Glossary

When translating using CAT tools a 100% match is when there is a translation unit stored in the translation memory that is a 100% match with the segment being translated.

In terms of CAT tools, alignment is the function by which a translation memory can be created or populated with previously translated texts without having used these tools to do the translation. The alignment modules divide the original and the translated text into segments  and align, automatically and based on statistics, the translation of each segment in the target language with the corresponding segment in the source language. The user then has the option to edit and confirm the results of the alignment to later include it in a new or existing translation memory. The benefits for the customer include consistency with existing terminology and cost savings on new translation projects.

An Apostille is a special type of certificate that is issued by an official organisation, which confirms the authenticity of the signing of public documents. In a country that is a signatory of the XII Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which does away with the requirement for the authentication of foreign public documents, the frequently required authentication is replaced with the Hague Apostille. In sworn translations the apostille confirms the certification through a sworn translator, who certifies (or swears) the document with his or her signature and stamp. It is preferable to consult in each state, given that there is no unified law to this respect. Further information is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office web site.

Audio-description is understood as the audible comments that are included in the scenes of the film, series, documentary, etc. so that blind people or those with visual impairment can follow the plot. Visual elements such as landscapes, places, characters, as well as changes in the main or secondary settings, jumps in time, retrospective aspects, etc. are conveyed concisely and accurately during the pauses in dialogue. Another option to describe the visual impressions of the film involves inserting special “soundtracks” that may have a longer duration. A blind person or a person with a visual impairment checks the result, evaluates it, corrects and edits it until all the information is intelligible. After recording the complete texts with professional narrators in a sound studio using special software and a sound engineer, the recordings are inserted into the film media. Audio-description, also known as audio-film, was developed in the mid-1970s in the United States, in the Gregory Frazier San Francisco State University of Creative Arts and was presented for the first time in Europe in 1989 at the Cannes Film Festival At this time in Spain it is governed by the UNE 153.020 standard.

Authentication validates a foreign public document. All foreign public documents must be legalised in order to have validity in the United Kingdom and all British public documents must be legalised in order to be valid abroad. However, many countries have mutual agreements to facilitate these processes, including the United Kingdom. The most relevant agreement that is currently valid is the 12th Hague Convention of 1961, known as the Apostille Convention. Numerous countries adhere to this treaty, which simplifies processes. This text established between member states means that authentication is not necessary for recognising documents, although a stamp or apostille is required. In order for documents issued by the British authorities to be effective abroad, local legislation must be consulted, which is what specifies whether or not there is a need for translation. Most countries usually only accept documents in their own language or official languages. Sworn translations from English into other languages must be made by a sworn translator who is nominated by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The ambassador or consulate in each country in which the document will be effective must be consulted in order to determine whether  the official English translation is valid there.  For further information, see the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office web site.

Automated Translation (AT) is where software automatically generates translated text without human intervention. There are several foci within AT technology. On the one hand there is rules-based automatic translation (RBAT), in which the translation is based on integrated linguistic rules and unlimited bilingual dictionaries for each language pair. On the other hand, statistical automatic translation generates translations based on bilingual corpora, in other words, extensive sets of real examples in the use of two languages, for example such as the European Parliament Europarl Parallel Corpus. In the cases in which these corpora are available, good results can be achieved if similar texts are translated, although they are still rare for many language pairs.Current AT systems combine these and other foci that enable customisation by area or profession (such as meteorological forecasts) that improve the results by limiting the number of terms that may be valid for this field. This technique is especially effective in areas in which a more formal language is used or expressed as a formula. Therefore, the automatic translation of legal or institutional texts for example may produce a result that is more suitable than conversational texts. However, the challenge of AT is to be able to generate texts that can be published without human intervention. Subsequent editing with human intervention is almost always necessary, and the key to using these technologies resides in achieving sufficient quality so that this intervention is not necessary or so that the AT and post-editing process is less costly and provides the same quality as human translation.

