Which CAT tool to use for a .rc file and for an online help file? Thread poster: Rebeca Martín Lorenzo
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Hello everybody
I am doing a test for a translation company specialized in software and website localization and, besides the usual translation tests, I have to answer a number of questions.
I am given 3 samples (A, B and C). Firstly, I have to name the file type of each sample (I think A is an html file, B is an Online help file and C is a resource file, programmed in C++). Secondly, I have to highlight in the texts what needs translating, which I have already done, av... See more Hello everybody
I am doing a test for a translation company specialized in software and website localization and, besides the usual translation tests, I have to answer a number of questions.
I am given 3 samples (A, B and C). Firstly, I have to name the file type of each sample (I think A is an html file, B is an Online help file and C is a resource file, programmed in C++). Secondly, I have to highlight in the texts what needs translating, which I have already done, avoiding any codes). And finally, I have to say which software application I would generally use to translate each text.
I think Trados TagEditor would be the best option for the html text, so as to avoid removing any of the codes/tags (or to edit them if necessary). But is TagEditor the right application to use with samples B and C (online help file and resource file)? Or should I use, for example, "Catalyst"? Unfortunately I am still not familiar with these tools, I have only used Trados Workbench and T-Window, so I am quite lost. However, I am keen to learn.
Many thanks in advance for your help,
Becky ▲ Collapse
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| Test of your ability | Feb 9, 2007 |
Becky75 wrote:
Hello everybody
I am doing a test for a translation company specialized in software and website localization and, besides the usual translation tests, I have to answer a number of questions.
I am given 3 samples (A, B and C). Firstly, I have to name the file type of each sample (I think A is an html file, B is an Online help file and C is a resource file, programmed in C++). Secondly, I have to highlight in the texts what needs translating, which I have already done, avoiding any codes). And finally, I have to say which software application I would generally use to translate each text.
I think Trados TagEditor would be the best option for the html text, so as to avoid removing any of the codes/tags (or to edit them if necessary). But is TagEditor the right application to use with samples B and C (online help file and resource file)? Or should I use, for example, "Catalyst"? Unfortunately I am still not familiar with these tools, I have only used Trados Workbench and T-Window, so I am quite lost. However, I am keen to learn.
Many thanks in advance for your help,
Becky
Don't take this the wrong way - it is not personal - however I don't think the agency in question would necessarily regard it as ethical for you to be asking for help on a test when the whole purpose of the test is to test your ability.
You should also be aware that agencies often read forum postings to see what is going on in the industry.
Others may well disagree, but by your own admission you are not yet familiar with these tools and so I think you'd be better off doing the necessary training and/or finding an experienced colleague who has the time to teach you before actually attempting tests.
Giving in someone else's answer(s) now is going to give the agency the wrong impression of your current skills. It can land you in hot water if you accept a job and they find out you can't handle it - it's tantamount to misrepresentation in law.
[Edited at 2007-02-09 15:53]
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Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 12:06
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| For A and C, Wordfast or OmegaT would do | Feb 10, 2007 |
Becky75 wrote:
I am given 3 samples (A, B and C). Firstly, I have to name the file type of each sample (I think A is an html file, B is an Online help file and C is a resource file, programmed in C++). ... And finally, I have to say which software application I would generally use to translate each text.
Both the HTML and RC files are plaintext formats, which means that you can translate them in any CAT tool that supports user-customisable tagging. Wordfast comes to mind, but you can also use OmegaT. In both cases you need to fiddle with the settings of the program, especially for the RC file, but it is generally risk-free beause both HTML and RC file types are very regular (okay, HTML can be dodgy).
I don't know which online help file format you're referring to, but again, if it is a plaintext format with very regular markup, you can custom-tag it and translate it in a CAT tool that supports that.
If you're going to use Wordfast, perhaps you can show the client what the tagged file would look like (by sending him an example uncleaned RTF file). For OmegaT, a sample tagged document and a screenshot might suffice to convince him.
Now, to import the RC text back into the resource, you need to compile it, don't you? Will the client be able to do that, or do you have your own C++ compiler to convert it? I know I don't (and Borland's free commandline tools don't work with the several of the latest RC files).
[Edited at 2007-02-10 18:35]
[Edited at 2007-02-10 18:46]
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 12:06
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Asking for help is fine... | Feb 10, 2007 |
Lawyer-Linguist wrote:
Don't take this the wrong way - it is not personal - however I don't think the agency in question would necessarily regard it as ethical for you to be asking for help on a test when the whole purpose of the test is to test your ability.
I can't speak for that agency, but I think this is a bit of an exception. Having knowledge of software isn't the same as having skill in a language. I wouldn't trust a translator who, in doing a test translation, posts a Kudos question... but asking about technology is fine by me. Besides, the poster already showed that he is quite knowledgeable about the file formats.
It can land you in hot water if you accept a job and they find out you can't handle it - it's tantamount to misrepresentation in law.
I agree that it may be prudent to tell the agency that although you would use tool X or tool Y, you have very little experience in using that tool.
Misrepresentation? No, I don't think so. Telling a client that you have Trados doesn't imply that you are a wizard at it.
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| Misrepresentation | Feb 11, 2007 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
[Misrepresentation? No, I don't think so. Telling a client that you have Trados doesn't imply that you are a wizard at it.
Wrong analogy there, I'm afraid. Poster is being asked to do a test for the purpose of establishing her competence levels not whether she has the tool in question. The best analogy in a non-test situation would be: do you have Trados and if so, how would you rate your level of competence in using it?
This agency has in fact gone further - beyond self-assessment (probably because many people overrate and lie about their skills) - and is testing those itself.
Moreover, it's an agency specialising in software and localisation. They are asking those questions for a reason.
To say it's unacceptable to ask Kudoz questions when doing a test but ok to ask IT-based ones holds no water. A test, regardless of what it covers, must reflect what you are capable of, not others.
And, it would most certainly be misrepresentation to hand in a test with the correct answers because you've used someone else's and then to accept a job given to you on the strength of those answers.
But who am I to know anything about the law (and, above all, ethics - all the shark jokes aside!) - after all, I'm only a lawyer.
[Edited at 2007-02-11 11:39]
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sylver
Local time: 18:06
English to French
Lawyer-Linguist wrote: ... But who am I to know anything about the law (and, above all, ethics - all the shark jokes aside!) - after all, I'm only a lawyer.
Good point.
Jokes aside, I agree with you that if someone accepts to do a test, you can not turn to others for answers, and the technical side is just as important as the linguistic one.
In fact I am looking at a customer's site right now. It was translated by folks lacking the technical knowledge to handle it properly. By the looks of things, the translation itself is correct. However the website is trashed and the translation will have to be extracted, if possible aligned and everything has to be retranslated from scratch.
By misrepresenting their technical abilities, they provided a translation that is nearly useless to the final customer.
Technical skills matter, too.
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