Based largely on my doctoral dissertation “Textual Cognetics and the Role of Iconic Linkage in Software User Guides”, this book is intended to serve as an introduction to technical translation and usability for translators and translation researchers. In this book we will look at how it is possible to improve the quality of technical translations by drawing on cognitive p- chology, usability engineering and technical communication to develop skills which can be implemented during the text production stage of the translation process to ensure more usable texts. This book draws on a broad range of research and makes it accessible and applicable to an audience with a background primarily in translation although those with backgrounds in technical writing will also find the discussions of usability, cognitive p- chology and usability testing useful. Technical translation has traditionally been regarded as the poor cousin of “real” translation. Often regarded as a vocational, practical andat times rather basic type of translation, it has been largely neglected in the literature on translation theory. The work that has been done in this area has largely been restricted to terminological issues or technical issues (e. g. tools such as translation memories and machine translation, etc. ) or does not fully reflect the reality of modern translation and needs to be updated (e. g. Pinchuk 1977, Sykes 1971). However, technical translation is a much more prom- ing avenue of theoretical investigation than many suspect.
