What is the difference between industry-specific or subject glossary and regular dictionary, and why does it also perform a function of translator training?
Vlad Belousov, member of the Union of translators of Russia, author of text-books and training courses for oil and gas translators and interpreters.
In the process of doing translation of texts or preparation for an interpretation event a translator or interpreter uses different dictionaries and glossaries. What is the difference between a dictionary and a glossary, and what is it better to use? We will try to figure it out.
Let us start with dictionaries. A dictionary normally contains a term and several options of its translation into a foreign language, from which a translator must select what suits him best. In such process, if it is a dictionary of general English, for some words it can contain up to 20-30 translation options, and if it is an abridged version, then vice versa, only 1-2. In addition there can be transcription of the word for its correct pronunciation, and also reference to the industry area where such word or its translation is normally used (for example, machine-building). However, if it is a subject-matter dictionary (for example, ecology), then, as a rule, it does not contain meanings of the word from other industry sectors.
Years ago we used hard-copy dictionaries. It was rather inconvenient: first you need to find the letter from which the word starts, and then the very word and its translation. We flipped through such dictionary by hand, and spent much time for it. We know that translation can be performed into a foreign language and back. Therefore, for convenient search, a dictionary can be, for example, Russian-English and English-Russian. In case of hard-copy dictionaries these are two rather heavy books, which are not easy to take to a business trip.
Today the age of hard-copy dictionaries has gone. It is much more convenient to use an electronic dictionary – you just type a word on your computer, and receive options of its translation in a second. However the principle of electronic dictionary work is the same as that of hard-copy dictionary. You still have to rely on own experience and competence when selecting correct option of translation. In addition, even the most popular electronic dictionaries have a significant deficiency – unreliable translation. As long as often an electronic dictionary is supplemented by the very users, it can contain a big number of errors and cases of incorrect translation, therefore you should use such dictionary with caution.
Opposite to a regular dictionary, a glossary (or dictionary of definitions) contains terms and their definitions. This significant difference results in big increase of volume due to inclusion of descriptions, however provides for accuracy of translation, particularly if it is an industry-specific or topical glossary. Glossary can be unilingual (like encyclopedia) and bilingual. In the second case it also contains translation of the term and its definition into a foreign language.
Sometimes glossaries also include illustrations explaining terms, but unfortunately, only for a small part of term definitions. In other words, the existing glossaries may include some useful elements, but not include others, probably because development of a full-fledged glossary with all useful functions is a very labor-intensive process.
Based on all the above-mentioned, of course, when translating a text, particularly in an unknown area or at initial stages of work in a new industry, it is better to use an industry-specific multifunctional bilingual glossary, because it also performs training functions.
In one of our articles we discussed, what is more important for a translator – terminology or knowledge of the subject matter. Most of translators make a serious mistake thinking that the main thing is to correctly select a term. Definitely, it is an integral requirement of any translation job, however it is much more important to understand what you translate, and such knowledge can be gained from a glossary, but not a dictionary.
It is applicable, if you did not attend any special industry training, which, in addition to all other, also provides skills of work with a dictionary and selection of terms. In any case, first of all an industry translator must know the subject matter, and only then – terminology, because in the area of terminology an experienced translator normally has such skill as self-training, and also because terminology can be slightly different in separate projects.
Within limits of our PETROTRAN training platform, we tried to take into account all deficiencies of existing dictionaries and glossaries, and began developing our own electronic oil and gas glossary, combining maximum functionality. Currently the glossary version 1.0 is ready and posted at PETROTRAN web-site for free use.
It is English-Russian and Russian-English oil and gas glossary, which at the current stage includes about 2,000 terms and 8,000 abbreviations the most commonly used in the oil and gas industry. Functionality of the glossary includes a term, its definition, translation into English, mandatory explanatory illustration for each term and voice recording of the term and its definition in Russian and English to check the pronunciation.
One of the main advantages of our technical glossary is also its adaptation for translators, who in most cases are not technical specialists. We provide term definitions in simple language clear to all people. Indeed, if we address the existing glossaries, nearly all of them contain definitions given in sophisticated scientific language that can be understood only by an engineer. However such engineer already has specific education, so does he need such glossary? Such glossary is needed for those who do not know, but they will not understand the definition.
Version 1.0 of our glossary is also provided on CD (for autonomous work with the glossary) and in hard copy (as a reference book for trips to the oilfield). Version 2.0 of the glossary is being developed now, and will additionally include 10,000 vocabulary items. And other foreign languages – Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish will be added to further glossary versions, which will allow to work in other pairs of languages, for example. Arabic-English, Chinese-Spanish and so on.
