is die
linguistiese, tekslinguistiese en funksionalistiese benaderings. Aandag word geskenk aan
vertalers as kommunikeerders en tussengangers, asook die meer algemene rol van die
vertaler.
Hierdie studie veronderstel dat die kwaliteit van vertalings van mediese navorsingsvraelyste
grootliks onvoldoende is om effektief met die betrokke teikengehoor te kommunikeer. Die
hervertalingshipotese wat sê dat hervertalings nader aan die brontaal (Bn as oorspronklike
vertalings is, word ondersteun.
Afrikaans- en Xhosa-sprekende adolessente van twee sekondêre skole in die Skiereiland het
deelgeneem aan 'n voor- en agtemastudie. Hierdie leerders het op beide geleenthede die
vraelyste self voltooi. Die eerste stel het oorspronklike vertalings bevat terwyl die tweede stel
hervertalings van die BT bevat het. Evalueringsvrae is ingesluit om die kwaliteit van hierdie
vertalings te help bepaal.
Die ontwerp, vertalingsbenadering en kwaliteit van die oorspronklike vertalings word
verduidelik, so ook die ontwikkeling van die hervertaling- en evalueringsvraelyste. Vertalings
wat nie die teikengehoor in ag neem nie, lei tot kommunikasiegapings wat die geldigheid van
data afkomstig van vraelyste in mediese navorsing nadelig kan raak.
Die resultate van die meeste van hierdie vrae word vir die twee teikenkulture vergelyk, en dit
word kwalitatief en kwantitatief ontleed. Die data word verder ondersoek om vas te stelof en
hoe die kwaliteit van die vertaling van mediese vraelyste verbeter sou kon word.
Bogenoemde aspekte en die voorgestelde vertalingsproses word bespreek met inagneming
van die beperkings van 'n studie van hierdie aard. Voorstelle word gemaak vir die moontlike
verbetering van die vertaling van mediese vraelyste. Vooruitskattings vir verdere studie in
hierdie rigting voltooi hierdie empiriese ondersoek na vertaling en mediese navorsing. Ek dra hierdie tesis op aan Mattheus vir sy liefde, geduld en al die tee-aandraery, asook aan
Ettienne en Jeanelle wat met minder ondersteuning van my as andersins hulle skoolloopbane
moes voltooi het.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53667 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Fourie, Jean |
| Contributors | Feinauer, I., Jordaan, E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans & Dutch. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 204 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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