#keepgoing
#translatorsgonnatranslate
#OneSecT9ns
#perlediunatraduttrice
Welcome, July!
Tag: spagnolo
[Repost] Clearing up the Top 10 Myths About Translation (by Nataly Kelly)
Clearing up the Top 10 Myths About Translation
Posted: 06/13/2012 11:06 am
1. Translation is a small, niche market. The global market for outsourced language services is worth more than US$33 billion in 2012. The largest segment of the market is written translation, followed by on-site interpreting and software localization. The vast majority of these translation services are provided by small agencies — there are more than 26,000 of them throughout the world. These companies coordinate translation projects in multiple languages simultaneously, often involving many different file types, processes, and technology tools. The words themselves are translated and interpreted by the hundreds of thousands of language professionals scattered all across the globe. Many translators and interpreters also have direct clients, but most are freelancers whose work comes from agencies.
2. The need for translation is fading away. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsestimates that there will be 83,000 jobs for interpreters and translators by 2020 in the United States alone. This job market is expected to grow by 42 percent from 2010 to 2020, significantly higher than the average of 14 percent for all professions. Data from Common Sense Advisory shows that globally, the market has a compound annual growth rate of 12.17 percent.
3. Most translators translate books; most interpreters work at the United Nations. Literary translation and conference interpreting are two of the most visible specializations, but they actually represent very tiny segments of the market at large. Who are the biggest translation spenders? Military and defense agencies spend the most on translation, with the United States routinely spending billions on language services for defense and intelligence initiatives. On the commercial side, some of the largest segments of the translation market are manufacturing, software, health care, legal, and financial services. As a result, freelancers often work in these specialty areas — as financial translators, medical interpreters, legal translators, and court interpreters.
4. Any bilingual can be a translator or an interpreter. The ability to write in English does not make a person a professional writer. The ability to speak English does not make a person a professional speaker. Likewise, the ability to write or speak two languages does not mean that a person can translate or interpret. Plenty of people who are perfectly fluent in two languages fail professional exams for translation and interpreting. Why? Being bilingual does not guarantee that a person will be able to transport meaning from one language and culture to another without inflicting harm in the process. Most translators and interpreters are highly educated, with advanced degrees and training in either translation, linguistics, or a specialty field. Also, while not mandatory, professional certifications are widely recognized and strongly encouraged. In the U.S., translators are certified by the American Translators Association, and a variety of certifications exist for interpreters.
5. Interpreters and translators do the same thing. The all-encompassing term that the general public uses to refer to language professionals is “translators,” but the reality is that translators and interpreters have very different job skills. Translation refers to written language, while interpreting refers to spoken language. Translators must have great writing skills and training in translation, but they must also be adept at using computer-assisted translation tools and terminology databases. Interpreters, on the other hand, have to develop their short-term memory retention and note-taking skills as well as memorizing specialized terminology for instant recall.
6. Translators and interpreters work in more than two languages. One of the most common questions translators and interpreters are asked is, “How many languages do you speak?” In reality, many translators work in only one direction — from one language into another, but not in the reverse. For translators and interpreters, it is better to have in-depth knowledge of just two languages than to have surface-level knowledge of several. Why? Of approximately one million words in English, the average person uses only 4,000 to 5,000 words on a regular basis. People who are “educated” know between 8,000 and 10,000 words. The professions with the widest vocabulary, such as doctors and lawyers, use about 23,000 words. Interpreters and translators who work for these specialized professions often use this kind of advanced technical vocabulary in two languages. Some translators and interpreters do work in more than one language combination — for example, conference interpreters often have several “passive” languages that they can understand. However, translators and interpreters are not usually hyperpolyglots.
7. Translation only matters to “language people.” The need for translation crosses both the public and private sectors. In the business world, executives at companies of all sizes are beginning to recognize that translation is a pathway to enabling more revenue and entering new markets. A recent study found that Fortune 500 companies that augmented their translation budget were 1.5 times more likely than their Fortune 500 peers to report an increase in total revenue. Also, government bodies are increasingly taking an interest in translation. Indeed, even those involved in development and non-profit work need to pay attention to translation. A report on translation in Africa conducted for Translators without Borders in May 2012 showed that greater access to translated information would improve political inclusion, health care, human rights, and even save lives of citizens of African countries.
8. Crowdsourcing puts professional translators out of work. As online communities have become more popular, so has something called “crowdsourced translation.” This phenomenon typically emerges when online community members get excited about a product and want to use it in their native languages. Sometimes, these customers and fans even begin creating their own translations and posting them in user forums. Instead of leaving their customers to pontificate on the best translations amongst themselves, smart companies are giving these communities the ability to easily suggest their translations. Are companies harnessing the work of these volunteers to obtain free labor? Actually, as the research shows, saving money is not a primary motivation — setting up these kinds of platforms can cost companies more time and money than just paying for traditional human translation. They typically pay human translators and translation companies to edit the group-translated content anyway, but they believe the collective approach gives power directly to customers and users, enabling them to have a say in which translations they like best.
