LANGUAGE TRANSLATION TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

1
LANGUAGE TRANSLATION TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Lucia Holloway 28 April 2005
2
What Well Cover

• Definitions
• Translation Resources
• Just a Few Products
• A Translation Method
• Equipment a Freelance Translator Needs
• Termium
• Trados

3
Definitions

• Translator One professionally employed to
  translate written works.
• Interpreter One who translates orally from one
  language to another
• Globalization Adaptation of marketing
  strategies to regional requirements of all kinds.
• Internationalization Engineering of a product
  to enable efficient adaptation of that product to
  local requirements.

4
Definitions (Continued)

• Localization The process of adapting software
  and accompanying materials to suit a large-market
  locale.
• Locale A geographic region defined by a
  combination of language and cultural norms. Do
  not confuse locale with language. Fully
  supporting locales requires globalization,
  internationalization, and localization.

5
Definitions (Continued)

• Computer-assisted translation Process a human
  translator uses to translate documents with the
  assistance of a translation memory tool, like
  TRADOS.
• Machine translation Vocabulary matching without
  human input.

6
Translation Resources

• Your acquaintances, their specializations
• Colleagues, their specializations, other
  translators
• Clients, their professional contacts, techniques
• Dictionaries online, hardcopy, online
  glossaries
• Libraries the client, public, university,
  specialized (CDC)
• Internet, e-mail
• Periodicals newspapers, magazines (general,
  professional, industry-related)
• Organizations, Government Agencies Chambers of
  Commerce, Consulates

7
Just A Few Products/Sources

• Google
• Eurodicatom
• LANTRA
• American Translators Association
• Systran
• Termium
• WorldLingo
• Trados
• Babel Fish Translation

8
A Translation Method

• Read the source text circle items to be
  researched.
• Research terms
• Produce rough draft
• Do sentence-by-sentence comparison
• Read out loud
• Compare again
• Reread
• Establish a glossary as you go along

9
Equipment A Freelance Translator Needs

• IBM-compatible computer
• Modem
• Fax
• Printer
• Dictionary Management Software
• Graphics Package

10
Professional Organizations

• American Translators Association (ATA) -
  certification
• Atlanta Association of Interpreters and
  Translators (AAIT) - Networking

11
Termium

• Government of Canadas terminology and linguistic
  database.
• Bilingual dictionary with precise English or
  French equivalents for numerous topics.
• Unilingual dictionary to verify the meaning of a
  specialized term.
• 3, 500,000 terms and names with definitions,
  contexts, and usage examples.

12
Termium (Continued)

• Wide range of official titles, including names of
  national and international organizations,
  abbreviations, acronyms, geographical names, and
  so forth.
• One of the largest data banks in the world.
• User-friendly interface query in English,
  French, or Spanish.
• Winner of the 1996 Association of Translators and
  Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO).

13
TRADOS

• Translation memory software. It recycles
  translated sentences so you are faster and more
  consistent. Frees you from repetitive typing.
• Translation memory pairing of a sentence in the
  document you are translating from and its
  translation in your translated document. Stores
  the pair in memory and gives you the
  translation of any sentences you have translated
  before.
• Fuzzy matches for similar sentences available.
• Will not translate for you. Not intended to
  replace human translator.

14
Translation Humor

• Some phrases play havoc with the psyches of
  nonnative English speakers
• 1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
• 2. We produce produce on the farm.
• 3. A full dump must refuse refuse.
• 4. Get the lead out and lead!
• 5. The soldier had to desert his dessert in the
  desert.