ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | I supply them with certain translations

Mike (de Oliveira) Brady — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 10:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Mike (de Oliveira) Brady
Post title: I supply them with certain translations

When a translation involves jargon and/or clearly requires a house style then I produce a glossary to send with my translator's notes.

It may be a translation is technical and there are terms in English that are used as the norm. I'll identify these and add them to a spreadsheet with notes and references. This is for the agency/end client to check and to use for consistency in future translations.

For a recent translation that was causing me some problems, I found someone locally working in the subject and paid them to review my glossary and some key extracts from the translation.

In other cases, there may not be established jargon, but terms may recur. I'll indicate in the glossary the translation I have used and possible alternatives for confirmation and as a style guide. I'm happy for the glossary to be used by other translators. I've even had clients come back months or years later with work in the same line and so have gone back to my glossary - or the updated version they have provided.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | MultiTerm termbases

Sebastian Witte — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:13:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Sebastian Witte
Post title: MultiTerm termbases

MultiTerm termbases, in particular for patents and patent litigation. To that end, we research similar patents etc.

This helps ensure terminological consistency, deadline permitting, as compiling glossaries in MT takes quite some time. I mean we fast-fingered but then ...

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | It depends

Linda Ildevert (X) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Linda Ildevert (X)
Post title: It depends

If the client provides a glossary, then I use it. If they ask me to create one, I do. Otherwise, I use TMs for regular clients - much easier and quicker!

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Termbases!

Filipa Plant dos Santos — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Filipa Plant dos Santos
Post title: Termbases!

For the following...

[quote]Gilla Evans wrote:

I have my own glossaries of specialist terms used in fields such as art, architecture and archaeology that I have built up over thirty years. I find them invaluable. They contain terms that took time and effort to track down, and notes and references for sources that are useful in specific areas. I wouldn't be without them.

[Edited at 2013-02-15 11:13 GMT] [/quote]

Exactly!

And as José says:

"What about termbases?

A Multiterm termbase is really a glossary. I use them whenever I use Trados, and that is almost all the time."

and I use them all the time too. Currently learning how to work better with these things, can't be having them unavailable when needed!

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | It depends

Sitiens (X) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:07:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Sitiens (X)
Post title: It depends

Because really, it depends. It depends on the type of text, whether the client provided one, whether I have one, whether I can translate the text in my sleep or not...

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | What about termbases?

Jose Arnoldo Rodriguez-Carrington — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:38:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Jose Arnoldo Rodriguez-Carrington
Post title: What about termbases?

A Multiterm termbase is really a glossary. I use them whenever I use Trados, and that is almost all the time.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Rarely

neilmac — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: neilmac
Post title: Rarely

Almost never, although I don't recommend my modus operandi to anyone. I also keep forgetting to add items to my own glossaries, usually because I'm too busy with other things.
I don't really like having to use other people's either, unless the client insists. Terms can vary from one country/area/company to another, so I usually check with the client if I'm any doubt about which version to use.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Regularly, and I add to them constantly too.

Evans (X) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:12:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Evans (X)
Post title: Regularly, and I add to them constantly too.

I have my own glossaries of specialist terms used in fields such as art, architecture and archaeology that I have built up over thirty years. I find them invaluable. They contain terms that took time and effort to track down, and notes and references for sources that are useful in specific areas. I wouldn't be without them.

[Edited at 2013-02-15 11:13 GMT]

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Whenever I can

Christine Andersen — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:47:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Christine Andersen
Post title: Whenever I can

I have lists of all sorts of things, and add to them frequently, and I subscribe to an online list of medical abbreviations.

I keep 'historic' names of public bodies and places of education, with dates if possible. They merge or are reconstructed at intervals, and it can be difficult to find them later on, when a college turns up in someone's CV, and it is now a department of the University of Southern Denmark or whichever.
Various ministries under different governments, which come up with law.

Many have official English names, which you can't just guess or invent.

I have other lists from large projects or regular clients.

Anything I have difficulty remembering or spelling, and correct versions of many of my typos are fed into Multiterm... so it is a ragbag, but hey, it works!

Definitely worth the effort of making and finding them.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | More often...

Oleksandr Kupriyanchuk — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:24:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Oleksandr Kupriyanchuk
Post title: More often...

I create or revise 'em, usually on client's request.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | If you build a glossary

Oliver Lawrence — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Oliver Lawrence
Post title: If you build a glossary

then you can use it in your CAT tool to check consistency of term use in your translations.

This can be particularly useful both for large translations (did you use the same target term on page 23 as well as on page 2?) and for series of translations over time for the same client.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | It depends

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:35:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: It depends

on the text (simple or difficult?) and the client (new or old?)...

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Frequently

Michael Harris — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:34:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Michael Harris
Post title: Frequently

if at hand / specialist stuff provided by the customer, otherwise the TM is generally enough

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Often

DianeGM — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: DianeGM
Post title: Often

Sometimes my own, sometimes the client's, sometimes a combination of the two.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Usually...

Carla Catolino — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:10:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Carla Catolino
Post title: Usually...

If I am working on a difficult and long translation that will take me a few days I will probably make a list of the words that I have used...so that they can be refrenced during the project and so that my project is consistent.
However, I tend to use CAT tools 90% of the time and since these have TMs, I tend to use glossaries less than I did before I used CAT tools.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | Never

The Shredder — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:02:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: The Shredder
Post title: Never

It must depend on what kind of thing you translate. I normally have a free hand, and in other cases I either carry the necessary information in my head or refer to previous texts or the Internet, which is a bit inefficient but is probably quicker than building glossaries you never actually use!

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating? | All the time

Julian Holmes — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:51:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: Julian Holmes
Post title: All the time

Ｉf "glossary" in this particular question is referring to word lists or lists of terms and their other language equivelents as preferred by the end client. I try to give the client what they want. :smile:

However, if "glossary" here is referring to the Wikipedia definition:

"an alphabetical list of terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms"

Then, I would answer "not so often" since I have plenty of specialist dictionaries and reference materials to look up the meaning of new terms in areas that are constantly changing and developing such as telecommunicatons and the Internet.

Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?

ProZ.com Staff — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:10:01 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: How often do you use glossaries while translating?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do you use glossaries while translating?".

This poll was originally submitted by Camille Abou Jamra. View the poll results »