Desperately seeking good (but cheap) French>English science/technology dico Thread poster: Charlotte Allen
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I am taking the (UK) Institute of Linguists Dip Trans in January and feel that I need a better science/tech dictionary than the one I have - Goursau. The latter (despite setting me back £40) is basically just a list of terms with no in-context examples given. Can anyone suggest something better that won't cost me the earth? Or does anyone have a second-hand one they would like to sell on?
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Dear Charlotte
Before you go lashing out on a dictionary you might like to check out this extremely good and free online dictionary:
Le Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique.
http://www.granddictionnaire.com
It is very impressive but its use is of course more limited if you do not have unlimited access to the Internet. If this is the case, you might be interested in buying the ... See more Dear Charlotte
Before you go lashing out on a dictionary you might like to check out this extremely good and free online dictionary:
Le Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique.
http://www.granddictionnaire.com
It is very impressive but its use is of course more limited if you do not have unlimited access to the Internet. If this is the case, you might be interested in buying the CD. Not incredibly expensive, as I recall.
Best
Barnaby ▲ Collapse
| | | | Charlotte Allen 
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:16
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Barnaby, but I need a paper dictionary for the exam! | Nov 17, 2004 |
I have already used Le Grand Dictionnaire quite a bit - it is, simply, a brilliant free resource. However, although I am taking the IOL exams on PC, I am not allowed access to any Internet resources or software, which would rule out the above, as well as CD dictionaries. I can take as much printed material in with me as I like (or can carry), hence the need for a good dictionary.
Trouble is, they all seem to cost the earth (and probably weigh a tonne!)
Thanks anywa... See more I have already used Le Grand Dictionnaire quite a bit - it is, simply, a brilliant free resource. However, although I am taking the IOL exams on PC, I am not allowed access to any Internet resources or software, which would rule out the above, as well as CD dictionaries. I can take as much printed material in with me as I like (or can carry), hence the need for a good dictionary.
Trouble is, they all seem to cost the earth (and probably weigh a tonne!)
Thanks anyway. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Dictonnaire technique et scientifique - Henri Gourseau | Nov 17, 2004 |
I don't know about the Fr>En, but I really like the En>Fr. I bought it in a FNAC in Paris last September for less than 50 euros.
ISBN: 2-904105-04-2
Good luck at your exam
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Guy Bray
United States
Local time: 03:16
French to English
The Routledge "French Technical Dictionary" Volume 1 (French-English) is pretty good: I bought a second-hand copy of the 1994 edition last year.
Guy
| | | | Charlotte Allen
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:16
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Guylaine! | Nov 17, 2004 |
I already have the Fr>Eng Goursau - not a bad dictionary, but it has some gaps, and it would be useful to have more context for the terms.
| | | | Charlotte Allen
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:16
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | Thank you Guy - just to check something. | Nov 17, 2004 |
I'm looking at the dictionary you recommend on Amazon right now and it's available used for a fairly breathtaking £110. Can I just ask you a couple of things: is it scientific terminology as well or more purely technical? And, does it give examples of the words in context?
Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply.
Charlotte
| | | | Guy Bray
United States
Local time: 03:16
French to English
| Routledge again | Nov 17, 2004 |
That sounds like the price of a new book, Charlotte. I got mine second-hand for about $75 from Alibris, Powells, the Strand, or one of those places here in the U.S. There's one on sale now for about that amount, but it's the English-French volume.
Routledge has a fairly comprehensive scientific and technical coverage; it doesn't give words in context (not necessary, I think, if you have a technical background), but it does offer pretty extensive lists of compounds, with their Engl... See more That sounds like the price of a new book, Charlotte. I got mine second-hand for about $75 from Alibris, Powells, the Strand, or one of those places here in the U.S. There's one on sale now for about that amount, but it's the English-French volume.
Routledge has a fairly comprehensive scientific and technical coverage; it doesn't give words in context (not necessary, I think, if you have a technical background), but it does offer pretty extensive lists of compounds, with their English translations, from an amazing variety of fields: mélangeur-agitateur, -- à cristal de silicium,--à cylindres, --d'encre, --hyperfréquence, --harmonique...
I find that if the GDT doesn't have the word, I can often find a solution in Routledge. Your price seems way too high for one exam: can't you beg, borrow, or steal a Routledge from a library or somewhere? It's a useful book.
Good luck!
Guy ▲ Collapse
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Robin Salmon (X)
Australia
Local time: 20:16
German to English
+ ...
In case you are interested, Guy and Charlotte, I paid AUD 400 (around £160) for the FR>EN Routledge, ordering it from Sydney last year. There doesn't seem to be much else on the market but I don't find it al that good; I also translate in the DE>EN direction and there are far more technical resources available for German. Generally, there seems to be a dearth of good FR>EN resources and I find it... See more In case you are interested, Guy and Charlotte, I paid AUD 400 (around £160) for the FR>EN Routledge, ordering it from Sydney last year. There doesn't seem to be much else on the market but I don't find it al that good; I also translate in the DE>EN direction and there are far more technical resources available for German. Generally, there seems to be a dearth of good FR>EN resources and I find it easier just to pay my Termium (www.termium.com) sub for a month, whenever I get a biggish translation with specialised terminology. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Ernst Comprehensive Dictionary of Engineering and Technology | Nov 18, 2004 |
Incredible as it may seem, this dictionary series published in Germany is very good. Volume I is German>English, vol II English>German and so on. You are concerned with volume IX French>English and volume X English>French.
I have got volumes 1, 2, 9 and 10, and I find all of them good.
Regards,
N.Raghavan
| | | | Charlotte Allen
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:16
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | Library! Now there's a thought...I'm going to check that one out straight away. | Nov 18, 2004 |
Thank you Guy and Robtrans. Yes, it is too high a price to pay for one exam, and yes, there is a real dearth of good Fr>Eng technical resources. I'm definitely going to make enquiries at the library. Now why didn't I think of that?
| | | | Charlotte Allen
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:16
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | Update: I found a cheap Routledge! | Dec 2, 2004 |
Just an update for all you kind folks out there who advised me on a good Fr>Eng dictionary. A ProZ contact tipped me off that there was a Routledge Technical available used on Amazon for £49, I ordered it two days ago and this morning it arrived - supposedly, it was only in 'fair' condition, but it's actually almost perfect! So I'm one step closer to having a fair chance of passing my exams in January...
Thanks to everyone who took the time to advise me on this one.
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