Documentary Research in Technical Translation

Halima SEDDIKI
Université d’Oran 1 Ahmed Ben Bella

Abstract

The translator is considered as one of the most needed people to read continuously to renew her/his knowledge and develop her/his cognitive baggage. S/He is required to do so by virtue of her/his work, especially if s/he is inclined to a particular field and s/he wants to specialize in it. In this article, we try to highlight the importance of the documentary research in technical translation, and how the situation of beginner translators is in the job market.

Keywords: documentary research – translation – terminology – terms – concepts – job market – beginner translators – technology.

Introduction:

The addition to vocabulary and new terminology to languages is a phenomenon that falls within the reasons that make us sure that the language is alive. Through this, the language is influenced by the birth of new words and the death of others, and humans remain following up to change the language. Documentary research in technical translation is the subject matter at the beginning of this article; then we go deeper in analyzing until we touch the beginner translators in the job market and which is the element to be pointed out in this article.

1. Documentary research systems

Documentary research is an essential step that any translator should do before s/he begins to translate, especially if s/he has a technical text full of technical terms that require careful research. Documentary research is an accurate research based primarily on reliable references that contribute to the clarification of a specific issue or phenomenon. Hence, the appropriate results related to the subject of documentary research, whose objectives are different, are reached.

Documentary research is one of the most important steps that a translator starts with in the translation process. We try to delve deeply into the subject of documentary research in the profession of the translator. That is to dig deeper into documentary research, which is a research method that deals with collecting facts and information recorded on a document to be translated. This research is used to study subjects, terms and phrases that the translator cannot understand through her/his own information. Therefore, s/he uses her/his interpretation and understanding through the so-called documentary research.

The importance of documentary research for the interpreter is that it is critical in the quality of the translation. If the documentary research is in-depth as it should be, the translation will be correct. If the translator neglects to look for facts and knowledge of the subject and verifies the validity of the information, the translation will be less than the necessary translation quality.

Translation is related to documentary research and cannot be relied upon. Emphasizes this –‘Peter Schwaar‘ who says: ‚Traduire, c’est aussi se documenter‘¹ which means translation is also to read documents. It is clear that prior to any translation that the translator must fully understand the text to be translated, and this can be achieved only through familiarity with the subject and scope of the document. The document is everything we can rely on, as well as we refer to it in case we want to tighten the order and give it the status of verification and assurance. The process of searching the translator’s documentation before embarking on the translation process is very difficult. It goes through many stages that each interpreter must adhere to.

We want to call it a path because these stages or steps constitute a path followed by the translator so that s/he can begin translation with confidence and interest. The first thing that gets to the translator is the reception of a document that s/he should translate into a different language than the original language. Research concerning the document to be translated is the first stage carried out by the translator, in which the research should be about the type and date of the document, the person who issued it, as well as the identification of the language level that is used.

The steps of documentary research seem simple and easy to mention, but in reality, it is difficult, and it cannot bear the error because it is considered the cornerstone on which the documentary research is based. These steps are: document research, detect difficulties, a collection of source information, reading the source and evaluating information credibility, research and analysis, information storage.

2. Terminology :

Among the most important linguistic and intellectual problems that face the translator’s path is the problem of the term and its understanding and dealing with it. This is because the language is constantly developing. Language is forced to be adapted to a life that drives it forward, and in its way, it continuously confronts the development in all fields, especially in technological ones. The latter can be illustrated in the use of solar energy for the electric power production, an area that carries a huge number of new terms resulting from technological development, and which must be searched for understanding and translation.

The German philosopher Kant says that language is a living organism that changes when we deal with new and modern terms, for example solar panels, aluminium silicate glass. In this sense, the term is an integral part of the language, so we must give sufficient importance to the term by defining and clarifying its meaning.

2.1. Unifying the Scientific Term

The term is the pillar of any part of a specialized language whose user tries to accurately express concepts so that the communication between her/him and the reader can be effective. Maria Térésa Cabré says about the term: ‚Les termes sont des unités composées de formes (la dénomination) et de contenu (le concept) qui coïncident avec les mots seulement en apparence‘². ‚The terms are complex units composed of forms (naming) and content (concept) where these terms often coincide with words but only ostensibly‘ our translation. What Capré says confirms the idea that it has already been addressed that the term contains the two things expressed in the two words ‚La domination – Naming‘ and ‚Le concept – the concept‘.

Scholars began to work on developing the term until it became a science gradually expanding. Accordingly, many international organizations emerged with the aim of organizing terminology and classifying it in documents. The most important of these organizations are the following:

– ISO: International Organization for Standardization.

– IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission‘

It was established in 1906; it worked on the harmonization of electrotechnical terms.

-INFOTERM: International Information center for terminology‘

The Center is located in Vienna since 1981, alongside with the Austrian Institute for Standardization in coordination with the UNESCO and the Terminology Committee of the International Organization for Standardization.

In Terminology, there are three specialities, where three specialists are concerned.

