Kudoz glossary items--too limited Thread poster: Susan Welsh
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Susan Welsh 
United States
Local time: 11:48
Russian to English
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I recently asked a Kudoz question and received various helpful answers for a term that can be translated many ways. I made a Kudoz glossary out of it. But this creates a very misleading impression for a person who does a search for the meaning of the source word. In fact, the meaning that I selected is an UNUSUAL meaning in its context, not found in any of the dictionaries I consulted. It would be good if there were a way to edit the glossary so that it gives the usual meanings as well as the on... See more I recently asked a Kudoz question and received various helpful answers for a term that can be translated many ways. I made a Kudoz glossary out of it. But this creates a very misleading impression for a person who does a search for the meaning of the source word. In fact, the meaning that I selected is an UNUSUAL meaning in its context, not found in any of the dictionaries I consulted. It would be good if there were a way to edit the glossary so that it gives the usual meanings as well as the one chosen in Kudoz.
My example is in Russian, so many will not be able to read it, but I'll include it anyway:
рубеж = border, boundary, limit; (military) objective; (financial) threshold; (financial) benchmark.
Phrase in my Kudoz question: "превышавшие каждый квартал 9-ти процентный рыбеж..."
Translated as: "exceeding the 9 percent benchmark each quarter..."
[Edited at 2008-07-07 12:32] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | No to more spoonfeeding | Jul 7, 2008 |
The glossary is not going to be misleading at all to a professional who knows how to judge an entry in its specific context.
I personally don't believe we should encourage anymore spoonfeeding than already goes on.
After all, the usual or more general meanings are available in dictionaries for those who are searching - i.e. among the very sources they should have already consulted before KudoZ - and I'd expect a professional to have those as essential tools of the trade... See more The glossary is not going to be misleading at all to a professional who knows how to judge an entry in its specific context.
I personally don't believe we should encourage anymore spoonfeeding than already goes on.
After all, the usual or more general meanings are available in dictionaries for those who are searching - i.e. among the very sources they should have already consulted before KudoZ - and I'd expect a professional to have those as essential tools of the trade.
[Edited at 2008-07-07 12:50] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Buck
Netherlands
Local time: 17:48
Dutch to English
I agree with Lawyer-Linguist. Proz already does enough, imo, to help translators, especially new ones who are just getting started. Some of us began translating long before the Internet was widely available. Nothing wrong with a little hard work to find the right answer.
| | | | Juliana Brown
Israel
Local time: 11:48
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
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Lawyer-Linguist wrote:
I personally don't believe we should encourage anymore spoonfeeding than already goes on.
[Edited at 2008-07-07 12:50]
Really, if one can't distinguish between translations of terms based on context, etc. then the solution is to study and research, not open wide and say "aaah".
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| Kudoz is actually intended for the unusual situations | Jul 7, 2008 |
KudoZ is not intended to be just another standard dictionary. It is supposed to be a 'last resort' after other resources have been tried out.
Of course when deadlines are tight and translators are tired, previous searches may not be quite as exhaustive as all that, but no one should assume that all the 'typical' meanings of a term or expression are included.
It is also possible for the asker to edit the entry into the glossary when grading the question, to make it mor... See more KudoZ is not intended to be just another standard dictionary. It is supposed to be a 'last resort' after other resources have been tried out.
Of course when deadlines are tight and translators are tired, previous searches may not be quite as exhaustive as all that, but no one should assume that all the 'typical' meanings of a term or expression are included.
It is also possible for the asker to edit the entry into the glossary when grading the question, to make it more complete. If I have found several suggestions helpful, I often include them besides the one that gets the points.
Moderators and KudoZ editors can edit or add to the glossary entry after the question has been closed. This is useful to correct typos etc., but any adjustment can be made if required.
It should be possible to strike a reasonable balance, but nobody has time to 'spoon feed' those who can't choose the right solutions for themselves. ▲ Collapse
| | | | The Misha
Local time: 11:48
Russian to English
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| Thanks for your concern - but it wouldn't confuse me | Jul 8, 2008 |
...for the simple reason that I NEVER use that glossary. Any glossary, by definition, only makes sense in a particular context, so looking for your particular meaning in a haphazard compilation of entries is essentially crapshoot. Personally, I find the Kudoz glossary useless and time-consuming. It is way better to google possible options and see what pops up. That's what I do.
And we haven't even touched upon the fact that the glossary really is - at least in my language pa... See more ...for the simple reason that I NEVER use that glossary. Any glossary, by definition, only makes sense in a particular context, so looking for your particular meaning in a haphazard compilation of entries is essentially crapshoot. Personally, I find the Kudoz glossary useless and time-consuming. It is way better to google possible options and see what pops up. That's what I do.
And we haven't even touched upon the fact that the glossary really is - at least in my language pair - rife with awkward, sometimes trruly laughable translations... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:48
English to Arabic
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| That is the benefit of the Kudoz glossaries, in my opinion | Jul 8, 2008 |
I do check the Kudoz glossaries a lot (or rather, the wider Proz Term Search), and I do that precisely when I've already consulted dictionaries and not found what I'm looking for.
So Kudoz comes in handy when I'm looking for THAT unusual meaning. I don't just check the glossaries, but the questions and discussions that led to the glossary entries, and more often than not, I'm very happy with what I find.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 08:48
English to German
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In memoriam
The purpose of the KudoZ glossary is not to create another comprehensive (yet unreliable) dictionary, but to be actually able to see a particular term in a specific context. No dictionary can do that.
Priceless.
Moreover, you can check the profile pages of the contributors and determine for yourself if the source is trustworthy. Beats any anonymous Google findings.
As Nesrin mentioned, the discussions often prove more helpful than the entries.
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