A Guide for the Perplexed – Posing questions on professional translator forums

 

[The four children of Pesach*]

Professional forums are a vital resource connecting people  with questions to experts. In translation, they serve as an important tool in locating translators, ascertaining the translation of difficult terms and confirming specific translations. Unfortunately, due to phrasing issues, many posers of these legitimate queries only receive answers after a long series of follow-up questions if at all. For the forum poster that does not know how to ask, I propose some tips for improving the post in order to receive quick, relevant answers.

Both the posting party and translators are happy to see available jobs posted on forums but these notices often suffer from insufficient information regarding the language combination, subject area, length, deadline and purpose. Clearly, if the post mentions only one language, e.g., English, without clearly designated the source and target language, responders will keep on asking even if the same issue was clarified later in the comments. Interested translators also need to know the subject area as nobody is proficient in all matters. In terms of length, if the document is in Word, it is best to provide the word count specified on the bottom of the page. If the document is in PDF, an approximate count provided by any PDF converter is sufficient. Only if neither of these are available or the document is a standard official document should the number of pages be referenced only as the number of words on a page can greatly vary depending on the font and spacing. Providing the actual deadline saves time and energy for both the poster and translator as only those available for the task will respond. Finally, an additional element immediately appreciated by translator and later by customers is the actual purpose of the document, which influences the required level of expertise, time required and price proposal. A request for translation with all these elements generally receives timely and relevant responses.

Translators use these forums to receive suggestions for translating difficult terms or phrases. This practice is legitimate on condition that the posting translator protects confidentiality, provides sufficient context, exercises due diligence and applies moderation. As a standard procedure, most translation customers formally or informally insist on the confidentiality of their material. When providing the term or its context, it is vital to redact all identifying or commercially sensitive information from the text. While failing to do so generally does not result in legal action, it may create a highly unpleasant and avoidable situation. Of vital importance is the providing of the total context of the term, as much as possible, including the subject area, document type and accompanying text. Otherwise, those translators willing to help can only guess. Regarding due diligence, the inability to translate a specific term generally results from forgetting or not knowing. In the first case, professional translators should find a colleague with whom it is possible to pose “stupid” questions after conducting a proper Internet search. The use of a trusted, non-judgmental partner saves embarrassment and avoids creating a poor impression on the forum. As for those terms beyond a translator’s area of knowledge, translators are expected to invest some time and effort in a directed, thorough search as it is quite probable that a reliable answer is available online. In other words, a query to a forum should be the last, not the first option. Finally, forum help should not be a replacement for subject knowledge. If a translator posts a list of multiple terms, many of them basic to the field, the intuitive reaction is that the translator should not have taken on the translation, not a positive impression. In practice, the length of the document and difficulty of the terms will influence whether the request is exaggerated or not but, as Oscar Wilde said, moderation in all things, including moderation.

A third, quite legitimate use of translator forums is to confirm the choice of translation. All of the elements above apply here but the motivation and dialogue are different. To explain, professional translators ideally strive to be 100% certain of their choices, especially in regards to  key terms and phrases. In many cases, only subject  field experts have the knowledge to confirm the translation. The best approach is to provide the term, context and the proposed solution or solutions. Often no exact translation exists, only close approximates, which leads to interesting dialogues regarding the relative merits of each option. Since the poster seeks a definitive answer, responders should avoid posting educated guesses. Discretion is the better part of valor.

During the Passover sedar, Jews read about four types of Torah scholars: the wise, the wicked, the simple and the one that does not know how to ask questions. When posing questions in professional forums, including translation forums, people posing notices in a forum should aim to be the first, applying due diligence and providing all the required information so that they receive the effective and efficient enlightenment regarding their perplexing matter.

* Picture captions help the blind access the Internet. Picture from Boulder Jewish News.

