| Страници в темата: [1 2 3 4] > | Personal methods in translation Автор на темата: Becca Resnik
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Becca Resnik 
Съединени американски щати
Local time: 01:28
Член
Немски на Английски
+ ...
What's your overall translating "method?" For instance, do you make rough draft versions of the TT sentences throughout your first read of the ST? Do you read the whole ST through and then start writing the TT one sentence at a time, attempting a final-draft version the first go-around? Do you take notes as you're reading the ST? Do you note terms to look up later all at once, or do you research them shortly after encountering them?
Of course I know answers will vary widely accordin... See more What's your overall translating "method?" For instance, do you make rough draft versions of the TT sentences throughout your first read of the ST? Do you read the whole ST through and then start writing the TT one sentence at a time, attempting a final-draft version the first go-around? Do you take notes as you're reading the ST? Do you note terms to look up later all at once, or do you research them shortly after encountering them?
Of course I know answers will vary widely according to field, type of service, whether MT is used, etc. I'm just curious about the different methods that have worked for different people. ▲ Collapse
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I dictate straight through at interpreting speed, then go through it slowly tidying it up and googling any terms as I go, then check it on paper.
I am very specialised and experienced so my dictated draft generally just needs tweaking rather than reworking, but some texts require a bit more creativity than others. I find that dictating results in a more natural translation than a sentence-by-sentence approach.
| | | | Becca Resnik
Съединени американски щати
Local time: 01:28
Член
Немски на Английски
+ ...
АВТОР НА ТЕМАТА
Chris S wrote:
I dictate straight through at interpreting speed, then go through it slowly tidying it up and googling any terms as I go, then check it on paper.
I am very specialised and experienced so my dictated draft generally just needs tweaking rather than reworking, but some texts require a bit more creativity than others. I find that dictating results in a more natural translation than a sentence-by-sentence approach.
Thanks so much for contributing! I hadn't thought about the fact that an added benefit of dictation is a more natural translation.
| | | | Joakim Braun
Швеция
Local time: 07:28
Немски на Swedish
+ ...
I glance through any reference material.
I read the source text on paper, underlining errors and phrases to look up. Jot down a few ideas.
Then do a rough translation omitting expressions where I get stuck.
Then read and edit the translation onscreen (most omissions are solved quickly at this stage) and do terminology research.
Then read a printout in parallel with the original and do some more editing.
Finally (sometimes not) read a new printout, fix typos and add ... See more I glance through any reference material.
I read the source text on paper, underlining errors and phrases to look up. Jot down a few ideas.
Then do a rough translation omitting expressions where I get stuck.
Then read and edit the translation onscreen (most omissions are solved quickly at this stage) and do terminology research.
Then read a printout in parallel with the original and do some more editing.
Finally (sometimes not) read a new printout, fix typos and add last minute improvements.
If there is a lot of new language, the research takes place early to speed up the writing.
Working on paper is a must.
[Bearbeitet am 2020-04-25 22:53 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Becca Resnik
Съединени американски щати
Local time: 01:28
Член
Немски на Английски
+ ...
АВТОР НА ТЕМАТА | I appreciate the detail! | Apr 25, 2020 |
Joakim Braun wrote:
I glance through any reference material.
I read the source text on paper, underlining errors and phrases to look up. Jot down a few ideas.
Then do a rough translation omitting expressions where I get stuck.
Then read and edit the translation onscreen (most omissions are solved quickly at this stage) and do terminology research.
Then read a printout in parallel with the original and do some more editing.
Finally (sometimes not) read a new printout, fix typos and add last minute improvements.
If there is a lot of new language, the research takes place early to speed up the writing.
Working on paper is a must.
[Bearbeitet am 2020-04-25 22:53 GMT]
This is interesting - thanks for taking the time to write this up!
| | | | Josephine Cassar
Малта
Local time: 07:28
Член (2012)
Английски на Малтийски
+ ...
Chris S wrote:
I dictate straight through at interpreting speed, then go through it slowly tidying it up and googling any terms as I go, then check it on paper.
I am very specialised and experienced so my dictated draft generally just needs tweaking rather than reworking, but some texts require a bit more creativity than others. I find that dictating results in a more natural translation than a sentence-by-sentence approach.
