OFF: translation tips

[Susan79]

Good morning, everyone!

I am working on creating a Translations Tips sheet for my co-workers.
To make sure I haven't forgotten anything of particular importance, I want to ask:
If you were to do this, what would be the first 3 things you would tell your co-workers?

Thanks!

[Supa Traslata]

Я это сделал, взяв за основу правила переводчиков EU.

[Supa Traslata]

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

[Sjoe!]

Susan, could we have a copy too here when done? :)

TIA

[Susan79]

Sjoe!

If you really want it, I can send but I don't see why you would need it. :)

[Sjoe!]

:) You never know what you ought to, don't you? :)

[Lkovalskaya30]

what would be the first 3 things you would tell your co-workers* - veni, vidi, vici )))

[valex]

"Personal opinions, views, philosophies, ethical teachings should never be expressed, mentioned or discussed either in word or attitude"

This is a quote from the first "Translator's policy" which I received, and I agree with it.

[tumanov]

Good dictionary and not an online one - 50% of success

[Susan79]

tumanov:
That I can agree with!

Valex
Also very true... I will think about adding something to that affect.

[SirReal]

Check everything you are 100% sure you understand
Double-check everything you think you understand
Triple-check everything you don't understand

[Susan79]

SirReal
:)))
We must share some brain cells b/c I already wrote something like that.

"When in doubt, look it up. Even when you think you know it, look it up. When you are sure you know it, double-check it."

[Sjoe!]

OK the first three off the top of the head:
1. Always read the original first. If you can afford to.
2. Always have your customer in mind. Or picture one at least, now and then.
3. Avoid fancy (target) language. As much as possible.

[gel]

Read carefully the sentence\extract before you translate it.
Read what you just translated.

[skate]

Read your translation once again a day or two later (if you can afford it).

[Lkovalskaya30]

я немного не понимаю, для чего все это, ведь крайне бесполезно, Сьюзен, коллеги работают с Вами будучи переводчиками, неужели все так плохо?

[Sjoe!]

А где хорошо? :)

[Supa Traslata]

Lkovalskaya30,
для лучшей усвояемости такие советы еще оформляются в виде презентаций, ну там с картинками говорящих человечков и восклицательными знаками. У "них там" это очень помогает. )))

[Юрий Гомон]

Susan, your advice means they should "triple-check" every letter.

What I would tell my co-workers is: the translation should be as close as possible to the original, even if it makes the translation sound awkward (yes, that's a requirement of my managers). They will understand everything else themselves as the work progresses.

[Юрий Гомон]

Perhaps I would add: look up in monolingual dictionaries when you don't understand the word and whenever you can, take advice from more experienced people (preferably your colleagues) when you're looking for a way to put it.

[Susan79]

Lkovalskaya30

My co-workers are not planning to become translators. We have a shortage of Translators/Editors here and many of my co-workers have to do translations themselves (their Eng is rather good) but sometimes it doesnt go as well as they would have liked ...

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.

Юрий Гомон triple-checking every letter?
Well, it's a bit of a joke to lighten the text up. I try to keep my instructional materials interesting so that they will actually read them. :)

[Юрий Гомон]

Well, I wouldn't take it as a joke.

[Susan79]

If you read the whole text i have written, you would. :)

[Supa Traslata]

>>Well, I wouldn't take it as a joke. >>
- Вот и я о том же. Я сталкивался с такими "учебными" материалами подобной направленности, которые пишутся настолько упрощенным языком, будто автор обращается к детям неразумным.