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"Justificar" sus traducciones
Thread poster: Lincoln Burr (X)
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:32
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Real ambiguity versus overanalysis Apr 2, 2014

Hi Helena,

Your case is a situation where a translation is "overanalyzed" out of context. If we take sentences out of context (such as often happens when using CAT tools), we often invent ambiguity where none really exists. It's true that the sentence in question could (out of context) be interpreted as the need to purchase a new cap, but no human would interpret it that way given the context (remove the cap, add oil, then go buy a new cap, the end).

In practical terms,
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Hi Helena,

Your case is a situation where a translation is "overanalyzed" out of context. If we take sentences out of context (such as often happens when using CAT tools), we often invent ambiguity where none really exists. It's true that the sentence in question could (out of context) be interpreted as the need to purchase a new cap, but no human would interpret it that way given the context (remove the cap, add oil, then go buy a new cap, the end).

In practical terms, what I usually do is first justify my word choice. A Google search link is usually practical (in terms of time management) and sufficient (at least for the client, if not scientifically)
Example: https://www.google.com/search?q="reaplce%20the%20cap"&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q="remove%20the%20cap"%20"replace%20the%20cap"&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

After we have justified our decision, we still have to think about our customer and if a particular word choice is bothering them (no matter how justified it may be and no matter how much we would rather not change it), sometimes it's best to come up with a work-around solution.

In this case, "Put on the engine oil filler cap again." would not be a good choice, but perhaps something like "Reattach the engine oil filler cap" would satisfy the translator's need for accuracy and assuage the client's ambiguity problem. They will appreciate your effort. In some cases, they may decide not to change the original translation.

In summary, 1) justify your word choice, 2) offer a possible solution (not necessarily exactly what the client has proposed).

Helena Chavarria wrote:


3. **Replace** the engine oil filler cap.

Mi pregunta es el siguiente: ¿el uso del verbo 'replace' es justificado? o ¿sería mejor utilizar 'put on again'?



[Edited at 2014-04-02 13:34 GMT]
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Helena Chavarria
Helena Chavarria  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:32
Member (2011)
Spanish to English
+ ...
The internet is very helpful for justifying the language used Apr 2, 2014

Jeff Whittaker wrote:

In practical terms, what I usually do is first justify my word choice. A Google search link is usually sufficient (at least for the client, if not scientifically)
Example: https://www.google.com/search?q="reaplce%20the%20cap"&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q="remove%20the%20cap"%20"replace%20the%20cap"&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official


Jeff, thank you for your comments and I totally agree with you.

I don't often translate technical texts, but whenever I do, I always rely on the Internet to find/check the terms and language I use.

However, I'm rather annoyed about having to change what I think is the best translation. Apart from being perfectly aware that caps are replaced after they've been removed (I don't need the Internet to tell me that), I don't like having to use a term that I feel is 'wrong'.


 
Helena Chavarria
Helena Chavarria  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:32
Member (2011)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Esto ha dejado de ser un caso de justificación Apr 3, 2014

Hola, a todos/as:

Sigo en este hilo porque es donde empecé, pero reconozco que mi comentario ha dejado de ser una cuestión de justificación. Pero lo que tengo que comentar no merece un hilo nuevo.

Hoy la agencia me ha enviado un archivo enviado por el cliente, con el tipo de traducción que quiere. A continuación, pego unos ejemplos porque los encuentro divertidos (por no decir otra cosa):

Original: Poner el tapón de llenado del aceite de motor.
... See more
Hola, a todos/as:

Sigo en este hilo porque es donde empecé, pero reconozco que mi comentario ha dejado de ser una cuestión de justificación. Pero lo que tengo que comentar no merece un hilo nuevo.

Hoy la agencia me ha enviado un archivo enviado por el cliente, con el tipo de traducción que quiere. A continuación, pego unos ejemplos porque los encuentro divertidos (por no decir otra cosa):

Original: Poner el tapón de llenado del aceite de motor.
Yo: Replace the engine oil filler cap.
Cliente: Screw the oil filling cap.

Original: Añadir el contenido del producto y poner el tapón del bote expansión/radiador.
Yo: Add the contents of the product and replace the cap on the expansion tank/radiator.
Cliente: Add the contents of the product, and screw the radiator cap (cooling system, expansion tank).

Original: Poner el motor en marcha hasta alcanzar temperatura de servicio.
Yo: Start the engine and wait until it has heated to operating temperature.
Cliente: Start the engine and wait to warm up.

Lo que más mal me sabe es a) las horas que he dedicado para intentar encontrar una solución y b) el dinero que he pagado para que un revisor corrigiera la traducción, que, por cierto, me dijo que la traducción estaba muy bien. Claro, hasta esta tarde no sabía el tipo de cliente de que se trataba - pensaba que era alguien que quería una traducción al inglés británico.

Era la primera vez que me pasaba algo así y sólo quería buscar una solución.

Vuelvo a pedir disculpas si alguien considera que he puesto mi comentario en el sitio equivocado, pero al principio creí que mi problema residía en tener que justificar mi traducción.
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"Justificar" sus traducciones






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