In fact, if you read aloud the TT, you're likely to catch where it doesn't sound natural. People should try it out.
As for my personal methods, I don't read all the source text if it's a long one but start translating it and miss out the parts I don't know (I leave a space), highlight parts I'm uncertain about in the TT-sometimes further on in the text, you get the meaning. If it's a short text, I'll see what it's about before I start and then start translating and even print it which I do not do if the text is too long.
| | | | Becca Resnik
Съединени американски щати
Local time: 01:28
Член
Немски на Английски
+ ...
АВТОР НА ТЕМАТА | Good ol' highlighter and paper...I like it! | Apr 26, 2020 |
Josephine Cassar wrote:
In fact, if you read aloud the TT, you're likely to catch where it doesn't sound natural. People should try it out.
As for my personal methods, I don't read all the source text if it's a long one but start translating it and miss out the parts I don't know (I leave a space), highlight parts I'm uncertain about in the TT-sometimes further on in the text, you get the meaning. If it's a short text, I'll see what it's about before I start and then start translating and even print it which I do not do if the text is too long.
I bet that printing it not only gives you something tangible to work with and takes notes on, but it would allow you to work in places and positions you're most comfortable (even more than a laptop). Thanks for detailing all of that out!
| | | | Jan Truper
Германия
Local time: 07:28
Английски на Немски
| subtitle translation | Apr 26, 2020 |
My method for subtitle translation of entertainment formats from a template:
Step 1 (ideally, I do this on the evening preceding the actual work day)
I watch the show with template subs. While watching, I translate in my head. When template subs are missing or erroneous, I leave a marker in the timeline.
After this step, I have an idea of the tone I need to hit for each character, I have figured out formal/informal addressing, I am able to avoid continuity mistakes, I ca... See more My method for subtitle translation of entertainment formats from a template:
Step 1 (ideally, I do this on the evening preceding the actual work day)
I watch the show with template subs. While watching, I translate in my head. When template subs are missing or erroneous, I leave a marker in the timeline.
After this step, I have an idea of the tone I need to hit for each character, I have figured out formal/informal addressing, I am able to avoid continuity mistakes, I can start thinking about difficult passages, and I can estimate how long the translation will take me.
Step 2
I read all relevant guidelines, resource materials, etc.
Step 3
I translate from beginning to end, using dictation software a lot (as others have pointed out, this yields more natural results). Since I have to do a lot of futzing with wording/truncation/line breaks/timing of events, in order to fulfill various specifications (the most common problem for a German subtitle translator is staying within reading speed parameters), and since I constantly check passages against video, this step basically includes proofreading.
When I hit passages that are overly time-consuming (difficult humor, impossible word plays, rhymes, pseudo-scientific blargh, or research-intensive text), I mark them with XXX.
Step 4
I translate all XXX passages.
I do a spell check and run various other QA checks.
I do all required extra work (some clients want me to fill in glossary terms, for example).
***If the rate, the client's system and NDAs allow for it***, I export the file as text and do a read-through.
Step 5
I deliver the project, and I carry out all billing/bookkeeping aspects I can at this point.
[Edited at 2020-04-26 06:32 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Dan Lucas
Обединеното кралство
Local time: 06:28
Член (2014)
Японски на Английски
| Cultural gap | Apr 26, 2020 |
Chris S wrote:
I dictate straight through at interpreting speed, then go through it slowly tidying it up and googling any terms as I go, then check it on paper.
Like Chris, I am very specialised and experienced, but my Japanese clients insist that the translation follows the precedent of previous translations, if such translations exist, so there's a clear cultural difference there. I have seen edited copies of my translations, and rather than errors, 99.9% of the changes made consist of the editor rearranging sentences to make them look more like previous translations. Rather sad, in a way.
Also, there is very little I haven't encountered before in my part of finance, so I basically just wade through it segment by segment.
For technical translation, the evaluation comes first. When the client offers me a job I will scan the whole document, then go into it more carefully, and see what resources I can find for areas with which I am unfamiliar. If I think I can take it on, I get back to them with a price and a deadline. Then once I start the job I go through and look for technical terms used frequently throughout the piece, and build a termbase. Then I just go through it again, segment by segment.
