Workshop: Getting started as a translator

As part of your English Learning Process, it is important to get familiar with

technical vocabulary in order to be able to translate short pieces of texts
containing technical information.

A. Getting familiar with thechnical vocabulary

After revising the vocabulary in the material “Strategic framework: developing
guidelines”, read the given definitions and complete the followig crossword.

Across

1. The act of producing more of something than is needed, or to

produce too much

9. Movement of goods or services along the value stream from raw

materials to the customer without backflow, stoppages, or waste.

12. A party that supplies goods or services. A supplier may be

distinguished from a contractor or subcontractor, who commonly adds
specialized input to deliverables. Also called vendor.

13. Basic substance in its natural, modified, or semi-processed state,

used as an input to a production process for subsequent modification or
transformation into a finished good.

14. An estimate of costs, revenues, and resources over a specified

period, reflecting a reading of future financial conditions and goals.

15. Department, facility, machine, or resource already working at its full

capacity and which, therefore, cannot handle any additional demand
placed on it. Also called critical resource.

Down
2. Study of capabilities and limitations of mental and physical work in
different settings. Ergonomics applies anatomical, physiological, and
psychological knowledge (called human factors) to work and work
environments in order to reduce or eliminate factors that cause pain or
discomfort.

3. A business or person that sells goods to the consumer, as opposed to

a wholesaler or supplier, who normally sell their goods to another
business.

4. Desire for certain good or service supported by the capacity to

purchase it

5. Highest sustainable output rate (maximum number of units per month,

quarter, or year) that can be achieved with current resources,
maintenance strategies, product specifications, etc.

6. An itemized catalog or list of tangible goods or property, or the

intangible attributes or qualities.

7. Estimate of expected demand over a specified future period. Also

called forecast demand.

8. The comparison of what is actually produced or performed with what

can be achieved with the same consumption of resources (money, time,
labor, etc.). It is an important factor in determination of productivity.

9. Work arrangement (or rearrangement) aimed at reducing or

overcoming job dissatisfaction and employee alienation arising from
repetitive and mechanistic tasks. Through job design, organizations try
to raise productivity levels by offering non-monetary rewards such as
greater satisfaction from a sense of personal achievement in meeting
 the increased challenge and responsibility of on1e's work. Job
enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation, and job simplification are the
various techniques used in a job design exercise.

10. Non-productive time (during which an employee is still paid) of employees

or machines, or both, due to work stoppage from any cause. Also called idle
time, allowed time, or downtime.

1. V 2. R P 3. O 4. U 5. T 6. I 7
O E R D C  O  N  
E A N
    R     E                   E
8.   V
E
  G     T   M   P           M
9.   E
F
LO W   A   A   A           A
  N
F   N     I   N   C           N
  T
I   O     L   D   I           D
    10.
J
C   M     E       T   A     F
I 11.      
W
I         R     Y   R   O   O
     
E   C         A       Y   B   R
12.  
S
N   U P P L I E R       D   E
 
C             T           E   C
13.    
R
Y   A W M A T E R I A L S   A
 
              I           I   S
14
              M     .B U D G E T
15.
B O T T L E N E C K       N    

B. Understanding Word categories

1
BusinessDictionary. (s.f.). Diccionario de términos. Consultado el 31 de agosto de 2016, en:
http://www.businessdictionary.com
Translate the following terms into Spanish and determine their gramatical
category. Check the example:

English Term Spanish Translation Gramatical Category

Supply chain Cadena de abastecimiento Noun phrase
supply chain management Gestión de cadena de Noun phrase
suministro
flow of godos Flujo de godos Noun phrase
storage of goods Almacenamiento de Noun phrase
mercancías
point of origin Punto de origen Noun phrase
point of consumption Punto de consumo Noun phrase
consumer Consumidor Noun
supplier Proveedor Noun
customer Cliente Noun
provider Proveedor Noun
network Red Noun
procurement Obtención Noun
transformation Transformación Noun
warehousing and Almacenaje y distribución Noun and conjunction
distribution
intermediate product Producto intermedio Adjetive noun
finished product Producto terminado Adjetive noun
to meet customers’ Para cumplir con los Complete sentense
requirements requisitos de los clientes
re-engineering Reingeniería Noun
freight and transport costs Gastos de flete y transporte Noun and conjuntion
destination market Mercado de destino Adverbs
seasonal trends Tendencias estacionales
import and export Regulación de importación y
regulations exportación
customs duties and taxes Derecho de aduanas e Noun and conjuntion
impuestos
inventory management La gestión del inventario
delivery services Servicio de entrega Adjetive noun
order fulfilment Orden completada Adjetive noun

C. Evaluating translations
Read the following translations and identify the posible problems in the result.
You can express the problems you identify in Spanish. Please, provide a
posible solution for each case