9. Machine translation is crushing the demand for human translation. The opposite is true. Machine translation is actually expanding the demand for human translation and fueling the market at large. How? Machine translation — especially the free online kind — serves as an awareness campaign, putting translation squarely in front of the average person. Translating large volumes of information is never free — it comes at a cost, even with machine translation. Machine translation technology and related services make up a tiny percentage of the total translation market. Of course, machine translation can achieve some feats that humans cannot, such as quickly scanning large bodies of text and provide summaries of the information contained within them. However, as with most technologies, humans are needed to use machine translation intelligently. As Ray Kurzweil points out, technologies typically don’t replace whole fields — rather, they more often help fields to evolve.
10. All translation will someday be free. The translation and interpreting industry adds tens of thousands of new jobs to the global economy each year and there is no slowdown in sight. Translators and interpreters are extremely important members of this industry — in fact, they are the very heart of it. However, much like other professional service industries, the translation industry also relies on countless other professionals: project managers, account managers, vendor managers, production managers, schedulers, trainers, quality assurance teams, proofreaders, desktop publishing professionals, engineers, product managers, salespeople, marketers, technicians, and even people who work in procurement, human resources, billing, and IT. Research from Common Sense Advisory shows thatdemand for translation is outpacing supply — so if anything, human translators are becoming even more important. However, they are part of a much larger ecosystem, one that keeps global business churning and international communication flowing.
Follow Nataly Kelly on Twitter: www.twitter.com/natalykelly
[Repost] Gli occhiali traduttore: l’incredibile invenzione made in Japan (by Marianna_Servizi Traduzione)
Cfr. originale: http://www.servizitraduzione.com/gli-occhiali-traduttore-lincredibile-invenzione-made-in-japan/
Gli occhiali traduttore:
l’incredibile invenzione made in Japan
Potrebbe sembrare improbabile l’incredibile invenzione degli occhiali traduttore della NEC eppure la corporation giapponese conferma che sarà presto possibile ascoltare una lingua straniera e avere la traduzione direttamente riflessa negli occhi di chi li indossa.
Il TeleScouter si basa su una combinazione di software di riconoscimento vocale e di una domanda di traduzione automatica. Un microfono e telecamera raccolgono il discorso in lingua straniera che viene inoltrato a un piccolo computer “indossabile” e poi ad un server remoto.
Il server fornisce una traduzione delle frasi che viene poi inviata indietro sulla retina creando un “effetto di immagine residua” a detta della NEC. Il testo viene visualizzato con i sottotitoli in modo da permettere a chi li indossa di continuare a vedere la persona con cui si sta parlando.
NEC lancerà il dispositivo il prossimo anno. I servizi di traduzione sono ancora in una fase iniziale, però. Quindi, in un primo momento gli occhiali saranno commercializzati come un semplice display per permettere ai tecnici di leggere manuali o altro. L’implementazione del servizio di traduzione integrale dovrebbe venire l’anno successivo.
E se tutto andrà come ipotizzato, a breve, potremmo iniziare a capire qualsiasi lingua del mondo anche senza conoscerla. Che ne dite, comprereste questi occhiali traduttore oppure pensate che sia meglio continuare a studiare le lingue e sforzarsi di capirle nel modo tradizionale?
Repost: 7 Signs that it’s Time to Walk Away from a Client [by Fundbox]
7 Signs That It’s Time to Walk Away From a Client
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Small business owners, especially those of us who are starting out, frequently live in fear that every client is going to be our last. Invariably, we are prone to hit the panic button and gladly accept any client that comes along in order to maintain a healthy cash flow.
However, as hard as it might seem, this habit has to stop. Not all clients are good clients and the wrong ones can often leave you frustrated, neglectful of high-value clients, and chasing unpaid invoices. But when should you turn away a new opportunity? Here are seven tips for identifying clients who aren’t the right fit for your business.
1. Clients Who Ask You to Work for Free
All of us do free work every now and again, but it’s usually in support of business development or relationship building with existing clients and it may only amount to sharing ideas over lunch or writing guest blogs to help gain exposure for what you do. These types of costs are typically recouped over time. But what about the client who actually wants you to work for free? Most of us have come across this particular species. They love your work, have a great business plan, and want to form a long-term relationship with you. But, they can’t afford your rates and propose a pro bono relationship where your reward is not in dollars but in the prestige and exposure you’ll get from taking on the work.
Another spin on this type of client is the one who connects with your social networks, views you as an expert or thought leader and reaches out seeking free advice.
At the end of the day, if a client is in business for profit, then they should have a concrete business plan and a budget to support their goals and labor costs. Would they get away with asking their employees to work for free?
2. Clients Who Complain About Your Fee
While you’ll often find that a client’s budget may not stretch to your rates, (the art of negotiation should get you through this one), you might want to avoid the client who questions whether the service is worth what you propose to charge. If they don’t see the value in what you do or perceive you as a rip off, what basis is there for a future relationship?
3. Clients Who Use Pressure Tactics
Dealing with tight deadlines is one thing, but the client who demands that you put all other work aside to handle their matter has “red flag” written all over them. These clients usually stand out by the fact that they have unjustified demands, are constantly on your case, and demand frequent updates. If work is light then taking on these clients might not be such a big deal, but if it means compromising other client relationships then consider turning them down. Remember, if they behave like this on your first project there’s a good chance they’ll expect quick turnarounds in the future (unless you can dig a little deeper and get to the reason behind the rush).
