OSHA Glossary of Construction Terms

Great new glossary for translators! While working on an engineering translation today, I found a great new resource.It is OSHA's dictionary of construction terms, and it can be found here: http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/spanish/osha_construction_terms_spen.html#.

Swordfish II CAT tool by Philippa

3-minute review of Swordfish II CAT tool by Philippa http://blog.philippahammond.net/2011/03/04/3-minute-review-of-swordfish-ii-cat-tool/ As part of my professional certification program in Spanish/English translation at UC San Diego, I was asked to do some reading on other translation bloggers' sites. I thought that I would share my thoughts on one of those articles here. The bloggers name is Philippa, and this is her blog:http://blog.philippahammond.net. I chose to read this article about Swordfish II because I have been really interested in CAT tools lately, and I have been trying to decide if I should invest in one or just use free ones for now. This article was a review of the Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) program Swordfish II. The blogger wrote her own personal review of its features and capabilities as well as her reactions as a professional translator. The author organized her review into the following sections: flexibility, file formats, layout, terminology search integrations, verdict, and downsides. I will organize my summary and reactions by section, so that I summarize and react to each of her sections in one paragraph, and then move on to the next in another paragraph. Let me know if you have any questions! In regard to flexibility, she liked that it is cross-platform, which allows her to use it on any computer; this is something that I didn’t realize was a rarity. She mentions that the license can be transferred between multiple computers, but that it is a bit of a pain to have to always disable and enable again. This is an interesting point that she makes. There are so many logistics to consider before committing to a program like this that I never even imagined. For example, I do have two computers, and it would be annoying to have to always go through the extra steps to enable and disable. However, I am not totally sure that I would need to use a program like this on multiple computers, as I usually use my laptop. It is great to get thinking about these details, though. In the file formats section she wrote that Swordfish can take a very wide variety of file formats, which the program converts to XLIFF to edit and then automatically back to their original format. This is a whole other aspect that I just haven’t had to think about yet. Most of the translations jobs that I have had so far have been in very standard file formats like PPT, word, and excel, but this is another future consideration that seems important to keep in mind. As far as layout, she writes that it is very simple and clean, and the user doesn’t need complicated instructions to use it. This seems especially great to me, as one of the most intimidating parts of thinking of CAT programs like Swordfish is thinking about how much time I imagine it will take me to learn how to use it! Like everyone else, I am so busy and I crave simplicity. The author, Philippa, also mentions that in terms of terminology search integration this CAT is very useful because it can simultaneously search with tools like Linguee, IATE, Google Translate, and Termium Plus while you work. This seems like a very interesting feature because you can avoid having a million screens and tabs open, which can be maddening. As for downsides, she says it can be on the slow side. Seeing as I am new to CATs, I am not really sure just how slow slow is, or how long it would take me to build up a big enough TM to worry about that. Philippa’s verdict is that, “The PC version of Swordfish could certainly run a lot faster than it does, but the program does offer a very great deal for its relatively small price tag, and I think it has the edge on cross-platform interoperability. Its integration of the main online terminology search tools makes it feel like a ‘translator’s translation tool’. The support offered is also extremely responsive, in my experience.” Overall, I thought that her review was really useful, practical, and comprehensive. Finally, she added a link about getting a free trial, which I think I just may do! (30-day free trial. See www.maxprograms.com for more screenshots and details.)

2012 Translation Resolution

Happy 2012! What are your resolutions for this year? My main personal resolution is to remember to slow down and enjoy my life at least once every day. That means that even in the midst of my busiest days, I have to stop at some point, even if it is just for five or ten minutes, to smile, be grateful, and BE HAPPY. It is working so far. Professionally, I want to spread the word about my services in a much bigger way, using this blog, social media, and my Elance page (if you haven't visited Elance, check out my Elance widget to the right). I just read an article today in which the author commented that as good as a translation is, it always varies from translator to translator and never says exactly what the original text says.I understand the author's point;the very word "translation" implies variance from the original. Yet, is that a negative frustrating thing? The author seems to think so. I, however, disagree. A translator's work is to understand the source text completely and convey it in a new way, in a new language, for a new audience. An exact copy of what is being said wouldn't be desirable in that it would probably not resonate in the same way with the new audience as it did with the original audience. Therefore, a translator must take some license to make choices that convey the original message as accurately as possible FOR THE NEW AUDIENCE and in the new language. What do you think?

The Art of Translation

Translating is a unique art form in that it does not require the formation of original materials, as writing or painting do; however, it is possible that for the same reason the process of translating is an even more delicate type of creation. Not only must the translator be intently focused on capturing the meaning and spirit of the original text, as well as any messages that the author may have conveyed indirectly, but he or she must then imbue this faithful rendition of the original with a new spirit which makes it accessible to a completely different culture and a reader with a very different perspective, background, and thought processes.

Bea Basso, an Italian/English translator who was interviewed by NPR several years ago, commented on the process of vocabulary use in a way that gives it a sort of choose-your-own-adventure mystique: "There is no such thing as a literal translation, by nature of choosing one word or another, you influence the next step." While this is true, a finished translation involves much more than changing words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs from one language to another. Tone, context, punctuation rules and standards, norms for abbreviation usage, target audience, customs, traditions and so much more all become integral aspects of a phenomenal translation. Basso noted this as well: "All of a sudden I was a translator of gestures, traditions, customs, ways of behaving even — how many kisses do you give to people when you enter a room."

Read NPR's interview here.