Information technologies in translation

Translation,

The Definition of Information Technology

Information (from lat. informatio - notification, explanation, statement from lat. informare - to give shape) is information (reports, data) about the objects of animate or lifeless nature, their properties and mutual influencing on each other regardless of form of their presentation.

Technology (from grech. (techne) - art, trade, facility.

Information technology (IT) is the aggregate of facilities and methods of collection, treatment and transmission of the information (primary information) so as to receive the information of a new quality about the object condition, process or phenomenon (informative product).

Purpose of information technology – the production of information for its analysis by a man and taking a decision about realisation of some action on its basis.

The practical application of methods and facilities of the data processing can

be different, therefore the following types of IT are distinguished:

1. Global information technology - includes the model, methods and facilities which formalize and allow to use the informative resources by the society.

2. Base information technology - is intended for a definite sphere of the application (production, scientific researches, teaching, etc).

3. Concrete information technologies - realize the data processing while the accomplishing of functional tasks of users (for example, tasks of the taking stock, planning, analysis).

As well as all technologies, information technologies are in permanent development and perfection. The appearance of new hardwares, development of new conceptions, methods of data organization, their transmission, storage and processing, forms of users co-operation with the technical and other information system components promote it.

The hardware and software are the technical means of the information production. from these facilities The software products which named “instruments” are separately distinguished. For a greater clearness it is specified and named “program instruments of information technology”.

Program instruments of information technology is one or a few interrelated software products for the definite type of computer, in which the technology of work allows to achieve a purpose which is set by an user.

Translation is a set of actions performed by the translator while rendering the source (or original) text (ST) into another language. Translation is a means of international communication. The translator makes possible an exchange of information between the users of different languages by producing in the target language (TL or the translating language) a text which has an identical communicative value with the sousce (or original) text (ST).

The translating process includes two mental processes – understanding and verbalisation. First, the translator understands the context of ST, that is, reduces the information it contains to his own mental program, and then he develops this program into TT.

Translation, as one of types of humanity activity, must adapt oneself to the requirements of modern society. Essence of process of translation is permanent: production of draft text is the first its stage, and the second - stage of verification during which the necessary corrections and changes are making in order that translation acquires a due kind.

Means and instruments of translation are changing. Information technologies created a new electronic culture which came to take the printing place culture, and the process of work with documents and information was considerably simplified and accelerated. The programs of machine translation and computer instruments of translation are part of this new culture.

In English terminology information technologies in practice of translation are divided into two large classes:

1. MT (Machine Translation). In Russian-language linguistics this class is known as automatic or machine translation, that is, programs fully replacing a translator-man to a greater or lesser extent of success.

2. CAT (Computer-assisted/aided translation). In contrast to MT, the CAT systems only automatize and facilitate work of translator in different its aspects. First of all, these are the programs realizing conception of memory of translations (translation memory or TM) such as ABBYY Lingvo, Trados, OmegaT, DejaVu, WordFast, etc.

MT made possible rapid translation, but there are still a lot of unsolved problems in this field. Translation very relies on a context and different word konnotations and word combinations. Not always it is possible to give a complete formalized context together with a text, therefore automatic translation is limited by concrete subjects, and the subsequent editing is almost always needed.

As for memory of translations (TM), this is linguistic data-base which source texts and their translations are kept in. These texts are devided into segments which often coincide with sentences. TM allows to facilitate translation - the system «memorizes» the translated phrases (segments) for the future use, and a

translator has not to translate the same sentences twice. These programs are very useful to translation of texts with the high degree of repetition.

Main purpose of the course «Information technologies in translation» is the getting of basic knowledges about fundamental principles and technologies of the modern automatic translation (Machine Translation, MT) systems and translation through a computer (CAT). MT and CAT are the basic instruments of translating activity, which can be used in the practice.

A course includes the real experience of CAT-instruments direct application in a translating process. Teaching to work with the systems of memory of translations (translation memory, TM) is the kernel of course and its main content.

A modern translator must be able to apply the automatic translation systems effectively, for example Prompt and Google Language Tools, and memory of translations (Trados, OmegaT). A translator must know principles of work of the MT and TM systems(memory of translations) and also other systems CAT (terminology bases, analysis of corps, konkordansers, etc.), their place in the decision of translating tasks, to be able to work with the resource TheVisualThesaurus.com, to be able to work with the WinZip and WinRar archivers for archiving of translation and glossary. For the implementation of writing translation to order a translator must be able to use the The Bat! programs, CuteFTP Pro, VentaFax (at the receipt of order by e-mail or by fax) and also to work with the programs of optical recognition of the text ABBYY FineReader.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11