| A témához tartozó oldalak: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you ever search for the translation of a term into a third language? Téma indítója: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you ever search for the translation of a term into a third language?".
This poll was originally submitted by Veronica Lupascu. View the poll results »
| | | | Angus Stewart 
Egyesült Királyság
Local time: 15:57
Tag (2011 óta)
francia - angol
+ ...
| In certain contexts | Aug 19, 2011 |
I think that checking the translation of a particular term can be helpful in certain contexts.
For example, in my area of specialism (legal) this can be a productive process to deploy when translating source texts, which originate from bilingual/multilingual jurisdictions where the law is written in two (or more) different languages, which each have equal force. For instance, this would apply in the case of Belgium.
In those particular circumstances, cross checking th... See more I think that checking the translation of a particular term can be helpful in certain contexts.
For example, in my area of specialism (legal) this can be a productive process to deploy when translating source texts, which originate from bilingual/multilingual jurisdictions where the law is written in two (or more) different languages, which each have equal force. For instance, this would apply in the case of Belgium.
In those particular circumstances, cross checking the translation of a term against its equivalent in the third language can be helpful in shedding light on the nuances of meaning intended in the source text. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | When I suggested this poll | Aug 19, 2011 |
I was struggling with a legal translation from Greek to Romanian (my main specialization and my main language pair). It was weirdly formulated, with many old terms (Greek legal language is full of expressions or words from Ancient Greek or Katharevousa). The main problem for this language pair is that there are no specialized online or paper dictionaries, only few general dictionaries. So, I have to check the English translation quite often, especially for neologisms or highly specialized termin... See more I was struggling with a legal translation from Greek to Romanian (my main specialization and my main language pair). It was weirdly formulated, with many old terms (Greek legal language is full of expressions or words from Ancient Greek or Katharevousa). The main problem for this language pair is that there are no specialized online or paper dictionaries, only few general dictionaries. So, I have to check the English translation quite often, especially for neologisms or highly specialized terminology.
Sometimes, when I translate from Greek into Romanian and I need the opinion of other translators, I just post a KudoZ question for Greek to English, because there are only few Greek to Romanian translators on this site and most of them are not active. Chances that I would receive an advice for English are bigger and then I can just analyze the English term.
It is double work really. It is not happening too often, but still... ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spanyolország
Local time: 16:57
spanyol - angol
+ ...
| Broadens your perspective | Aug 19, 2011 |
Angus Stewart wrote:
I think that checking the translation of a particular term can be helpful in certain contexts... cross checking the translation of a term against its equivalent in the third language can be helpful in shedding light on the nuances of meaning intended in the source text.
Spot on Angus, I couldn't have expressed it better (or even as succinctly) myself.
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Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 16:57
angol - francia
+ ...
Yes, when necessary (which may be usually for a year or so and only sometimes for the next 2 years): quite a few authors 'adapt' English (or German) terms to their language (Italian and Dutch for instance, or Spanish, especially Latin American), thus creating neologisms.
| | | | Yvonne Gallagher
Írország
Local time: 15:57
Tag (2010 óta)
francia - angol
+ ...
| yes, sometimes | Aug 19, 2011 |
agree with previous comments, it can sometimes be useful and fruitful to look at the word/expression in other language pairs to try and get a handle on it.
| | | | Amandine Added
Egyesült Királyság
Local time: 15:57
Tag (2010 óta)
angol - francia
+ ...
| When the first attempts in my pair have failed... | Aug 19, 2011 |
I must say that it would not be my first reflex, but sometimes I can be stuck by a word and looking into others languages can really make the difference.
Once I remember I contacted a translator that was not working in my pair but had crossed the term in its own pair (we had English in common) and his explanations were very helpful and I could finally find the right term...
So when my first research are not fruitful, I always give a look to others languages, sometimes an explanation... See more I must say that it would not be my first reflex, but sometimes I can be stuck by a word and looking into others languages can really make the difference.
Once I remember I contacted a translator that was not working in my pair but had crossed the term in its own pair (we had English in common) and his explanations were very helpful and I could finally find the right term...
So when my first research are not fruitful, I always give a look to others languages, sometimes an explanation, even in a different language can be the light ! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Patricia Charnet
Egyesült Királyság
Local time: 15:57
Tag (2009 óta)
angol - francia
| yes sometimes | Aug 19, 2011 |
Mamande wrote:
I must say that it would not be my first reflex, but sometimes I can be stuck by a word and looking into others languages can really make the difference.
Once I remember I contacted a translator that was not working in my pair but had crossed the term in its own pair (we had English in common) and his explanations were very helpful and I could finally find the right term...
So when my first research are not fruitful, I always give a look to others languages, sometimes an explanation, even in a different language can be the light !
+1
sometimes when I've got a difficult term from English into French I look up into Italian and Spanish - on a few occasions it gave me another version which was much better
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Hans Sypkens (X)
Local time: 16:57
angol - holland
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| sometimes there isn't even another way | Aug 19, 2011 |
There are subjects that really require a third language.
