Comments for Translating is an Art http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com A weblog about translation and language Sat, 17 May 2008 20:22:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on Are paper dictionaries a thing of the past? by Matthew Bennett http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/are-paper-dictionaries-a-thing-of-the-past/#comment-12702 Matthew Bennett Sat, 17 May 2008 13:58:12 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=248#comment-12702 Perhaps there will be different levels of syntactical complexity and semantics that computers will get better at processing. Top-level professional creative writing with all its nuances is a triumph of human learning, psychology and communication, will only improve over time and will still need translating by real translators. I wonder if computers and software advances will be more useful to us in terms of productivity - I noticed a huge leap in words-per-hour / day productivity when I started using translation memory. If they could do that again by combining voice-recognition software with translation memory (and perhaps also with much improved machine translation), maybe our productivity will shoot-up again and we'll be capable of comfortably translating / editing / correcting 25,000 words a day?? Perhaps there will be different levels of syntactical complexity and semantics that computers will get better at processing.

Top-level professional creative writing with all its nuances is a triumph of human learning, psychology and communication, will only improve over time and will still need translating by real translators.

I wonder if computers and software advances will be more useful to us in terms of productivity - I noticed a huge leap in words-per-hour / day productivity when I started using translation memory. If they could do that again by combining voice-recognition software with translation memory (and perhaps also with much improved machine translation), maybe our productivity will shoot-up again and we’ll be capable of comfortably translating / editing / correcting 25,000 words a day??

]]> Comment on Are paper dictionaries a thing of the past? by Percy Balemans http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/are-paper-dictionaries-a-thing-of-the-past/#comment-12698 Percy Balemans Thu, 15 May 2008 10:33:23 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=248#comment-12698 I don't think our profession will ever be completely replaced by machines. There are plenty of texts which I'm sure can be handled by machine translation (intelligent machine translation that is, not machine translation which is currently available!), for example manuals, especially if they are written in Simplified English (or equivalent for other languages). However, there are plenty of texts which are simply too complicated for machine translation. And do we really want to convert all texts to "simplified" texts just to make it easier to translate them automatically? Do we want to read the same marketing blurb on every website? In my opinion, creativity is something which cannot be automated. I don’t think our profession will ever be completely replaced by machines. There are plenty of texts which I’m sure can be handled by machine translation (intelligent machine translation that is, not machine translation which is currently available!), for example manuals, especially if they are written in Simplified English (or equivalent for other languages). However, there are plenty of texts which are simply too complicated for machine translation.

And do we really want to convert all texts to “simplified” texts just to make it easier to translate them automatically? Do we want to read the same marketing blurb on every website? In my opinion, creativity is something which cannot be automated.

]]> Comment on Are paper dictionaries a thing of the past? by Luke http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/are-paper-dictionaries-a-thing-of-the-past/#comment-12697 Luke Thu, 15 May 2008 10:09:28 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=248#comment-12697 Another translator who seldom uses a paper dictionary here. Although that's hardly shocking, in all seriousness I think that the profession will be replaced by machines in the next 50 years. I don't even think the machine translation will have to be perfect, except for texts of critical business or literary importance - and even then they may only require proof reading after the machine has translated thousands of words in under an hour. Websites, marketing blurb, business meetings and reports may all be translatable on-the-fly with interpretive services also working in real-time - on the phone, for example. My voice recognition software already guesses over 90% of what I say correctly, coupled with a voice synth and machine translator it could already produce results today. Ever more intelligent AI, exponentially increasing processor speeds, globalisation and computer/video game innovations are all forces which could have an impact on the breakdown of human translation as we know it. Another translator who seldom uses a paper dictionary here. Although that’s hardly shocking, in all seriousness I think that the profession will be replaced by machines in the next 50 years.

I don’t even think the machine translation will have to be perfect, except for texts of critical business or literary importance - and even then they may only require proof reading after the machine has translated thousands of words in under an hour.

Websites, marketing blurb, business meetings and reports may all be translatable on-the-fly with interpretive services also working in real-time - on the phone, for example. My voice recognition software already guesses over 90% of what I say correctly, coupled with a voice synth and machine translator it could already produce results today.

Ever more intelligent AI, exponentially increasing processor speeds, globalisation and computer/video game innovations are all forces which could have an impact on the breakdown of human translation as we know it.

]]> Comment on Are paper dictionaries a thing of the past? by Percy Balemans http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/are-paper-dictionaries-a-thing-of-the-past/#comment-12688 Percy Balemans Wed, 14 May 2008 21:16:23 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=248#comment-12688 I have CD-ROM versions of the official Dutch monolingual dictionary and of the bilingual dictionaries I use (all combined into one application) and of the Collins English Dictionary, and I have a subscription to the online Merriam-Webster Unabridged. The only paper dictionaries I still use are the ones I don't use regularly. I definitely prefer electronic/online dictionaries. I have CD-ROM versions of the official Dutch monolingual dictionary and of the bilingual dictionaries I use (all combined into one application) and of the Collins English Dictionary, and I have a subscription to the online Merriam-Webster Unabridged. The only paper dictionaries I still use are the ones I don’t use regularly. I definitely prefer electronic/online dictionaries.