A computer assisted translation tool, or CAT tool, is software that helps the translator in the work process. The CAT tool processes the original document by dividing it into individual segments. Once each segment is translated, the source language segment is stored together with the target language  segment (translation unit) in a database known as a translation memory, which automatically recovers the translation when the same or a very similar segment reappears. Words that do not match with the segment searched can be found thanks to a special function known as concordance search. This guarantees the terminology consistency of the translation. Additionally, CAT systems include terminology management tools for creating and/or using terminology databases and quality control tools such as spellcheckers, terminology verification, formatting, numbers, etc. CAT tools such as SDL Trados, Star Transit, across, Déjà Vu and Wordfast, among others, belong to this category.

Certification involves an authorised entity comparing a copy with the original document in order to determine its exactitude, adding a stamp or other accreditation that justifies its accuracy and veracity with respect to the original document. The entities that can certify documents vary greatly in each country or region and may depend on the purpose of the copy being certified. Normally the official administration or entity in which the documents must be delivered can make the certification, as is the case in registry offices. In the United Kingdom, documents can be certified by a professional person such as a solicitor, dentist or teacher. This should not be confused with sworn translation or authentication. A notary can also make certified copies and guarantee their veracity. Further information can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website regarding certifying a document .

See Whispered interpretation.

The concordance search enables the translator to search for a unique word, sequence of words or sentence in the translation memory. The translation units that contain the word or phrase are shown in the concordance search window. Here, the translator can check how the term has been translated in the past and search in the source as well as in the target language. The concordance search can be configured so that it locates only 100% matches or 100% matches as well as partial matches. The part of the segment that corresponds to the searched word is usually highlighted in another colour.

A method of interpreting in which the mediator conveys a part of the discourse and stops so that the interpreter can consecutively translate into the target language. Consecutive interpretation is often used in negotiations and meetings in the corporate environment. While the speaker speaks, the interpreter takes notes using a technique known as interpretation notes specifying and orally communicating the discourse (usually without using applications or auxiliary technical resources) in the other language either at the end or in parts. Therefore the duration of the discourse is usually notably longer. When an interpreter accompanies guests to a meeting or a guided visit, this is also known as accompanied interpretation. In the case of large groups, the interpreter can make use of a microphone or a portable simultaneous interpretation system.

Copywriting is the writing of content for publishing purposes, whether for advertising letters, advertising e-mails, advertisements in magazines, brochures, catalogues, radio clips, spots on television, posters, etc. In the area of search engine optimisation (SEO) copywriting is understood as writing text (e.g. advertisements, descriptions of companies and products, summary of services, blog entries, etc.) for selling or marketing a product, a business or an idea. Copywriting involves strategically placing and repeating relevant key words on a web site and writing the text in such a way that it offers added value to the user of the web site and so that the search engines can index it cleanly and thus obtain better search results, in other words better positioning.

In the field of translation, there are often differences in the length of the source and target texts, therefore the resulting format usually requires subsequent editing, especially if the texts will be published. Similarly, some documents sometimes need to be converted or prepared, for example PDF files or images with non-editable text, for processing with CAT tools.

There are different theories in terms of what this is and the way that dialect is formed, although a dialect can be defined as a derivative of a certain language, a local or regional linguistic variation. As opposed to a language, there is no written documentation in a dialect or standardisation in the sense of officially recognised standard grammatical and spelling rules. In other words, dialects are especially distinguished in terms of phonetics and vocabulary, although there are also other fundamental divergences in terms of morphology and syntax (for example the use of articles as indirect objects, more formal uses, verb tenses, etc.). The spoken form of dialects may vary greatly with respect to written from. In the United Kingdom there are many varying dialects throughout the country, for example Geordie, Cockney, Welsh and Scottish. Additionally, there are more localised linguistic subsystems known as geolects and colloquialism. However, the difference between language, dialect, geolect and colloquialism is one of the most ambiguous and controverted aspects of linguistics, with a multitude of opposing theories and in which socio-political factors play an essential part.

The creation or editing of documents with text, graphics, photos and other visual elements using self-publishing software such as PageMaker, QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, Interleaf/Quicksilver, etc.

