I wanted to tell you about Glossum. It's a free glossary site where translators can upload their own personal glossaries or create online ones. If you like, you can view and search them online from any computer or download them in a number of file formats. What I like about the service is that you can share your glossaries with other translators if you are working together on a project.

Are any of you Evernote users? I started using it a few years ago when it was featured on Giveaway of the Day, for note taking purposes but  became disenchanted with it. Then, as I became a more thorough and avid researcher for my translation jobs, I started to need to save my web searches, because remembering to bookmark pages and copying or downloading web pages was a hassle and required several different software applications.

So I did a Google search for web clipping software and read several recommendations for Evernote. I decided to download the free version and was impressed with the newest version. I am able to save web pages at will and categorize them however I like with tags. I can also save documents, photos and even mp3 recordings inside Evernote instead of scattering them across my computer and external drives. I also have a copy of Evernote installed on my laptop and am able to access my collection there as well. In fact, part of my notes and clips are stored in my online account, so I find myself browsing it on my Blackberry when I am waiting for something or someone.

I recently signed up for SOS Chat. It is a website with a network of freelance translators who translate short phrases and individual words for clients via chat. The program is not yet up and running, but according to the literature, it will be starting in May. Here is what SOS Chat has to say about itself:

"SOS Translator Chat is going to be launched in May. Until then, we are recruiting translators for all language combinations. Please contact your colleagues and let them know that a new company is on the translation market and so one more opportunity for them to earn money from translations. The more translators there are in the system, the more successful live chats for the clients!
SOS Translator Chat is an idea that has been developed due to the needs of clients who require translations on a regular basis: small translations, sometimes only a sentence, sometimes only a word that is needed in another language. When you register as a translator, which is free, the customer can chat with you about their translation request. Payment will be based on your price per minute, with or without the start rate, which you can set in your account. You, as a translator, will set your own prices and your own start rate. Keep your prices attractive as the client can see your prices and your qualifications. You can request the release of payment whenever you want via your online account.

To edit your translator profile, please login to: http://sostranslatorchat.com/ "

I just downloaded a trial copy of Word Menu, a dictionary/thesaurus organized unlike any I've ever seen. You can search it much like you would any other electronic dictionary, or you can explore these circles of categories like Hats, Headgear and Hairpieces. Then you will find smaller circles neatly arranged in a ring with different types of hats, headgear and hairpieces like top hat, ten-gallon hat, fez, and the list goes on...When you hover over a term, you get a short dictionary definition. I see a potential use for Word Menu (other than the sheer joy of sifting through words and categories, of course) when a word in the source language does not have a clear equivalent in English. Instead of settling for a dictionary translation, I am going to use Word Menu to see if there are more possibilities.

I wanted to tell you about the Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies by Mona Baker. It offers a wealth of information for both newcomers and experts alike. Many of the articles are long enough to be substantial yet short enough to be read during a break. It is divided into two sections: I. General and II. History and Traditions. Though it is not essential to read this book in order to be able to translate well, it is comforting to learn about techniques and traditions that predate one's own. Did you know, for instance that many early translators were also physicians?

Para los que escriben en castellano, prepárense para unos cambios; algunos leves y otros notorios. La Real Academia Española, el organismo español que controla el uso del castellano en España y Latinoamérica, le quitó el acento a la palabra "sólo" de manera tal que el "solo" en "solitario" se escribe de la misma forma que "solo" de "solamente". Y ya no se va a decir "y griega" sino "ye", y la i latina va a ser i a secas.

Para más información, les invito a leer este artículo.

"Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture."

Anthony Burgess

"Translators live off the differences between languages, all the while working toward eliminating them."

Edmond Cary

When I have a spare moment, I like to look up the villages, towns and cities that appear in my translations. I have added a collection of them to my screenshots album. In the case of immigrants to the United States, I have found that most hail from towns in provinces that are removed from the capital cities.

Is this true of immigrants living in your countries?

As a translator, little things tend to jump out at me like extra spaces and missing hyphens between words. This is to be expected for someone who spends so many hours a day handling texts in a variety of formats. When spell-checking in Word, I see "Spanish (Spain-Traditional Sort). What do they mean by that? How many Spanish speakers out there actually say "I speak Spanish-Traditional Sort". Is this Spanish that is sorted traditionally versus non-traditionally sorted Spanish?

How many of you align texts? I am referring to old translations that weren't done in Trados (.tmx) or bilingual texts on the web that you want to use as reference material or translation memories. When not busy translating, I have explored several alignment avenues. I have tried the built-in aligners that come with CAT tools and I have also tried NoBabel, an automatic online aligner.

My conclusion is that some systems are more or less automatic, but in the end, if you want a good-quality alignment, a human being has to do some of the work. That is where I come in. I fine tune every software-generated alignment, making sure that every last segment is lined up. I also check for spelling mistakes in both source and target texts. If asked, I can also report on the quality of the translation itself.

For all you fellow Spanish <> English Langmates, I am offering a free sample of my alignment service. You are welcome to send bilingual texts up to 1,000 words long and I will send them back to you in tmx format.

Which encyclopedia do you use: Wikipedia or Britannica? I use them both, and others too. I wouldn't exactly say they are two competing "brands" like Coke and Pepsi. Each one has more than just its own flavor. I use Wikipedia for quick information and current events. I use the DVD version of the Encyclopaedia Britannica for a long, scholarly explanation of a particular subject such as Roman law, for instance.

Wikipedia can be choppy, and the style is inconsistent. Britannica, on the other hand, is written by people who were paid to write the articles, but it does not have the all-inclusive feeling of Wikipedia. This only proves that we as translators/researchers need a variety of sources in order to piece together a composite.

Hay dos palabras en castellano que terminan con "j". Reloj es una de ellas. ¿Cuál es la otra?

Almost every word has a positive or negative connotation linked to it. Think of any word off the top of your head. What do you associate it with? What connotation does it conjure up?

I like to visit Brave New Words from time to time. Its author specializes in Children's Literature and lends her entries a literary air.

I am going to try out ExactSpent on a short job and see how I like it. To think that I earned it with Langpoints! Thanks AIT!

Do any of you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to dictate your translations? I would be interested in hearing your opinions. I have never found it useful enough to incorporate it into my workflow because I think better with my fingers. Nonetheless, there are many translators out there who swear by it.

Have any of you subscribed to the TranslationDirectory newsletter? It points you to a site with many free articles and some paid services and products such as a database of translation agencies. Some services and products are aimed at translators who are starting out and others for more experienced ones.

From time to time, I like visiting the Yndigo blog. It focuses on how to be a good translator and businessperson, and it is full of information that makes you say "Gee, why didn't I think of that?"

If you haven't already visited Thoughts on Translation, I would like to recommend it. It is an endless source for information and tips on how to run and improve your translation business. Its owner, Corinne McKay, is also the author of How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator.