This page provides an introduction to our digital translation tool and a description of the page reservation procedure, as well as an overview of basic terminology and a set of guidelines for translation.

Using the Translation Tool

Any user may start a translation. To begin, click on the link to your course.

You will be taken to a page that allows you to view individual pamphlets. Click on a pamphlet labeled "Needs Review."

You will be redirected to a screen showing the pamphlet's pages. Click on a page labelled "Needs Review" and use the tools in the upper left corner of the viewer to zoom in and out and move around the document page.

Below the viewer is an editing box with two tabs: Transcribe and Translate. Click on Translate, put your cursor into the editing box, and begin typing your translation. Remember to save your work frequently.

Page Reservation Procedure

In order to reserve a page, a student must simply type his or her name at the top of the translation text box, place the name in brackets, and save.

Basic Terminology to Know

Source language is the language from which a translator translates.
Target language is the language into which a translator translates.

Translation Guidelines

• Understand the text being translated and be able to explain it well in your native language.
• Do not translate literally into the target language. This type of translation can sound stilted or unnatural to a native speaker.
• Translations require cultural and linguistic adaptation. One should be familiar with the target culture and the target language’s linguistic patterns. (Ex. the way dates are written)
• Know your audience and understand the variances amongst countries/communities that speak the target language. This includes maintaining the proper register (level and style of language) and evaluating the audience’s reading levels.
• Understand that some concepts or words may exist in one language but not the other. A good translation recreates the intended meaning of the source text as closely as possible in the target language.
• Writing style should be simple, logical, fluid, and clear. Use the same terms to avoid confusion and to increase the intelligibility of your text.
• Create a glossary to refer to for future translations.
• Use footnotes rather than endnotes.
• Your first note should give details about the publication (when and where did the text appear? With what publisher?).
• Footnotes will be needed for proper names and names of places and events.
• When you cannot decipher a word or a phrase, put the word ‘illegible’ in brackets: [illegible]
• Follow exactly the original page layout: indents; skipping lines; intra-textual titles; capital letters, etc.
• Always edit and proofread your translated work. Editing deals with the checking of the translated content while proofreading deals with checking for grammar, spelling, or format. Both tasks require a great deal of time and should not be rushed.
• Editing and proofreading will entail checking your translation a couple of times against the original (if working with a co-translator, one should read the English aloud while the other silently checks the French); reading the translation for the flow a few times (ideally, your reader should not know that he or she is reading a translation).
• Write a short introduction in English situating the text and providing a context.

Questions?

If you have questions about the operation of this site, please contact the Newberry Library's Department of Digital Initiatives and Services at dis@newberry.org. If you have questions about pamphlets or translation, please contact your instructor.

Translating French Pamphlets is powered by the publishing platform Scalar and the Omeka-based plugin Scripto, a digital transcription and translation tool that allows for collaborative modification of content generated by its users.