Uplifting downsizing

 

[large and small trees*]

The last ten years, especially this last year, have created a plethora of changes in many people’s lives, including mine. One of most noticeable and positive, in my view, differences is downsizing, reducing the amount of “stuff” as George Carlin would say. While for some more is still better, many including myself have experienced an improved quality of life by reducing, addition by subtraction if you will. To demonstrate, I now have a smaller house and car, less books, limited television access and eat less frequently, all for the positive.

[house]

Some ten years ago, I had a large, multistory house (240 sq.  m/2500 sq. f.) with an expansive garden. Aside from making an impression on visitors and having lots of storage space, it involved constant investment of time and money to maintain. Now, I have a flat and garden half the size, which takes less than half the time to clean, is subject to half the property taxes and requires much less water. Not only that, it is located in a neighborhood with a wider variety of people, who also actually talk to their neighbors. The move to a smaller residence has improved my quality of life.

[car]

We recently sold our fancy sedan with all the bells and whistles, some of which I understood the function, and bought a small car (Mazda 2). It is a pleasure not to watch the gas gauge float down in front of your eyes while driving. Parking is much easier as is operating the few buttons on the dashboard. It also turned out the most of the lost space in the trunk was in terms of height, not usable surface area. Functionality is cool.

[books]

Over my life, I had collected quite a few books, which I insisted on dragging with me from place to place. A smaller residence forced me to “part” from the vast majority of these prized possessions. I spend a painful afternoon considering whether I would ever reread each and every book. The answer in most cases was negative. Some 10 boxes of books were donated to the public library. Curiously, I have never regretted their loss and hope that some reader somewhere has enjoyed them.

[TV]

By contrast, divorcing cable was an easy decision but a much longer process as the cable companies, at least in Israel, tend to view these connections as Catholic marriages. After over a year of squabbling, pleas, delays and screaming, we managed to cut the cord and now watch TV through our computer using an Internet TV supplier. Not only do we watch local TV for free, we have access to the foreign channels we actually watch. Even better, the monthly fee is much less. When it comes to TV, quantity does mean price but not quality.

[restaurant]

Finally, the prolonged Corona crisis prevented everybody from eating at restaurants. Granted, takeaway and delivery were/are available, but the food and experience are not the same. While homemade food may involve more cooking and cleaning up time, it generally is much tastier (my wife is a very good cook). Furthermore, we control the amount of salt in the food. Most importantly, because restaurant portions are much larger than we normally eat, it is very pleasant to get up from a lunch, the main meal in Israel, feeling full but not stuffed. Not surprisingly, the monthly credit card bill is lower as homemade food is generally less expensive than eating out. I still enjoy going to quality restaurants but will do so much less frequently.

None of these changes would fit the bill of a Knut Hamsun naturalistic paradise.  I still live in a nice flat, have a car, buy books occasionally, watch TV and eat out. However, I do so on a much smaller scale. For whatever reason, this downsizing has actually improved my life as it has for many people, uplifting it so to speak. For some, less is better.

* Picture captions allow the blind to fully access the Internet. Pictures through Pixabay.

So, ya wanna be a translator?

 

[Man with Google Translate**]

The choice of a profession is a difficult decision at any age, often clouded by legitimate doubts regarding personal suitability. It is a daunting challenge to project one’s uncertain skills on an unfamiliar profession. In regards to becoming a translator, thorough familiarity with both your native and the source language, especially written language, clearly is a requirement. Beyond that prerequisite, contrary to the impression that the knowledge of the translation process is the key, the most important elements in choosing whether or not to become a translator are subject area knowledge and love of proper language.

[Multilanguage dictionary]

To clarify, the technical aspects of translating are not a matter of inborn skill but of willingness to learn. In other words, unless a person took a dedicated course or program in translation, everybody starts out relatively inefficient and ineffective as in any learning curve. While natural talent may determine the starting and top level, technical skill is a largely a matter of practice. Most translators, especially older ones, began in the profession without any idea of exactly how to do it. To give a personal example, my first translating experience was instantaneous translation of the first four Harry Potter books as I read them to my young daughter. This lack of knowledge does lead to some early failures and serious embarrassment years later when looking back at those early translations but with time and effort, translators become technically proficient.

