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Poll: Is there a translator's "sixth sense"? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Is there a translator's "sixth sense"?".
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PAS 
Local time: 11:39
Polish to English
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When I see an English translation that says "forced labour" and I am supposed to divine that it was supposed to say "workforce"?
Pawel Skalinski
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| Perhaps: a mind that has learnt not to trust anyone? | May 31, 2007 |
To me it looks like the question is about grasping things in a text or conversation other people don't see. In that sense, a requirement of our work is to understand what is really meant, not what is said, and trying to say the same in the target language without being disloyal to the words used by the originator.
Is that a sixth sense or simply a mind trained not to trust anyone and to dig the extra inch in the meaning?
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Kristina Radziulyte
Lithuania
Local time: 12:39
Member (2006)
English to Lithuanian
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MODERATOR
If only translator is woman:) Kidding. Six sense refers to psychological factors, not to a particular profession.
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| Yes,, absolutely | May 31, 2007 |
"sixth sense" or if you wish "touched by the hand of God", you name it..
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| Agree with Pawel | May 31, 2007 |
PAS wrote:
When I see an English translation that says "forced labour" and I am supposed to divine that it was supposed to say "workforce"?
Pawel Skalinski
Yes, this is our "sixth sense". Fully agree
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Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 03:39
English to Spanish
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In memoriam
Whatever you call it, you must have it.
It also helps to be somewhat eccentric (that is, what others might describe as a bit touched in the head).
That´s why the others often have a hard time figuring out what we do.
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I'd rather call it common sense rather than sixth sense.
or talent, intelligence, a sense for words and meaning.
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| I also agree with Pavel | May 31, 2007 |
This is our telepathy. Examples are numerous.
You read in Russian smth like "She was wiping the dishes with a towel which was much longer than necessary" and start wondering. Then you have a look at the original text -
"She was wiping the dishes with a towel much longer than was absolutely necessary".
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David Russi
United States
Local time: 03:39
English to Spanish
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| Figuring out the meaning of bad copy takes something... | May 31, 2007 |
Try these, all from from a recent job:
appropriate conversation adaptor >> conversion adaptor
valve water passage down steam may be plugged >> downstream
potterwork >> patternwork
My translator's sixth sense didn't help with potterwork, though I did figure the other two out (and many others in this job).
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| I don't know about a sixt sense | May 31, 2007 |
but I can certainly say I have a "déformation professionnelle" (professional bias) and can't resist correcting mistakes in French wherever I am and pointing (and enjoy doing that) them out to the person who made them, or store owners, etc.
The last time it happened, it was at a hardware store. There was flat white base paint for the ceiling with the mention: mât à plafond (instead of mat). With an accent it means mast, like on a ship.
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My sixth sense is better that some of the first five
Cheers,
Enrique
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Irene N
United States
Local time: 04:39
English to Russian
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Because the sixth sense has no material base and what is implied here as translator's sixth sense is but general education, knowledge and experience hidden until called for, sometimes unwittingly but it was already there, stashed till better times. We do not just feel that something is wrong with the language representation. I think a few of our brain cells go from sleeping to active mode when triggered by an appropriate external stimulant.
Everything else relates more to a generic... See more Because the sixth sense has no material base and what is implied here as translator's sixth sense is but general education, knowledge and experience hidden until called for, sometimes unwittingly but it was already there, stashed till better times. We do not just feel that something is wrong with the language representation. I think a few of our brain cells go from sleeping to active mode when triggered by an appropriate external stimulant.
Everything else relates more to a generic meaning of sixth sense and savvy rather than to some translation-specific miracles. Never saw a newbie with much of a translator's sixth sense.
IMHO. If I understood the question correctly, that is. ▲ Collapse
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Peter Mills (X)
Local time: 10:39
English
There is common sense mixed with experience. To call it a "6th Sense" is to give ourselves airs and graces we do not deserve. We are no more blessed with special powers than the average toilet cleaner. It's just that we have to deal with more crap than they do.
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| It's called "training"! | May 31, 2007 |
I fully agree with Irene and Peter. Everybody develops what seems to be a "sixth sense", from librarians to surgeons to doorkeepers
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