Understanding agency's strategy Initiator des Themas: Natalya Zelikova
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I would just like to know what have been done to the text, if I get the following job:
Source file (as a reference)
Target file (as a translation)
I need to compare them (and I am notified that they are rather different in some sections/chapters), find differencies or untranslated parts of the text and translate them.
The source really doesn't look like the one used for getting this exact translation, since some paragraphs are just absent, some functions, buttons (this is... See more I would just like to know what have been done to the text, if I get the following job:
Source file (as a reference)
Target file (as a translation)
I need to compare them (and I am notified that they are rather different in some sections/chapters), find differencies or untranslated parts of the text and translate them.
The source really doesn't look like the one used for getting this exact translation, since some paragraphs are just absent, some functions, buttons (this is a manual) have a little different names (though are similar in nature).
Is it something when the client just wants all standard parts (warnings, notes, descriptions of standard functions) to be present in the manual, but actually it was another source, which was sent to the translator?
This is the only variant I can think of...
I just feel like understanding what is needed can help to do this better, faster, etc... ▲ Collapse
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Hello Natalya,
With manuals, there's a lot of repetitive text, since many types products (i.e. remote controls, lamps, video/audio devices) are very similar and in some cases, almost identical. For instance, certain company releases a DVD player and within a few months, releases another DVD player but with a different name, more/less functions, different buttons/names, etc. So the manuals have to be revised, and in some cases, the revisions are minimal, could be a number, the name... See more Hello Natalya,
With manuals, there's a lot of repetitive text, since many types products (i.e. remote controls, lamps, video/audio devices) are very similar and in some cases, almost identical. For instance, certain company releases a DVD player and within a few months, releases another DVD player but with a different name, more/less functions, different buttons/names, etc. So the manuals have to be revised, and in some cases, the revisions are minimal, could be a number, the names of the buttons, the specifications, or it could be whole chapters.
I assume your client doesn't work with their original translator anymore, but still they want you to be consistent with the previous translations. If your client has provided you with both the sources and the translations as a reference, they might want you to keep a similar terminology as well.
You could ask them to send you the original version of the translated file they sent you, so you can Align both versions and then use the TM in the new (revised) file; or you can use the translation as a reference when you translate the file. Either way, since consistency is very important when translating manuals, I'd recommend you to use a CAT tool.
Good luck,
Claudia
[Edited at 2006-12-28 12:11] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yolande Haneder (X) 
Local time: 23:42
Deutsch > Französisch
+ ...
| Sound like an update of a text | Dec 28, 2006 |
The client made some changes to an original text and send it to you to check it and change anything that had been changed since the last translation.
If you get the first original text, it would be easier to calculate what had been changed, especially if you are using a TM software and can align the old source text and translation and check then the TM against the new original text.
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
Finnland
Local time: 00:42
Mitglied (2003)
Finnisch > Deutsch
+ ...
| This happens when customer changes agency | Dec 28, 2006 |
You could try to ask for the old source text, but probably people have changed at the customer's office too and nobody remembers anything and no backup has been made.
You could suggest to translate the new source completely anew and use the old translation as a reference for terminology.
Cheers!
Heinrich
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Natalya Zelikova
Polen
Local time: 23:42
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
THEMENSTARTER
Thank you all for answers. The point is that the same agency usually sends me the text to be added in a separate file (indicating numbers of pages, etc.). So when they are updating old file I just get a small file with numbered sentences.
But still your variants may be correct - finally they have different end clients, different types of projects, etc.
| | | | Barbara Micheletto
Italien
Local time: 23:42
Mitglied (2005)
Ukrainisch > Italienisch
+ ...
| Proofreading | Dec 28, 2006 |
Hello Natalya,
are you supposed to proofread the old text while you are adding the new/updated parts, or did they tell you to leave the old translation as it is (as long as the source text doesn't change, of course)?
I am just doing the same kind of work on some large technical specifications from Russian which have been updated. The matter is that I have to re-do all the translation since the prepvious text was translated into Italian by a non-native translator and the target text i... See more Hello Natalya,
are you supposed to proofread the old text while you are adding the new/updated parts, or did they tell you to leave the old translation as it is (as long as the source text doesn't change, of course)?
I am just doing the same kind of work on some large technical specifications from Russian which have been updated. The matter is that I have to re-do all the translation since the prepvious text was translated into Italian by a non-native translator and the target text is completely meaningless and useless.
So if you are supposed to also proofread the old translation, I suggest you to have a carefull look at the text before beginning, just to make sure you won't have to re-do some parts of it (silly me I accepted this job... never again!).
B.
[Edited at 2006-12-28 14:28] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Natalya Zelikova
Polen
Local time: 23:42
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
THEMENSTARTER | additional proofreading | Dec 28, 2006 |
Barbara M wrote:
I suggest you to have a carefull look at the text before beginning, just to make sure you won't have to re-do some parts of it (silly me I accepted this job... never again!).
B.
[Edited at 2006-12-28 14:28]
Luckily this client never objects when I explain that some additional work was done, though I was not asked to proofread the text, it is usually visible when there are too much errors or a text is just "not good". So this time I just corrected few mistakes, and that's all
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