[Book-filled room]

By contrast, an extremely important factor in determining the path of a translators is previous knowledge. When advising new translators, my first question is always about specific areas of knowledge that they have acquired in their life. While not immediately obvious, everybody has fields in which they can understand the language, know the terminology and write the lingo. For example, electrical engineers know the difference between the word coax as a verb and noun*, a classic shibboleth. When people try to translate material beyond their areas of expertise, the result is low quality at best. In worse cases, such poor judgment can lead to financial losses in the case of legal and financial material and even death in the case of medical documents. This source of this knowledge may be the home, studies or work. Regardless, subject familiarity is an important asset in deciding which documents to translate. For example, expertise in tax matters or auto engines are of great interest in potential customers and cannot be attained from studies only. Thus, people considering whether to become professional translators need to make an inventory of their areas of knowledge and, if they decide to act on it, direct their efforts in those directions.

[World of words in hand]

However, beyond knowledge and skill, excellent translators have a passion for language, the insistence that the text sounds as perfect as can be. In practice, the search for a single term can easily take 30 minutes. While in some cases the distinction between terms may be critical, such as in medical technology, in a majority of cases, the translator is more bothered than the customer is. Furthermore, every language has its own song, its unique syntax. Outstanding translators thus aim for seamless translations, ones that don’t sound like translation. Such polishing takes time and effort, which are not always reflected in the fee. Thus, to be a proficient translator requires a certain amount of obsession with the quality of the language of the translation. The professional translator not only receives satisfaction from receipt of the payment in the bank but also from the quality of the produced document. Love of the belle phrase is a prerequisite for entering this profession.

For those of you considering becoming a professional translator, I can say that it is an interesting profession that expands the mind. The prerequisites are mastery of your native tongue and a foreign language and a willingness to learn the technical aspects of translation as well as, more importantly, solid subject knowledge and a passion for language. If you have those attributes, you can become a truly professional translator.

*Coax as a verb means to force while coax as a noun is a coaxial cable, used in cabel television.

** Captioning pictures is vital for the blind. All pictures from Pixabay.

Refer madness? Colleague or foe?

 

[Puzzle-finishing*]

In the last two months, I have referred five translation projects to colleagues. I received several referrals also. It may incorrectly appear that I am extremely charitable, quite naive or overly busy. In fact, I had solid professional reasons for passing on those jobs and did so to a network that I had built up for the years. Moreover, my actions were beneficial both personally and professionally.

It is common to view fellow professionals as rivals for the same zero-sum client base. However, no freelancer or even small firm can be effective and efficient in all aspects of any craft. Whether we formally define ourselves as specialists or not, there are certain tasks that are not worthwhile in terms of time or results. For example, I passed on jobs in a different subject area, medicine, as my areas of knowledge are law and business. I also referred a job in the opposite langaugae direction, English to Russian, as I only work into English. Finally, I passed on an urgent job for an established client because I could not meet its deadline. My actions lead to no loss of income as I could not handle the projects in any case.

I referred these clients to translators that I personally knew from networking activities. I had met them at conferences, had dinner with them, drank coffee with them and/on communicated on Zoom or another platform. There was a face and personality behind the name. I cannot attest to their level of skill but I do have a general, albeit intutive, impression of their integrity as human beings and level of knowledge. Since I provided a referral, not a recommendation, that is sufficient. My acquaintance with them was not accidental. It was the product of attending many conferences, hosting local translators at my house, going to relevant lectures and participating in online events. By investing our time in such social activities, we can get to know our colelagues while they got to know us, to our mutual if not always comcomitant benefit.

