AJ29069 Translating in the Information Age

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2003
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Libor Šafář (lecturer), Ing. Mgr. Jiří Rambousek, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Michaela Hrazdílková
Timetable
Mon 16:40–17:25 VP, Mon 17:30–18:15 VP
Prerequisites
AJ19000 Introduction to Translation || AJ1900
- General interest in translating (from English to Czech)

- Basic working experience with MS Windows environment and word processors such as MS Word or Corel WordPerfect (any versions). No expert knowledge is required!!

- Good knowledge of English and Czech (Czech native speakers only)

- Willingness to stay on top of the recent developments and to apply concepts and ideas in a real-world context
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 12 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/12, only registered: 0/12
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 6 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The Information Age is transforming many aspects of our everyday activities, and the area of translating is no exception. First it offers a whole new world of articles beyond plain text that need to be localised, such as software that you use daily and the accompanying Help files, in exchange it then provides state-of-the-art tools and technologies that enable such translations and make the whole process more effective. As the translation industry takes center stage in implementing these new trends, the world of translators and translations will never be the same again...
Syllabus
  • You will get an idea what the relatively new industry called "software localisation" actually is: -- What are the reasons for localising software? And why into Czech? -- What steps are involved in software localisation? What does it take? Overview of a typical localisation process. Levels of localisation. --A brief history of the (Czech) software localisation industry - from Windows 3.1 to Windows 2000. --Current development, challenges and prospects. You will learn what is what in standard software: -- What are the names of individual "controls" in software, such as button and menu, and what are the equivalent Czech translations? -- What are the basic rules (style, terminology) for translating software texts into Czech? How have these evolved from the Windows 3.1 times till today? You will see what tools there are for translating software texts, and learn to use one of them in practice: -- The basic features of one of the software translation tools (not more difficult then using Microsoft Word or any other word processor) -- Within the whole group, you will be able to translate for yourselves one small (and funny) software program into Czech. Altogether about 3,000 words only. A team work. -- This real-life translation work will constitute a major part of the first half of the course - a chance to get a hands-on experience. -- In the end you will be able to see your own translated program running. You will see what the other large part - translation of Help - entails: -- What is actually Help (part of the general User Assistance system)? What will you get from the Help menu in most software programs? Do you ever use it? -- What is the purpose of Help systems? Their types? -- Overview of a typical Help translation process. As with software, you will see what tools there are for translating Help files, and learn to use two of them in practice: -- Current status and challenges in Help translation. Large volumes, limited time frames, large teams (How do you translate 1 million words within one month without jeopardizing quality?) -- The basic features of one Help translation tool and one terminology management tool (again, very easy to use). Their cooperation. -- What is "translation memory" and how does it make translations more effective? -- What is "fuzzy terminology recognition" and "bilingual concordance"? -- Within the whole group, you will be translating part of the Help file that goes with the program you translated before. -- This real-life translation work will constitute a major part of the second half of the course. -- In the end you will be able to see your own translated Help file integrated with your translated program.
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Seminar; Assessment: The final evaluation on the completion of the course will be based solely on the information provided during the sessions and on the printed handouts, given the limited availability of literature on the subject.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Credit evaluation note: 2 původní kredity.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Autumn 2000, Spring 2001, Autumn 2001, Spring 2002, Autumn 2002.
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