Localizing isn’t finding.

Most times the term “locate a web” is misinterpreted. It doesn’t mean to find where it is, for that there are multiple companies specialized in the positioning of webs, this is to say making them appear first in Google searches.

Localization consists on adapting a webpage to the public or country it’s aimed towards. Any company that sells to multiple countries should adapt their webpages to each country. This not only includes translating the text but also the adequate use of images, logos, expressions, etc… Let’s imagine an American cookie factory, “Grandma’s Biscuits”. With their expansion towards Europe the company decides to create a mirror-web in Spanish. In it we can read:

“Our cookies go very well with a glass of milk. You know that God rise them, and they get together”.

This is a localization mistake, because the phrase “birds of a feather fly together”in English is not the same at all as it is in Spanish. The translation is correct, but it doesn’t cause the same effect. In the case of pictures, they can be used to reinforce and maximize the text they appear next to, but this depends may not be the case depending on the country. Let’s see the next case.

“Cookies like your grandmother’s… or stronger than her.”

Translation blog image. Locate is not found. American grandmother. Picture of a grandmother "Rambo" style. Wears command T-shit, with binoculars and holster. A load machine gun to the back and in the right hand has a roller. In background US flag.

Could someone outside of the U.S.A. feel identified with the picture above? If the company’s web page wants to sell their products in Spain, they should change their picture and show a “local” granny.

Translation blog image. Locate is not found. Spanish grandmother. Picture of a grandmother in an old house. With your right hand makes the typical metalheads horns gesture.

These localizations can also be realized in audio-visual material. The words have to be translated but the content has also to be analyzed and proven. Something they didn’t do in a scientology commercial that aired in Spain.
http://tu.tv/videos/cienciologia-conocete-a-ti-mismo-conoc

At the thirty second mark (0:30) the speaker says “Its music, and sensation and touch down”. The percentage of Spanish people that know American football and its rules is minimal. That’s why “touchdown” is an almost unknown term in Spain. And even more unknown is the sensation a touchdown produces. If the add wants to appeal to the public’s feelings and sensations it should have references that are adapted to the country where it’s broadcasted, for example: a goal scored by the Spanish soccer team. These changes make the public feel much more identified with the web page and vice versa. It’s the job of whoever translates the webpage to detect where to make these changes. As someone who knows both languages and cultures he should be able to detect where the differences occur.

 

 

PHOTO SOURCE:
HTTP://SENIORCITIZENHUMOR.BLOGSPOT.COM/2012/03/AMERICAN-ACTION-GRANDMA.HTML

PHOTO SOURCE:
HTTP://GARYTORMENTO.BLOGSPOT.COM/2010_05_01_ARCHIVE.HTML

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Subtitled II. (Translation)

Translation blog image. Subtitle translation. Screenshot of an application to translate subtitles. In different columns from left to right time codes, dialogues and translations.

Whenever we are given subtitles to translate, we should know if they are already timed or not. On this depends the time we need to finish our job.

If the file is timed, the ideal thing would be to use a “translating memory” to avoid the problems we could encounter if we make a mistake and accidentally change part of the code that doesn’t need changing.

Most subtitles are in the .SSA or .SUB format. They are really .TXT files with a different extension, so we could even open them with the Windows Notepad.

When we translate content we have to take into consideration the same rules that apply when we create content, the UNE_153010=2012 in which time is indicated, as well as length and number of characters.

Another thing to consider is the difference in the “length” of a language. If we translate for example: from German to Spanish; Spanish will occupy up to 20% more space.

These variations can impose a readjustment in the text’s timing, given that not all languages can be read at the same speed. Even though this readjustment should be done by a video editing professional, it helps a lot if the translator pays attention and helps with a few instructions. Let’s remember that we, translators, are used to living in a multilingual environment but most people are not.

 

IMAGE SOURCE:

HTTP://WWW.EBENIMELI.ORG/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2009/02/APERTIUM-SUBTITLES-UBUNTU.PNG

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Subtitled I.(Creation)

Translation blog image. Subtitling. Screenshot of Agiedsub subtitles program in which are different lines of dialogue, the corresponding frame and the soundtrack.