]]> Comment on Are paper dictionaries a thing of the past? by Matthew Bennett http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/are-paper-dictionaries-a-thing-of-the-past/#comment-12687 Matthew Bennett Wed, 14 May 2008 19:46:36 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=248#comment-12687 I was wondering about physical-online dictionaries just the other day - looking at my copy of the official Spanish RAE monolingual dictionary sitting on the shelf. I rarely take it off the shelf and actually use it. When I'm translating every day, I use their online reference dictionary which is 100% free and very quick and easy to use, just type in rae.es/word-you-need and press go. If I'm sitting at my computer doing the translation anyway, it's a no-brainer in terms of time saved - an online consultation takes less than 10 seconds and I don't really have to interrupt my workflow. Getting up to walk over to the shelf to flick through the dictionary and find the right entry before walking back and typing it in could easily be a couple of minutes. I only really use the physical copy for pleasure or when I have friends round and someone wants to look something up. It will soon be time to subscribe to OED online as well. I was wondering about physical-online dictionaries just the other day - looking at my copy of the official Spanish RAE monolingual dictionary sitting on the shelf.

I rarely take it off the shelf and actually use it. When I’m translating every day, I use their online reference dictionary which is 100% free and very quick and easy to use, just type in rae.es/word-you-need and press go.

If I’m sitting at my computer doing the translation anyway, it’s a no-brainer in terms of time saved - an online consultation takes less than 10 seconds and I don’t really have to interrupt my workflow.

Getting up to walk over to the shelf to flick through the dictionary and find the right entry before walking back and typing it in could easily be a couple of minutes.

I only really use the physical copy for pleasure or when I have friends round and someone wants to look something up.

It will soon be time to subscribe to OED online as well.

]]> Comment on “The Translator” by Daoud Hari by transubstantiation http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/the-translator-by-daoud-hari/#comment-12669 transubstantiation Sat, 10 May 2008 19:00:15 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=244#comment-12669 Very interesting blog! Zak http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/ Very interesting blog!
Zak
http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/

]]> Comment on "Wrong Urdu translation puts Scottish firemen in a fix" by Aftab Ahmed http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2006/11/09/wrong-urdu-translation-puts-scottish-firemen-in-a-fix/#comment-12633 Aftab Ahmed Thu, 01 May 2008 15:12:20 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2006/11/09/wrong-urdu-translation-puts-scottish-firemen-in-a-fix/#comment-12633 It is the agencies who are mainly responsible for such a cheap mistakes. They pay less and job is done by non-speaker of the language who simply use dictionary for their advantage. It is the agencies who are mainly responsible for such a cheap mistakes. They pay less and job is done by non-speaker of the language who simply use dictionary for their advantage.

]]> Comment on Beijing is getting rid of Chinglish by Kerilyn Sappington http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/beijing-is-getting-rid-of-chinglish/#comment-12553 Kerilyn Sappington Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:37:20 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=232#comment-12553 Obviously Beijing is concerned about its city coming under increased international focus with the Olympics in August. People have been photographing these signs and posting them on the internet for years. There's a site www.engrish.com that has funny signs from around the world, chiefly Japan, and even sells T-shirts sporing the mistranslations. The funny signs won't go away in the next four months, despite the best government efforts. Especially as it seems that the Chinese government isn't willing to spend money to hire native English translators to do the work. At a translation conference last November, I and other (native English) Chinese-to-English translators were approached to donate our services to help correct the translations and improve Beijing's image for the Olympic Games. But embarrassment aside, these linguistic mishaps are part of the fun of traveling. You go to the trouble of learning a few phrases in the local language (who knows how successful that venture is) and then the hotel posts bilingual signs to give you a good laugh. Obviously Beijing is concerned about its city coming under increased international focus with the Olympics in August. People have been photographing these signs and posting them on the internet for years. There’s a site http://www.engrish.com that has funny signs from around the world, chiefly Japan, and even sells T-shirts sporing the mistranslations.
The funny signs won’t go away in the next four months, despite the best government efforts. Especially as it seems that the Chinese government isn’t willing to spend money to hire native English translators to do the work. At a translation conference last November, I and other (native English) Chinese-to-English translators were approached to donate our services to help correct the translations and improve Beijing’s image for the Olympic Games.
But embarrassment aside, these linguistic mishaps are part of the fun of traveling. You go to the trouble of learning a few phrases in the local language (who knows how successful that venture is) and then the hotel posts bilingual signs to give you a good laugh.

]]> Comment on Beijing is getting rid of Chinglish by kriz cpec http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/beijing-is-getting-rid-of-chinglish/#comment-12537 kriz cpec Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:41:15 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/?p=232#comment-12537 Hi, the Chinese and English words on the sign mean the same thing and are equally funny. LOL Hi, the Chinese and English words on the sign mean the same thing and are equally funny. LOL

]]> Comment on "Jules Verne deserves a better translation service" by translation services http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/jules-verne-deserves-a-better-translation-service/#comment-12535 translation services Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:17:13 +0000 http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/jules-verne-deserves-a-better-translation-service/#comment-12535 I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you. I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.

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