4. The Promise of Future Work
This is the business owners’ Achilles Heel, and the client knows it. These types of clients will often try to solicit services at a lower rate with the promise of more work to come. Each situation is different, but this is one instance where you’ll need to assess the client and the risk involved carefully, especially if you are being asked to agree to discount your services.
5. The Nature of the Project Itself
Let’s be honest you can’t be all things to all people. For example, if a project is too big you risk getting in over your head. On the flip side, the monetary benefit of a job that is too small may be outweighed by the effort involved. Or perhaps the project involves stepping outside your comfort zone and working on it would get in the way of any steps you are taking to establish your reputation or referral base in a particular niche.
6. Personal Conflicts
This is something your gut will inform. If you can’t see yourself getting along with a client or anticipate time-consuming hassles down the line, then it might be worth walking away.
7. Unresponsive Clients and the Project that Goes On and On
Ever worked on a project that you anticipated would take five weeks but ended up taking five months, thanks to an unresponsive client? While it’s hard to spot these projects before you agree to them, the warning signs soon creep in. The client might take forever to respond to email and phone calls or they take forever to review your work, delaying your ability to invoice them. Once you’re involved it’s hard to keep momentum going, but you can learn from the experience. The next time you find you are running around and chasing a client before you enter into a signed agreement, consider putting a project schedule in your statement of work or contract, with a cancellation clause should deadlines slip unrealistically.
The Art of Saying No! How to Let a Client Down
Turning down a client is a delicate affair. Getting it wrong could result in some nasty word-of-mouth negative marketing that your business can’t afford. Here are a few ways to turn down a client without risking your reputation or future projects:
- – Saying No to New Clients – There’s more latitude to tell a little white lie about why you can’t take on a particular project from a new client. Lack of bandwidth, prior commitments, or statements such as “I/We are not the best fit for this project”, etc. are tried and tested ways to soften the blow of rejection. Delivered professionally and courteously such excuses leave the door open for future work (if you want it).
- – Saying No to Existing Clients – Being honest with an existing client is your best strategy. If you have a good relationship and your work is valued, the rejection is something you’ll both get over. Reassure them that you’ll be there for them in the future, and put it down to bad timing or circumstances.
- – Saying No During the Mid–Project Stage – If a client asks you to deviate from your scope of work in the middle of a project, and, whether for bandwidth or personal reasons, you don’t feel confident taking it on, try to be up-front about your reasons.
- – Never Abandon a Client – When saying no, always recommend an alternate course of action or solution to the client’s needs. Perhaps you could point them towards someone else you know who would have less scruples about taking on the work.
- – Don’t Rely on Email – Turning someone down over email is never a good idea. A tone might be inferred that wasn’t there or your use of words might offend. Always try and handle “no” over the phone or in person, this will ensure you can immediately correct any negative perceptions. It’s also the polite thing to do!
Building a stable of great clients isn’t easy. It requires a clear understanding of what you want and don’t want for your business – the type of people you want to deal with, the company size (smaller companies are often more flexible and collaborative than larger corporations), and the type of work you find rewarding. Knowing how to avoid unwelcome clients is a learning curve, but it’s one worth taking and perfecting.
We’d love to hear how you’ve dealt with difficult clients or turned away the sources of potential headaches? Leave a comment on the Fundbox Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages.
About the Author:
Fundbox is a technology company disrupting the small business payments market. Fundbox is helping SMBs, freelancers and home offices grow by managing their cash flow better and by overcoming short term cash flow gaps.
– See more at: http://blog.fundinggates.com/2014/01/7-signs-that-its-time-to-walk-away-from-a-client/#sthash.SCe8ElJC.dpuf
Repost: The benefits of being bilingual
The Benefits of Being Bilingual
http://www.englishschoolnyc.com/772638/2013/10/29/the-benefits-of-being-bilingual.html
[LAST UPDATED 3 MONTHS AGO]
Did you know that over half of the world’s population is bilingual? This statistic may come as less of a surprise if you consider that there are nearly 7,000 languages spoken around the world! Being bilingual offers a wealth of benefits, from better brain function to improved job prospects. If you live in a vibrant place like New York City, being bilingual can even make it easier for you to meet new people. If you are considering learning a second language as an adult, it’s important to enroll in language classes designed for adult learners and immerse yourself in the language. Once you become fluent, you can maintain and improve your language abilities by taking classes, watching movies, and conversing in your new language. To find out more about the benefits of bilingualism, check out this infographic from Bluedata International Institute, an ESL school in New York City. Please share this infographic with your friends and family who are also hoping to learn English or any other second language!
#perlediunatraduttrice “Translation Wars”
IT: Voglio inaugurare il nuovo hashtag #perlediunatraduttrice con uno sketch-gioco di parole avvenuto ieri sera tra me e mia sorella.
EN: I want to celebrate the launch of the new hashtag #perlediunatraduttrice* telling you a play on words between my sister and me occurred last night.
ES: Para celebrar el lanzamiento de mi nuevo hashtag #perlediunatraduttrice** quiero contarles un juego de palabras que mi hermana y yo hicimos anoche.