One of the resources that is most utilized when searching for a web is the subtitle of videos. This saves us the hassle of having to re-record audio or create new videos with another language: this is why the subtitling process is cheaper and quicker.

The process begins with the transcript of everything that has been said in the video. By doing this we obtain a document that contains all the information of the video. However, a person can comprehend up to 180 words per minute if they hear them. If they read them the number drops to 140. This is why we need to modify this transcript, so we can later turn it into subtitles.

The international standard that rules over how something has to be subtitled is the  UNE_153010=2012  that also includes certain dimensions that need to be added in order for the subtitles to be accessible to deaf people or those with a hearing disability.  It’s important to count the number of characters per line because it can’t exceed 32.

 

On this beautiful morning all inhabitants of planet earth can

be happy.

-2 lines, 71 characters.-

 

This beautiful morning everyone can be happy.

-1 line, 46 characters.-

 

 

Once the text has been modified, it has to be timed. Which means adjusting the text to the moment it has to be displayed. This is the work of video editing professionals. However, most of the time, we the translators have to do a first time edit.

For this purpose, there are a lot of programs available; in some, the time codes must be introduced manually. In other like DivXLand Media Subtitler  they are introduced visually by pressing a key in the keyboard.

Once this step is done, an .SSA or .SUB file is created.  This is no more than a text file with data. This is the file that will be sent to the client and the one that needs to be translated if required by the client.

IMAGEN SOURCE:

HTTP://I.YTIMG.COM/VI/KVCMDGJVCI0/MAXRESDEFAULT.JPG

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Google Translate, or: How to blame the murder on the knife.

 Translation blog image. Google translator. Photography of a restroom sign in Chinese and English. It says "For restrooms, Go back toward your behind."

Google Translate is an online translating service that offers us the possibility to know what a text means in seconds.  However it isn’t a service that could replace the professional translator.

Let’s read the next paragraph as an example:

Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once she gave her a little riding hood of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else; so she was always called ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’

 

As we can see, this is the beginning of a very popular children’s story.  Let’s use the Google Translate tool to see what happens.

Érase una vez una niña querida, que fue amado por todos los que la miraba, pero sobre todo por su abuela, y no había nada que ella no le habría dado al niño. Una vez que ella le dio una caperucita de terciopelo rojo, que le quedaba tan bien que ella nunca usaría cualquier otra cosa, por lo que siempre se llamó “Little Red Riding Hood.”

 

The result is comprehensible, but full of mistakes.  This doesn’t mean that Google’s translating tool works badly, but rather that we are attributing to it functions   that it doesn’t have.

As we know, translating isn’t just about changing the words from one language to another.  It is necessary to adapt the text’s meaning, the grammar, the cultural references, etc…  And this is what a translator does. So this way Google Translate or any other automatic translator is only a tool (a very powerful one) for translating. There’s a tendency to think that a translator is some sort of “dictionary man” that knows all the vocabulary in various languages. This isn’t true, not even an interpreter is one. The proof is the vast amount of times one has to go around the topic or insert explanations in an interpretation so that the message could be understood.

The translator works with time and can consult the words that he doubts or doesn’t know in a dictionary. The automatic translators reduce this “looking-up” time by selecting the word with the highest probability of being accurate.  Nevertheless, the translator always has the last word.

A great that advantage automatic translators have is that they can be integrated in translating memories such as:  Deja vú or OmegaT, completing their work and reducing the production time of the translator.

There are a lot of examples about the misuse of the automatic translators; we find them daily in tags, instructions, web pages, mails or forms.  Someone decides to save by not hiring a translator and directly uses the text generated by an automatic translator. This occurs not only in small companies or in Southeast Asia. The Department of Migration of the United States of America was, for a long time, giving out this healthcare form to foreigners entering the country.

Image source:

http://www.vappingo.com/word-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Bad-translation.jpg

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Interpreter and gym

Translation blog image. Interpreter and gym. Photograph of a small boy with glasses reading a book while lifting arm weights.

