The Translator's Handbook, Fifth Revised Edition (Translator's Handbook)
by Morry Sofer
Paperback: 420 pages
Publisher: Schreiber Publishing, Inc.; 5th Rev edition (March, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN: 1887563881
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
About the Book
The writing in this handbook for novice technical (as opposed to literary) translators may be workmanlike, but the information is invaluable. The author, Morry Sofer, has been translating for 30 years and has run a translation service contracting with hundreds of translators for the last 15 years. Among the many fields requiring technical translation are automotive, computers, engineering, law, medicine, and telecommunications. The Translator's Handbook includes chapters on the history of translation, sources of translation work, and the quirks of translating in various languages (for instance, in four different U.S. Hispanic communities, there are four different words for "eyeglasses"). More than half the book is composed of appendices, one more useful than the next. The first features 64 pages' worth of dictionaries and reference volumes for a whopping 64 languages. Others list agencies, organizations, and companies likely to require translation work; information about translation courses and accreditation; and periodicals for professional translators.
Amazon Reviews
Reviewer: B. Edwards (NJ, USA)
I teach an internship in translation/interpreting ... well, "teach" is the wrong word. All the students have internships, and we meet once a week to discuss their experiences. This is the perfect textbook-they already know how to translate; what they need to know is how to do so as a career. They won't learn that from introductory translation books (which are very good at what they do); no introductory textbook is going to tell you to join the American Translators Association and buy a CAT program!
If you're looking for a book to teach you to translate, this isn't it. This book is geared towards people who have already started working in the field: it deals with where and how to get work, what fields need translators, where to find T&I classes, useful dictionaries, professional organizations, and so on. If you've been working as a translator for awhile, you'll probably know everything in the first half of the book (though it will still be useful for the appendices). The people who will benefit most from this book are those who have started translating professionally or are seriously considering doing so and want something to show what the experience of being a translator is actually about.
Unfortunately this book isn't as "updated" as it could be. The latest edition still lists essential computer equipment as "Windows 3.0+ with 500MB of memory and a 3½" disk drive." But putting that aside, it's a good book. Especially for $17.
Reviewer: E. Morgan (DC)
This book is an outstanding resource for translators precisely because it does not waste time explaining to translators what they already know about their task, but develops the skills and job-networking experiences the translator already has. The information in this handbook is essential-- it vastly encompasses the know-how that takes a translator years to gather and put into action. I'm certain that any translator who begins using it will not only see their skills increase substantially, but their business as well.
Reviewer: Thomas Schwenke (Gross Mühlingen Deutschland)
As a translator student in good old Germany I know something about translation and interpreting. This book contains a lot of useful things; but not the things I was looking for.
The author says something about history, dictonaries, glossaries, translation memory and gives many URLs, but he fails in his attempt to teach HOW TO TRANSLATE. This book deals with WHEN, WHERE and WHAT to translate. Therefore, this book is NOT useful for learning HOW to translate - even if the author tells you this. It needs more than this book to acquire the skills you need to start a freelance career.
You may buy this book if your goal is to find out how many transation agency this world has to offer, what area is best for you and with which URL you may chat to other translators. Furthermore, you will find scores of dictionaries nobody knows (or needs).
Three stars because of:
- sometimes useful information
- a lot of URLs
- scores of dictionaries
- many many addresses of translation agencies
