Todos los traductores saben que la traducción no es solamente el producto final, sino que es un proceso. Y en este proceso la cooperación de todas las partes es fundamental. Sin embargo, a veces surgen problemas en la comunicación y, como traductores, es nuestra responsabilidad tenerlos en cuenta para caminar sobre seguro:

1) Falta de contexto: en ocasiones, el traductor no sabe con qué fin se va a utilizar su traducción, y saber si es un texto publicitario, un manual de usuario o especificaciones técnicas de un producto nos puede resultar útil. Read more »

In this article we will explain some basic terms and concepts to start using SDL Trados.

Translator’s Workbench
This component is part of Trados suite and it is a database system that uses the translation memory concept, a method for capturing, storing and reusing translation. The translations stored are saved in translation memory databases. These linguistic data are stored as bilingual segment pairs (sentence) and each of these bilingual segment pairs is called a “translation unit”.

Every time we create a new translation memory in Translator’s Workbench, it is empty. When we use this translation memory for a translation job, the new translation units that are stored in this database increase the number of units available for reuse. Read more »

SDL Trados

En este artículo explicaremos algunos términos y conceptos básicos para comenzar a utilizar SDL Trados.

Translator’s Workbench
Este componente es parte del paquete de Trados y es un sistema de base de datos que utiliza el concepto de memoria de traducción, un método para capturar, almacenar y reutilizar traducciones. Las traducciones almacenadas se guardan en bases de datos de memoria de traducción. Estos datos lingüísticos se guardan como pares de segmentos bilingües (oración) y cada uno de estos pares de segmentos bilingües se llama una “unidad de traducción”.

Cada vez que creamos una nueva memoria de traducción en Translator’s Workbench, la misma está vacía. Cada vez que utilizamos esta memoria de traducción para una traducción, se va llenando de unidades de traducción, que se guardan en esta base de datos. Read more »

(Continued from Part 2)

Re-speaking is a method of subtitling in real time, with speech recognition software. Basically, there are two types of re-speaking:

- Interlingual re-speaking: when it is done between two different languages.

- Intralingual re-speaking: when the language of the program being subtitled and the subtitles is the same.

The better prepared country and the one that has carried out more research on this topic is the United Kingdom. In fact, one of the postgraduate programs most valued by professionals is tought in London. This is a one year course which focus on audiovisual translation. Classes are taugh in Roehampton University (http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/) and, for the time being, this is the only university that teaches a complete module on re-speaking. The teacher in charge of the organization of this subject is Pablo Romero Fresco, BA in Translation and Interpreting Spanish -English from the University of Vigo (Spain), and one of the most renowned professionals in this industry sector. Read more »

(Continued from Part 1)

Translators can benefit from many of the tools we have access to through the Internet. However, we often don’t know to what extent they can prove useful, as in the case of text-to-speech/speech-to-text tools.

Now we will see how we can take advantage of these to optimize our translation strategies and get the best results.

TEXT-TO-SPEECH TOOLS:

• To proofread while the computer is reading the original or the translation, which is very useful to verify numbers.
• To check terminology lists when interpreters are preparing for a specific conference.
• To listen to the computer reading aloud a text while we practice simultaneous or consecutive interpretation. Read more »

Most translators receive an original document in paper or digital format, we analyze it and then begin to translate. But, has it ever crossed our mind using a text to speech or speech to text tool as aid in our translations? Below we will see some of the most interesting tools available in the market.

First of all, these are four text to speech tools that are widely used:

1. Natural Reader (download trial)

A priori, it works like any other software of its kind and it supports Windows Vista and Office 2007. One of the ways we can make it run is to copy the text we need and to paste it in the software’s main window. Read more »