In the language services sector, one of the most valuable skills to look for in a translator is their ability to render translations sticking to terminological accuracy. As we explained in previous articles, this is because each specialty field has its own technical terms and expressions that make it what it is. If a translation overlooks the use of a term that is more popular or more suitable than the rest in a specific communicative context, the risk of inaccuracy is great, as well as the risk of not connecting with the target audience, not transmitting the message correctly and, ultimately, making a final translation that does not seem reliable, thus failing to achieve the same target for which the source version was intended. This aim leads translators to search for all the tools at their disposal to understand -because the first thing in translation is to understand the original meaning and its nuances- what is it that the terms used in a text represent to subsequently, find the term in the target language that better translates it into the target culture, whether by direct equivalence, adaptation, localization or creation of neologisms.
Indeed, research work from many experts in their respective fields and languages have fostered the creation of references materials that can carry out language conversions between different languages. Throughout time, all this information has been compiled in different formats to be able to offer consultation searches and thus avail official or renown materials that certify the veracity of the translation options. For this reason, it is indispensable for the professional activity of any translator to count on a broad repertoire of terminological resources to utilize in case of doubts or to confirm a choice. Besides, it is a relevant source when offering arguments and justifications to solve the doubts of clients, in the event that they do not feel totally certain about the translation choices at first glance. On the other hand, terminology importance is so crucial today, that all computer assisted translation tools include features for creating, managing, archiving and exporting terminological information, whether it is for in-house consultation or to have stored material for future projects that may share terminological characteristics. It begs the question: what are those resources? In the translation world, there are a series of main resources for consulting terms. Their presence and use is commonplace for most professionals in the sector, but truth be told, it’s those same professionals who occasionally drop the names of said resources indiscriminately, which can generate confusion in interprofessional relationships. These main resources are, as is expected, glossaries, dictionaries and corpuses. For this reason, today’s article will explore what each one of them is or is not, and their role within translation activity.
First things first, we all know our dictionaries. Dictionaries, regardless of whether they are in physical or in electronic format, are reference works which include a series of words, terms or expressions in alphabetical order and which offer detailed information on their meaning. In general, we are used to semantic dictionaries, in which we find terms with an explanation of their meaning and which, additionally, show us expressions that are typically formed using them. Let’s not forget that we can also find other kind of information, such as synonyms, antonyms, language placement, etymology, etc. These are normally extensive pieces of work with endless possibilities, which gather words and expressions appropriately and disclose information about them, following a specific protocol. Therefore, translators often use them to clarify the meaning of the terms they may come across during their translation processes, in order to enhance the writing style of the translated version (for example, to find similar words or style trends) or to carry out research work. As this is among the most popular resources for translators and the one which brings about more knowledge, both physical and virtual libraries are packed with this kind of reference works. Likewise, we must distinguish between general dictionaries and specialty dictionaries, which are tailored to the requirements of a specific field.
Next, glossaries are worth special attention. In summary, glossaries are compilations of terms or expressions that are typical of an expert field. These glossaries also offer a brief explanatory definition of a term (monolingual glossaries), but their most characteristic role is that of providing equivalent terms between a source language and a target language (bilingual glossaries) or several target languages (trilingual, quadrilingual, plurilingual, etc. glossaries). Typically, glossaries are compiled by subject field, since they tend to include the vocabulary that is specific to a sector, so they are utilized to house the most common technical terms in a field, in order to make “official” a translation for a term. The main problem here is that the work on these resources is often carried out without the required intellectual rigor, giving rise to more confusion than clarity. Additionally, there is the synonymy in the terminology field, so it is usual to find more than one translation option for translating a term, and the translator must carefully choose the best alternative to fit the context.
Language corpuses are also a great resource in translation, since they offer a selection of texts in their original version and their translated version, so that the translator can see the different translation options in context. Many websites that offer automatic translations operate with language corpuses, and some of them even allow the results to be checked, which is of great interest for the translator. But we can’t forget that the translations being provided may not have been properly reviewed, and once again, it is the responsibility of the translator to pay attention to their suitability.
Consultation resources are the perfect ally to impart the translations of any professional with terminological rigor. In order to do this, translators must be aware of their nature and pay attention to avoid the mistakes than can be generated by them.
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