***
[ ITALIANO ]
[giocando ad indovinare le canzoni dalle clip musicali su sporcle.com]
K: (digitando la risposta) “The WAN who can’t be moved” […] “Non me lo prende!”
M: “AHAHAHAH! Hai scritto WAN, non MAN…”
K: “WAN come Obi-Wan.”
M: “Sì, è ‘Lo JEDI che non si spostava***‘!”
[ ENGLISH ]
[playing “Guess the song/singer” listening to music clips from famous songs on sporcle.com]
K: (typing the answer) “The WAN who can’t be moved” […] “It says ‘wrong’!”
M: “HAHAHA! The word is MAN, not WAN…”
K: “WAN is for Obi-Wan.”
M: “Yep, ‘The JEDI who can’t be moved.”
[ ESPAÑOL ]
[jugando al quiz “Adivina la canción/quién canta”, escuchando algunos fragmentos de canciones famosas en sporcle.com]
K: (escribiendo la respuesta) “The WAN who can’t be moved” […] “No me hace escribir!”
M: “AJAJAJ! Has escrito WAN, en lugar de MAN…”
K: “WAN, como Obi-Wan.”
M: “¡Sí!, es ‘El JEDI que no se puede mover’.”
* #pearlsofatranslator
** #joyasdeunatraductora
*** [ndt.] la traduzione esatta è “che non può spostarsi/che non può essere spostato“.
Repost: 13 verbos que utilizamos incorrectamente en español
EL INGLÉS Y LA DESIDIA NOS HAN VENCIDO
13 verbos que utilizamos incorrectamente en español
Nos sorprendería conocer la cantidad de verbos que utilizamos incorrectamente. (Corbis)
Héctor G. Barnés 25/06/2013 (06:00)
Hace unas semanas listábamos los siete errores gramaticales que cometemos con más frecuencia en nuestro día a día y que, en muchos casos, estaban originados por la desidia, las prisas y el desinterés. Sin embargo, no es únicamente a la hora de disponer las palabras dentro de una oración cuando cometemos errores imperdonables, sino que también nos equivocamos a la hora de utilizar determinados verbos que con frecuencia empleamos con un sentido diferente al que realmente tienen.
En muchos casos y como ocurría en los errores gramaticales o esas palabras que los españoles pensamos que provienen del inglés (y que realmente nos hemos inventado), estos fallos responden a una influencia desmesurada de idiomas extranjeros como el inglés. En otros casos, empleamos verbos intransitivos (es decir, que exigen un complemento directo) como si fuesen transitivos, o con construcciones gramaticales equivocadas. Por último, lo que ocurre en muchos casos es que nos puede la desgana, y empleamos verbos comodín como “hacer”, “tener” o “haber” en lugar de esforzarnos por encontrar el término que mejor encajaría en dicha oración.
El periodismo en particular y los medios de comunicación en general tienen una gran culpa en ello, como grandes difusores de la lengua que son. A muchas personas sorprenderán algunos de los verbos que presentamos a continuación, puesto que su uso es habitual en televisión o en los periódicos pero, al menos hasta que la Real Academia de la Lengua y otras organizaciones como la Fundeu (Fundación del español urgente) tomen cartas en el asunto, quizá deberíamos revisar el uso que hacemos de ellos.
- Aplicar. Uno de los anglicismos más extendidos, que proviene del inglés “to apply”, y que en dicho idioma sí significa “solicitar” o “pedir”. Por el contrario, en castellano, no se debe decir nunca que se “aplica a una entrevista de trabajo” o a “una plaza en la universidad”, sino que uno se “presenta” o “solicita” algo. Lo mismo ocurre con el sustantivo “aplicación”, que no puede utilizarse para referirse a un “formulario de ingreso”.
- Señalizar. Con mucha frecuencia, escuchamos en la retransmisión de un evento deportivo que el árbitro ha “señalizado” una falta, un fuera de juego o el final del partido. En todos esos casos, el periodista debería haber empleado el verbo “señalar”, puesto que señalizar significa “colocar en las carreteras y en las vías de comunicación las señales que indican bifurcaciones, cruces, pasos a nivel y otras para que sirvan de guía a los usuarios”. Y a eso no es a lo que se dedican los colegiados.
- Resaltar. Aunque pueda sorprender a algunos, “resaltar” tiene su origen como verbo intransitivo, es decir, que no puede ir acompañado de un complemento directo. Tan sólo en su cuarta acepción se aclara que en algunas ocasiones puede ser empleado como transitivo. Fundeu recomienda emplear el verbo “destacar” en lugar de “resaltar” en frases como “el profesor resaltó las capacidades comunicativas del alumno”.
- Rentar. Del inglés proviene el verbo “to rent”, que significa “alquilar”, y a partir de ahí, multitud de hispanohablantes han comenzado a “rentar un apartamento” para sus vacaciones. Es incorrecto, puesto que rentar tan sólo significa “producir o rendir beneficio o utilidad anualmente”.