For example, take a long list of bugs, insects and other creepy creatures to be exterminated by some newly invented insecticide. To find a translation from the English names into, for example, Dutch, you'll need to google to find the scientific (Latin) name first and then google with that scientific name to find articles in the target language to (hopefully) find a name in that language.
If no name is found that way, I prefer ... See more There are subjects that really require a third language.
For example, take a long list of bugs, insects and other creepy creatures to be exterminated by some newly invented insecticide. To find a translation from the English names into, for example, Dutch, you'll need to google to find the scientific (Latin) name first and then google with that scientific name to find articles in the target language to (hopefully) find a name in that language.
If no name is found that way, I prefer to use the scientific name in Italics. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tim Drayton
Ciprus
Local time: 17:57
török - angol
+ ...
I specialise in legal translation from Turkish, especially in the context of commercial disputes. Turkish private and civil law is closely based on Swiss law, to the extent that certain fundamental Turkish statutes (e.g. Civil Code, Code of Obligations, Law concerning Bankruptcy and Enforcement) were directly translated from the French texts of the corresponding Swiss laws in the early years of the Republic of Turkey. I sometimes find it useful to trace problematic terms back to the text of the ... See more I specialise in legal translation from Turkish, especially in the context of commercial disputes. Turkish private and civil law is closely based on Swiss law, to the extent that certain fundamental Turkish statutes (e.g. Civil Code, Code of Obligations, Law concerning Bankruptcy and Enforcement) were directly translated from the French texts of the corresponding Swiss laws in the early years of the Republic of Turkey. I sometimes find it useful to trace problematic terms back to the text of the Swiss laws from which they derive. Thankfully, I can read French and German quite well, and this sometimes helps to shed light on matters, and, generally speaking, reliable English translations of Swiss legal terminology are available in the public domain, whereas entries for legal terms in Turkish to English dictionaries and glossaries are not always correct. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot
Spanyolország
Local time: 16:57
spanyol - angol
+ ...
| My thoughts exactly | Aug 19, 2011 |
Veronica Lupascu wrote:
I was struggling with a legal translation from Greek to Romanian (my main specialization and my main language pair). It was weirdly formulated, with many old terms (Greek legal language is full of expressions or words from Ancient Greek or Katharevousa). The main problem for this language pair is that there are no specialized online or paper dictionaries, only few general dictionaries. So, I have to check the English translation quite often, especially for neologisms or highly specialized terminology.
And not just for this reason. In translation school I learned that one of the tricks old-school translators had (as in St. Jerome or Ibn-Ishaq) was to consult earlier languages used for the literature they were translating (as in Greek to Latin passing through Hebrew). It's also one of the features that define modern translation into Spanish: the fact that some translators closer to Latin than others dig up the common roots of related languages rather than coin cognates. It gives the product an "organic" feel when it's a "graft" from a common root instead of a "tracing" over a source.
Sometimes, when I translate from Greek into Romanian and I need the opinion of other translators, I just post a KudoZ question for Greek to English, because there are only few Greek to Romanian translators on this site and most of them are not active. Chances that I would receive an advice for English are bigger and then I can just analyze the English term.
Rare combinations suffer this shortfall.
| | | | | triangling third language | Aug 19, 2011 |
for EN>DK and DK>EN I sometimes triangle through German
for DE>DK and DK>DE I sometimes triangle through English
this is only for rarely used difficult terms in these language pairs
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DianeGM
Local time: 17:57
Tag (2006 óta)
holland - angol
+ ...
It can be hard to find terms Dutch to Greek (especially techncial terms), whereas it is much easier to find Dutch to English and English to Greek, I often find terms that way.
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I don't actually search in a third language, largely as my skills are limited to two languages. Never the less, knowledge of German, Italian and Latin spring to mind and, without my searching, help me to work out the puzzle.
| | | | | Yes and it has been helpful | Aug 19, 2011 |
I translate Spanish to English, and I stumbled on this technique when I was searching for a term (I can't remember it now, but it was some kind of book or register related to a road construction project in Portugal) and I came up with absolutely nothing in Spanish. As I was sifting through some on-line glossaries hoping for a miracle, I turned up a very similar term in Portuguese. I later discovered that the author of the document was actually a Galician working in Portugal and he had castiliani... See more I translate Spanish to English, and I stumbled on this technique when I was searching for a term (I can't remember it now, but it was some kind of book or register related to a road construction project in Portugal) and I came up with absolutely nothing in Spanish. As I was sifting through some on-line glossaries hoping for a miracle, I turned up a very similar term in Portuguese. I later discovered that the author of the document was actually a Galician working in Portugal and he had castilianized the term.
Since then, I've found answers to a number of term questions in Catalan as well as Portuguese. ▲ Collapse
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