I like the idea of Chris' approach and have in the past tried forcing myself to spend no more than a few seconds on each segment and translating no more than a rough draft. I don't usually succeed as I get bogged down in the minutiae pretty quickly. I still think it could work for me, and I will keep trying this on the technical side.
Regards,
Dan
| | | | Jennifer Caisley
Обединеното кралство
Local time: 06:28
Немски на Английски
+ ...
| Fascinating question - thanks for asking! | Apr 26, 2020 |
Like many posters above, I have a multi-stage approach. It seems fairly similar to what Chris does above (albeit without dictation) - so I'm glad I'm not the only one!
1. Do a very quick first draft of the text in my CAT tool, essentially at the speed it takes to read the ST. I don't stop to look up terminology or puzzle out tricky structures: this stage merely serves as an opportunity to familiarise myself with the text and make a mental note of areas that might need extra attentio... See more Like many posters above, I have a multi-stage approach. It seems fairly similar to what Chris does above (albeit without dictation) - so I'm glad I'm not the only one!
1. Do a very quick first draft of the text in my CAT tool, essentially at the speed it takes to read the ST. I don't stop to look up terminology or puzzle out tricky structures: this stage merely serves as an opportunity to familiarise myself with the text and make a mental note of areas that might need extra attention later on.
2. Go back through the text, segment by segment, and amend the quick draft so that it accurately matches the ST. Depending on the type of text and how accurate the first draft was, this could be a very quick process or like wading through treacle. This is where I look up terminology that's unfamiliar, cross-check against my termbase etc.
3. Preferably the next day, or at the very least with fresh eyes, re-read the text through in my CAT tool, doing a segment-by-segment check for accuracy and any easy slips like the spelling of people's names, mis-typed numbers etc. I then run the QA process as a final double-check.
4. I export the text from my CAT to its native format (Word, Excel etc.) and review the text for flow. It's amazing how differently the text reads when it's in its intended layout!
5. If there's time, I print out the translation and do a final review on paper. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Josephine Cassar
Малта
Local time: 07:28
Член (2012)
Английски на Малтийски
+ ...
Becca Resnik wrote:
Josephine Cassar wrote:
In fact, if you read aloud the TT, you're likely to catch where it doesn't sound natural. People should try it out.
As for my personal methods, I don't read all the source text if it's a long one but start translating it and miss out the parts I don't know (I leave a space), highlight parts I'm uncertain about in the TT-sometimes further on in the text, you get the meaning. If it's a short text, I'll see what it's about before I start and then start translating and even print it which I do not do if the text is too long.
I bet that printing it not only gives you something tangible to work with and takes notes on, but it would allow you to work in places and positions you're most comfortable (even more than a laptop). Thanks for detailing all of that out!
When you read the TT loud, you are far more likely to spot grammar mistakes (I'd say these immediately stand out) and anything that sounds stilted or awkward. When the TT is very long, I tend - this was pointed out to me during an ITI session - to highlight, change font size, background colour. It's surprising how much these help especially when you're tired out but need to deliver the job without waiting for the next morning to read with a fresh pair of eyes. Try it out, it works.
| | | | Josephine Cassar
Малта
Local time: 07:28
Член (2012)
Английски на Малтийски
+ ...
| It certainly does | Apr 26, 2020 |
Becca Resnik wrote:
Josephine Cassar wrote:
In fact, if you read aloud the TT, you're likely to catch where it doesn't sound natural. People should try it out.
As for my personal methods, I don't read all the source text if it's a long one but start translating it and miss out the parts I don't know (I leave a space), highlight parts I'm uncertain about in the TT-sometimes further on in the text, you get the meaning. If it's a short text, I'll see what it's about before I start and then start translating and even print it which I do not do if the text is too long.
I bet that printing it not only gives you something tangible to work with and takes notes on, but it would allow you to work in places and positions you're most comfortable (even more than a laptop). Thanks for detailing all of that out!
In fact, I purposely choose places that kind of give me a break, a room with a scene, the garden, the roof. I go out and take the printed pages with me and find a quiet place to check the TT. Taking the TT to a different place gives me a break and I also get some fresh air. Being able to check the work out in a place where I will not have typed it serves me really well and clears my mind up so I look at the TT with a pair of fresh eyes.
