A recent couple of projects I did for a client proved themselves to be fairly illuminating in terms of my abilities and inclinations when it comes to translation. In fact, they surprised me.
The first was a manual for a piece of machinery, close to 80 pages long. It was quite detailed in its description of the machine and its systems, and described fully the operations and maintenance actions for the equipment.
I breezed through that one.
The second project was much smaller - a total of only about six pages. It was what I would term a "technical press release," containing promotional information for the company's website (the same company that issued the operating manual above). These documents were very detailed in their description of how the machinery was applied to certain tasks, as well as the difficulties they encountered and the statistics of the work they did.
I had a much harder time with that one.
It would seem that I have developed a fairly solid vocabulary for operating and service manuals for larger-scale machinery. I've done several, for several different types of equipment from varying industries. It is always when I'm translating these types of documents that I feel most comfortable and the translation is nearly like writing in English sometimes.
When I encounter projects like the second one I mentioned, though, things get more difficult. There seems to be a line between the vocabulary of mechanical engineering, which applies to the design and operation of most kinds of manufactured machinery, and the application of those machines. The vocabulary of the machines themselves - the parts, the functions, the steps for cleaning or troubleshooting - seem to be fairly common through many industries. When you get to the application, though, there the vocabulary really starts to specialize because you have to talk about what the machine is actually doing.
An automobile and a boat are comprised of many of the same parts. Yet putting one to use is quite different from putting the other to use.
Seems obvious, I suppose, when put that simply. But I hadn't realized this fully myself until now.
Posted by steve at June 25, 2004 04:46 PMVery good observation, my friend. Indeed, your experience proves yet again that short does not necessarily mean easy, eh?
I just hate agencies that contact you and say (without attaching the file!) that they have a short and easy text that needs to be translated ASAP. (Note: whenever an agency contacts you and fails to attach the source text, it is a surefire sign that the project is anything but easy).
They either try to hide the true nature of the project for as long as they can (in an attempt to trick you into accepting it) or they are totally ignorant about our work and therefore should not be running an agency.
Posted by: Werner George Patels at June 26, 2004 07:25 PM