- Abatir. Si bien es cierto que dicho verbo significa “derribar” o “derrocar”, Fundeu advierte que no debemos emplear dicho término como sinónimo de “matar”, “asesinar”, “disparar” o “tirotear”. La organización aclara que hoy en día se abusa de dicha acepción del término y que, si bien no es totalmente incorrecta, debemos intentar emplear alguno de los sinónimos previamente señalados.
- Finalizar. En demasiadas ocasiones, el verbo “finalizar” (o “terminar” y “acabar”) se emplea como sinónimo de “clausurar”, cuando este debe ser el término empleado para hablar de congresos, charlas o ponencias. Es decir, debemos evitar usar una frase como “el congreso terminó con la participación del decano”. Estos tres verbos son comodines que por su amplitud de significado se emplean con excesiva frecuencia, ya que que existen otros términos que se ajustan mejor a lo que se quiere decir.
- Adolecer. Uno de los verbos en los que los españoles nos solemos equivocar con más frecuencia, por dos razones diferentes. La primera es que suele emplearse como sinónimo de “carecer de” en sentido positivo, cuando realmente significa “padecer algún mal” o “tener algún defecto”, con un matiz negativo; en ese sentido, “adolecer de una gran riqueza” sería incorrecto, puesto que “una gran riqueza” no es un mal o un defecto. En segundo lugar, debemos recordar que “adolecer” va seguido de la preposición “de”, por lo que decir que alguien “adolece cáncer” es incorrecto.
- Colapsar. ¿Cuántas veces escuchamos hablar del “colapso de las Torres Gemelas” y cuántas del “derrumbe”? El término es correcto, pero quizá se abusó demasiado de él. Por eso mismo, muchos lingüistas han denunciado la sobreutilización de dicho término. La Fundeu aconseja huir de esta palabra, a la que definen como “excesivamente técnica”, y buscar sinónimos como “destruir”, “paralizar”, “bloquear”, “derrumbar”, etc.
- Customizar. Un término que cada vez se emplea con más frecuencia como sinónimo de “modificar algo de acuerdo a las preferencias personales”, y que proviene del verbo inglés “to custom”. ¿Para qué emplear este anglicismo si podemos emplear términos castellanos totalmente aceptados como “personalizar”?
- Acceder. La Fundeu lanza una advertencia sobre el abuso de este verbo, que está comenzando a utilizarse con demasiada frecuencia como sinónimo de “entrar”. Aunque no sea completamente incorrecto, es preferible decir que alguien “entra” a un edificio que señalar que “accede” a él.
- Masticar. La mayor parte de los hispanohablantes piensan que “mascar” y “masticar” son sinónimos absolutos, pero hay un pequeño matiz que los separa: “masticar” se emplea únicamente para la comida, como paso previo a su ingesta, mientras que “mascar” se refiere a “partir y triturar algo con la boca”. Por lo tanto, podemos hablar del “mascado” de hojas de coca.
- Falsificar. Otras dos palabras casi sinónimas que suelen dar problemas en su utilización diaria son “falsear” y “falsificar”. Fundeu recomienda emplear el término “falsificar” para referirse a documentos, escritos, facturas, etc., y “falsear”, en un sentido más figurado, como en el caso de “falsear la realidad”.
- Cesar. Un término también utilizado con frecuencia en el ámbito del periodismo deportivo. Si bien está aceptado que un entrenador o trabajador sea “destituido” (o “relevado” o “despedido”), no lo es que “sea cesado”, puesto que “cesar” un verbo intransitivo que no puede construir de manera pasiva. Así pues, lo correcto es “José Mourinho cesa como entrenador del Real Madrid”, no “José Mourinho fue cesado como entrenador del Real Madrid”.Cf. http://www.elconfidencial.com/alma-corazon-vida/2013/06/25/13-verbos-que-utilizamos-incorrectamente-en-espanol-123633
Frozen: Sing-along (multilingual session)
Watch “Let It Go” From Disney’s ‘Frozen’
Performed In 25 Different Languages
JAN. 22, 2014
How they managed to get the tones so similar and so lovely is pretty impressive (it almost sounds like they’re all performed by the same girl) — which one is your favorite singer? 
Errori di adattamento, traduzione e doppiaggio (I)
Il post di oggi è un po’ più leggero rispetto a quelli dei giorni scorsi. [ ndr: ma estremamente più lungo AHAHAHAHAH -.- ]
Nel titolo ho addirittura messo tra parentesi un “I” per darmi un tono. (O tirarmi un po’ su di morale…! Onestamente non ne ho idea!) 😀 😀 😀
Non so se farò altri interventi del genere, ma mi piace pensare che avrò tempo e modo di scrivere anche post divertenti e inserire altre chicche del mondo del cinema, dei telefilm o della letteratura straniera.
[NB: uno l’ho già pronto, forse lo lascerò nelle bozze ancora per un po’…]
Non tutti sanno che sono particolarmente fissata con la saga “Pirati dei Caraibi“. Infatti, ai tempi dell’Università (*sigh* come passa il tempo…) volevo inserire la trilogia (nel frattempo mutata in tetralogia) nel comparto scientifico che avrei utilizzato per l’analisi della mia tesi di laurea triennale sugli errori di traduzione ed adattamento degli script originali nel cinema e nelle serie tv. Purtroppo, l’argomento era troppo vasto e riguardava una materia non curriculare (ndt: “traduzione audiovisiva” era una materia della specialistica e quindi non era attinente al mio piano di studi della triennale), perciò la Professoressa dirottò il mio diabolico piano su altro.
