Poll: Translation is most like playing:
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Sep 1, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Translation is most like playing:".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 18:38
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Sep 1, 2018

I have no musical talent whatsoever, but for me translation is like an orchestra rehearsal: sometimes it starts by a cacophony and then bit by bit, with a little luck, every instrument fits just right with each other.

Natalia Pedrosa
Kay Denney
 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 15:38
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Piano Sep 2, 2018

The translation "Piano":
1. Any mistake will be easily noted, even by someone who is not a "musician".
2. The theory represents very little. You must practice a lot. Practical experience is 90%.
3. It's a lot harder to learn than most other "instruments" but those who play it seem to be quite happier than most other musicians.
4. You must take regular breaks, or you'll lose concentration and make mistakes.
5. Out of all instruments I heard solo in my life, it's the
... See more
The translation "Piano":
1. Any mistake will be easily noted, even by someone who is not a "musician".
2. The theory represents very little. You must practice a lot. Practical experience is 90%.
3. It's a lot harder to learn than most other "instruments" but those who play it seem to be quite happier than most other musicians.
4. You must take regular breaks, or you'll lose concentration and make mistakes.
5. Out of all instruments I heard solo in my life, it's the one that pleases my ears the most.




[Edited at 2018-09-02 01:20 GMT]
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Natalia Pedrosa
Ricki Farn
Jacek Sierakowski
Elaine Ruby
Mónica Algazi
 
DEVANATHAN RENGACHARI
DEVANATHAN RENGACHARI  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 00:08
English to Tamil
+ ...
Translation is conveying the entire essence of the original text in local language: Sep 2, 2018

Translation in my opinion has nothing to do with any musical instrument. It is to convey the meaning of the original text in the required language without losing any of the essential elements of the original. It can be customized a bit, to give the flavour of the language in which it is translated so that the native language speakers can appreciate those nuances.

Regards,
Devanathan.


Jennifer Forbes
 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:38
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Film or theatre director Sep 2, 2018

I think it's more like being the director of a film or play than playing any individual instrument. You are trying to present someone else's work to make it comprehensible and possibly even enjoyable to an audience - or perhaps like conducting an orchestra.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Amir Arzani
Amir Arzani
Iran
Local time: 22:08
English to Persian (Farsi)
+ ...
Other, Sep 2, 2018

This may be rude but honestly can't say it's like anything else. It's its own thing. Also, forgive me for the meme, it was too good of an opportunity to pass on.
https://i.imgflip.com/2h1wp8.jpg


 
Joe Ly Sien
Joe Ly Sien  Identity Verified
Indonesia
Local time: 01:38
Member (2016)
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Translator's Note Sep 2, 2018

When the violin repeats what the piano has just played, it cannot make the same sounds and it can only approximate the same chords. It can, however, make recognizably the same “music,” the same air. But it can do so only when it is as faithful to the self-logic of the violin as it is to the self-logic of the piano.

[Diedit pada 2018-09-02 07:14 GMT]


Natalia Pedrosa
Ricki Farn
Kay Denney
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Mónica Algazi
Mario Freitas
 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:38
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
The fool Sep 2, 2018

Don't know about translating, but a poll like this is most like playing the fool.

neilmac
Elaine Ruby
Amir Arzani
José Henrique Lamensdorf
Michael Harris
Anja Hajek
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 15:38
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
... by ear! Sep 2, 2018

You "listen" to the source played in one instrument/language, and then you "play" it in the target instrument/language.

Machine translation: open a MIDI file in an editor and change the instrument(s). Sometimes it works, in others the music will come out bizarre, but you'll never know beforehand.

[Edited at 2018-09-02 10:41 GMT]


Mario Freitas
 
Miyoung Park
Miyoung Park  Identity Verified
South Korea
Local time: 03:38
English to Korean
Other Sep 2, 2018

For me, translation is like acting in a play. It`s probably because I translate fiction mostly.

Ricki Farn
 
Ricki Farn
Ricki Farn
Germany
Local time: 19:38
English to German
The bagpipes Sep 2, 2018

... because there are many, many ways of doing it badly and giving the audience a mental toothache, and few ways of doing it well.

[Edited at 2018-09-02 12:02 GMT]


Joe Ly Sien
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Christine Andersen
Mario Freitas
 
Debora d'Amato (X)
Debora d'Amato (X)  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 19:38
English to Italian
+ ...
Like a DJ Sep 4, 2018

Thousands of different sounds like the enormous difference in the translation.
The wide variety is in both things.


 


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Poll: Translation is most like playing:






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