Subject dictionaries : Subject dictionaries of various types - terminological, technical, general, specialized, monolingual, bilingual, may be useful aids to a technical translator. Terminological dictionaries derive their vocabulary from pure and theoretical sciences. These dictionaries enlist what is termed as "standardized terms" with their definitions that are stipulative in nature. These terminological dictionaries very often ignore the terminology of the applied sciences, and the social sciences which most of the time is rooted in the native languages, and is derived from general language by way of extension, deletion or metaphor, etc., and does not fit into the one term one concept formula of pure sciences or their "standard" terminology.
Although technical dictionaries also tend to draw most of the terms from theoretical sciences, yet they do not contain only "standardized" terms. Standardization being a relative process, these dictionaries also include words that have become established by long usage and are in the process of becoming standard, thereby ignoring the sources of these words. Technical subjects dictionaries while enlisting these words ignore the general and non-technical senses of these terms.
Technical dictionary : These may be monolingual or bilingual / multilingual, general or specialized. The general technical dictionary draws its words from the entire field of science and technology. One such example of monolingual general dictionary is the Chamber's Technical Dictionary, covering a wide range of science and technology. This kind of dictionary although aimed at general reader, or a layman, can be useful to a translator as a valuable reference. Specialized subject dictionaries - both monolingual and bilingual - are handy aids for technical translators. These dictionaries are restricted in range, specification and meaning devoted to a single field. The restrictions are both at the level of selection of entries and at the level of providing the meanings. At the level of selection of entries these dictionaries includes only the technical sense, not all the general senses or technical senses in other fields of knowledge except the subject it is meant for. These dictionaries are important for two reasons - (1) in case of a doubt or uncertainty about a term that is new or not yet standardized or established, and (2) it provides the translator with a ready-to-use translation equivalent, saving lot of time. |
Besides these different kinds of bilingual and technical dictionaries, a technical translator should have a range of tools- technical encyclopedias and works of reference, subject periodicals journals etc., in both source language and target language. General encyclopedias like Encyclopedia Britannica and translator but specific subjects encyclopedias are very helpful. Specialized encyclopedia like the international Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, Encyclopedia of Indian Culture, can be very helpful to the technical translator. A host of these specialized encyclopedias are appearing in the market nowadays.
Subject periodicals are publishing latest research papers and research documents which use new concepts with newer terminologies. A technical translator should keep in touch with these periodicals and journals, too. These sources are necessary to keep up with the latest developments in their specialized spheres and terminologies thereof, and a good source of up-to-date technical terms for new concepts. Lambert (1981) in his essay on 'A general approach to Specific Research in Comparative Terminology', points out of "the progress in lexicography does not keep up with the progress in science and technology, so that an ever growing number of new terms and meanings are not recorded in the conventional dictionaries. From a general point of view such a problem is a hindrance to the translator of technology and knowledge in as much as the translator is not familiar with the subject or its terminology". |
