User:1adcaden/trans0910/Portfolio
From EnWiki
Contents |
INTRODUCTION
On the following lines, I am going to do the portfolio of this course. It will have different parts. First of all, I will explain why I choose this subject at the beginnig of the course and what were my expectations. Then, I will focus on the main problems I saw when translating a text from english into spanish. Not only the problems I had to translate the text but also the mistakes that normally the machine translator repeats once and again. Then, I will do it the other way round, the problems translating a text from spanish to english. I have to say that translating a text in this way has been more difficult for me because english is not my natural language.
After that, I will also explain what I have learnt. Mainly, vocabulary and colloquial expressions. Finally, I will do a conclusion saying what I think about my work during this course and what I think about studying a subject in this way.
MY EXPECTATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE
I am a student of English philology and that is why I am always in contact with other languages. I did not know what subjects I had to choose in order to improve my knowledge in english and its world. However, I thought that the translation course would be useful for me because students are in contact with english. Moreover, many people think that when you study English Philology, you can only be an english teacher. However, I do not think so. That is why I took the translation course. I wanted to know more about the translation world and if it will be useful for me in the future.Moreover, I thought that I would learnt new vocabulary and grammar, not only english grammar but also spanish grammar.
ENGLISH INTO SPANISH
We have done this part with the help of the teacher Abaitua. I thought that Google Translator would have the same type of mistakes when translating a text into spanish or translating it into english. However, there are many differences. When the machine translates it into spanish, it always makes mistakes of the same type. Although, there are always exceptions. These are the most commonly mistakes:
Verbs:
We frequently observe mistakes with regard to verbs. Many times the verb tense is not correct. The machine may use the passive tense instead of the active one or the present tense when it should be the past tense. Other times, there is a rule in spanish that says that the verb must coincide in genre and in number with the subject. However, the machine sometimes does not apply this rule. Take as examples the following sentenes:
- (MT) "Los remeros sufrieron picaduras dolorosas y quería algo"> "Los remeros sufrieron picaduras dolorosas y querían algo".
- (MT) "los nadadores informaron de que habían encontrado totalmente rodeado"> "los bañistas informaron de que se habían encontrado totalmente rodeados"
- (MT) "cuya picadura puede ser mortal, es merodeaban" > "cuya picadura puede ser mortal, está merodeando"
Prepositions,articles and adjectives:
This is another type of mistake that the machine does with frequency. It does not put the right preposition or it does not put the right article. Other times, it "eats" the article and does not write it. It also happens that sometimes the machine does not coincide the article in genre and in number with the adjective or the noun. Examples:
- (MT) "las más elegantes centros vacacionales" > "los más elegantes centros vacacionales"
- (MT) "en dar positivo a la droga" > "en dar positivo por la droga"
- (MT) "autoridades españolas también" > "Las autoridades españolas también"
Vocabulary:
Finally, another type of mystake is vocabulary. The machine sometimes does not write the word that fits better in the context. This may happen because it translates the text automatically. Moreover, it also happens sometimes that it directly writes the wrong word because it writes the first meaning where it should be the second or the third. Examples:
- (MT)"Es el segundo piloto español" > "Es el segundo ciclista español"
- (MT) "después de un ataque de manifiesto" > "después de una redada"
- (MT)"La declaración también dijo que el corredor" > "El comunicado también decía que el ciclista"
SPANISH INTO ENGLISH
We have done this section with the help of the teacher Larry. We have learned a lot and this is the major problems I have seen when translating the texts:
Lexical problems
There are several mistakes with regard to lexical problems. For instance, the machine writes a word that does not have any sense in that context or sometimes ,as it translates the text automatically, it writes the wrong word. However, the main problem in this section has been colloquial expressions. There are many colloquial expressions in english and the machine translates them literally. Moreover, I have also observed that it also makes mistakes with reporting verbs. Take as an example the following sentences:
-Reporting verbs:
- (MT)The French team doctor in a statement that "Spain is the European platform doping" and it should be "The doctor of a French team asserts that "Spain is the European drug taking platform"
- (MT) "..., is now in the public arena. It's very painful for everyone, but we progress," he says," and it should be "... , is now in the public scene. It's very upsetting for everyone, but we are making progress," he points out"
- Colloquial expressions and wrong words:
- (MT)", is now in the public arena." and it should be ",is now in the public scene."
- (MT) " In this case, the fish biting its tail" and it should be "It is a vicious circle in this case"
- (MT) " out of the sand" and it should be "out of sandy areas".
Structural aspects and cultural items
Google Translator has a problem with word order and also sometimes write words without sense or with wrong punctuations marks. Furthermore, it has to be explainede that there are cultural items that have to be explained when you are translating a text. Examples:
- (MT) "Spain is "the platform of the European doping,..." and it should be "Spain is "the European drug taking platform,..."
- (MT) "It's like a wall that retains many passive organisms such as jellyfish, those moving by sea currents," It cannot be used the contraction form here because it is not an informal text, so it should be "It is like a wall that retains many passive organisms such as the jellyfish, those who move thanks to ocean currents."
- (MT) "He directs the monitoring program of jellyfish in the Catalan coast carried out with the Catalan Water Agency (ACA)" and it should be "He supervises the jellyfish tracking program in the Catalan coast carried out with the Catalan Water Agency (ACA)"
WHAT I HAVE LEARNT
Mainly, I have learnt vocabulary and colloquial expressions. Apart from some rules from english and spanish grammar. Moreover, I have learnt the importance that cultural items have when you are translating a text and also the importance of writing a text with textual cohesion. Finally, I have also learnt many things about the translation world. For example, you cannot rely on computers. They can help you but they cannot translate a text as humans.
CONCLUSION
I am glad of having done this course because I have learnt a lot. I think I will continue studying things about translation in the future because I think it is very interesting and useful for the society. Although, it is very hard too. Finally, I would like to say that doing the course in the internet is being useful because you can use the web for getting information. Furthermore, teachers can correct your mistakes whenever they can what save everybody a lot of time. I think is also useful that there are also lessons at the university and you can ask the questions you have.
