From end of last month to this month, I’ve proofread some document related Graco, it belongs to mechanical field, and contains lots of the mechanical professional terminology. While proofreading the documents, in my opinion, the editors should pay special attention to the following points:
1. The correction translation of the professional terminology (see the below examples)
System Language File
(Output in the translated file) 定制语言文件
(Corrected output) 系统语言文件
In the source, ‘System’ should be translated as ‘系统’, not ‘定制’, and it isn’t ‘Custom’, if it is ‘Custom’, I think it ok to translate as ‘定制’. From this example, in my opinion, the editor just chose the exact match output from TM, and didn’t check if it matched the source.
Phillips head screwdriver
(Output in the translated file) 十字螺钉刀
(Corrected output) 十字螺丝刀
In Chinese, ‘screwdriver’ is generally translated as ‘螺丝刀’, not ‘螺钉刀’. Thus, the editor should try to choose appropriate translation while editing the document after translator handled, to comply with the Chinese saying.
Turn main power switch OFF.
(Output in the translated file) 关断主电源开关。
(Corrected output) 关闭主电源开关。
In my opinion, it is more applicable to use ‘关闭’, not ‘关断’ in the above sentence.
2. Minor format issue
Replace Inlet Filter
(Output in the translated file) 更换入口过滤器。
(Corrected output) 更换入口过滤器
Accessing Files
(Output in the translated file) 访问文件。
(Corrected output) 访问文件
For the above two examples, there are no period at end of the source, however, the period existed in the translated file. As we can say, it is due to the translator’s or editor’s carelessness. Though it is minor error, and hopefully, the translator or editor could notice it.
3. Consistency of the same terminology
See Fig. 1.
(Output in the translated file) 见图 1。
(Corrected output) 参见图 1。
Since in most of the same sentence patterns, ‘See’ is translated as ‘参见’, not ‘见’. In order to keep consistent, in my opinion, it would be better to replace ‘见’ with ‘参见’. It is quite important aspect to keep consistent in the same translated file, so the editor should notice this point.
Replace gun manifold.
(Output in the translated file) 更换喷枪岐管。
(Corrected output) 更换喷枪歧管。
In the above example, ‘manifold’ should be handled as ‘歧管’, not ‘岐管’. And in some sentences, it is translated accurately as ‘歧管’, to keep consistent, so it should be changed to the correct form.
Hopefully, the editor could pay a special attention to the above points when she/he would handle the similar project in the next time.