[Edited at 2020-04-26 13:15 GMT]
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| Only one step and a half | Apr 26, 2020 |
My source content often does not come in the form of a "document". Much of the text I translate are single software strings, fragments, updates, technical descriptions and so on. Therefore I have given up to read the full source text before I begin to work. I just need the overall context, and then I start translating away, rereading every segment right after I translated it to fix any obvious errors and to check the style, and then it's on to the next segment. So this is essentially a one step ... See more My source content often does not come in the form of a "document". Much of the text I translate are single software strings, fragments, updates, technical descriptions and so on. Therefore I have given up to read the full source text before I begin to work. I just need the overall context, and then I start translating away, rereading every segment right after I translated it to fix any obvious errors and to check the style, and then it's on to the next segment. So this is essentially a one step translation. When a project is translated, I run a spellchecker or QA over the result (this depends on the actual tool I'm working with for this project, which can depend on the agency), check the issues it found (99% false alarms, normally), and that's it. Getting it right at the first try is one of the secrets of economic success in this job. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Becca Resnik
Съединени американски щати
Local time: 01:28
Член
Немски на Английски
+ ...
АВТОР НА ТЕМАТА | Translating like you're writing a program? | Apr 26, 2020 |
Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote:
My source content often does not come in the form of a "document". Much of the text I translate are single software strings, fragments, updates, technical descriptions and so on. Therefore I have given up to read the full source text before I begin to work. I just need the overall context, and then I start translating away, rereading every segment right after I translated it to fix any obvious errors and to check the style, and then it's on to the next segment. So this is essentially a one step translation. When a project is translated, I run a spellchecker or QA over the result (this depends on the actual tool I'm working with for this project, which can depend on the agency), check the issues it found (99% false alarms, normally), and that's it. Getting it right at the first try is one of the secrets of economic success in this job.
What I find delightful about this is that you seem to translate the way one would write a program, which you obviously have extensive experience in (I took a peek at your profile after reading your post and noting "software strings" in your list above  ). Understand the overall goal; work line by line, checking syntax carefully; compile; fix two out of 539 "errors" to yield the perfect result.
| | | | Becca Resnik
Съединени американски щати
Local time: 01:28
Член
Немски на Английски
+ ...
АВТОР НА ТЕМАТА | Thankful for the insight of a subtitler | Apr 26, 2020 |
Jan Truper wrote:
My method for subtitle translation of entertainment formats from a template:
Step 1 (ideally, I do this on the evening preceding the actual work day)
I watch the show with template subs. While watching, I translate in my head. When template subs are missing or erroneous, I leave a marker in the timeline.
After this step, I have an idea of the tone I need to hit for each character, I have figured out formal/informal addressing, I am able to avoid continuity mistakes, I can start thinking about difficult passages, and I can estimate how long the translation will take me.
Step 2
I read all relevant guidelines, resource materials, etc.
Step 3
I translate from beginning to end, using dictation software a lot (as others have pointed out, this yields more natural results). Since I have to do a lot of futzing with wording/truncation/line breaks/timing of events, in order to fulfill various specifications (the most common problem for a German subtitle translator is staying within reading speed parameters), and since I constantly check passages against video, this step basically includes proofreading.
When I hit passages that are overly time-consuming (difficult humor, impossible word plays, rhymes, pseudo-scientific blargh, or research-intensive text), I mark them with XXX.
Step 4
I translate all XXX passages.
I do a spell check and run various other QA checks.
I do all required extra work (some clients want me to fill in glossary terms, for example).
***If the rate, the client's system and NDAs allow for it***, I export the file as text and do a read-through.
Step 5
I deliver the project, and I carry out all billing/bookkeeping aspects I can at this point.
[Edited at 2020-04-26 06:32 GMT]
What I found most interesting is that you do a full watch-through to gather details of tone, context, etc. - I can see how this part of the process is important in subtitling in particular. Thanks for taking the time to detail all of that! Of course every type of translation service brings its own nuances, but I perceive that subtitling stands out in that regard.
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