Which software application should I use to translate? Thread poster: Rebeca Martín Lorenzo
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Hello everybody
I am doing a test for a translation company specialized in software and website localization and, besides the usual translation tests, I have to answer a number of questions.
I am given 3 samples (A, B and C). Firstly, I have to name the file type of each sample (I think A is an html file, B is an Online help file and C is a resource file, programmed in C++). Secondly, I have to highlight in the texts what needs translating, which I have already done, av... See more Hello everybody
I am doing a test for a translation company specialized in software and website localization and, besides the usual translation tests, I have to answer a number of questions.
I am given 3 samples (A, B and C). Firstly, I have to name the file type of each sample (I think A is an html file, B is an Online help file and C is a resource file, programmed in C++). Secondly, I have to highlight in the texts what needs translating, which I have already done, avoiding any codes). And finally, I have to say which software application I would generally use to translate each text.
I think Trados TagEditor would be the best option for the html text, so as to avoid removing any of the codes/tags (or to edit them if necessary). But is TagEditor the right application to use with samples B and C (online help file and resource file)? Or should I use, for example, "Catalyst"? Unfortunately I am still not familiar with these tools, I have only used Trados Workbench and T-Window, so I am quite lost. However, I am keen to learn.
Many thanks in advance for your help,
Becky ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Test of your ability | Feb 9, 2007 |
Becky75 wrote:
Hello everybody
I am doing a test for a translation company specialized in software and website localization and, besides the usual translation tests, I have to answer a number of questions.
I am given 3 samples (A, B and C). Firstly, I have to name the file type of each sample (I think A is an html file, B is an Online help file and C is a resource file, programmed in C++). Secondly, I have to highlight in the texts what needs translating, which I have already done, avoiding any codes). And finally, I have to say which software application I would generally use to translate each text.
I think Trados TagEditor would be the best option for the html text, so as to avoid removing any of the codes/tags (or to edit them if necessary). But is TagEditor the right application to use with samples B and C (online help file and resource file)? Or should I use, for example, "Catalyst"? Unfortunately I am still not familiar with these tools, I have only used Trados Workbench and T-Window, so I am quite lost. However, I am keen to learn.
Many thanks in advance for your help,
Becky
Don't take this the wrong way - it is not personal - however I don't think the agency in question would necessarily regard it as ethical for you to be asking for help on a test when the whole purpose of the test is to test your ability.
You should also be aware that agencies often read forum postings to see what is going on in the industry.
Others may well disagree, but by your own admission you are not yet familiar with these tools and so I think you'd be better off doing the necessary training and/or finding an experienced colleague who has the time to teach you before actually attempting tests.
Giving in someone else's answer(s) now is going to give the agency the wrong impression of your current skills. It can land you in hot water if you accept a job and they find out you can't handle it - it's tantamount to misrepresentation in law.
[Edited at 2007-02-09 15:55]
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It's the agency's job to prepare these files.
HTML files can be handled with Tageditor.
For resource files, you can use Trados with Word, I have regular jobs like that, but these files are always prepared by the agency. Futher applications can handle resource files, for example, Passolo or Catalyst. But the usual scenario is that the agency or the client buys the professional version, prepares a bundle based on resource files, then sends out that bundle. The translator ... See more It's the agency's job to prepare these files.
HTML files can be handled with Tageditor.
For resource files, you can use Trados with Word, I have regular jobs like that, but these files are always prepared by the agency. Futher applications can handle resource files, for example, Passolo or Catalyst. But the usual scenario is that the agency or the client buys the professional version, prepares a bundle based on resource files, then sends out that bundle. The translator downloads the lite/translator version, and accomplishes the work.
The process for help files is similar, or maybe there are specialized tools. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 19:21
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| Three identical posts in three forums! | Feb 10, 2007 |
Becky75 wrote:
Hello everybody
You know, I think it is generally considered bad form to post the identical query in three different forums... Just my 2c.
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 19:21
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Not necessarily the agency's job | Feb 10, 2007 |
mzdude wrote:
It's the agency's job to prepare these files.
If the agency were to prepare the files, they would "prepare" it for use in a particular tool, which may not be the translator's tool of choice.
TagEditor is a case in point -- if a client sends me a TTX file that is really an HTML file converted into Trados format, then I tend to ask "why on earth?". I can appreciate a client doing this with some DTP format that I don't have the viewer for. But HTML is not a dangerous format to work with, and you don't need a special program to view or edit it.
Formats A and C are plaintext formats, which means that you can open them in a plaintext editor with *absolutely no risk* of data loss[1]. There's no reason why a translator should not be able to use his favourite CAT program (or even Notepad, if he wants to).
If format B is also plaintext (I suspect it is), then any CAT tool that supports user-customisable tagging will suffice.
And even if the CAT tool doesn't support tagging, one can always extract the text using some other tool, translate the strings only, and put the translation back into the file again using simple scripting.
[1] Unless you open a UTF-8 file in MS Word, and forget to save it as UTF-8, and it ends up in "Microsoft Word Unicode" (which is really weird and may give your client head-aches and sleepless nights).
[Edited at 2007-02-10 18:37]
| | | | | Is it? Sorry then | Feb 10, 2007 |
Samuel Murray wrote: Becky75 wrote:
Hello everybody You know, I think it is generally considered bad form to post the identical query in three different forums... Just my 2c.
I didn't know it was... Sorry. I just didn't know which forum was the right one to post my question... The topic is in relation to CAT but to localization as well... So I just posted where I thought it was appropiate. Also, I never imagined I would get so many replies anyway (thanks) I'm new to Proz forums!
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