Month: December 2023

Introduction

At MIIS, our approach to learning is hands-on, especially in the Translation Technology course, where we practice through projects that mirror the industry’s real-world demands. As the culmination of our studies, we formed a team under the banner of Amazing Five Translation. We embarked on a project that would see us partnering with Monterey Bay Aquarium during Otter Awareness Month, translating vital campaign materials. Our mission was to adapt these materials for an international audience, ensuring the message was as impactful and engaging as the original. Amazing Five took on the task, providing translations in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, and managing the workflow with professional tools like SDL Trados, from the drafting of our proposal to the final delivery of our work.

Statement of Work (SOW)

The SOW for our “Otter Awareness Month” project captures the essence of AFT’s translation services.

The document meticulously lays out the workflow stages from preparation, production, and finalization stages. It also outlines communication protocols, pricing, and payment details, while also profiling the expert linguists and tools engaged in the project. It serves as a comprehensive guide for ensuring our client is fully informed and played a crucial role in securing the green light for our project during the initial kick-off meeting with the client.

Kick-Off Meeting with the Client

After meticulously crafting our proposal, our team had a kick-off meeting with the client, affectionately known as Prof. Wooten. He played the role of a client unfamiliar with translation work and we thoroughly guided him through our plan, and while he seemed impressed, he suggested having a minimally bilingual employee review our work, challenging us to defend our professional integrity.

As professionals, we were confident in our skills, but this mock scenario was a lesson in client dynamics. We advocated for our expertise, yet learned that clients often seek external opinions. Having spent a good amount of time in the language industry, I am still discovering new aspects to learn. This project was a brilliant simulation, offering valuable insights into client relations and real-world challenges in translation.

Deliverables

Leveraging our amazing teamwork, we successfully delivered all the required materials to our client on schedule. The deliverables consisted of thoroughly translated documents, Translation Memory, glossaries, and pseudo-translations for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, ensuring a comprehensive and well-rounded translation package.

Future Improvements

Reflecting on our group translation project, I recognized key improvement areas for more professional and effective project management in real-world scenarios. The significance of having a dedicated project manager became apparent, especially for larger projects. A project manager could optimize workflow in the CAT tool, improving the use of translation memory and glossary management. I also realized the importance of a task tracker such as JIRA to streamline communication, as relying solely on Teams chat proved inefficient. These realizations have equipped me with a deeper understanding of how to enhance both our management and communication strategies for future translation projects.

Reflections

Helpful rules for EN-KO translation on Trados

When localizing to a different language, it is essential to adapt the text for the target audience. Using the proper typographic conventions, such as curly quotes, aligns the translated content with the local language’s standard writing style.

1. Rule: Switching from ” ” to “ ” (from straight quotes to curly quotes) 따옴표 바꾸기

Find: “([^”]*)”

Replace: “$1”

This RegEx rule is designed to find text enclosed within straight quotation marks (“). It then replaces the found text with the same content, enclosed in smart quotes or curly quotes (“ ”) for enhanced typographic presentation.

Switching from straight quotes to curly quotes in translations from English to Korean is crucial for several reasons. Curly quotes enhances the visual appeal and professionalism of the text, ensuring cultural and linguistic appropriateness in the target language. Consistency in using curly quotes maintains text cohesion, preventing distractions and ambiguity, especially in technical or legal content. Overall, this transition improves quality, readability, and cultural relevance in the translated material.

2. Rule: Removing cent sign (two decimal digits after the decimal point)

Find: \.\d{2}(?=\D|$)

Replace with:

You can apply this regular expression to locate instances of two decimal digits (decimal places) following a dot and remove them.

In Korea, we typically do not use two decimal places after the dot. Removing them during translation can be quite cumbersome. However, with the help of this RegEx, we can significantly enhance our productivity and save valuable time.

3. Rule: Changing English date format to the Korean date format.

Find: \d{4}[-/.]\d{2}[-/.]\d{2}

Replace with: YYYY-MM-DD

When translating content, you might encounter dates written in various formats, including the typical English format, which is MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY. However, in Korea, the standard date format is YYYY-MM-DD. To ensure that the translated content adheres to the Korean date format, this regular expression can be applied.

4. Rule: Identifying incorrect spacing

Find: [\s][.,?!]+[\s]

This regular expression is for identifying and locating spacing errors. Overall, this regular expression is used to find instances in the text where a punctuation mark (period, comma, exclamation mark, or question mark) is surrounded by whitespace, ensuring that there is a space before and after the punctuation. This will allow you to make adjustments if needed.

From Babel to AI: The Future of Human Translators in the Age of Advanced Translation Technology

What exactly is translation technology?

The quest to understand different languages dates back to ancient times, with the story of the Tower of Babel often symbolizing the genesis of linguistic diversity. Traditionally, translation relied heavily on individual translators, with the quality of translation directly linked to the skill of these linguists.

Today, modern translation is intricately intertwined with technology, aiming to make the process faster and more efficient. This technological evolution in the field of translation includes tools like Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT), Machine Translation (MT) software, and Translation Management Systems (TMS).

One of the first questions that crossed my mind when I began the “Translation Technology” course at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey was: Will these technologies replace human translators, or will they become invaluable allies? This course, led by Professor Adam Wooten, started with this intriguing query and guided us through a comprehensive exploration of how to use technology both effectively and ethically. We explored the strengths and limitations of translation technology, understanding its goals and capabilities.

From the pioneering IBM-Georgetown machine translation experiment in 1954 to the advent of Large Language Models and Generative AI, we examined how these technologies are applied in the world of translation. Join me as I share some key insights and takeaways from this enlightening class.