tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post3900645461683596694..comments2024-02-26T03:12:14.514-07:00Comments on About Translation: A step back to the past: translating without a CATRiccardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08033214185364578008noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-50896630868019341052017-09-30T01:43:28.270-06:002017-09-30T01:43:28.270-06:00I see. It makes sense now. Thank you for pointing ...I see. It makes sense now. Thank you for pointing that out. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-10884757070298065662017-09-28T10:20:11.989-06:002017-09-28T10:20:11.989-06:00Hi Anon,
Thank you for the link. I'll read th...Hi Anon,<br /><br />Thank you for the link. I'll read the article and will comment further, if necessary. <br /><br />After a very quick glance at the article, though, it seems clear that Pym is not talking of translation memory in the sense we use when we talk of CAT tools, but rather about the options offered by tools like Google Translate, when used as an online dictionary. <br /><br />He mentions searching for a single word ("malestar"), saying that (some of) the suggestions offered as translation (" 1. discomfort, 2. malaise, 3. unrest, and 4. ailment") may not be particularly helpful and that " The external memory, in some circumstances, may simply complicate the decision-making process, and thus become an impediment to the process of selection"... but (IMHO) he is actually calling as "external memory" what is in reality just an online dictionary, and in fact what he finds is not very different than what I can find on a paper bilingual dictionary: "Malestar, m. 1. malaise, indisposition. 2. uneasiness, unease, disquietude" (Simon & Schuster's International Spanish Dictionary) <br /><br />I'll have more comments after I finish reading the article.Riccardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033214185364578008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-63151367150101305062017-09-25T09:36:21.322-06:002017-09-25T09:36:21.322-06:00Here is a link to Pym's article "what tec...Here is a link to Pym's article "what technology does to translation":<br />http://trans-int.org/index.php/transint/article/viewFile/121/81..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-87667539853309313402017-09-24T21:48:47.644-06:002017-09-24T21:48:47.644-06:00Here's a link to Pym's article "what ...Here's a link to Pym's article "what technology does to translating": http://trans-int.org/index.php/transint/article/viewFile/121/81..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-42379552246000479592017-09-24T10:17:03.760-06:002017-09-24T10:17:03.760-06:00"Pym believes that translation memory does no..."Pym believes that translation memory does not necessarily promote efficiency, since the way in which it helps with the translation process is to provide alternative renditions, many of which are actually viable; and thus translation memory often complicates translators’ decision-making process (Pym)"<br /><br />I'm not sure that I can agree with Pym in this - can you provide a reference for your quote? I'd like to see where Pym says that, because I think he either is wrong, or speaks about some special case: it may depend on the way one sets up his translation memory (allowing or not alternative translations), and also what's the origin of the translation memory is (created by the translator himself, created by a company, or the joint effort of a group), but in my experience "alternate renditions, many of which are actually viable" rarely occur.<br /><br />On the other hand, I do agree that CAT tools may discourage translators from treating the source text as a cohesive entity.<br /><br />Regarding terminological consistency: in certain fields (e.g., technical translations), it is essential.Riccardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033214185364578008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-75689072519202662652017-09-24T09:02:15.470-06:002017-09-24T09:02:15.470-06:00I absolutely agree with you on the importance of C...I absolutely agree with you on the importance of CAT tools in translation. Translation memory is definitely one of the most fundamental components of translation technology, which indeed helps ensure the accuracy and consistency of translation and at the same time promotes translation speed -- in computer-aided translation, every time a new source text is to be translated, the translator will be provided by the system with a suggested translation if there is a similar source segment, and the translator can choose whether to accept it or make some modifications (Qian Duoxiu). Translation memory can not only compensate for men’s memory problems, but also can be shared by different translators. Therefore, I really doubt there is any possibility that men’s memory can be on a par with translation memory of CAT tools in terms of both speed and accuracy. Here I am not saying that translators should entirely depend on CAT tools. They are just tools that can help us better our job -- again I agree with you on this, and I never believe human translators can be replaced by machines in the future. <br />However, Pym believes that translation memory does not necessarily promote efficiency, since the way in which it helps with the translation process is to provide alternative renditions, many of which are actually viable; and thus translation memory often complicates translators’ decision-making process (Pym); he also points out that CAT tools discourage translators from treating the source text as a cohesive entity, for translators pay too much attention to things like terminological consistency, which he thinks is a dehumanized way of looking at languages with no sense of communication being involved. Personally, I think Pym’s opinion also makes sense to some degree. In spite of all the convenience it brings to translators, CAT tools do have shortcomings. That is why we should not rely too much on them, and always need to bear in mind that after all men, instead of machines, are the translating subjects. As for the second point Pym mentions, maybe that is why CAT tools are more useful when it comes to the translation of pragmatic texts instead of literary works.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-22433706493060098532017-03-27T03:55:14.529-06:002017-03-27T03:55:14.529-06:00In fact, a computer-assisted translation tool is a...In fact, a computer-assisted translation tool is a modern comprehensive solution for translators and companies that are engaged in professional translations. And, you are right stating that CAT tools are real time savers. <br />http://smartessayrewriter.com/blog/15-english-words-with-no-translationhttp://smartessayrewriter.com/blog/15-english-words-with-no-translationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-50406766175452970712017-01-12T07:12:39.848-07:002017-01-12T07:12:39.848-07:00Not to mention when Internet or computers didn'...Not to mention when Internet or computers didn't even exist and translators had to use typewriters or paper dictionaries and material.Mariahttp://www.transpanish.biznoreply@blogger.com