Desktop Publishing or self-publishing. See Desktop Publishing.

A process that involves replacing the original voices of an audiovisual production. Dubbing may also be in the same language with the aim of improving the sound quality, the term usually refers to replacing dialogues spoken by actors in an original language for its equivalent in another language in order to adapt it to foreign markets.

See Revision.

See Desktop Publishing.

When translating using CAT tools a fuzzy match is when there is a translation unit stored in the translation memory that partially matches (usually between 50 and 99%) the segment being translated.

Globalisation (sometimes abbreviated to G11N) is understood as the growing global economic interdependence that as a result of the opening of national markets from an economic, cultural and political point of view. As a consequence of this, languages also come into increasingly more fierce competition, as such that it is not so much the qualitative advantages and disadvantages of each language are taken into account, more the political and economic power of its speakers. Thanks to globalisation, the English language has become the international media for understanding, and has also modified the linguistic nature of other languages through the introduction of English terms. In many languages mixed words have been developed, which form hybrid languages, for example in Spanish the language known as Spanglish. So that international communication is equally effective in the regions, adaptations must be made for each market. To achieve this, the linguistic services sector provides essential help for commerce without Borders and the international expansion of companies, offering services such as globalisation, which is made up of  internationalisation and localisation.

CAT tools recognise which segments appear more than once in a document. These segments are called internal repetitions and are normally charged in the same way as the 100% matches.

Internationalisation (often abbreviated as I18N) is the process of developing or adapting software or a web site so that it is independent of the different languages and regions and it is not necessary to change the programming or web code. In companies, it is a process of adaptation and diversification in order to access new markets and foreign investment.

Oral translation of content from one language to another implies more than a literal conversion of the terms, it is an accurate communication of the content as a whole. There is a difference between consecutive interpretation, liaison interpretation, simultaneous interpretation, whispered interpretation and sign language interpretation.

There is a difference between consecutive interpretation, liaison interpretation, simultaneous interpretation, whispered interpretation and sign language interpretation.

In the context of consecutive interpretation, this is the technique used to take notes that assist the interpreter as a mnemonic resource for reproducing long spoken texts (as a general rule up to 10 minutes). It is based on a mix of different basic symbols combined together, that differ between each interpreter. This technique should not be confused with stenography.

ISO 639 is the international standard that establishes the language codes in groups of two or more characters and which is divided into several parts: ISO 639-1 designates the codes of the characters e.g. DE (German), EN (English), ES (Spanish), while the parts ISO 639-2, ISO 639-3 and ISO 639-5 use three-character codes and ISO 639-6 uses four. Part 4 (ISO 639-4) gives the general principles of language coding and lays down guidelines for the use of ISO 639. For further information, see  www.iso.org.

Keywords are key words or expressions that a user enters into a search engine (such as Google) to find information. They are therefore an essential point in an online marketing strategy, given that they directly affect the natural positioning of the web site (SEO) and also because sponsored links are based on them (SEM).

This is the interpretation method used in legal proceedings and that is carried out by a legal translator and interpreter. In the United Kingdom there are legal translators and interpreters on the staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and there are also autonomous legal interpreters and translators, who are independent professionals who makes occasional interpretations or work for judicial entities contracted by a company when such a service is requested. Qualifications among these personnel vary greatly and among them are also sworn interpreters, even though current legislation does not consider this an essential requirement. Those qualified in translation and interpretation, philology and law predominate among legal interpreters.

Made by translators who are specialised in legal language and jargon (contracts, court rulings, corporate by-laws, etc.) and, due to the complex nature of the content, in addition to knowledge of the languages in question also requires specific knowledge of the sector. Not to be confused with sworn translation.

In some countries, this is an additional authentication note issued by a regional court or a notary that the translator/interpreter has public nomination as a sworn translator or in which his or her signature has been registered (there are different nominations in each region). This legitimation confirms the authenticity of the translator’s signature and that the translator is publicly recognised/authorised for his or her own language and, in general, is a sworn translator.

