{"id":3565,"date":"2021-08-14T19:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-14T17:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/?p=3565"},"modified":"2023-11-28T09:34:39","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T08:34:39","slug":"foster-creativity-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Tipps zum kreativen Arbeiten im Zeitalter maschineller \u00dcbersetzung"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"acf\/text-block_be7176a8c8d5f75f9b2f81a67a959f8e\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--text spacing--default bg--white\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg animate-in\">\n\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research suggests a connection between human-machine interaction and cognitive processes. In their <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conference paper<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on translation technology and cognitive abilities, Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Gary Massey describe how reliance on technology has changed the translation process as \u201clanguage technology tools have effectively extended translators\u2019 memory by externalizing it&#8230;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With previous solutions to translation and terminology problems only a few keystrokes away, translators are experiencing a vast increase in productivity. However, they might not exercise their memory and creativity as much: In his <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6502424\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">paper about possible impacts of internet use on cognition<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Dr. Joseph Firth remarks that having \u201cmost of the world\u2019s factual information literally at our fingertips\u2019 could well begin to change the way in which information is stored in the human brain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Considering that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/ulterior-motives\/201510\/creativity-is-memory\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">memory is seen as the source of creativity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it\u2019s not surprising that some translators are concerned about the latter. Especially now that increasingly usable raw machine translation (MT) output is added to their resources, they might even question the future role of creativity in the profession.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, MT is not suitable for very complex, creative, or culturally specific content. In these areas, a human translator\u2019s creativity is still very much in demand. Even during a post-editing task (depending on the source text and the client\u2019s quality expectations), some segments may have to be re-translated in a more creative fashion. The following tips and exercises can help translators and post-editors keep the creativity flowing as they leverage the benefits of technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Overview<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#how-to-unlock-creativity-during-the-translation-process\" title=\"How to unlock creativity during the translation process\">How to unlock creativity during the translation process<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#split-segments-in-your-cat-tool-to-get-a-new-perspective\" title=\"Split segments in your CAT tool to get a new perspective\">Split segments in your CAT tool to get a new perspective<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#paraphrase-the-source-text-for-yourself\" title=\"Paraphrase the source text for yourself\">Paraphrase the source text for yourself<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#consider-how-someone-you-know-would-say-it\" title=\"Consider how someone you know would say it\">Consider how someone you know would say it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#use-thesauri-in-source-and-target-language\" title=\"Use thesauri in source and target language\">Use thesauri in source and target language<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#actively-memorize-those-tricky-translations\" title=\"Actively memorize those tricky translations\">Actively memorize those tricky translations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#how-to-boost-creativity-with-informal-continuous-professional-development\" title=\"How to Boost Creativity With (Informal) Continuous Professional Development\">How to Boost Creativity With (Informal) Continuous Professional Development<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#use-slow-periods-for-writing-exercises\" title=\"Use Slow Periods for Writing Exercises\">Use Slow Periods for Writing Exercises<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#get-inspired-by-great-original-content\" title=\"Get inspired by great original content\">Get inspired by great original content<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#how-to-stay-creative-in-a-post-editing-situation\" title=\"How to stay creative in a post-editing situation\">How to stay creative in a post-editing situation<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#anticipate-potential-issues-before-getting-down-to-work\" title=\"Anticipate potential issues before getting down to work\">Anticipate potential issues before getting down to work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/blog\/posts\/foster-creativity-translation\/#go-beyond-words-to-find-the-right-ones\" title=\"Go beyond words to find the right ones\">Go beyond words to find the right ones<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-to-unlock-creativity-during-the-translation-process\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to unlock creativity during the translation process<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes you can feel stuck during a translation task. You might be struggling to convey the information as elegantly as the source text. You might feel like you can\u2019t hit the right tone or maybe you\u2019re just struggling to find the right words. The clock is ticking and you\u2019re lacking ideas on how to fix things. To put it simply, you\u2019ve got a bad case of translator\u2019s block. Don\u2019t worry, these tips are here to help you overcome it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"split-segments-in-your-cat-tool-to-get-a-new-perspective\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Split segments in your CAT tool to get a new perspective<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Gary Massey\u2019s paper notes that the segmentation of text in a CAT tool \u2018may unintentionally constrain creativity and the freedom to move away from source-text syntactic patterns\u2019. Thankfully, many CAT toolsallow translators to split or join segments. Once you have lifted the limit of how information is divided between segments, you may be able to find a much more fluent solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"paraphrase-the-source-text-for-yourself\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paraphrase the source text for yourself<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes a source sentence is crystal clear to you, but grammatical constraints in your target language make it impossible to translate the concept in the same way. As the deadline approaches, you struggle to see how a native speaker of your target language would express the same fact. In this case, it may help to paraphrase the source sentence for yourself before you translate it into the target language. This can also be done to get around known problems with MT engines when preparing texts for machine translation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"consider-how-someone-you-know-would-say-it\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider how someone you know would say it<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re unsure whether your translation hits the right tone, picture your client\u2019s target reader. Then think of someone you know who is like that person. Depending on the situation, this might be someone you often see on TV or even someone you follow on social media. How do they talk or write? Would they say it like this? Imitate that person, or try to impress them. This trick is most effective when you close your eyes, imagine yourself in a situation where you would normally see that person, and really concentrate on their voice and body language.