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An Introduction to Translating Software Documentation

An Introduction to Translating Software Documentation. Ryan Ginstrom. What I will talk about today. What is it? Honing skills Tools of the trade The good, the bad, and the ugly. Many different types. Readers Targets. Readers. End users Programmers “Pointy-haired people” Marketing

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An Introduction to Translating Software Documentation

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  1. An Introduction to Translating Software Documentation Ryan Ginstrom

  2. What I will talk about today • What is it? • Honing skills • Tools of the trade • The good, the bad, and the ugly

  3. Many different types • Readers • Targets

  4. Readers • End users • Programmers • “Pointy-haired people” • Marketing • Managers • Purchasing departments…

  5. Target: end users vs. developers

  6. Targets • Platform • Microsoft / *Nix / Mac / Web application / mobile devices • Layer • Device driver / desktop application / online shopping cart / Webmail • Purpose • Instruct / inform / publicize

  7. What is good translation? • Should read like a target-language document • Not like a translation • Write for the reader • Needs • Expectations

  8. Honing skills • Technical knowledge • Knowledge of source language • Technical writing

  9. Honing technical knowledge • Read one technical book in our target language per month • Think about that • Learn to program?

  10. Learn to program! • Python • www.python.org • Easy to learn • Powerful • Ruby • http://www.ruby-lang.org/ • Powerful • “Made in Japan” • Visual Basic • Pros: Simple, useful • Con: Dead (replaced by VB .NET)

  11. Source language • Know the terminology in the source language • Read fluently • “Good enough” isn’t

  12. Rite away… English original (method description): Performs last rites on the object. Japanese translation: オブジェクトに対して最終書き込みを行います。 ??

  13. Target language • Technical writing • Pretending to sound like you know what you’re talking about

  14. Weaknesses abound • We’re not engineers • We’re not technical writers • We’re not native speakers of one of our languages

  15. We are translators • Humility(but not too much!) • Keep an open mind • Constantly learn

  16. Tools of the trade • Dictionaries • Technical references • Technical style guides • Software

  17. Dictionaries • 電気情報和英辞典オーム社　編 • 数学　英和・和英辞典小松勇作　編 • 和英　コンピュータ用語大辞典Japanese-English Dictionary of Computer(AKA “The Lacker”)

  18. Technical references • O’Reilly’s “In a Nutshell” series • Books on software development • Textbooks • Mostly target language

  19. Others… • The Windows Interface Guidelines for Software Design • Developing User Interfaces for Microsoft Windows

  20. Technical style guides (online) • Apple Publications Style Guide (PDF) http://developer.apple.com/documentation/ • Sun – Writing for the Webhttp://www.sun.com/980713/webwriting/

  21. Technical style guides (dead trees) • Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications • Read Me First!A Style Guide for the Computer Industry (Sun)

  22. From Microsoft Manual of Style Correct On the File menu, click Open. Incorrect On the File menu, choose the Opencommand. Reference: [ファイル] メニューから [開く]コマンドを選択し…

  23. But from Sun’s manual… Menu option names appear in the document’s default font and do not receive any special typographic styling. From the Edit menu, choose Paste. (or) Choose Edit  Paste. -- Read Me First!

  24. Microsoft Manual of Style on Usage

  25. Software • Translation memory • Online/electronic dictionaries • Text to speech/dictation • Gluing

  26. The good, the bad, and the ugly • Sample source and translation • You make the call • Then look at what I thought when I wrote this

  27. Japanese original このメソッドでは、要素の取得に失敗する場合、例外が発生します。 English translation In this method, an exception occurs if the acquisition of the element fails. Exceptional

  28. このメソッドでは、要素の取得に失敗する場合、例外が発生します。このメソッドでは、要素の取得に失敗する場合、例外が発生します。 In this method, an exception occurs if the acquisition of the element fails. This method throws an exception if it fails to acquire the element. 例外の発生: Throw/raise an exception UGLY

  29. ファイルの保存時に保存元と保存先のファイル内容を比較するファイルの保存時に保存元と保存先のファイル内容を比較する When saving a file, the contents of the save source and save destination files are compared Use the source, Luke!

  30. ファイルの保存時に保存元と保存先のファイル内容を比較するファイルの保存時に保存元と保存先のファイル内容を比較する When saving a file, the contents of the save source and save destination files are compared When you save the file, the original file and the file to be saved are compared. Don’t be afraid to write English BAD

  31. この参照カウントは、LoadLibrary 関数が呼び出されるたびに 1 増加し、FreeLibrary 関数が呼び出されるたびに 1 減少します。 This reference count is incremented each time LoadLibrary is called and decremented each time FreeLibrary is called. Count on it

  32. この参照カウントは、LoadLibrary 関数が呼び出されるたびに 1 増加し、FreeLibrary 関数が呼び出されるたびに 1 減少します。 This reference count is incremented each time LoadLibrary is called and decremented each time FreeLibrary is called. 参照カウント: reference count 1 増加: increment 1 減少: decrement GOOD

  33. 例外: XYZException - 引数 foo が null の場合に発生します。 Exceptions: XYZException – Thrown if parameter foo is null. More on exceptions

  34. 例外: XYZException - 引数 foo が null の場合に発生します。 Exceptions: XYZException – Thrown if parameter foo is null. Throws: XYZException – If parameter foo is null. Convention! UGLY (trick question)

  35. このサンプルでは、これらのテーブルを XML データとして保存します。 In this sample, these tables are saved as XML data. The dating game

  36. このサンプルでは、これらのテーブルを XML データとして保存します。 In this sample, these tables are saved as XML data. In this sample, these tables are saved as an XML file. データ: File BAD

  37. 保存先のフォルダを開いて，「foo.ｅｘｅ」をダブルクリックして下さい。保存先のフォルダを開いて，「foo.ｅｘｅ」をダブルクリックして下さい。 Open the save destination folder, and double click the “foo.exe” icon. What’s your destination?

  38. 保存先のフォルダを開いて，「foo.ｅｘｅ」をダブルクリックして下さい。保存先のフォルダを開いて，「foo.ｅｘｅ」をダブルクリックして下さい。 Open the save destination folder, and double click the “foo.exe” icon. Open the folder where you saved the file, and click on the “foo.exe” icon. The user just wants to get the job done UGLY

  39. インデックスが範囲外の場合に 黒色 ( 0, 0, 0 ) を返します。 If the index is outside the scope, returns black (0, 0, 0). More API stuff

  40. インデックスが範囲外の場合に 黒色 ( 0, 0, 0 ) を返します。 If the index is outside the scope, returns black (0, 0, 0). If the index is out of bounds, returns black (0, 0, 0). 範囲外: out of bounds BAD

  41. Thank You

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