Translation Issues
3-99 (September 1999)
by Ulrich Thiele
Germany
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Translation Issues
3-99 (September 1999)
by Ulrich Thiele
Germany
|
We had planned to collect papers on machine translation for this TC-Forum - and we received some interesting papers. They show from different viewpoints that writing and translating technical documents covers a wide spectrum.
You find below a short German text and its translation in two forms:
Decide which of these two versions you feel is most acceptable. We will be interested in your comments.
| Source Text (German) | (a) Online Translation (not post-edited, 10 s) |
(b) Online-Translation (post-edited, 10 min) |
|---|---|---|
Vorbemerkung zu diesem ArtikelEnglisch ist nicht meine Muttersprache. Es kostet mich also mehr Zeit, einen Artikel direkt in Englisch zu verfassen. Weniger Zeit hat es mich gekostet, die deutsche Version ins Internet an einen automatisierten Übersetzungsdienst zu schicken; Die Übersetzung war nur 10 Sekunden später zurück; das unveränderte Ergebnis sehen Sie hier. |
Remark to this articleMy native language is not English. It costs me thus to more time to write an article directly in English. Fewer time it cost me to send the German version in Internet to an automated translation service; the translation was only 10 seconds later back; you see the unchanged result here. |
Remark to this articleEnglish is not my native language. Therefore it takes me longer to write an article directly in English. It costs me less time to send the German version to an automated translation service on the Internet; the translation was back in just 10 seconds; you see the post-edited result here. |
PowerPointDer immer blaue Hintergrund ist nur eines von vielen Anzeichen für den Verlust der Präsentationskultur im elektronischen Zeitalter. Früher gab es Gestaltungsrichtlinien und Werbeabteilungen, heute sehen wir nur noch Arial, Times und blaue Hintergründe. Jeder Mitarbeiter gestaltet und produziert alles selber, auch Screendesign und Imagebroschüren. Aber Microsoft hilft ja dabei mit Assistenten und blauen Hintergründen. Jeder ist nun Experte, nicht nur auf seinem Fachgebiet, sondern auch als Typograph, Designer, Druckvorlagenersteller. Welcher Arbeitgeber zählt die Stunden, die seine Mitarbeiter mit Powerpoint, Trial und Error verbracht haben, statt mit Sacharbeit und Vortragsinhalt? Rechnen die Unternehmens-Buchhalter überhaupt nach, wieviel die Do-it-yourself-Overheads mit ungezählten Ausdruck-Versuchen kosten? Jeder Werbegrafiker kommt für kleines Geld und mit viel mehr Erfahrung unvergleichlich effizienter zum Ziel (ohne blaue Hintergründe, wohlgemerkt!). Der Anwender von Default-Hintergründen legt keinen Wert auf Corporate Design, gibt sich keine Mühe, sein Unternehmen im richtigen Licht darzustellen. Die bessere Lesbarkeit auf blauem Hintergrund ist nichts anderes als eine faule Entschuldigung. |
About PowerPointThe always blue background is only one of many signs for the loss of the presentation culture in the electronic age. In former times there were to organization guidelines and publicity departments, today sees we only Arial, Times and blue background. Each coworker arranges and produces everything, also screen Design and image brochures. But Microsoft helps thereby with assistants and blue would background. Everyone is now expert, not only on its field of activity, but also as a typograph, designer, artwork creator. Which employer counts the hours, which its spent coworkers with power POINT, Trial and error, instead of with special work and lecture contents? Do the enterprise accountants check at all, how much the DO-it-yourself-Overheads with uncounted printout attempts costs? Each advertising commercial artist comes for small cash and with much more experience incomparably more efficiently to the target (without blue background, mind you!). The user of default backgrounds attaches no importance on Corporate Design, gives themselves no trouble to represent its enterprise in the correct light. The better legibility on blue background is nothing one but a putrid apology. |
About PowerPointThe omnipresent blue background is only one of many indicators of the loss of the presentation culture in the electronic age. Formerly there were organiszational guidelines and publicity departments; today all we see is Arial, Times and blue backgrounds. Each co-worker arranges and produces everything, even screen designs and image brochures. But Microsoft helps us with on-screen assistants and blue backgrounds. Everyone’s an expert now, not only in their area of expertise, but also as a typographer, designer, and graphic designer. What employer has counted the hours its employees have spent in trial and error with Powerpoint, instead of on their own work and the contents of a presentation? Do the company’s accountants ever check at all, how much the do-it-yourself-overheads with innumerable botched printouts cost? Any commercial artist can be had for a small fee and with much more experience, who can reach the goal far more efficiently (without blue backgrounds, mind you!). The user of default backgrounds attaches no importance to on corporate design, and doesn’t trouble themselves to represent his or her enterprise in the proper light. The better legibility on a blue background is nothing but an excuse for laziness. |
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Even if the attainable quality of automatic translation systems is insufficient under certain conditions, and despite careful preparation of the original text, nevertheless the translation provides a useful basis for a technical translator:
The automatic translation greatly simplifies the production of a foreign language text and leads, all in all, to an efficient translation process. For example, the translation of a customer Website with the help of an automatic translation system (i.e. post-edited machine translation) cost us only a third of the time, which we had previously calculated as pure "manual work "
"transline Deutschland - Übersetzungsdienst für technische Übersetzung"