Studying/informal translation with a chronic illness

[Stephanie Briggs]

Phew! I feel better now. Nice article - thanks for sending it.

Stephanie

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http://sdsures.blogspot.com/

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On 15 June 2010 16:00, Valentino, Russell <russell-valentino at uiowa.edu>wrote:

> No need to feel guilty, Stephanie. Computer assisted translation (CAT) is
> now the norm for most working (non-literary) translators. And CAT in turn
> relies on d-bases like Google's, which isn't looking up words really, it's
> checking against a huge store of previously translated material to see how
> other people have done it in other cases. So actually you're relying on the
> work of many other human translators when you use it.
>
> David Bellos had a piece in the NYTimes on this back in March --
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21bellos.html?pagewanted=2.
>
>
> Russell
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
> [mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Stephanie Briggs
> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 9:48 AM
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> Subject: [SEELANGS] Studying/informal translation with a chronic illness
>
> Dear SEELANGers,
>
> As I mentioned in the email about my trip to Russia, I have a physical
> disability, cerebral palsy, plus chronic pain. I've been studying Russian
> since 1999, and got a BA in it, and will be applying for a Master's program
> in Translation Studies soon.
>
> I realize the importance of translating by oneself using a dictionary amd
> one's own skills, but as I was writing a note to a Russian friend of mine
> whose son is very ill, I found myself, instead of reaching for my
> dictionary
> and verb book, going to the dreacded Google Translate, and typing in the
> short phrase that I wanted. I checked the translation myself, and tweaked
> it
> a bit before writing it out. Google of course isn't perfect, so I used it
> and expected that it would come out rather...weird, simplifed maybe,
> needing
> some help to refine it.
>
> Now I feel guilty at all for using a computer translator, which can never
> really replace a human. But I used it because I am very low on energy, and
> didn;t have the energy to look up, decline and etc all the words I needed.
> It's very hard to read tiny dictionary print when someone has shoved an
> icepick in your eyes. I know for sure that in professional translation, one
> is expected to use one's brain (as well as whatever software to do a rough
> translation), and the traditional dictionary, verb book, etc. Not just leap
> to the easy translating machine.
>
> Can I be forgiven for slipping this once and doing it the easy way?
>
> Stephanie.
>
> *****************************
> ~Stephanie D. (Sures) Briggs
> http://sdsures.blogspot.com/
>
> Come have a look at my handmade knitted afghans and scarves!
> FIRST SALE: 11/13/09!
> http://warmochfuzzy.etsy.com/
>
> Got Your Spoon? Find out what they're all about (and find out a little
> about
> me too!)
> http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/the_spoon_theory/
>
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