Transcript Context : An Infrastructural Shift

Session 2
Teamwork and Communication in Teletranslation
- Teletranslation
- Internet and the translator
- Collaboration
Objectives:
- To understand the concept of Teletranslation
- To be aware of the impact of Internet and Computermediated Communication (CMC) on translation
1
What is teletranslation?
Teletranslation brings the
translation operator and the
customer together in a
global network which in turn
links worldwide language
expertise which may be
human or machine
(O’Hagan, 1996)
2
What is teletranslation?
Industrial Society
Physical transportation
and face-to-face
communication with
print media
Paradigm of Translation
Information Society
Internet and
computer-mediated
communication with
digital media
Paradigm of Teletranslation
3
Teletranslation Paradigm

Processing of content in electronic form

Engineering input incorporated

Translation foregrounded in design
of the source content

Asynchronous and synchronous text

Cultural adaptation of non-textual elements

Computer and network-assisted
translation with a range of tools
4
TMC & CMC
 Translation-mediated communication (TMC)
message in
Sender
TRANSLATOR
source language
message in
target language
Receiver
 Computer-mediated communication (CMC)
message
COMPUTER
Sender
message
Receiver
5
Changing nature of translation
content
HYPERREALITY
multimodal
e.g. video game
non-linear text
HYPERTEXT
e.g. web site
linear text
TEXT
6
Changing nature of translation
content
non-linear text
HYPERTEXT
e.g. web site
linear text
TEXT
• Retention of format (e.g. HTML/XML)
• High-volume perishable text
• Frequent micro changes
• Adaptation of icons, images, layout….
7
Teletranslation experiments 1:
“Transterpreting” for text chat
SENDER
in Japan
RECIPIENT
in USA
J
J
 Keyboard entry in
Romanized Japanese
J
 Romanized Japanese
displayed on all participants'
screens, including transterpreter
TRANSTERPRETER
in New Zealand
J
J
J
E
E
 English translation
displayed on screen
 Transterpreter reads Japanese and types English
8
CMC Issues

Treatment of culture-specific emoticons
\(^ ・^)/
banzai (cheers) smile with arms upraised
(^^;)
a cold sweat – anxiety in anticipation of
possible offence to the recipient
(_o_)
a person sitting down with head down
and hands stretched in front for a deep
apology
(^o^;>)
a protruding elbow showing an apologetic
person scratching the back of his or her
9
head
Teletranslation experiments 2:
“Transterpreting” for chat with picture
 MS ComicChat: Interactive chat
environment
10
Teletranslation experiments 2:
“Transterpreting” for chat with picture
 MS ComicChat: Interactive chat environment
11
Teletranslation experiments 3:
“Transterpreting” for chat with VR
 ActiveWorlds: Interactive chat environment with
avatars
12
Teletranslation Issues:
Experiment results

Nonverbal communication may need to be translated/
interpreted explicitly

Language mediator may begin to use nonverbal cues more
often and explicitly

Translating and interpreting may merge, leading to a hybrid
mode

Language mediator may start to take on the role of
communication manager
13
Impact of Technology on Translation

Speed
- Online MT for information gisting on Web
- Sim-Ship for software localisation with TM

Quality
- TMS/TM for consistent use of terminology
- Language-specific search tools

Price
- Pay once for the same sentence on TM
- Global online tendering of translation jobs
- Internet-based free amateur translation
14
The Internet and Human Translation

The Internet as a research tool for HT
• Access to the author of the source text
• Text in various domains
• Mailinglist as a translator knowledge-base
• Vast number of terminology and text sources
• Image search for cultural knowledge gap
• Speech search (Web radio to check pronunciation)
15
The Internet and Human Translation

The Internet as a business interface for HT
• Access to potential customers via Translator’s
mailinglist
e-goups on Yahoo http://www.groups.yahoo.com/
16
The Internet and Human Translation

The Internet as a business interface for HT
• Access to potential customers via Translation
portals
SDL/Trados http://www.translationzone.com/
17
The Internet and Human Translation

The Internet as a business interface for HT
• e-Agencies
Aquarius http://www.aquarius.net/
ProZ.com http://www.ProZ.com
TransMart http://www.trans-mart.net
18
The Internet and Human Translation
 Shared knowledge and skills
• Networked translation memory
• Wiki-based collaborative translation
Wiki: a web application to allow any user to
edit the content; collaborative software used
to create such a website (Wikipedia)
19
Fan-based translation facilitated
by technology

Fan-subs and Scanlation
• Amateur translation activities in response to the
lack of availability of translation or resistance
against extreme domestication policies adopted
in official translation of Japanese anime / manga
• Illegal and yet tolerated by the Japanese
producers of anime/manga titles
• Lack of linguistic skills compensated by
genre-knowledge
• Pushing the frontier of a new “form” of subtitles
20