| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you overwrite when you translate Word/text documents? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you overwrite when you translate Word/text documents?".
This poll was originally submitted by Serena Tutino
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For mor... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you overwrite when you translate Word/text documents?".
This poll was originally submitted by Serena Tutino
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nicole Schnell 
United States
Local time: 22:09
English to German
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In memoriam | Of course not. | Jan 7, 2010 |
This would be an invitation for mistakes and accidentally omitted text. I start a new paragraph and mark the source text in color. Proofreading and QA made easy and at a glance. I also send such bilingual files to my editor. Highly appreciated and it saves time.
Also: My pet peeve. Unchanged file names after text has been overwritten. It can mess up your filing system and your documentation beyond belief.
| | | | Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 07:09
English to German
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In memoriam | Of course yes | Jan 7, 2010 |
It depends, however, on what we mean by "overwriting". My "overwriting" works as follows: Phrase by phrase I enter the translation in front of the original text and then delete the original text. By doing so, I omit any omissions and, important, I immeditely have the final layout.
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I use cat tools almost always. I like the highlighted phrase and the space to write below it, apart from the translation memory, I find this helps me too.
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 22:09
English to German
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In memoriam | Uhm - that's exactly what I meant. :-) | Jan 7, 2010 |
Rolf Kern wrote:
It depends, however, on what we mean by "overwriting". My "overwriting" works as follows: Phrase by phrase I enter the translation in front of the original text and then delete the original text. By doing so, I omit any omissions and, important, I immeditely have the final layout.
| | | | Xanthippe
France
Local time: 07:09
Member (2008)
Italian to French
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SITE LOCALIZER
I always use CAT tools....
| | | | NMR (X)
France
Local time: 07:09
French to Dutch
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| Yes of course | Jan 7, 2010 |
I always use a CAT too, with CopySourceWhenNoMatch in Wordfast Classic's Pandora Box or a similar system. I like this system too, the text above helps me concentrate. When there are no repetitions, this system copies all proper names, geographical names, figures, tags, codes and other non-translatable stuff (sometimes up to 50% of the text), then I only have to translate things that have to be translated (I do not "overwrite" but replace words by other words and change word order if necessary). ... See more I always use a CAT too, with CopySourceWhenNoMatch in Wordfast Classic's Pandora Box or a similar system. I like this system too, the text above helps me concentrate. When there are no repetitions, this system copies all proper names, geographical names, figures, tags, codes and other non-translatable stuff (sometimes up to 50% of the text), then I only have to translate things that have to be translated (I do not "overwrite" but replace words by other words and change word order if necessary). Only for real litterature-like files such as newsletters and marketing texts where style is necessary I don't use CopySource but type in a clean box.
Your question is a useful one, because once I worked with a legal translator who said that for copyright reasons she didn't have the right to re-use the original file !! So she started all over, in a new file, and of course didn't overwrite or copy, and didn't use the same layout (what are word processors invented for??) ▲ Collapse
| | | | Reed James
Chile
Local time: 01:09
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
| You can't "always" use CAT tools | Jan 7, 2010 |
There are always those editable files that escape CAT tools for whatever reason. You try to load them into your CAT tool - and you get an error. Sometimes Word files with lots of images will do this, and if you don't know how to or do not want to hassle with removing the images and then putting them back into the document after it has been translated, you can overwrite (overtype?). I do it on occasion, but with great care and do a meticulous comparison with the source document when I am finished... See more There are always those editable files that escape CAT tools for whatever reason. You try to load them into your CAT tool - and you get an error. Sometimes Word files with lots of images will do this, and if you don't know how to or do not want to hassle with removing the images and then putting them back into the document after it has been translated, you can overwrite (overtype?). I do it on occasion, but with great care and do a meticulous comparison with the source document when I am finished to ensure that I have left nothing out. ▲ Collapse
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Rebekka Groß (X)
Local time: 06:09
English to German
| Sometimes but... | Jan 7, 2010 |
Even though I use CAT tools for all my work, I often copy the source into the target segment (in Trados), in SDLX it's there anyway, i.e. very long sentences and those with tags/format paint etc. and then push the source text along while I enter my translation, usually up to a tag, deleting parts as I go.
| | | | | I guess to each its own (method) | Jan 7, 2010 |
I work pretty much in the same way as Rolf, and I find it the best way not to omit or forget anything. The few times I have missed a paragraph or a sentence is when I have had to convert a document from PDF to Word format. Also, the type of documents I work with cannot always be translated using CAT tools (or it would take much more work to prepare them to be able to translate them with a CAT tool).
| | | | | Of course I do | Jan 7, 2010 |
... But I work on a separate file saved with a prefix, typically EN-CA (English and my initials) or whatever the client may have specified. I often print out the source first, so I can work on it in pencil and note terminology I have to look up etc. if that is useful.
That way I always have an untouched source file as a back-up. It has saved me many times when Trados inexplicably adds -{}- or similar, and seizes up...
When the process is problem-free, overwriting is t... See more ... But I work on a separate file saved with a prefix, typically EN-CA (English and my initials) or whatever the client may have specified. I often print out the source first, so I can work on it in pencil and note terminology I have to look up etc. if that is useful.
That way I always have an untouched source file as a back-up. It has saved me many times when Trados inexplicably adds -{}- or similar, and seizes up...
When the process is problem-free, overwriting is the easiest way to keep formatting consistent with the source, and to re-use figures and names or other ´untranslatables´. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 01:09
Spanish to English
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| Like Rolf, but one paragraph at a time. | Jan 7, 2010 |
This helps assure no omissions. It is essential, however, to disable spell and grammar check during editing so I don't get squiggly lines on the text of one or the other language.
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| I use CAT tools, but in the past.... | Jan 7, 2010 |
I used to translate Word documents by having the document open in a split window (look under 'window' in the tool bar) and put my translation in the bottom window, while referring to the source text in the top window. It's a bit simpler than having separate documents side by side or one above the other.
It is also much simpler than interleaving the paragraphs when it comes to deleting the source text and setting the language for the spell and grammar checker.
Using Word... See more I used to translate Word documents by having the document open in a split window (look under 'window' in the tool bar) and put my translation in the bottom window, while referring to the source text in the top window. It's a bit simpler than having separate documents side by side or one above the other.
It is also much simpler than interleaving the paragraphs when it comes to deleting the source text and setting the language for the spell and grammar checker.
Using Wordfast Pro, I save time on formatting as well as the other benefits. I always check the final document in Word, both for a second read through and for formatting - page and paragraph breaks can sometimes come out strangely - and a final spell check. Sometimes there might be images that have not been picked up and can be edited, in which case I do overwrite, or may need to be translated in a separate document.
When you save the translated file in Wordfast Pro it automatically adds a hyphen and language suffix to the document name which is a good protocol to follow. ▲ Collapse
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I do that, but as Nicole said I highlight the whole original text in a different colour...
Thanks for all your tips, this website has been the most helpful source for my translation jobs!
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 07:09
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Whenever possible | Jan 7, 2010 |
I always overwrite a COPY of the original doc when possible, so the original is left intact in case of mishaps.
I´ve been using WF basic for over a year now and like it, although its not perfect, and the professional version has too many features for me.
The other CAT software I have experience with has too may bells and whistles for my liking. That´s probably why I dont use Outlook, or Windows Vista either, I find them too smart and presumptuous.
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