Book review: Defeng Li and John Corbett,The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Translation Studies

Building on corpus linguistics and Descriptive Translation Studies, corpus-based translation studies (CBTS) has become an important strand in translation research. Since Laviosa-Braithwaite’s pioneering work in 1996, CBTS has progressed rapidly, creating a need for a comprehensive synthesis of the methodological, linguistic, and applied perspectives that have emerged. The newly published volume, The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Translation Studies, edited by Defeng Li and John Corbett, seeks to address this gap by offering an up-to-date, multifaceted account of corpus translation studies. Emphasizing data authenticity and methodological transparency, the volume shows how corpus-based methods illuminate discourse phenomena across diverse translational contexts, making it a valuable reference for people who are interested in corpus-informed discourse analysis in translation. Overall, this volume makes great contributions for the continued growth and refinement of the field.

Part I lays a methodological foundation for CBTS by demonstrating how corpora, large collections of authentic language data, are constructed and applied in empirical translation research. Chapter 1 begins with a historical overview of current practices and introduces corpus software and corpus analysis techniques. These corpus linguistics methods (e.g. frequency, concordance) are also very useful in discourse analysis. Notably, Chapters 5 and 6 broaden the scope to interpreting studies (spoken discourse) and integrate artificial intelligence (AI).

Building on this methodological framework, Part II expands CBTS into linguistic domains. Chapters 7–10 address linguistic issues, illustrating the use of parallel (e.g. English-Norwegian, English-Swedish) and comparable corpora, as well as multilingual compilations, to trace cross-linguistic discourse patterns. One sub-section explores comparing pragmatic markers to the search for discourse universals. It shows how parallel corpora of cognate pragmatic markers can uncover recurrent discourse functions and cross-linguistic regularities. A particular strength of this section is its practical explanation of corpus compilation and discourse analysis across multiple languages. It is invaluable to researchers interested in cross-linguistic studies and multilingualism, revealing how such resources can yield insights directly relevant to the analysis of both written and spoken discourse. This section concludes with a cognitive perspective in Chapter 11, underscoring the value of interdisciplinary collaboration between corpus linguistics and cognitive science, psychology, and translation studies.

Parts III and IV extend this trajectory into the analysis of translation patterns and genre-specific strategies. Specifically, Part III focuses on translation universals, and further explores phenomena such as “translatorese,” recurrent linguistic features (e.g. lexical, syntactic, stylistic) that distinguish translated texts from non-translated texts in the same language in Chapter 13 and “explicitation,” patterns of making implicit source-text information explicit in the target text in Chapter 14.

To demonstrate the interdisciplinary possibilities of CBTS, part IV then shifts to corpus-assisted approaches for analyzing stylistic and genre-specific patterns in different types of discourse (e.g. literary, legal, scientific, and dramatic texts). Chapter 19 investigates scientific translation at both micro-levels (e.g. stance resources, cohesive devices, passive constructions) and macro-levels (e.g. cultural and societal dimensions). Indeed, all these aspects are instrumental to discourse studies, making this handbook indispensable not only for translation and interpreting, but also for a broader spectrum of scholarly inquiry in discourse analysis.

Transitioning from analysis to application, Parts V and VI explore the pedagogical and multimodal dimensions of CBTS. Part V emphasizes the pedagogical value of corpora in translation and interpreting education, starting with a call for stronger corpus-based learning frameworks (Chapter 20) and extending to language instruction for specific purposes (Chapter 21). This pedagogical angle is a unique strength, because when integrated into curricula, such frameworks can scaffold evidence-based decisions, support autonomous learning, and enhance language competence. Part VI enriches this pedagogical focus by applying corpus-based methods to audiovisual translation discourse.

Finally, Parts VII and VIII bring the volume to a critical and evaluative close. Part VII applied corpus-based methods through a critical lens to explore power, ideology, and identity in translation and interpreting – issues that are of great importance in discourse studies as well. Therefore, this volume caters for a broader readership for those who are also interested in discourse analysis. Chapters 27–29 explore how corpora contribute to feminist translation, ideological framing, and gendered discourse, emphasizing their role in challenging dominant narratives. Particularly, Chapter 28 examines corpora, ideology, and interpreting by adopting a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach. Part VIII complements this critical perspective with a focus on how corpora support translation assessment.

In conclusion, this volume consolidates decades of scholarship in CBTS, spanning empirical methods, stylistics, genre, pedagogy, audiovisual translation, critical perspectives, and assessment. Its strengths are twofold. First, the thematic breadth and global authorship make it an essential reference and useful guide for researchers, teachers, and students not only in translation and interpreting, but also in discourse analysis. It includes up-to-date topics, such as AI, machine translation and sign language. Second, the case studies and examples ground theoretical discussions in practice, elucidating how CBTS informs the diverse fields of translation, interpreting, and discourse studies.

While the volume presents a timely demonstration of the relationship between AI, corpora, and translation studies, it could be further strengthened and balanced by addressing the challenges and limitations of AI. Moreover, in addition to the discussion of post-editing and translation training, a more expansive exploration of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, such as in literary and news translation, would enrich the volume. As these technologies increasingly transform diverse aspects of communication, their inclusion would broaden the scope of post-humanistic translation studies and promote further discussions in the current AI-mediated language landscape.

Nevertheless, the book is a landmark overview and a forward-looking resource, establishing CBTS as crucial for understanding translation as a discursive phenomenon in today’s complex, multilingual, and multimodal world.