Infatti, qualche anno dopo, ho “ripiegato” su una tematica diversa. {però questo ve lo racconto un’altra volta…}
Nonostante ciò, non mi sono arresa e ho continuato imperterrita a seguire le mirabolanti peripezie di Captain Jack Sparrow e di quei poveri adattatori che non hanno saputo proprio rendere giustizia alla saga.
La cosa che maggiormente mi ha perplessa e sconcertata – presumibilmente prima sconcertata e poi perplessa – è stata la scelta dei titoli dei vari film che, fin dal primo (datato 2003), ha puntualmente lasciato intendere che NESSUNO si fosse preso il gusto di visionare la pellicola prima di fare l’adattamento.
Ma andiamo con ordine.
Ora, capisco che il genere possa non piacere a tutti e che magari Johnny Depp o Orlando Bloom non siano il prototipo del vostro uomo ideale, così come Keira (biondina e segaligna) non lo sia della vostra “immortale amatissima”; posso anche passare sopra al fatto che, non sapendo dell’avvento del “2” e del “3” (e poi anche del “4” a cui, si vocifera, dovrebbe fare seguito un “5”), per il primo film sia stato omesso il riferimento alla serie “Pirati dei Caraibi”, MA (c’è sempre un ‘ma’) non si può tradurre “[Pirates of the Caribbean:] The Curse of the Black Pearl” (chiarissimo!) con un raffazzonato “La maledizione della prima luna“. Cosa c’era di difficile nel tradurre con un semplice “La maledizione della Perla Nera“? Perla Nera sapeva troppo di soap opera? Lo so, non era abbastanza EPICO. Just for the record: è il nome della nave.
Qui, si potrebbe aprire una parentesi di una 20ina d’anni in cui riprendere concetti trattati e stratrattati sul perché e per come si debba scegliere di tradurre letteralmente un testo oppure cercare di mantenere il senso di ciò che si intendeva nella lingua di partenza, portando il messaggio sullo stesso livello cognitivo dell’audience della lingua di arrivo con scelte linguistiche parzialmente o completamente differenti da quelle di partenza.
Io, personalmente, il film l’ho visto almeno 200 volte e di quella “prima luna” non c’è traccia. Barbossa dice “La luce della luna ci rivela per ciò che siamo in realtà. Siamo uomini maledetti: non possiamo morire, per cui non siamo morti, ma non siamo nemmeno vivi“. Eh. La ‘luna’ c’è (e non ci piove). E la ‘prima’? Mistero!
Nel 2006, la storia si ripete. Qui un po’ mi ha pianto il cuore, lo ammetto. Il titolo originale è struggente e al tempo stesso epico nella sua semplicità (once again). Il secondo capitolo della saga, infatti, si intitola “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead man’s chest“. L’adattamento italiano non è riuscito nuovamente a rendere giustizia all’originale. Il film da noi è uscito con il titolo “Pirati dei Caraibi: la maledizione del forziere fantasma“.
Ovvio.
Perché cercare di riprendersi un minimo dal precedente scivolone? Giammai! Meglio continuare con ‘sta storia della ‘maledizione’ che ci piace assai! 😀 E va bene… Dietro a quel “chest” c’è un bellissimo gioco di parole volutamente scelto in inglese per collegare il fantomatico “uomo morto” al “forziere” (e/o al suo “petto”). Nonostante l’adattamento non mi piaccia tantissimo, devo ammettere che il senso della storyline è mantenuto. Il forziere c’è, non è proprio ‘fantasma’, ma Jack Sparrow è alla sua ricerca, perciò lui non sa dove sia e questo è grosso modo il plot del secondo film.
Una chicca estratta da questo capitolo è un errore di adattamento (e doppiaggio). Da quando l’ho individuato, lo posto ovunque.
Errori di (traduzione e) doppiaggio:
[eng/orig. version] Hammer-head shark Pirate: Five men still alive, the rest have moved on.
[trad/doppiaggio] Pirata Squalo Martello: 15 rimasti vivi, il resto è trapassato.
La domanda sorge spontanea: se sullo schermo ci sono 5 attori pronti per essere giustiziati, un dubbio non ti viene?
No, evidentemente no. 😀
Devo dire che della [vera] trilogia questo è il capitolo che mi è piaciuto meno, forse perché lascia lo spettatore con moltissimi buchi temporali nella storia, molti interrogativi, qualche intuizione abbozzata a causa dei nuovi personaggi introdotti e, in più, non ha una vera e propria conclusione. [ndr: doveva essere un film “ponte”; un collegamento tra il primo film, di cui non ci si aspettava un così grande successo, e il successivo, la conclusione della saga, su cui c’erano altissime aspettative. Effettivamente è così ‘ponte’ che quando appaiono i titoli di coda non riesci ad alzarti in piedi perché pensi ci sia ancora altro da vedere.]