English Spanish Translation Your opinion Your correction

Logistics is one of Logísticas es una -Hace falta el uso La logística es
the spheres, de las esferas, que del artículo “La” una de las
which still have todavía tienen antes de esferas que
potential as far as potencial en Logísticas. aún tiene
improving cuanto a mejorar -En español, el potencial en
performance is el rendimiento se término logística cuanto se
concerned. refiere. se debe utilizar refiere al
en singular. mejoramiento
-El verbo “tienen” del
se debe utilizar rendimiento.
en singular
porque nos
estamos
refiriendo a “la
esfera de la
logística”
The global logistics El global mercado - Primero el El mercado
market has grown de logísticas han nombre después el global a crecido
radically over the crecido radicalmente adjetivo. radicalmente en
years. sobre los años. adicionalmente el los últimos años
español no se debe
pluralizar el
mercado global
The main customer - Se debe tener Los principales
groups served by Los principales lógica en las grupos de
the logistics industry grupos de clientes palabras en clientes
are parcel and servidos por la español (servidos- atendidos por la
documents express industria logística atendidos) y el industria de la
delivery services, son los servicios de orden de las logística son los
warehousing and entrega urgente de palabras servicios de
distribution, etc. paquetería y paquetería y
documentos, documentos de
almacenamiento y entrega urgente,
distribución, etc. almacenamiento
y distribución

Efficient logistics Logística eficientes y Tener cuidado con La logística

and transportation el sistema de el manejo de los eficiente y el
system are transporte son plurales. El orden sistema de
important importantes previos adecuado según transporte son
prerequisites of the requisitos del los adjetivos(en requisitos
development of any desarrollo de inglés es primero el previos
economy. ninguna economía. adjetivo) pero toca importantes para
buscarle la lógica el desarrollo de
en español cualquier
economía.

The art and science El arte y la ciensia Obviamente hay El arte y la

of delivering goods de la entrega de que verificar la ciencia de
with speed and buenos con rapidez ortografía (ciencia) entregar bienes
precision can help y precisión pueden y vuelve el tema con rapidez y
businesses operate ayudar negocios a del orden de las precisión puede
more efficiently, operar más eficiente, palabras en la ayudar a las
lower costs and reducir costos y gain búsqueda de la empresas a
gain new nuevos clientes. lógica en español operar de
customers. manera más
eficiente, reducir
costos y obtener
nuevos clientes
Logistics has Las logísticas ha De nuevo el mal La logística a
evolved throughout evolucionado a lo uso de los plurales. evolucionado a
centuries to become largo y ancho de las Toca tener en lo largo de los
an integral part of centurias para cuenta la lógica del siglos para
every business. convertirse en una texto convertirse en
parte integral de una parte
cada negocios. integral de cada
negocio

D. Identifying tenses
Read the sentences given below and identify the tense form used in each of
them. Translate the sentences into Spanish.

Tense Spanish translation

 Last year, the U.S. Simple past El año pasado, la industria
business logistics de negocios de logística
industry continued de Estados Unidos
to grow at an continuó creciendo a un
unprecedented ritmo nunca antes visto.
rate.
 Global competition Simple past La competencia global
began to spread in comenzó a extenderse en
the 1970s and la década de 1970y se
accelerated in the aceleró en la década de
1990s. 1990
 Logistics has Present perfect La logística a
evolved throughout evolucionado a lo largo de
centuries to los siglos para convertirse
become an integral en una parte integrar de
part of every cada negocio
business.
 Globalization is still Present continuous La globalización hoy
moving forward continua avanzando
today.
 Since 2000, the rail Present perfect Desde el año 2000 la
freight industry has industria del transporte de
undergone a mercancía por ferrocarril
 remarkable ha experimentado una
transformation. notable transformación
 Logistics has been Present perfect La logística a desarrollado
playing a continuous un papel fundamental en
fundamental role in el desarrollo global
global development durante casi 5.000 años
for almost 5,000
years.
 Since the Present perfect Desde la construcción de
construction of the las pirámides de Egipto, la
pyramids in ancient logística ha hecho un
Egypt, logistics has progreso notable
made a remarkable
progress.
 Recently, Present perfect Recientemente las
innovations have innovaciones se han
become vital to vuelto vitales para
meet customer satisfacer las expectativas
expectations. de los clientes
 Now, the company Present continuous Ahora la compañía está
is working on a new trabajando en un Nuevo
project. proyecto
 Usually, freight Present simple Por lo general, los
forwarders organize transitorios organizan el
shipping of various envió de diversos
goods. productos
 Now, the ABC Present continuous Ahora, la compañía ABC
Company is está expandiendo sus
expanding its instalaciones de
production facilities procuccion para incluir
to include a new una nueva línea de
product line. productos

E. Critical Thinking
Answer the following questions.

1. According to your experience, which steps did you follow to complete the
different translations?
Verification of grammar and vocabulary
2. According to your experience, do you consider that translation is a complex
activity? Explain.

The translation is complex, because it is not just about transcribing but about
analyzing the next logically
3. What do you think is necessary to do a correct translation?

Is it necessary to make correct translation, so that we can understand the real

intention of the text

4. According to your experience, what is the most difficult aspect about

translation?

The most difficult part of the translation is properly organizing the words