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 containin 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 onie'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.

i
BusinessDictionary. (s.f.). Diccionario de términos. Consultado el 31 de agosto de 2016, en:
http://www.businessdictionary.com
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A. B. Understanding Word categories

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 la 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
warehousing and
distribution
intermediate product
finished product
to meet customers’
requirements
re-engineering
freight and transport costs
destination market
seasonal trends
import and export
regulations
customs duties and taxes
inventory management
delivery services
order fulfilment
Transformación Noun
Almacenaje y distribución Noun adn conjunction
Producto intermedio Adjetive Noun
Producto terminado Adjetive Noun
Para cumplir con los Complete sentence
Requisitos de los clientes
Reingenieria Noun
Gastos de fletes y Noun and conjunction
transporte
Mercado de destino Noun
Tendencias estacionales Noun
Regulaciones De Noun and conjunction
importación y exportación
Derechos de Aduanas e Noun and conjunction
impuestos
La gestión del inventario Noun
Servicios de entrega Adjetive noun
Orden completada Adjetive noun

A. 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, which de las esferas, que del artículo “La” una de las
still have potential todavía tienen antes de esferas que
as far as improving potencial en cuanto Logísticas. aún tiene
performance is a mejorar el -En español, el potencial en
concerned. rendimiento se término logística cuanto se
refiere. se debe utilizar en refiere al
singular. mejoramiento
-El verbo “tienen” del
se debe utilizar en rendimiento.
singular porque
nos estamos
refiriendo a “la
esfera de la
logística”
The global logistics El global mercado de Primero el nombre y El mercado
market has grown logísticas han crecido luego el adjetivo. global ha crecido
radically over the radicalmente sobre El español no debe radicalmente
years. los años. Pluralizar en: con los años
Mercado global
The main customer Tener lógica sobre Los principales
groups served by the Los principales las palabras en grupos de
logistics industry are grupos de clientes español (servidos, clientes
parcel and servidos por la atendidos) Y el atendidos por la
documents express industria logística son orden en las Industria de la
delivery services, los servicios de palabras. logísticas son
warehousing and entrega urgente de los servicios de
distribution, etc. paquetería y paquetería y
documentos, documentos de
almacenamiento y entrega urgente
distribución, etc. ,
almacenamiento
y distribución .
Etc
Efficient logistics and Logística eficientes y Cuidar el manejo de La logística
transportation system el sistema de los plurales . En el eficiente y el
are important transporte son orden adecuado sistema de
prerequisites of the importantes previos según los adjetivos , transporte Son
development of any requisitos del buscando la lógica requisitos
economy. desarrollo de ninguna en español. previos
economía. importantes para
el desarrollo de
cualquier
economía.
The art and science El arte y la ciensia de Verificar la El arte y la
of delivering goods la entrega de buenos gramática, ciencia de
with speed and con rapidez y ortografía en la entregar bienes
precision can help precisión pueden palabra “Ciensia”. Y con rapidez y
businesses operate ayudar negocios a el orden de las precisión
more efficiently, operar más eficiente, palabras en la lógica pueden ayudar a
lower costs and gain reducir costos y gain del español . las empresas a
new customers. nuevos clientes. operar de
manera más
eficiente ,
reducir costos y
obtener nuevos
clientes.
Logistics has evolved Las logísticas ha Tener en cuenta la La logística ha
throughout centuries evolucionado a lo lógica del Texto. Evolucionado a
to become an integral largo y ancho de las Y el uso inadecuado lo largo de los
part of every centurias para de los plurales. siglos , para
business. convertirse en una convertirse en
parte integral de cada una parte
negocios. integral de cada
negocio.

A. 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 de
industry continued Estados Unidos continuó
to grow at an creciendo a un ritmo nunca
unprecedented rate. antes visto.
• Global competition Simple past La competencia global
began to spread in comenzó a extenderse en
the 1970s and la década de 1970 Y se
accelerated in the aceleró en la década de
1990s. 1990
• Logistics has Present perfect La logística ha
evolved throughout evolucionado a lo largo de
centuries to become los siglos para convertirse
an integral part of en una parte integral de
every business. cada negocio.
• Globalization is still Present continuos La globalización hoy
moving forward continúa avanzando
today.
• Since 2000, the rail Present perfect Desde el año 2000 , la
freight industry has industria del transporte de
undergone a mercancías por ferrocarril
remarkable ha experimentado una
transformation. notable transformación.
• Logistics has been Present perfect continuous La logística ha
playing a desmpañado un papel
fundamental role in fundamental en el
global development desarrollo global durante
for almost 5,000 casi 5.000 años.
years.
• Since the Present perfect Desde la construcción de
construction of the las pirámides en el antiguo
pyramids in ancient Egipto La logística ha
Egypt, logistics has hecho un progreso notable.
made a remarkable
progress.
• Recently, Present perfect Recientemente, las
innovations have innovaciones se han vuelto
become vital to vitales para satisfacer las
meet customer expectativas de los clientes
expectations.
• 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 transitarios organizan el
shipping of various envío de diversos
goods. productos.
• Now, the ABC Present continuous Ahora, la compañía ABC
Company is está expandiendo sus
expanding its instalaciones de producción
production facilities para incluir una nueva línea
to include a new de productos.
product line.
A. E. Critical Thinking
Answer the following questions.

1. According to your experience, which steps did you follow to complete the different
translations?

Rta: I consider in my opinion that I have necessary tool and study the guides: You must
Know the logistics concepts to give a logics sequence to text. Additional instructions on the
web and the use of the translator and dictionary.

2. According to your experience, do you consider that translation is a complex activity?

Explain.

Rta: I consider that it is complex because sometimes it loses the sense in the
grammatical order that affects the sentences and is confusing and little
understandable

3. What do you think is necessary to do a correct translation?

Rta: Understand the context of what identifies the topic in question, support in grammatical
techniques, good use of components in sentences, vocabulary, and good management of
grammatical structure.

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

Rta: The correct order in its structure within the sentences, the proper use of vocabulary and
clearly understand the context of what you want to express, as well as the correct use of the
singular and plural. They are the most complex and relevant aspects.