Creative Dimensions of Decision-Making in Translation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17072/2073-6681-2026-1-25-34Keywords:
translation creativity; translation decision; decision-making; translation training; linguistic categorization and conceptualization.Abstract
This article investigates creativity as a fundamental component of professional translation practice, analyzing its manifestations in the decision-making process. The study systematically examines contemporary theoretical approaches to translation creativity developed in both Western and Russian academic traditions, with particular focus on four defining characteristics of creativity: (1) novelty of the solution, (2) its functional adequacy, (3) the translator’s ability to overcome constraints, and (4) the capacity to bridge conceptually distant elements. The research presents a comprehensive typology of translation decisions that positions creative decisions within the spectrum of the most complicated ones: reflected (requiring conscious analysis) and constructed (implying innovative problem-solving). The study demonstrates how these decision types are influenced by multiple factors including the translator's professional experience, motivation patterns, goal-setting abilities, and repertoire of strategic approaches. Analysis of empirical data reveals that the cognitive complexity of creative solutions evolves throughout a translator's career development. Another contribution of this work is its critical examination of the conventional "free vs. literal translation" dichotomy. The article argues that this binary framework fails to consider the complexity of creative decision-making in professional contexts. Instead, the author proposes a multidimensional model that incorporates: (1) cognitive processing mechanisms, (2) situational and contextual constraints, and (3) the dynamic nature of professional translation practice. This model provides a more nuanced understanding of how creativity actually functions in translation processes. For researchers, the study offers a structured framework for investigating translation creativity. For educators, it provides evidence-based insights for developing creative competencies. For practitioners, it suggests concrete approaches to enhancing decision-making skills.References
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Balacescu I., Stefanink B. Modèles explicatifs de la créativité en traduction [Explanatory models of creativity in translation]. Meta, 2003, issue 48 (4), pp. 509-525. doi 10.7202/008723ar. (In Fr.)
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Cho S.-E. Translator’s creativity found in the process of Japanese-Korean translation. Meta, 2006, issue 51 (2), pp. 378-388. doi 10.7202/013263ar. (In Eng.)
Dancette J., Audet L., Jay-Rayon L. Axes et critères de la créativité en traduction [Axes and criteria of creativity in translation]. Meta, 2007, issue 52 (1), pp. 108-122. doi 10.7202/014726ar. (In Fr.)
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Guerberof-Arenas A., Toral Ruiz A. Creativity in translation: machine translation as a constraint for literary texts. Translation Spaces, 2022, issue 11 (2), pp. 184-212. doi 10.1075/ts.21025.gue. (In Eng.)
Guerberof-Arenas A., Valdez S., Dorst A. G. Does training in post-editing affect creativity? JoSTrans - The Journal of Specialized Translation, 2024, issue 41, pp. 74-97. doi 10.26034/cm.jostrans.2024.4712. (In Eng.)
Guilford J. P. The Nature of Human Intelligence. London, McGraw-Hill, 1971. 566 p. (In Eng.)
Hewson L. Les paradoxes de la créativité en traduction littéraire [The paradoxes of creativity in literary translation]. Meta, 2017, issue 62 (3), pp. 501-520. doi 10.7202/1043945ar. (In Fr.)
Hewson L. Creativity in translator training: Between the possible, the improbable and the (apparently) impossible. Linguaculture, 2016, issue 7 (2), pp. 9-25. doi 10.1515/lincu -2016-0010. (In Eng.)
Kodura M. Activating creativity in translation training courses through song translation. Studia Translatorica, 2024, issue 15, pp. 281-297. doi 10.23817/strans.15-14. (In Eng.)
Kussmaul P. Training the Translator. Amsterdam/Philadelphia, John Benjamins, 1995. 176 p. (In Eng.)
Kussmaul P. Types of Creative Translating. Translation in Context. Ed. by A. Chesterman, N. Gallardo San Salvador, and Y. Gambier. Amsterdam/Philadelphia, John Benjamins, 1998, pp. 117-126. (In Eng.)
Kußmaul P. Translation through visualization. Meta, 2005, issue 50 (2), pp. 378-391. doi 10.7202/010943ar. (In Eng.)
Lubart T. I. Models of the creative process: Past, present and future. Creativity Research Journal, 2000-2001, issue 13-3/4, pp. 295-308. (In Eng.)
Paepcke F., Forget P. Textverstehen und Übersetzen – Ouvertures sur la traduction [Text Comprehension and Translation – Openings on Translation]. Heidelberg, Groos, 1981. 150 p. (In Germ.)
Weisberg R. W. Creativity: Genius and Other Myths. New York, W. H. Freeman and Company, 1986. 169 p. (In Eng.)
