(From BtoBOnline.com)
According to this article, "localizing your Web site for international users requires more than hurdling a few language barriers".
The article describes many things to be considered and difficulties to be overcome for those who plan to have an international version of their web site.
While it concentrates on issues other than translation, I think this could be very useful to translators who are asked to quote for the localization of a web site: it gives us other factors to mention to our prospect, from planning for non-broadband connections to getting a local URL for the international site.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Found in Translation
(From marketWIRE)
The San Francisco Center for the Book presents "Found in Translation," an interactive exhibition in the Center's gallery through July 21, 2006.
The San Francisco Center for the Book presents "Found in Translation," an interactive exhibition in the Center's gallery through July 21, 2006.
The exhibition presents a far-reaching look into both the process and implications of translation: each exhibit turns an idea on its head by viewing it from two or more sides (languages, cultures, genders, points of view)[...].
Using text from many languages and in a variety of media, the exhibit also provides a hands-on interaction with the artwork.
New Book: How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator
Boulder-based freelance translator Corinne McKay has just published "How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator," a book for people who want to become translators.
According to this press release, this "is the book that author [...] Corinne McKay wishes she could have read when she launched her freelance translation business".
I've not read the book, yet, but from the description it might be useful for people starting out in our profession.
According to this press release, this "is the book that author [...] Corinne McKay wishes she could have read when she launched her freelance translation business".
I've not read the book, yet, but from the description it might be useful for people starting out in our profession.
Translation is so much more than finding a true expression of a text in another language.
(From Times Online)
Interesting article from the Times Online, with an extract of the speech given by Ali Smith on the occasion of the Oxford Weidenfeld translation prize.
A short passage from the article:
Interesting article from the Times Online, with an extract of the speech given by Ali Smith on the occasion of the Oxford Weidenfeld translation prize.
A short passage from the article:
Translation is so much more than the taking of a text and the finding of a true expression for it in another language. It’s an understanding of it in both languages, its original and its new form — and of the cultural shift between.
Translation Agency Introduces New Translation Tools
(From Express Pressrelease).
Lingo24 has made available from their website two new translation tools: Contextrans, which "uses statistical analysis of language to predict the most likely translations in a given context", and Parasaurus Rex, a thesaurus and paraphrasing tool.
Since Contextrans is currently only available for English>Arabic and Arabic>English, I've not been able to play with it.
I've tried the Parasaurus tool, but the English-only version, at least, does not look very useful (or maybe it still does not have enough data in its database). If you want to give it a try, you can find it here.
Lingo24 has made available from their website two new translation tools: Contextrans, which "uses statistical analysis of language to predict the most likely translations in a given context", and Parasaurus Rex, a thesaurus and paraphrasing tool.
Since Contextrans is currently only available for English>Arabic and Arabic>English, I've not been able to play with it.
I've tried the Parasaurus tool, but the English-only version, at least, does not look very useful (or maybe it still does not have enough data in its database). If you want to give it a try, you can find it here.
Problem of translating Shakespeare for the Japanese Stage
An article published a few days ago on the Sidney Morning Herald describes the problems faced by
Japanese translators in adapting the bard for the Japanese stage, especially considering time limitations.
Japanese translators in adapting the bard for the Japanese stage, especially considering time limitations.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Interlude
I apologize for the the sparse posting since May (in fact, this is the first one in June).
I got very busy with some very large projects, and then I had to rush through with the preparatios for the most important event of the year in my second profession (click here if you are interested).
I have ideas for some new articles that I hope will be interesting. I hope to be able to start writing them in the next few days.
I got very busy with some very large projects, and then I had to rush through with the preparatios for the most important event of the year in my second profession (click here if you are interested).
I have ideas for some new articles that I hope will be interesting. I hope to be able to start writing them in the next few days.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Quality Control and Measurement
In Translation Quality Blog I have added a couple of new posts with links to articles that deal with translation and localization quality control and measurement:
Standards and Models
and
Translation Quality Measurement Approaches
Standards and Models
and
Translation Quality Measurement Approaches
Monday, May 22, 2006
OCR for Free
A fairly frequent question in translators' fora is "how do I convert a (jpg, or tif, or pdf) file", so that I can work on it in MS Word.
For pdf files, the solution is sometime as simple as opening the file in Acrobat, and saving it as a MS Word or rtf file. But often this approach doesn't work (for example because the pdf was created from a graphic file, and not a text one).
For graphic files such as jpg or tif files, of course, "saving as" a Word file is not an option.
So often the solution offered is to use some OCR package. Professional ones may give good results (if the quality of the original is good), but they cost money, and the free OCR applications that come with a scanner are usually very disappointing: they may not recognize accented letters, or fail to properly keep the layout of the page (after all, they are given away so as to induce customers to upgrade to the full version).
A better alternative, at least for users of the latest versions of MS Office, is to take advantage of Microsoft Office Document Imaging: it is better than most other "free" OCR applications, may be upgraded (if necessary) to one of the leading "pro" OCR packages, and, on its own, already recognizes things such as tables and accented characters.
For pdf files, the solution is sometime as simple as opening the file in Acrobat, and saving it as a MS Word or rtf file. But often this approach doesn't work (for example because the pdf was created from a graphic file, and not a text one).
For graphic files such as jpg or tif files, of course, "saving as" a Word file is not an option.
So often the solution offered is to use some OCR package. Professional ones may give good results (if the quality of the original is good), but they cost money, and the free OCR applications that come with a scanner are usually very disappointing: they may not recognize accented letters, or fail to properly keep the layout of the page (after all, they are given away so as to induce customers to upgrade to the full version).
A better alternative, at least for users of the latest versions of MS Office, is to take advantage of Microsoft Office Document Imaging: it is better than most other "free" OCR applications, may be upgraded (if necessary) to one of the leading "pro" OCR packages, and, on its own, already recognizes things such as tables and accented characters.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Visual Thesaurus: a Gorgeous-Looking Tool
I had seen a beta version of the Visual Thesaurus some time ago.Then when it was finally released I kept on coming back to their web site, like a child returning to the window of a toy store, but never purchased it (what's the use... I've already got several thesauri on paper plus more in my word processor and other applications).
Still, it kept tantalizing me: I never deleted the link from my favorites, and from time to time kept coming back to give it a new look.
Finally, a few days ago, I decided to try a monthly subscription (the tool comes either as a standalone installable application, or as a web subscription).
I think that I am going to upgrade both to a full yearly subscription and to the standalone version (just in case the web is down).
The web version includes a beta version of a multilingual thesaurus (click on screenshot above to get a bigger image) . Though the multilingual content is a bit patchy at the moment, it promises to become a great tool for translators. It already is a wonderful tool for anybody who writes in English, or who is in love with words.
Highly recommended.
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