Electronic Translation Memory
Using the latest electronic translation memory systems Lucy Brooks Translations is able to build a database of clients' specialist terms, pre-translated sentences, and previous translations. For example if you have an instruction manual that has been translated by Lucy Brooks Translations, and now you want another, broadly similar, manual translated, send it to Lucy Brooks Translations.
The common sections are in our translation memory, and can be recycled to fit the new one. The result is consistency, accuracy, and improved quality assurance.
Our glossary can contain your own special in-house terms, so that these are always used for your translations.
In this way we can gradually become a valuable part of your project team.
Electronic memory management should not be confused with machine translation.
Have you ever tried one of those translation pages on the web, where you feed in some text in one language, and out it pops in another?
These are all very fine for straightforward letters or emails, where you simply want to know what is being said, but when it comes to more refined requirements, they cannot be relied on.
You may have heard of the German Town Council that spent thousands of euros printing a glossy tourist brochure. It had been translated by a machine and the hapless employee did not have it checked by anyone at all. The beautifully illustrated publication contained such howlers as "free bath" for Freibad (open air swimming pool). The brochures had to be scrapped.
Take a look at the paragraph below from a press release; it was translated by a machine.
XYZ is one of the worldwide market leaders for the development and production of modern movement components and for the provision of complete systems, in which all components are voted exactly on each other (therefore not only on the respective use, but rather also among one another). This product synergy guarantees high quality, reliability, accuracy and slight overhead.
It's impossible to know what it is all about, is it not? How can a component be voted? (the German word abgestimmt has differing meanings depending on the context). And the translation is stilted, word-for-word, and makes little sense. It may become clearer if you look at the version produced by Lucy Brooks Translations:
XYZ is a world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced motion components. It is unique in its ability to supply complete systems in which each component is matched precisely – not only to the application but also to each other. This product synergy ensures quality, reliability, accuracy and the most effective cost of ownership.
XYZ is a world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced motion components. It is unique in its ability to supply complete systems in which each component is matched precisely - not only to the application but also to each other. This product synergy ensures quality, reliability, accuracy and the most effective cost of ownership.
Below is the German version:
XYZ ist einer der weltweiten Marktführer für die Entwicklung und Produktion moderner Bewegungskomponenten und für die Bereitstellung von kompletten Systemen, in denen alle Komponenten genau aufeinander (also nicht nur auf die jeweilige Anwendung, sondern auch untereinander) abgestimmt sind. Diese Produktsynergie gewährleistet hohe Qualität, Zuverlässigkeit, Genauigkeit und geringe Betriebskosten.
And it can be positively dangerous to use a machine for legal translations: How about this attempt by a web-based machine?The tenant cannot exercise a reduction right vis-à-vis the Meitzins or other demands of the landlord out of this contract. The balancing and the execution of a retention (Leistungsverweigerungs-)rechts are excluded, let it be then, the balancing or the retention (Leistungsverweigerungs-)recht concerns an uncontested or legally assessed demand.
Lucy Brooks' translation from the same original paragraph is as follows
The tenant may not derive any right from this contract for a reduction of rent or of any other claim by the landlord. Set-off and retention rights (the right to refuse performance) are excluded, unless such set-off and retention right (right to refuse performance) is in relation to an undisputed claim that is established in law.
The original paragraph was:
Der Mieter kann gegenüber dem Meitzins oder sonstigen Forderungen des Vermieters aus diesem Vertrage ein Minderungsrecht nicht ausüben. Die Aufrechnung und die Ausübung eines Zurückbehaltungs- (Leistungsverweigerungs-) rechts sind ausgeschlossen, es sei denn, die Aufrechnung oder das Zurückbehaltungs-(Leistungsverweigerungs-)recht betrifft eine unbestrittene oder rechtskräftig festgestellte Forderung.
While machine translation has advanced in leaps and bounds over the past decade, a professional, human translator is still needed to give a translation the style, polish and accuracy that is required. A machine cannot cope with typographical errors, whereas a translator will always correct spelling and grammar errors. Click here for Conditions of Business