Clearly, I had the option of informing my customers that I regret that I don’t provide the given service or am unavailable and stopping there. However, by making the referrals, I gained in terms of good feeling, future referrals and customer satisfaction. Most people receive pleasure from seeing their friends succeed. In this case, my colleagues may be in the middle of a bad month. This project may just what the doctor ordered. Furthermore, positive acts lead to other positive acts. One of the referrals I sent was after I received a referral from the same translator. In a sense, giving and receiving are linked. As for my customers, I provided added value by helping them find a solution for their need, making me an even more valuable and trustworthy partner. They now have even more reason to come back to me as they know that I won’t take on projects beyond my capacity but instead will help find solutions if necessary. I actually strenghtened customer loyality in addition to creating a good feeling and helping a colleague.

This situation is relevant to many service professions. Referrals, when appropriate, are an additional tool to market ourselves and reach customers that we could normally never access. Contrary to the claim of Reefer Madness, the classic anti-drug film from 1936, it is not madness to refer to colleagues but instead good business sense.

* Picture captions help make the Internet completely accessible to the blind. 

Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/alexas_fotos-686414/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3276682">Hier und jetzt endet leider meine Reise auf Pixabay aber</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3276682">Pixabay</a>

The importance of proper menu translation or why laughing last is not always ideal

 

[blank menu*]

Translators’ forums are filled with highly amusing menu translations from restaurants around the world. While linguists may find these funny, restaurant owners should not. In fact, menu translation often is an essential part of a restaurant’s success, needs to communicate many messages and should be handled with care and attention.

The menu, including in translation, is a key element in a restaurant’s image. First, customers judge a restaurant not only on the merits of its food but also its dressings. Restaurant owners thus invest incredible amount of capital in plates, silverware, glasses, tables, chairs, wall coverings and menu design. They sometimes forget the fact, especially in non-English speaking countries, the translation is the only menu seen by many diners. Given the impact of tourist spending in the restaurant trade, a proper translation creates a good impression while spelling and vocabulary errors lead to, at minimum, laughing. Some potential diners may not enter a restaurant if the menu in their language is laughable.  Since the investment in translation is essentially a fixed cost that can be spread over many years even taking into account occasional updates, proper translation is a worthwhile and cost-effective investment for restaurant owners.

Proper translation involves the weighed choice of vocabulary and clean text as well as application of marketing language. Choosing the correct word for an ingredient or type of sauce involves understanding whether an equivalent term exists in the target language and if the foreign term will be understood to the average customer that would dine in that restaurant. An example is with gravy or au jus. The translator needs to choose the word that most of the diners will understood while projecting the desired image. Of course, thorough QA is required to eliminate all obvious errors of spelling and grammar, including homonyms (e.g., sea and see) in order to render the menu a guide to the food, not a source of amusement. Finally, the language chosen should be specific and enticing enough to cause the diner to want to order the dish. For, example, grilled marinated chicken accompanied by spiced rice sounds much more tempting than chicken with rice. Menu translation is the elegant dance between earth and sky.

Restaurateurs should seek a translator that has the required subject knowledge, ability to produce marketing language and communication skills. Clearly, the ideal translator must be thoroughly familiar with both the names of ingredients and dishes in the target language. Applying that knowledge, the linguist needs to create descriptions in line with the restaurant image and customers, going beyond merely statements of the dish and feeding the desire to order it. In many cases, it may be necessary to communicate with the chef or restaurant manager to add or confirm details, which entails dialogue on both sides. In any case, restaurant owners should hire only translators with the proper set of skills working in their native language even if they are more expensive as menu translation is far from simple. Google translate is not an effective solution, however tempting it may appear.

The dining experience ideally is about the food and company. The goal of all restaurant owners is for the customer to leave with the memory of the meal and the desire to return. A poor translation of a menu spoils that effect by making the menu memorable not because of its culinary content but its linguistic issues. This situation is easily avoidable by simple paying for a professional translation. Restaurant owners should remember that he who laughs last does not necessarily laugh best.

* Place picture captions to help the blind accesss the Internet.

Picture credit:Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/prawny-162579/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1206941">Prawny</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1206941">Pixabay</a>