TRADUCCIÓN

T R A N S L A T I O N

In this section some of the different criteria and difficulties of technical translation, are discussed along with solutions to these problems. It is essential to know these unique requirements in advance to ensure a perfect end product.

Any text can be translated?

Obviously, but depending on the type of text, with some texts we experience more difficulties than with others. One of the most obvious examples would be poetry; it is almost impossible to produce a perfect target document with the same meaning, style, equivalent rhyme, and rhythm. The technical translation is nowhere near as problematic, although some basic considerations need to be taken into account, to obtain the best results. We have found that the fastest and most accurate results are obtained by following these basic guidelines:

  • IF the source text has a good structure, easy to understand in the context, and recognize its influence in other parts of the project (see Glossary below).
  • Then the translator is able to be confident with the text  minimizing consults about specific meanings of words, consulting to the client for synonyms or consistency between different parts of the project, (saving a lot of time in both parts).
  • And then the end user understand without difficulty the text and context in the translated program, feeling completely confident with your product and your service. (Best quality)
  • In consequence as closer works the translator with the customer, more accuracy and quality will be reached and finnally the end user satisfaction.
  • The sentence "is the translator problem" is dangerous in this task.

It is self evident that a good translator is very important. Experienced, with the relevant media, and with a fluent and rich target language, with of course a good working knowledge of both source and target languages.

The customer should, in order to obtain a good final product should do some things himself. To illustrate this see a summery of several situations that I have found in different translations that drive me mad. See Translating programs. This summary is not exhaustive but it serves to indicate areas that should be avoided in source material, to produce a target document of outstanding accuracy especially in computing programs. Also publications can have similar problems as indicated in (currently in preparation): Translating books.

STYLE
The style document is very important as well, in it  are defined the personal preferences of the translation, such as: how to translate the English present continous tense for the titles: into the noun, with the verb, or by a question like "how to do something?".  How are you going to refer to the reader: in familiar tense, formal, impersonal, and so on.
This document is absolutely required if the translation is shared for more than one person.

I have my personal style document to be used if the customer has no preferences or to use it as a base to define the specifics rules for that task.
Anyway do not worry about the style, mine is based in the most formal, neutral, and usual ways of write in Spanish, in the rules of the Real Academia Española de la Lengua, and keep present to our Spanish American readers. This document is written in Spanish because is addressed to the translators. See the file Style. (Remember it is in Spanish).

GLOSSARY
Each basic concept must have an specific word, synonyms cannot be allowed because synonyms can disturb the translator mind and in consequence to the end reader.

Concept

 Source Target
Data set file archivo
Action (verb) to preserve a Data set. save guardar
     

The table above indicates tha the translator CANNOT use other sinonims for the word defined in the glossary.

A glossary is  NOT a list with all the phrases of the translation and the corresponding source sentences. A glossary is a list of words that always MUST be translated in a specific way and for an specific context because is referred to a concept perfectly defined. And is important in order to be consistent along of the documents, in other related document and with other translators. DONT WORRY again, I can make it for you.

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