Poll: Have you ever found a good resource by chance that would have been useful for a prior translation? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever found a good resource by chance that would have been useful for a prior translation?".
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
| | | | John Cutler 
Spain
Local time: 14:35
Spanish to English
+ ...
| More than once | Jan 29, 2008 |
It’s happened to me lots of times. It’s sort of one of those Murphy’s Law experiences.
I’ve slogged through some difficult, vocabulary-specific text the best I could, searching for information and using the resources available and then one day, lo and behold, while surfing the net I hit the “mother lode” and discover some great online glossary, dictionary or bilingual article that would have been just what I needed at the time. It usually has every single term I couldn�... See more It’s happened to me lots of times. It’s sort of one of those Murphy’s Law experiences.
I’ve slogged through some difficult, vocabulary-specific text the best I could, searching for information and using the resources available and then one day, lo and behold, while surfing the net I hit the “mother lode” and discover some great online glossary, dictionary or bilingual article that would have been just what I needed at the time. It usually has every single term I couldn’t find translated into 23 languages and explained in excruciating detail (there’s a bit of hyperbole there). It leaves me thinking, “Oh man! if only I’d found that yesterday, last week, etc, etc.
So I chalk it up to experience, but you can be sure it goes into my favourites/bookmarks - just in case!
 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Elena Carbonell
Netherlands
Local time: 14:35
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Who hasn´t?? | Jan 29, 2008 |
The poll should have been, what was your first reaction when you finally found all the words you were looking for AFTER sending the translation to the client?
You banged your head till knock out
You called your therapist
You sighed and looked out of the window
You laughed (hysterically)
You put the kettle on (my personal favourite)
...
| | | | John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 14:35
Spanish to English
+ ...
| 2nd that thought | Jan 29, 2008 |
Elena Carbonell wrote:
You put the kettle on (my personal favourite)
...
Mine too
| | |
|
|
|
Resources, they will surely come in handy at one time or another in the future and there´s no point in crying about it, but what about the whole 200 page translation? Have you ever worked to see that the whole thing had been translated some time ago (of course, after you having painfully worked through every little aspect of it, scouring resources for terminology):???:
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:35
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Duh - Google | Jan 29, 2008 |
... and all the other info sources online. Or have I misunderstood the question? I don't know how translators managed before internet and Google etc. (well actually I do, as several musty tomes in a box in the garage can testify)...
| | | | Reed James
Chile
Local time: 08:35
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
| Learn and live | Jan 29, 2008 |
anamaria bulgariu wrote:
Have you ever worked to see that the whole thing had been translated some time ago (of course, after you having painfully worked through every little aspect of it, scouring resources for terminology):???:
This scenario happened to me a couple of times. That's why I make a point of always going to Google before I start translating. I have had good luck with government documents. In fact, sometimes Spanish documents put out by legal and welfare departments at the state level in the U.S. are themselves translations from the English!
Every cloud has a silver lining.
Reed
| | | | Marcelo Silveyra
United States
Local time: 05:35
Member (2007)
German to English
+ ...
| On US government translations | Jan 30, 2008 |
Reed D. James wrote:
In fact, sometimes Spanish documents put out by legal and welfare departments at the state level in the U.S. are themselves translations from the English!
Yeah, but at least 50% (probably around 95%, come to think of it) of them are awful!
Back to the topic though...where do you think I got these bumps on my head from?
[Edited at 2008-01-30 04:16]
| | |
|
|
|
| Well, you can always grab a few KudoZ points ... | Jan 30, 2008 |
It often happens to me too. I have this simply wonderful collection of second-hand dictionaries and glossaries on the most unlikely subjects...
And those are just the hard-copy ones!
Admittedly, some just gather dust, but some have been really useful on later occasions. Others are great for winning KudoZ points, and one or two are fascinating bedtime reading 
Sometimes I think you don't ha... See more
| | | | | Web Term Search | Jan 30, 2008 |
Web Term Search right here on ProZ is very useful as well.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Have you ever found a good resource by chance that would have been useful for a prior translation? | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
