| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7] > |
Are general translators capable of translating highly specialized medical texts Thread poster: LilianNekipelov
|
|---|
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:08
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Ty Kendall wrote:
I have to reign in my own sense of humour
Your highness ! Thou reignest in thine own sense of humour.
| | | |
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:08
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Sarcasm vs. irony. | Jul 15, 2012 |
LilianBoland wrote:
....hard for me to comprehend that people don't understand sarcasm,but many American people also don't understand most of British humor....
I think everyone understands sarcasm, but many Americans don't pick up on irony. It just doesn't get through to them at all.
I recently made an ironic remark in front of some American students. We were talking about a student project for a university library, designed by one of these students. I was invited to give a critique.
I observed that since the whole place was open-planned, it would be very noisy but that wouldn't matter, since the place would only be used by students.
Dead silence.
They just didn't get it.
Nobody laughed, but a couple of English people who were present did see my little joke.
I moved swiftly on.
[Edited at 2012-07-15 16:33 GMT]
| | | |
Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 13:08
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| The general translators' niche | Jul 15, 2012 |
Michael Wetzel wrote:
(2) It is also impossible to translate most texts without precisely understanding what they are about and without being intimately familiar with subject-specific parallel texts and conventions in the target language.
I guess the term "general translator" can be used as a slur for anyone who hasn't specialised *yet* and who hasn't yet figured out what he wants to do or what he's good at, and who is willing to take on any old odd job just to get some experience and some income.
However, the term is also used (with some pride) by those of us who realise that a text in any subject field can be translated by any good translator as long as that text is publish-ready in its original language and is comprehensible by a reasonably intelligent member of the public. If a specialised text can only be understood by someone in the same field, then it requires a translator who understands the field, but if it can be understood by any member of the public, then a general translator (who is also a member of the public, so to speak) can attempt it.
So if you have a highly specialised medical text, the question should be whether (a) the text itself is flawless (i.e. contains no errors) and whether (b) it is comprehensible and not ambiguous. If "yes" on both counts, I see no reason why any translator should not attempt it... if the translator has access to resources in that language combination in that field. No-one is saying that such a translation will be excellent or expertly suited -- only that it will be adequate.
| | | |
Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:08
Hebrew to English
Tom in London wrote:
Ty Kendall wrote:
I have to reign in my own sense of humour
Your highness ! Thou reignest in thine own sense of humour.
Of course I meant rein in. I type my forum posts too quickly to catch everything!
I'm glad one of my subjects noticed though!
| | |
|
|
|
if this has been mentioned in older posts, but I think none of us mentioned or asked who on earth would commission a highly specialised medical translation to a general translator?
People who work in TCs are not half-wits. Why would they risk their reputation working with someone who is not qualified at all to do a medical translation?
Maja
| | | |
XXXphxxx (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:08
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Maja Zrobecka wrote:
if this has been mentioned in older posts, but I think none of us mentioned or asked who on earth would commission a highly specialised medical translation to a general translator?
People who work in TCs are not half-wits. Why would they risk their reputation working with someone who is not qualified at all to do a medical translation?
Maja
Which is one of the reasons I wondered in my very first post why we were even debating it. Have we now taken to having discussions just for the hell of it?
| | | |
LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 07:08
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | You would be surprised what kinds of translations are given out | Jul 15, 2012 |
to almost amateurs to translate. Just look at some questions asked on various sites, not only Kudos. The client gives the translation to the outsourcer with the hope that they would find a qualified translator. What happens next? Who knows?
| | | |
Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:08
French to English
+ ...
Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote:
Have we now taken to having discussions just for the hell of it?
Had I but time, I might - but then I might not 
| | |
|
|
|
Natalie
Poland
Local time: 13:08
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
Moderator of this forum SITE LOCALIZER
LilianBoland wrote:
You would be surprised what kinds of translations are given out to almost amateurs to translate.
...your suggestion is?...
| | | |
LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 07:08
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I don't have any suggestions | Jul 15, 2012 |
I don't have any suggestions -- I am just stating the facts.
| | | |
Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:08
Hebrew to English
| Don't be so quick to judge | Jul 15, 2012 |
LilianBoland wrote:
Just look at some questions asked on various sites, not only Kudos. The client gives the translation to the outsourcer with the hope that they would find a qualified translator. What happens next? Who knows?
I'd be very wary of judging someone based on such limited "evidence". Asking a few questions on KudoZ or a similar portal does not necessarily constitute incompetence.
(If someone asks a barrage of questions or a stream of very simple questions then yes, it might make you raise your eyebrows, but otherwise there's no crime in simply using it, it's a resource after all).
[Edited at 2012-07-15 19:24 GMT]
| | | |
Natalie
Poland
Local time: 13:08
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
Moderator of this forum SITE LOCALIZER
LilianBoland wrote:
I don't have any suggestions -- I am just stating the facts.
Yes, there are good and bad translations/translators, and there are easy and tough questions, and, by the way, there are also good and bad answers to those questions. Everybody knows this.
| | |
|
|
|
LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 07:08
Russian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Everybody can ask questions | Jul 15, 2012 |
but by the way the questions are formulated you can tell if the person has any idea at all what the text is about. I am just referring to that type of situations where the person has almost no idea what the text is about and where one phrase ends and another one begins.
.
[Edited at 2012-07-15 19:41 GMT]
| | | |
Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:08
Hebrew to English
| If you don't have an opinion, why should anyone else... | Jul 15, 2012 |
LilianBoland wrote:
I don't have any suggestions -- I am just stating the facts.
C'mon, this is YOUR thread! If it bothers you so much you should at least formulate a few suggestions how to combat it. Or if you really aren't that invested in it, then it seems you have started this thread for the sake of it and we are all wasting our time participating in it.
| | | |
Natalie
Poland
Local time: 13:08
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
Moderator of this forum SITE LOCALIZER | It looks to me | Jul 15, 2012 |
that the topic is exhausted.
| | | |
| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7] > |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
