Looking for a native Spanish speaker...

[Laura]

Hi all,

Ruben Zartman--py3ak here on the PBoard--recently pointed me to Faro de Gracia, a publishing house based in Mexico City that translates and distributes classic Reformed literature throughout Latin America. I'm looking to help translate something for them this summer (while I'm out of class), but I need a translation partner who is a native Spanish speaker. I've only just talked with the director, so I don't know much more about the process than that. Is there anybody here who would qualify, or who knows of someone who would be competent and willing to help me translate theological works?

Thanks!

 

[ReformedWretch]

I have a friend from the Dominican republic. I will ask her but I can't make any promises. She's a Spanish teacher here at the school I work at. I'll let you know but please keep looking as I have no idea what her schedule is like. She is a wonderful Christian lady who may like your mission here, we will see.

 

[Cuirassier]

Goodness - I'd love to do this ... if I didn't have to work, I'd do this in a heartbeat!

I hope you find someone soon.

dl

 

[py3ak]

Laura,

Let me know if you can't find someone --I may be able to hook you up with someone down here.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

This is interesting. I just had a visit from some people who are working for an R&D arm of a higher headquarters. They were displaying a bunch of tools including chat rooms that translate "on the fly" among multiple languages. In other words, I might be chatting in English with Chinese, Thai, and Japanese speakers who each see my posts in their tongue and vice versa. English is usually the "pivot" language.

Anyhow, they were talking about document translation tools that do a bunch of "grunt work" to translate large volumes of text at a time that allows a translator to go back and "clean up". It saves hours of time in translation. I asked them if they had seen the Google translation tool and they replied in the affirmative. In fact, Google is practically cornering the market in language translation engines and tools and it's all made available free. They have one of the most powerful tools that is improving all the time right here:

http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

You can choose your from and to languages. Here is an example of how it might translate a portion of Calvin's commentary on Galatians 3. Here is the original text:

Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth. Augustine´s interpretation of the word , ("œhath been set forth,") is harsh, and inconsistent with Paul´s design. He makes it to signify that Christ was to be thrust out from possession. Others propose a different phrase, proscriptus,) which, if used in the sense of "œopenly proclaimed," would not be inapplicable. The Greeks, accordingly, borrow from this verb the word μμ , to denote boards on which property intended to be sold was published, so as to be exposed to the view of all. But the participle, painted, is less ambiguous, and, in my own opinion, is exceedingly appropriate. To shew how energetic his preaching was, Paul first compares it to a picture, which exhibited to them, in a lively manner, the image of Christ.

Is translated as:

Hath de Jesús Cristo dispuesto evidentemente. La interpretación de Augustine de la palabra, ("hath dispuesto,") es áspera, y contraria con el diseño de Paul. Él la hace para significar que Cristo debía ser empujado hacia fuera de la posesión. Otros proponen una diversos frase, proscriptus) cuál, si está utilizado en el sentido "de proclamado abiertamente," no sea inaplicable. Los Griegos, piden prestado por consiguiente de este verbo el µµ de la palabra, denotar a los tableros en quienes la característica se prepuso ser vendida fue publicada, para para ser expuesta a la vista de todos. Pero el participio, pintado, es menos ambiguo, y, en mi propia opinión, es excesivamente apropiado. Al shew cómo es enérgio era el suyo que predicaba, Paul primero lo compara a un cuadro, que exhibió a ellos, de una manera animada, a la imagen de Cristo.

Probably rough in some spots but easier for a translator to fix the occassional word or sentence than type in the whole thing.

 

[Laura]

Thanks, Adam.

Rich, that is interesting. I've known about Google translation, but never considered if it would save time to get a rather inaccurate transcript and then fix it up. Hm. Still, I'm willing to bet it wouldn't save a significant amount of time. And to be honest, the principle of it just bothers me. :-D

 

[py3ak]

Online Translators

Below is a pasted demonstration of the efficacy of online translators (well, of Babelfish).

The original Spanish post can be found here and its English adaptation (something of a rewrite rather than a translation can be found here

Why es ***reflx mng itself God? Thoughts of the second Psalm.

Psalm 2:4 says: The one that it dwells in skies will laugh; The Gentleman will make fun of of them. In the context it is very obvious that God is ing ***reflx mng of the kings and Earth princes who, together with their towns (v.1) conspire against Jehovah and anointed his. But, why es ***reflx mng itself God of this? It is obvious that one does not feel threatened by his rebellion. The prophet says, There are them nations are to him here like the drop of water that falls of the bucket, and as slight dust in the balances is considered to him: I have makes here desaperecer the islands like dust (Isaiah 40:15). Their facts do not affect to him. Although they try cannot clear to him of the throne. But it knows, and it responds to which do, and responds firstly with the laughter. The book of Facts provides a commentary on this text. When the apostles have been instructed by I conciliate Jew who do not teach in the name of Jesus the church raises this oration to God in Facts 4:24-28: And they, being it heard, raised unanimous the voice to God, and said: Sovereign Gentleman, you are the God that you made the sky and the Earth, the sea and everything what in them she has; that by mouth of David your servant you said: Why rebel the people, and the towns think vain things? The Earth kings met, and the princes joined themselves in one against the Gentleman, and his Christ. Because truely they were united in this city against your Santo Hijo Jesus, to whom you anointed, Herodes and Poncio Pilato, with gentile and the town of Israel, to make whichever your hand and your advice they had before determined that he happened.
Here this the joke. The kings and princes say: Let us break its ties, and we throw of us its conjunctures (v.3). He is what they set out to make with his meetings and meetings -- but what is what it happens? ...whichever your hand and your advice had before determined that it happened (Done 4:28). All its effort is a vain thing; they do not obtain anything but what God already beforehand had ordered. They direct to its malicia and anger and revolt towards God - and fulfill the intentions of God. It is adecauda cause for the laughter.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Originally posted by Laura
Thanks, Adam.

Rich, that is interesting. I've known about Google translation, but never considered if it would save time to get a rather inaccurate transcript and then fix it up. Hm. Still, I'm willing to bet it wouldn't save a significant amount of time. And to be honest, the principle of it just bothers me. :-D

For what it's worth. According to the experts who briefed us, it can knock hours off of a professional translation.

 

[Cuirassier]

Interesting tool!

I found the Spanish translation quite wooden - I agree with Laura. It would almost be harder to use something like this. The tone and overall "voice" is very different and I found myself wanting to start right from scratch.

That said, for certain applications, this would be a very helpful tool.

Thanks Rich!

dl

 

[py3ak]

I think it would have trouble translating Puritans --and as you say, Daniel, it would sound very bad. Technical manuals it might do all right with.

 

[Laura]

Originally posted by SemperFideles

Originally posted by Laura
Thanks, Adam.

Rich, that is interesting. I've known about Google translation, but never considered if it would save time to get a rather inaccurate transcript and then fix it up. Hm. Still, I'm willing to bet it wouldn't save a significant amount of time. And to be honest, the principle of it just bothers me. :-D

For what it's worth. According to the experts who briefed us, it can knock hours off of a professional translation.

Heh, by all means, go with the experts, then. I'm just being stubborn about technology taking away the glory of a laborious translation job.


[Edited on 4-8-2006 by Laura]