Veniam perciò al III capitolo uscito nel 2007. L’unico che EFFETTIVAMENTE non ha subito grossi sconvolgimenti a livello di adattamento. Voci che erano trapelate prima della sua uscita avevano dato, come probabili, due titoli differenti, cioè “At World’s End” e “At Worlds End“. Non proprio lievissima la differenza tra le due opzioni. La prima si presta ad un più sottile gioco di parole, mentre la seconda lascia solamente intendere che il capitolo finale vede la fine dei “mondi” [ndr: quali mondi?]. La scelta è poi ricaduta sul primo titolo, che gioca sulla fine del mondo intesa come atto finale di un’Opera, quindi una sorta di resa dei conti, ma anche come luogo ben preciso dove REALMENTE i protagonisti si recano durante il film. [WARNING: major spoiler!!!]
La traduzione in italiano è abbastanza fedele ed infatti il film esce in Italia con il titolo “Pirati dei Caraibi: Ai confini del mondo” che riesce a mantenere parzialmente intatto il messaggio voluto con il titolo inglese. Potrei stare a parlare per dieci ore solo di questo film. E’ in assoluto il mio preferito. 🙂
[*FANGIRLING TIME*]
A distanza di 4 anni (è il 2011), esce nelle sale italiane, poi in quelle americane, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides“. Il film è liberamente tratto dall’omonimo romanzo di Tim Powers noto in Italia con il titolo “Mari stregati“. Un lettore/Uno spettatore attento a questo punto ha già fatto 2+2, vero? Il titolo italiano è quindi “Pirati dei Caraibi: Mari stregati“.
Questa volta il titolo è stato tradotto con “Pirati dei Caraibi: Oltre i confini del mare“. Evidentemente, un più letterale “[PdC:] Verso acque straniere” o “Su maree sconosciute” avrebbe interrotto la continuità delle scelte linguistiche già applicate alla traduzione ed utilizzare lo stesso titolo del libro avrebbe implicato l’infrazione di qualche diritto d’autore (?). Dunque, la mossa più appropriata è stata – di nuovo – seguire la scia del capitolo precedente. Nasce perciò un collegamento con gli ex “confini del mondo”, con l'”Aqua de vida” segnata sulla mappa, che porterà Jack Sparrow a navigare su acque straniere, più lontane. Ok. La domanda resta: PERCHé?
Per la mia gioia – e per quella di chi come me si è appassionato alla saga non solo per gli attori e i personaggi, ma anche per le vicende linguistiche che le gravitano attorno – è in preparazione il V capitolo della serie, il cui titolo sarà “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales“. Letteralmente possiamo tradurlo con “[PdC:] Gli uomini morti non raccontano storie” oppure, parafrasando un po’, con “[PdC:] I morti non mentono“. In verità “dead men tell no tales” è un modo di dire anglosassone che significa “dead people will not betray any secrets” e che in italiano suona più o meno come “I morti non tradiscono alcun segreto“.
Sono veramente curiosa di vedere che cosa tireranno fuori dal loro cappello gli adattatori . 😉 L’uscita è prevista per luglio 2015, manca solamente un annetto.
Vi lascio con un video STUPENDO in chiave ironica in cui vengono evidenziati, scena per scena, tutti gli errori in “POTC: The Curse of the Black Pearl“. Io sto ancora ridendo…
P.S.: grazie Wendy per avermi fatto capire che le .gif possono essere estremamente utili! 🙂
Repost: Tips for setting your translation rates, for professional translators.
Tips for setting your translation rates, for professional translators.*
PEEMPIP January 21, 2014 Articles in English, Επάγγελμα: μεταφραστής
One of the first difficulties that a professional translator has to face is deciding their rates. Personally, I started researching what the current market rates were before I even finished my studies, and I still believe it is the best strategy. I used to contact other colleagues, my professors, research any available agency website at the time, and ask around, trying to compile a list of what other translators out there were charging for their services. This has proven to be very effective, and it is the strategy I would suggest to you today. Not to mention, I’m still doing it, 10+ years later, just to have a general feeling of the market, and be able to expect client’s reactions.
Nowadays, with the extensive use of the Internet, the use of social media and the massive networks of professionals, it is much easier to do such a thing, and here are a few tips for new professionals who wish to understand better how we charge, and what we charge.
First of all, you have to think of yourself as a small business. Not only will you be charging for your professional services, but what you earn should also cover all your expenses, including living costs, taxes, accounting fees, subscriptions to professional associations, promotion and advertising of your business, computer software and hardware, etc. At the end of each month, you should be able to have something that could be considered a salary, which will cover all your needs. Find out which hourly rate would help you achieve that. Yes, it is not a steady income, being a freelance professional involves that risk unfortunately, but it is an income nevertheless, and only treating it as one will help you evolve.
Most new professionals think that offering lower rates will bring them more clients, which may be true, but what they fail to see is that offering lower rates also diminishes the value of their time and efforts. Furthermore, constantly working with a handful of clients with low rates might prevent you from finding other clients with higher rates. Not to mention that always working with lower rates will most probably make it hard for you to make ends meet. Always keep an eye in the future, and evaluate your relations with your clients based on the long-run. Is booking all your time worth what you might be losing from trying for new clients with higher rates? Are you going to burn out yourself whilst working for low rates, when you could have been working less hours and earning more money? Think about that beforehand.