There are many topics regarding us who study these so called “careers of letters.” We are often associated with library mice, which probably puts us one step ahead the science freaks (those with glasses, tight pants and suspenders). However, in the case of translators this isn’t entirely true.

The never ending workloads, the lack of rest or the little time to eat produces an important physical weathering. That’s why it’s very important for any professional interpreter to maintain good physical health that allows him/her to face all of these physical wears.
Singers that dance at their concerts such as: Madonna, Cher, Britney, etc.. usually undergo a fattening diet before touring mainly because the tours consume big portions of their energy reserves. An interpreter should do something similar. because our activity is done all year round it doesn’t make sense to gain weight and loose it, so the best thing to do would be to do some endurance activity (aerobics) in a regular fashion.
Running, cycling, stair climbing, etc… are exercises that will help us raise our endurance without sacrificing our health. We should remember that working 12 straight hours, and perhaps having 3 days off afterwards, still takes its toll on the body, we don’t notice it straight away, but in the long run it can produce a lot of injuries and diseases.

Photo Source:
HTTP://WWW.LAVANGUARDIA.COM/ESTILOS-DE-VIDA/20120613/54312096470/LOS-BENEFICIOS-DE-LA-LECTURA.HTML

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Even harder still: translating sarcasm

Translation blog image. Sarcasm translation. Image of a man saying " My level of sarcasm is in proportion to your level of stupidity."

As we know, when a translator faces a literary text, not only does he have to translate the meaning of it, but also capture its “spirit”.

This becomes specially complicated when the text has some sarcasm in it, and moreover when not everyone is able to identify it. Let’s see an example, in the link below one can read a sarcastic entry in a blog (In Spanish).
http://www.perdidoeneldesierto.es/putos-zurdos/

If we pay attention to the comments one can observe that many readers debate the attitude of the writer for not understanding that it’s a sarcastic text in which the words “left handed” substitute other words.
This is a mistake that a translator can’t commit, due to the fact that if the sarcasms are not identified the whole text loses its meaning. The thing is that sarcasm allows us to tell something contrary to what we want to say while at the same time saying what we need to say. That’s why it’s not easy to identify it every time.

 

 

Photo Source:

http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1329550012197_4364990.png

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The most difficult yet: the literary translation

Translation blog image. Books. Photography of several books in different languages.

One of the most difficult texts to translate is the literary one. In these, not only do you have to transmit the message, but also what the writers refer to as the “spirit”.

A literary work, unlike a scientific text, not only gives information; it sets a rhythm of reading and allows us to play with language in order to create an atmosphere. On more than one occasion reading allows us to escape and forget many problems in that the text occupies all of our minds. This is achieved by creating this “spirit” or literary rhythm.

The translator of literary texts has to be able to provoke these sensations in the reader of the new language.

Let’s imagine for a moment how the ’s novel, The Road would be if translated to Spanish: punctuation would be added and the scenes would be separated one by one in order to make it more comprehensible. This of course would be a very different work and it would lose its “spirit”.

There doesn’t exist a secret formula for translating and in these types of translations the translation memories help somewhat. Therefore, the only way to prepare ourselves for this type of work is through reading. Read, read, and read until you can read no more. By doing so we will be prepared not only to rescue the ‘spirit’ of each novel, but we will also be able to transform our way of writing and conform the work to what the original author wanted to convey.

Photo Source

HTTP://MLA-S1-P.MLSTATIC.COM/LOTE-OFERTA-163-LIBROS-LITERATURA-IDIOMAS-HISTORIA-ARGENTINA-725501-MLA20328761703_062015-F.JPG

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Don’t shoot the interpreter

 Translation blog image. Do not shoot the interpreter. Picture of the famous logo "I love NY" modified with the words "I love me."

Speaking with another person’s voice is complicated, but when an interpreter is used, it is necessary.