The method of interpretation in which the interpreter makes the link between two or more people in a meeting, trade show visit, etc. Normally, the interpretation is made by improvising without using notes, templates or any special equipment. It must also be pointed out that the duration of the discourse is much shorter than in consecutive interpretation.

Corpus linguistics (plural corpora) is an extensive range of examples of use of a language that can be used as a base for statistical automated translation technology.

A linguistic strategy is a package of measures and techniques that a company applies to eliminate linguistic and cultural barriers in foreign markets and in expansion.

Linguistic variants or variations may be considered different manifestations of a language. The following, among others, may be differentiated: social class variant (sociolect), gender variant (genderlect), age group or age variant (chronolect: baby talk, geriatric or third age), a specific variant of groups (Romany, Gypsy, jargon, etc.), local variant (geolect), regional variant (dialect), urban variant, supra-regional variant (regionalism, regional variant or regiolect). In the area of translation memory systems, sub-languages are the different variants of a language in different countries, for example the German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, British and American English or Spanish in Spain, Mexico and Colombia.

Involves exactly reproducing the discourse including incomplete words, grammatical and pronunciation errors, noises such as laughter, coughs, etc., intonation, intensity, indicating pauses and changes of speakers, interruptions from other speakers, interactions with questions, reorganisation of ideas, etc. In this case the accuracy of the content of the speech has priority over its quality.

According to the European EN 15038  standard, this term refers to the linguistic, cultural, technical and geographical conventions of the target audience.

Linguistic, cultural and legal adaptation of the translated document (e.g. user manual, usage instructions, computer applications, technical descriptions, etc.) to the local market of the target language. It is often abbreviated with the numeronym L10N or l10n.

When translating using CAT tools, the system recognises the segments, whose translation is already totally or partially stored. These segments are shown as a match. Depending on the match rate and the tool used, 100% matches, fuzzy matches and no matches are distinguished.

A corrected transcription in which spelling, grammatical errors and word omissions are eliminated and which does not include noises such as laughter, coughs and delays in the content. The style of the text is also corrected and the unique characteristics attributed to accent or dialect are expressed in a standard language, without losing information or changing the meaning of the sentences.

Proofreading is a part of the process of DTP process of translation that involves reading the final draft of the document that will be published to ensure that the text in the target language is correctly arranged and that there have been no errors introduced in the formatting process.

See Revision

In order to guarantee the quality of its translation and revision services, and whenever the chosen translation modality, format and deadline allow to do so, imatrad observes the following criteria or parameters as stipulated in the UNE-EN 15038 standard, not only when translating, but also in the checking phase, which is known as self-correction: a) Terminology; b) Grammar; c) Vocabulary; d) Style, e) Local conventions; f) Format and g) Recipients and purpose of the translation. During revision, the focus as a minimum is on the following aspects: terminology consistency (homogeneity of the terms translated, adaptation to the specific subject field and/or the customers terminology), style (the customers style guide or other stylistic references) and the linguistic record (dialect, linguistic variations, etc.). Finally, during the internal quality control process, imatrad uses specific quality control tools (Trados/Transit/Across Verifier, XBench, etc.) that include correction tools for spelling and punctuation, tools that check terminology and style consistency, numbers and labels, which enables the highest quality translation to be maintained throughout all phases of the project.

In relay interpretation, one language is not directly interpreted into another, it is interpreted through a third party. This method is used in situations in which there are no interpreters available for a specific linguistic combination (for example in less widely used languages such as Maltese), or in a conference with so many language combinations that it is not possible to directly interpret them all due to organisational matters. In these cases for example, interpretation can be made into a widely used working language such as English that is directed not only to the speakers of this language who are present, but also as the shared language for the interpreters of other languages.

Review, proofreading or monolingual revision is a monolingual check carried out by a second translator in order to evaluate the suitability of the end translation. Therefore, review involves reading the text without necessarily consulting the original, as opposed to what occurs in the revision process. In this phase of the production, the review checks that the translated text is fluid and comprehensible in the target language. 