• The terminologist :

The aim of the first specialist in this field is to identify and address the terminology unit, which is adopted in the science of terminology.

• The terminographer:

S/he is the author of lists of glossaries and terms.

• The computer terminographer:

S/He is a person who specializes in terminological media or the exploitation of computer terminology. Its function is to codify terms on indexed objects or in other formats. It also defines the method of using and reading scripts.

The fact that we mentioned three different disciplines does not mean that each discipline is independent of the other and that there is no interdisciplinary connection. On the contrary, each specialization is linked to the other because it is the terminologist who puts the terminological units, then comes the terminographer role who publishes them, and the computer terminographer who will ensure the investment of dictionaries in digital format using the computer.

The aim of the three disciplines is to facilitate users work, such as translators since, for example, it will accelerate the pace of their work because the benefit of the investments in this disciplines will save them time and effort at work

2.2 Documentary Research in Technical Translation

The technical term is the essence and core of technical texts. It imposes its existence strongly on technical texts so that we cannot ignore it, as it is the strict and controlling factor in meaning. Technical translation requires correctness. It is a translation full of technical terms, which are far from of all forms of aesthetics.

Most of what we read about technical translation is that it is not correct unless the translator can fully understand the text to be translated (written or oral) so that s/he can find the perfect translation of the complex concepts that characterize the technical texts.

Based on their experience in the field, translators focus on documentary research before starting translation. What is important to know is to draw the attention of the reader that documentary research is not only necessary before the translation, but before, during and sometimes after the translation at the level of the final review of the text produced in the target language.

3. Beginner Translators in the Job Market

Technical translation is a translation that needs great efforts, and it is the reverse case of literary translation, which can be easily translated into terms compared to the technical terms we find on technical texts. Daniel Gouadec refers to a lecture presented at the forum organized by the Multilingual Research Center in Specialized Translation – GREMUTS: Groupe de recherche multilingue en traduction spécialisée ‚. It was held at the University of ‚Standhal in Grenoble‘ in 2005. He says that the technical translation is:

‚On dira que la traduction technique est la traduction de matériaux qui, sous toutes formes (Texte, schémas, essai, article, etc.) et sur tous support (Support papier, tous formats de fichiers, support Web, vidéo, etc.) se rapportent à des domaines généralement identifiés comme relevant de la traduction technique ou des techniques‘³

‘We will say that technical translation is the translation of materials in all forms (text, layout, essay, article, etc.) and all documents (paper document, file standards, WAP document, video, etc.) that relate to areas commonly known as technical translation or techniques’. (Our translation)

From this definition, we find that technical translation is a translation with technical concepts and which can provide the translator with several types of documents such as drawings, videos and others, which require the ability and skill to understand and translate properly.

Technical language is a scientific language using technical terms. Its scientific material is the scientific truth, and its goal is informative as Antoine Berman said. The knowledge area of ​​technical translation is unlimited. Reading and enriching knowledge is a necessity for a technical translator.

Someones think that a technical translator should be a mobile encyclopedia, but this belief is wrong. What makes a technical interpreter is to be knowledgeable and to be passionate about constantly reading to gain knowledge. In his article titled ‚La traduction technique⁴‚, Paul A. Horguelin points out that a technical translator must read and read out of translation time as well; this means that a technical translator should keep constantly reading at any time. The goal of reading and doing continuous researches in daily life is to stay in touch with the world and what happens in it, and the most important is to enrich and to renew the knowledge and terminology.

One of the ways in which a translator always stays fully aware of what happens in his or her speciality is to subscribe to a magazine or magazines of his/her specialty, and to read articles and publications on a permanent basis.

The first thing we refer to in terms of the technical translator’s training is that there are no limits, nor does it end. Based on what we have said regarding the training of the technical translator, it should be noted that the penetration of the job market as a beginner translator is not easy, because the translator’s services are indispensable in all fields, whether it is commercial, legal, medical or economic. That is why some translators prefer to open a translation office instead of going to institutions or companies or other places to offer their services, especially if it concerns technical translators, because the number of this group of translators is limited, and the demand for their services is excessive.

4. Conclusion

The need for technical translation is essential because we live in an era in which science has reached its highest level. Scientific and technical publications have been on the rise, and the number of technical journals has increased, so the need to identify their content has become a necessity to keep abreast of scientific development. Most interpreters find it difficult to understand technical texts because they use a technical language that needs documentary research to demystify them. Therefore, the translator must be able to use those technical and scientific terms although that type of translation is one of the most difficult ones.

References

Henri Bejoint. Philipe Thoiron. Le sens en terminologie. Paris : Lion. Presse universitaire de Lyon.

Paul A. Horguelin. META, La traduction technique Canada : Québec. Erudit . Vol11 n°1.

Elisabeth Lavault-Olléon. Traduction spécialisée : pratiques, théories, formations. Peter Lang. Allemagne : Bern .Ed10.

Peter Schwaar, Ina Boesch. L’écrivain et son traducteur en suisse et en Europe (sous la direction de Marion Graf). Genève. Editions Zoé.

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