The interpretation always has to be in first person. It is of common belief that an interpreter always starts his/her phrases with: “He/she says that…”, “He/she believes that….”, or “He/she thinks that…”and it’s not like that. At least it shouldn’t be. Interpreting should be as close to the original message as possible so using an indirect style distorts the message.
Also, this situation can be prone for mistakes if the person receiving the message isn’t used to dealing with interpreters. If, for example: we are a man interpreting a phone call and the caller is a woman, we should talk about ourselves as women. (I’ll be at the meeting at 9:00, even my period it’s killing me,  etc…) regardless of our own gender.

There are lots of examples of situations in which the interpreter has been misunderstood. For example, a doctor, may think that the interpreter is the one who is sick instead of the patient. Or worse yet, a judge can believe that the interpreter is someone’s murderer. However, independently of how many comical situations occur, the interpreter must appeal to his/her professionalism and carry on with the work.

First person interpretation creates a direct contact between the original speaker and listener, placing the interpreter in a more discrete position, which is just where the interpreter wants to be. Let’s remember that the best interpretation is the one that goes unnoticed.

Image source
http://www.lovehearttshirts.com/shop/images/602/I+LOVE+ME+T+SHIRT+BLACK.jpg

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Reliable sources

Translation blog image. Reliable documentation. Photo of a man telling a secret to the ear of a woman with astonishment face.It is the obligation of any self-respecting translator or interpreter to have reliable sources. Many times, through social media we come across hoaxes, lies, and rumors that our contacts divulge as being true, be it by ignorance or just because they are ill informed.

Who hasn’t read on a friend’s Facebook wall:

Through this communication Facebook is notified that is strictly prohibited….”

These lies/rumors are nothing more than a nuisance when we are on leisure time, and they can be easily removed from social media. In fact, there are pages that are dedicated to taking them down, such as:

http://www.archerphoto.eu/esmentira/

Others dare to prove the authenticity of these claims with tips and tricks.

 http://thatsnonsense.com/blog/internet-rumors-how-to-debunk-internet-rumours/

But one thing that they all coincide with is in checking and double checking the veracity of what is said. This is just an example in social media and leisure issues; but can you imagine what could happen in a translation for which we will be charging and our sources are not reliable? Our work could be seriously compromised if, as it occurs on many occasions, we see that in bibliographies Wikipedia or Rincón de Vago are cited.

This is why it is fundamental to correctly document our work, something that also crosses over to our personal lives. It is important to doubt anything that we are told or that comes to us from a not so reliable source (friends, Facebook, someone’s cousin). A website’s reputation is its principal value, and our documentation is our main weapon against any criticism.

Photo Source:

HTTP://WWW.MUYLINUX.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2014/08/SHUTTERSTOCK_96492581.JPG

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Technological aids for translating. Software. Translation Memories (I)

Translation blog image. Translation Memory 1. OmegaT program main menu with all it's windows open.

Every translator that doesn’t dedicate him/herself to literature will know that with time, little by little everything will sound the same.

And we are right in that often what we translate looks very much like what was translated before. This reaches a peak when we translate web pages or digital content, because most of them are just copy-pasted material from other pages.

To accelerate, and facilitate the translating process, there are many types of programs called “translation memories”. As their names indicate, these programs are capable of remembering what they have translated before and therefore re-typing is not necessary. They can also separate from the text anything that isn’t needed, like format codes, text marks, HTML code, etc… leaving only text that is segmented by phrases.

The market benchmark for these types of products is the brand SDL Trados, as a matter of fact it establishes the international standard. However, before attempting to work with such a powerful tool, we can begin with a much more affordable tool, OmegaT.

OmegaT is an open source program, which means it’s free. That’s why it’s ideal for a first time encounter. It includes an extensive user’s guide, and if you still have doubts, there is an infinite amount of tutorials on the internet. It possesses the most common and needed functions, such as: connection with automatic translators, TMX index creators, code error revision, etc…

It can be downloaded from here.

Once familiarized with the memory translating process, we can move forward to the next step: learning how to manage a translating project with several collaborators.

 

Photo Source:

HTTP://VIGNETTE3.WIKIA.NOCOOKIE.NET/OMEGAT/IMAGES/5/5A/OMEGAT_WITH_ALL_TABS_OPEN.PNG/REVISION/LATEST?CB=20120624175801

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