| Spanish comes second only to Mandarin in terms | | | | time. This way, you avoid missing out chunks |
| of the number of native speakers in the world | | | | from the source text. |
| today. Wikipedia alone has over four hundred | | | | Specialised dictionaries are also a godsend when |
| thousand articles in Spanish. Clearly, there's an | | | | you get into more specific areas. For example, as |
| awful lot of information out there in Spanish and a | | | | I have done quite a lot of legal agreements, I use |
| lot of people who want to understand what's | | | | a Spanish to English legal dictionary for Mexican |
| being said. If you speak Spanish in addition to your | | | | legal terms. I also have a dictionary of Mexican |
| own language and enjoy writing, you might want | | | | terms for translating cultural terms. Terminology is |
| to consider taking up translating Spanish. | | | | obviously crucial to making a natural-sounding |
| Where to Begin | | | | translation in your area. |
| One good place to start is magazines. Look for | | | | Internet Tips |
| bilingual magazines published in a Spanish-speaking | | | | The Internet is just as useful. I subscribe to an |
| country, subscribe to them, and check out the | | | | online dictionary service to check definitions |
| translations. What kind of terms do they use? | | | | quickly and efficiently, using both Spanish to |
| Could you do a better job? Does the subject | | | | English and Spanish language functions. If that |
| matter interest you? This may not be important | | | | doesn't come up with the term I need, search |
| later on, but you'll need to be highly motivated at | | | | engines such as Google, Yahoo or Live Search |
| the start. Try your hand at translating one of the | | | | can be very useful for concordancing purposes. |
| articles and then compare your work with their | | | | Simply by typing in a phrase, you will learn how it |
| translation. Is it similar? What did they do | | | | is used in context. Here's what I got when I |
| differently to you? For practice, here's a sentence | | | | wanted to understand the phrase retorno sobre |
| from a translation I did a few years ago: | | | | el capital. |
| Muchos autoritarismos electorales han iniciado un | | | | Retorno--(Economía): Definición |
| proceso de apertura desde la periferia subnacional, | | | | Retorno sobre el capital Cálculo en |
| al comenzar por experimentar elecciones con | | | | porcentaje de la utilidad neta que una |
| cierto grado de limpieza e imparcialidad en esos | | | | compañia puede obtener para sus |
| ámbitos, dejando todavía cerrada | | | | accionistas, es la relación financiera |
| la competencia para las elecciones de autoridades | | | | más... |
| en el ámbito nacional. | | | | The same trick works in reverse if you want to |
| Much electoral authoritarianism has begun a | | | | check whether your translated phrase works. |
| process of liberalization from the subnational | | | | You'll notice that your search terms are highlighted |
| periphery, as it begins to experience elections | | | | in bold in the results. The closer together those |
| which are, to a certain degree, clean and fair at | | | | search terms appear, the more likely it is that |
| this level, whilst competition is still closed for the | | | | your term is in common use. Here's an entry |
| election of authorities at national level. | | | | which showed up well in Google when I was |
| I'm not really happy with this translation now. I | | | | checking to see if effective radiated power was a |
| think the sentence is too long and too confusing. | | | | true phrase: |
| What would you do to make it better? | | | | Effective radiated power - Wikipedia |
| Human versus Machine Translation (MT) | | | | In radio telecommunications, effective radiated |
| You may be wondering whether people still need | | | | power or equivalent radiated power (ERP) is a |
| translators. After all, you can get free translations | | | | standardized theoretical measurement of radio |
| on the Internet these days. While it is true that | | | | frequency (RF)... |
| services such as Google Translate and Babelfish | | | | By the way, if Wikipedia comes up with the term |
| have improved a lot since the early days, there | | | | at the top of your results, you've struck gold! |
| will always be a need for translators. They're fine | | | | Obviously, it isn't 100% reliable as a source of |
| for getting the gist of an email, but I wouldn't use | | | | information, but I see its appearance in the results |
| them for serious translation. Here's a random | | | | as a very good indicator of the popularity of a |
| example from Babelfish: | | | | term. The more popular a term is, the more likely |
| En las casas todos los servicios se ubican a nivel | | | | it is to be correct. If you click through to the |
| del sótano; la planta baja contiene las | | | | article you find, you might find it useful for building |
| áreas sociales volcadas al exterior a | | | | up a glossary of terms in the field you're |
| través de un gran cristal, protegido por un | | | | translating. |
| pergolado metálico que remata en un | | | | Computer Aided Translation (CAT) |
| muro recubierto de cantera blanca. | | | | If you're a more advanced translator, you can |
| In the houses all the services are located | | | | also try using a translation memory system. |
| concerning the cellar; the ground floor contains the | | | | These are also known as Computer Aided |
| overturned social areas to the outside through a | | | | Translation systems, and what they do is learn |
| great crystal, protected by a pergolado metalist | | | | from your previous translations, giving you |
| who ends in a covered wall of white quarry. | | | | suggestions as you go through the text. I wouldn't |
| Here's my translation: | | | | recommend this for beginners, as you need to |
| All services are located at basement level, | | | | understand the translating process first and it's |
| whereas the first floors contain social areas. | | | | important not to get carried away. This is a |
| These face the outside through large windows | | | | tool--it won't do the translation for you. |
| that are protected by metallic pergolas fitted into | | | | What's more, CAT may not be appropriate for all |
| walls covered in white finished stone. | | | | kinds of translations, as it can restrict the way |
| As you can see, translation isn't just a | | | | you think about the text. When you're translating |
| word-for-word process--it involves thought and | | | | Spanish, you usually have very long sentences |
| cultural awareness. You need to consider the | | | | that need breaking up or moving around, and the |
| context of the text you're translating as well as | | | | system may not be flexible enough to let you do |
| the vocabulary. This is something a machine will | | | | this easily. It's good for large translations where |
| never get completely right. Until someone comes | | | | you need to use a standardised glossary, such as |
| up with Artificial Intelligence, of course, and then | | | | manuals or company websites, but not so useful |
| we're all out of a job! | | | | for creative pieces, such as marketing campaigns |
| Tools of the Trade | | | | or literature. |
| Joking apart, computers are obviously very useful | | | | Final Thoughts |
| for translators. Your first tool is the | | | | Hopefully, these tips on how to get started |
| word-processor, and it's worth learning all the | | | | translating Spanish have been useful for you and |
| shortcuts you can to make the job go quicker. | | | | you will be able to apply them in your own work. |
| The less time you spend using the mouse, the | | | | Translation can be an immensely rewarding |
| more time you have for typing. One tip which | | | | activity when you get the hang of it and very |
| might be useful is to find the parallel view function | | | | frustrating if you feel out of your depth, so one |
| in your word-processing program so that you can | | | | final piece of advice would be to take it slowly to |
| see both source and target texts at the same | | | | begin with. Good luck! |