In addition, do not be afraid to negotiate. Negotiating is generally expected in all types of business, and negotiating does not make you look unprofessional. Rather the opposite. You should charge what you think you are worth. Not too high to drive yourself out of the market, but not too low either. You can leave a margin, for example to be competitive, but you do not want to look cheap either. Because, let’s face it, some professionals who charge too low make most clients suspect that they do so just because their services are not good enough to justify a higher rate. Or, that they will finish the project they are assigned very quickly and sloppily, just to get more work, because their rates are so low. On the opposite side, charging too high might make your potential client think that you are over-reaching, and unless you are one hundred percent sure of your abilities, they will find some flaw in your work that will make them question you and your professionalism. Discuss with your client the rates you would like to receive and you will see that with dialogue you might earn more than you initially thought to ask for.
One more thing you can do is develop rates for each client individually. Not all clients can offer the same, and not all clients demand the same, so adjust your rates based on who your client is and how much you think they can pay. Offering discounts for steady workflows or large volumes is a good strategy too; negotiate with your client and ask them to send work exclusively to you for a lower rate, but remember that your quality must remain as high as it would be for a higher rate, otherwise you will appear unprofessional and they will not want to work with you again. Also, in that effort, try not to harm your colleagues by offering an extremely low rate, thus “breaking” the market. Even half a cent is a decent offer; think about the general conditions of the market before making your bid.
Also, remember to always ask for the details of a project. Learn before you start working on a project what it involves, try to determine the amount of effort that will be required on your part, the time you will have to spend on it, the difficulties it might present, and then you can set your rate according to what you think is fair. You can even ask for a sample, if there is one available. Remember that, most clients have a background in this industry and are well aware of how much your services will probably cost them, so do not try to be sneaky, just be honest. And, of course, negotiate!
Keep in mind that you do not have to have a set pricelist. You can increase or decrease your rates depending on the client, the project, the type of work you are required to do. But always be honest, it is the best policy. Telling a client that you can lower your rates if they send you more work is not something to be embarrassed of. It’s just good business tactics. Lowering your rates because you are simply afraid is not. Do not ask for a rate change in the middle of a project, it is unprofessional, even if you found out that the project is more difficult than expected. You can mention it to your PM, but simply asking for a higher rate is not polite. And on the flip side, do not be afraid to ask for more, from before beginning the project, if you see that it requires more than what your usual rate covers.
Finally, know that you can either charge by the hour, or the word, per source or target word, or per 16 pages or any way you want. The parameters vary, the methods vary, and the negotiations between you and your client can influence your decisions. Do some research, decide what you want, ask colleagues and professional associations (like www.peempip.gr, for example, the Panhellenic Association of Professional Translators Graduates of the Ionian University, or any other professional association in your country) about their methods, and you will find what you need.
In general, rates vary significantly. Lately I heard of agencies in Greece offering to freelancers as low as €0.015/source word to translators, which is simply ludicrous and, I dare say, unprofessional. €0.035 is a good place to start, if you are a student and need the experience. From there, you can go as high as you can convince your client to give you, based on your quality, professionalism and experience. A good translator will not easily lower their rates just for the sake of working, because they have put a lot of time and effort in becoming what they are: Good translators. In Greece and in the current market (unfortunately), €0.04 is a decent rate to start and work your way up. Anything lower than that is just a waste of time if you are a professional who values their time, and in my opinion, it only puts a crack in the foundations of what we all want and strive for: fair rates for our good work.
Some examples of methods of charging that I have seen in this industry are listed below. Note that this list is not exhaustive, nor can it be considered a standard, the volumes can vary significantly:
- Simple Translation -> Per source word, or per page (1 page ≈ 250-300 words).
- Technical Translation -> Per source word
- Technical Translation, Software strings -> Per source word or per hour
- Literary Translation -> Per 16 standard book pages
- Glossary translation -> 30-35 terms per hour (medium difficulty terminology)
- Editing (or “Review”) -> Mostly per source word (on the total of words), but sometimes per hour, at a rate of approx. 1000 source words/hour
- Proofreading -> Per hour, at a rate of approx. 2000 source words/hour
- QA checks, engineering -> Per hour
LSO (Linguistic sign-off), LQA (Linguistic Quality Assurance), FQA (Formatting Quality Assurance), etc -> Per hour, at a rate of approx. 2500 source words/hour (or 15 pages/hour)
*This is only an informative article. The writer assumes no responsibility for any misunderstandings
Popie Matsouka is currently the Senior Project Manager and Lead Medical Translator and Editor of Technografia. She also holds the position of Quality Assurance Specialist, having specialized in translation and localization QA software technology. She is the resident tech/IT expert, and after having worked as a localization tools trainer, she recently also became a beta tester for SDL Trados Studio. Her education includes being an Apple trained Support Professional, plus a PC/MAC and LAN technician, apart from being a CAT tools expert. She also volunteers for the Red Cross, and is a firm believer that if we all work together we can make a great difference in this world, combining our professional and our personal strengths.
One Sec Translations di Chiara Bartolozzi 