According to the UNE-EN 15038 standard, revision is understood as checking a translation for its suitability for the end purpose, comparing the source and target texts and recommending pertinent corrections.Therefore, it is the process of comparing the original text with the translation to search for possible errors such as incorrect interpretation of the source text by the translator. To do this, the original text is compared sentence-by-sentence with the translated text, comparing the style, grammar, spelling, punctuation, translation integrity (in other words that it matches with the original and there are no omissions) and terminology consistency. According to the specific translation standard UNE-EN 15038, this revision must be made by a second professional with experience in translating the subject in question.

The minimum unit into which a CAT tool divides a text for subsequent processing. By default, the segmentation rules are based on retention marks: full stop, colon, paragraph mark, cell, etc, and can be customised.

According to the UNE EN 15038 standard, self-correction or self-checking is the revision that translator makes of his or her own work after finishing the translation, checking that the meaning has been translated correctly, there are no omissions or errors, and making any changes required.

The abbreviation for Search Engine Marketing. It is also often used for specific marketing activities aimed at improving the presence of a web site in the sponsored results of search engines by “purchasing” keywords from the search engine (such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, etc.).

The abbreviation for Search Engine Optimisation. This refers to improving (writing, keywords, etc.) a web site in order to optimise its organic (or natural) positioning in search engines (such as Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.).

Involves orally transmitting the content of a document directly from paper into another language. This improvised translation may be considered a form of  simultaneous interpretation, since the same as with this method, the reproduction of the written text into the target language takes place simultaneously.

This method of interpretation involves communicating content in sign language in order to communicate with deaf or deaf-mute people. The interpreter must always be well-visible to the viewer as it is a language that combines signs especially using the hands and mimicking.

A bilingual or multilingual set of terms that forms part of a company’s corporate identity or that are standard in a sector. The different CAT tools often incorporate terminology management programs that enable terminology databases to be created, imported and managed for use throughout the translation process, so that they assist that translator in the homogenous use of terminology by highlighting all the terms included in the database in the source text.

Software localisation is the process of adapting a computer programme to a specific region. Most of the process involves translation, but other elements must also be modified such as the formats of dates, currency, character coding and other elements that must be adapted so that the users in a certain area can understand it. Specific Cat tools are used for software localisation, such as SDL Passolo, that enable the translator to visually distinguish the text and translate within codes that must not be modified (tags) and to preview the result as it would be seen in the application.

The language from which the text or spoken word is translated or interpreted.

Translation of text in a specific speciality (law, medicine, pharmacy, economy, finance, IT, etc.) made by a translator who is a specialist in this area.

A unit of counting used, among others, in the area of professional translation for preparing quotations and invoices, especially in countries in which German is spoken and in Eastern Europe. Although the EN 15038 standard does not specifically cover what a standard translation line consists of, it is usually understood to contain 50-55 characters including spaces.

A unit of counting used, among others, in the area of professional translation for preparing quotations and invoices, especially in countries in which German is spoken and in Eastern Europe. A standard page is usually understood as a page with a certain number of lines that contain a maximum number of characters including spaces (also known as clicks) and that may vary depending on the country and who establishes the standard. For example in Germany, a standard page usually contains 1,500-1,800 characters including spaces, usually on 30 lines of 50-60 characters.

Subtitling involves including written texts in an audiovisual projection that reproduce messages associated to the various sounds in audiovisual content. It may be used to show the translation into another language or so that people with auditory limitations can understand the information conveyed (see Subtitling for deaf people).

Subtitling for the deaf is a special method of subtitling, in which the source and target language are identical. The subtitles for people with hearing problems also include, in addition to spoken text, information such as noises, sound, music and voices that are not seen on the screen (off-screen voices).

A method of interpretation carried out by a translator and sworn interpreter whenever the presence of a sworn interpreter is required (notary acts, sworn declarations, signing contracts, etc.). In Spain, sworn interpreters must be nominated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

A translation made by a translator who is certified by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (in Spain) and has official validity, regardless of the subject of the text. The UNE EN-15038 standard is not applied to sworn translations.

