This site uses cookies.
Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site,
while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.
For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Looking for a career change and feeling "passionate" about languages and translation?
Thread poster: Philippe Etienne
Kay Denney France Local time: 14:14 French to English
.
Nov 18, 2022
Dan Lucas wrote:
Tom, it may not be your primary argument here, but I believe that you are stating explicitly something that most intellectually curious people understand implicitly. That is, everything becomes interesting if you look at it closely enough.
Dan
I don't think it's possible with dry legal and financial texts, for me. But I have often found myself plunging into worlds I barely knew of. Once I had to translate a text for a company that makes crates for travelling art exhibitions, and I learned more about crates than I ever would have thought possible. Like, there are two different words for the dividers preventing champagne bottles from rattling in their crates, depending on whether the "teeth" face upwards or downwards. I would never want to work for a company that makes crates, but the few days I spent researching their text was a fascinating glimpse into their world.
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Kaspars Melkis United Kingdom Local time: 13:14 English to Latvian + ...
different thoughts
Nov 19, 2022
Michele Fauble wrote:
Interesting.
Essentially the study is about a very simple thing – center-embedded clauses are bad writing. This is a common knowledge, but it is also good to show evidence that it is not only a stylistic issue but something that makes it harder for readers to understand the text. Why lawyers don't care and often uses them? Probably because they are not trained to be good writers and they follow the tradition that doesn't put emphasis on clarity. However, I would expect translators to be more professional and avoid such phrasing whenever possible.
I have reviewed many legal documents in Latvian and found that the national laws almost never use center-embedded clauses. Apparently good lawyers are aware of good writing practices and follow them diligently. On the level of ministries and local government, center-embedded clauses unfortunately are quite common. Latvia is a relatively poor country and people who work in local government may not be that well trained or are not professional writers.
Although no translator has ever disagreed with me that center-embedded clauses are bad and should not be used, I regularly get to edit translations that contain them. I find them very jarring. Please, think more about the target reader when translating.
[Edited at 2022-11-19 08:30 GMT]
Subject:
Comment:
The contents of this post will automatically be included in the ticket generated. Please add any additional comments or explanation (optional)
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free