Poll: When starting a highly complex technical translation, how do you prep your terminology? Аўтар тэмы: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When starting a highly complex technical translation, how do you prep your terminology?".
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It depends on the subject matter and the size of the project. Forty years of experience mean that some subjects, even complex ones, do not pose any translation problems provided they are well written. The same is obviously not true of neologisms. When I started translating, I always compiled glossaries of the most difficult terms, which have been expanded over the years. In any case, I do not do technical translation (engineering, IT); I mainly translate in the legal, economic, political and soc... See more It depends on the subject matter and the size of the project. Forty years of experience mean that some subjects, even complex ones, do not pose any translation problems provided they are well written. The same is obviously not true of neologisms. When I started translating, I always compiled glossaries of the most difficult terms, which have been expanded over the years. In any case, I do not do technical translation (engineering, IT); I mainly translate in the legal, economic, political and social fields, and occasionally some medical texts… ▲ Collapse
| | | | Luca Adie
Германія
Local time: 12:30
нямецкая → англійская
+ ...
Usually I just dive in, but for one recent translation - a book on crochet - I did the terminology research beforehand. It was rather complicated...
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If it is highly technical, I probably turn the job down, but there are a few fields where clients trust my expertise.
In that case I often have glossaries and terminology from previous jobs, but I always skim through the text to see what it is about, and whether any new terminology introduced at the start is explained later on - that may save some searching, and I can plan for consistency.
I like to have most of the terminology in place before I start translating seriou... See more If it is highly technical, I probably turn the job down, but there are a few fields where clients trust my expertise.
In that case I often have glossaries and terminology from previous jobs, but I always skim through the text to see what it is about, and whether any new terminology introduced at the start is explained later on - that may save some searching, and I can plan for consistency.
I like to have most of the terminology in place before I start translating seriously, and then everything flows better. I always have to check a few things along the way, but prefer to sort out any real problems in good time. ▲ Collapse
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The meaning of source terms get clearer during the translation process, when you learn from previous context.
I always choose the target terms while translating. I often have to adapt my initial choice, also because of suboptimal or inconsistent source terms.
Target terms are changed in project target segments and TM target segments in one pass.
And at the end I do a QA for terms, make everything consistent. And then I freeze the glossary. Next time, whe... See more The meaning of source terms get clearer during the translation process, when you learn from previous context.
I always choose the target terms while translating. I often have to adapt my initial choice, also because of suboptimal or inconsistent source terms.
Target terms are changed in project target segments and TM target segments in one pass.
And at the end I do a QA for terms, make everything consistent. And then I freeze the glossary. Next time, when a new project comes in, I stick to the terms from the glossary. Unless I find out that a target term isn’t optimal:). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Philip Lees 
Грэцыя
Local time: 13:30
грэчаская → англійская
If I don't think I have sufficient knowledge of the terminology before I start, I don't accept the job.
Of course, in the medical areas from where most of my work comes (or used to come), and in other technical areas, there will always be a few new words or terms, but more than one or two per page is too many.
Depending on glossaries prepared by somebody else, when you don't fully understand what you're reading, is in my view unprofessional.
| | | | | Domain-Specific Linguistic Validation Workflow | May 31 |
My strategy for ensuring terminological precision begins with rigorous, domain-specific research. I first consult specialized contextual lexicons—such as authoritative law, medical, or technical dictionaries in my language—compiled by government bodies or higher education institutions. From there, I distill a customized, project-specific glossary tailored precisely to the domain's unique context. I secure client validation on this framework before production begins, ensuring absolute linguis... See more My strategy for ensuring terminological precision begins with rigorous, domain-specific research. I first consult specialized contextual lexicons—such as authoritative law, medical, or technical dictionaries in my language—compiled by government bodies or higher education institutions. From there, I distill a customized, project-specific glossary tailored precisely to the domain's unique context. I secure client validation on this framework before production begins, ensuring absolute linguistic accuracy and eliminating downstream stylistic errors from day one.
[Edited at 2026-05-31 15:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Terminology of Chinese Period Dramas | Jun 3 |
When working with Chinese historical dramas, my process begins before the linguistic review stage.
First, I identify the main characters and determine which ones are fictional and which are based on historical figures. In the case of the Ming Dynasty, I researched the historical context surrounding Empress Sun and Emperor Xuande to better understand the social hierarchy, political structure, and diplomatic relationships of the period.
This research helps me make more accurate linguis... See more When working with Chinese historical dramas, my process begins before the linguistic review stage.
First, I identify the main characters and determine which ones are fictional and which are based on historical figures. In the case of the Ming Dynasty, I researched the historical context surrounding Empress Sun and Emperor Xuande to better understand the social hierarchy, political structure, and diplomatic relationships of the period.
This research helps me make more accurate linguistic decisions, particularly regarding pronouns, honorific titles, forms of address, and terminology standardization. There are periods in which Brazilian Portuguese did not even exist. ▲ Collapse
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