When translating with CAT tools the content of a document is often separate from its format. A tag is a format marker (such as tags for bold, italics, links, etc. that are usually protected) that can be inserted into translatable text in the translation editor and must be respected so that the format of the translated text is viewed as identical to the original.

The language into which the text or spoken word is translated or interpreted.

A translation by a translator specialised in technical texts (industry, automation, measurement, electro-medicine, machinery/tools, etc.) and that due to the complex nature of the content, in addition to knowledge of the languages in question, the translator also requires specific knowledge of the sector.

A bilingual or multilingual set of terms that forms part of a company’s corporate identity or that are standard in a sector. The different CAT tools often incorporate terminology management programs that enable terminology databases to be created, imported and managed for use throughout the translation process, so that they assist that translator in the homogenous use of terminology by highlighting all the terms included in the database in the source text.

Text expansion is the phenomenon that occurs when the translated text is longer than the original text due to the unique characteristics of each language. For example, a text translated into Spanish may be 20% longer than its original in English.

Transcription is understood the written representation of a spoken text, e.g. a video or a sound recording.  It is used for publishing recorded texts, interviews, content analysis, speeches and readings.

Translation is understood as the written transmission of content from a source language into another target language. A translator can translate an average of 2,500-3,000 words per day.  During the translation process, the translator must respect the grammar, style, specialist terminology and format, in addition to taking the audience and end purpose into account.

Put simply, it is a database in which translations are stored in pairs of bilingual sentences (segment) as they are translated. Therefore, if an entire sentence or part of a sentence is repeated (the exact sentence or one very similar), the software automatically proposes the translation. See CAT tool

A professional who translates text from a source language into the target language, which is their native language. According to the UNE EN-15038 standard, a translator must be able to demonstrate professional competencies and comply with at least one of three requirements (recognised qualification); equivalent qualification in another specialism plus a minimum of two years of documented experience in translation; or at least five years documented experience in professional translation.

The UNE-EN 15038 is the European quality standard for translation services approved by the European Standards Committee (CEN) on 13 April 2006. It defines the minimum requirements for the translation process, in which the translation itself is just one phase that must be complemented with a review by a person other than the translator. It takes into account not only the translation process itself, but also all other steps necessary to provide the service, such as having adequate technical and human resources, quality management, project management, establishing contractual conditions and developing documented procedures for providing the service. The skills of the of the translator, reviser, editor, specialist corrector and also the translation services provider must be listed, and the services provided to the customer must be mentioned. The EN 15038 standard defines the following specialist terms: translation project, project manager, terminology work, quality records, project record, project assignment, analysis of source texts, style guides, specialist correction, review, record, etc. and describes how they are understood and applied. The benefits for the customer are, among others, a clear service provision agreement, transparent and integral documentation of the entire process of the translation project, following strict qualification criteria when selecting translators and correctors, the subsequent compliance of the so-called “four eyes principle”, quality management and traceability.

In the field of translation, the services that a translation service provider may provide include additional services such as linguistic and cultural advice, technical writing, layout correction, creating graphics and web sites, desktop publishing, creating templates for printing, creating and managing terminology databases, adaptation to law, legal translation, compliance with national legal requirements, etc., adaptation, rewriting, updating, internationalisation, globalisation, transcription, transliteration, terminology consistency, translation memory alignments, parallel bilingual text alignment, pre- and post-editing etc., subtitling, voice-over, correction by a specialist and/or revision of third-party translations, reverse translation, etc.

Process that consists of replacing original voices of an audiovisual production. Despite the voiceover already being made in the same language in order to improve the sound quality, the term normally refers to the replacement of spoken dialogues by actors in an original language for its equivalent in another language, in order to adapt it to the foreign market.

A method of simultaneous interpretation in which the interpreter discreetly whispers (without using auxiliary technical equipment) the translation to a person while the speaker speaks. The interpreter is placed beside the listener. It is ideal in situations in which only one person in the audience does not know the language being spoken. This technique is not suitable for several combinations of languages or for more than two or three people. This interpretation method is also known as chuchotage.

See Copywriting.