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"use-thesauri-in-source-and-target-language\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use thesauri in source and target language<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you struggling with one particular source word because it feels like you can\u2019t render its exact meaning in the target language in the given context, and a dictionary doesn\u2019t help? Then look the standard translation(s) of said source word up in your target language thesaurus. Among the synonyms, you\u2019ll often find one that hits the nail on the head. Alternatively, try to find synonyms of the source word and then look for translations. This might just yield the word you\u2019re looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"actively-memorize-those-tricky-translations\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Actively memorize those tricky translations<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve solved a particularly challenging translation problem, make a note of the solution. While it\u2019s tempting to rely on your translation memory (TM) and term base (TB) for this, bear in mind that creativity is based on what you know. So write your newfound translations of tricky expressions down, for example on index cards. Memorize them so you could spill them out when prompted\u2014without having any translation tech at hand. Integrate frequent practice in your busy lifestyle: when you\u2019re waiting for the kettle to boil, the bath to run, or the bus to arrive.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-to-boost-creativity-with-informal-continuous-professional-development\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Boost Creativity With (Informal) Continuous Professional Development<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the tips above can help to overcome acute translator\u2019s block, it\u2019s just as important to foster creativity outside of actual work situations. If you don\u2019t already do this, you\u2019ll be surprised how these two hacks can benefit your translation flow in the long run:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"use-slow-periods-for-writing-exercises\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use Slow Periods for Writing Exercises<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of scrolling through your social media feed for the umpteenth time, spend some time with your favorite hot drink, a pen, and paper. That\u2019s right \u2013 research suggests that writing with pen and paper could boost creativity. Then, try the following exercises:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Describe an everyday object in great detail. Experiment with different styles: flowery, technical, elaborate, colloquial, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paraphrase a passage that someone else has written in a different tone and style. For example, make something elaborate more colloquial, or make a cheap-and-cheerful product description sound classy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"get-inspired-by-great-original-content\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get inspired by great original content<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expanding your vocabulary and stylistic repertoire is like stocking up a toolbox for your creativity. Most translators will know that reading original content in their target language helps them pick up useful terms and expressions, and ultimately become more fluent writers themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, this learning effect can backfire when the chosen texts are poorly written. Consider the example of low-quality translations: When repeatedly presented with the same error or calque, most people will cringe a little less each time, and the error will eventually make its way into their vocabulary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, be mindful of the content you read in your (semi) free time. Pick texts with a wide vocabulary, consciously appreciate different styles, and think about what makes you connect with a piece of writing that you enjoy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-to-stay-creative-in-a-post-editing-situation\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to stay creative in a post-editing situation<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on the client\u2019s quality expectations, the material, and the level of post-editing stipulated in the brief, some creativity may still be required for post-editing tasks. But when you\u2019ve already confirmed a large number of machine-translated segments with minimal edits, it may be tricky to switch to a different mode for the few segments that do need more work. Moving away from the engine\u2019s less-than-perfect translation can be a challenge as you\u2019re already biased. Here\u2019s how you can master it:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"anticipate-potential-issues-before-getting-down-to-work\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anticipate potential issues before getting down to work<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Especially if the brief stipulates full post-editing, it helps to identify passages that could require more work before getting stuck in the nitty-gritty of editing. A machine translation quality estimation (MTQE) tool will provide an approximation of the expected effort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you decide how little or how much editing is needed for each individual segment, it\u2019s a good idea to fully grasp the source segment before checking the target\u2014even though it\u2019s tempting to work the other way. Once you have some experience with the MT engine used, it will become easier to identify problematic segments before actually looking at the target. If you\u2019re new to post-editing, you could even try covering the target while reading the source.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"go-beyond-words-to-find-the-right-ones\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go beyond words to find the right ones<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you struggle to see past the source text and MT output wording but a close translation doesn\u2019t cut it, it can be good to step away from words for a while. Firstly, think about the target reader, the subject, and the purpose of the text. If the text contains instructions, go through the motions in your head (or with your hands!) and then try to describe what you\u2019re doing. If the text is about a product, picture how exactly it benefits the reader, how they are going to use it, and how they feel. Then try to talk about it in your target language. It may help to physically leave your desk while doing this, or even to take notes or draw a mind-map on a piece of paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That being said, spending too much time on creative re-translation could indicate that the text is not suitable for MT, or that your own quality expectations are too high for the task at hand. It may be time to revisit the brief, discuss recurring issues with the client, or try a different MT engine. Phrase Language AI, which includes MTQE, can select the most suitable engine out of the supported range based on the language pair and the domain of the source text.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Auch beim \u00dcbersetzen k\u00f6nnen Kreativit\u00e4tsblockaden auftreten. Wie du aus diesen ausbrechen und zur\u00fcck zu deiner Kreativit\u00e4t finden kannst, erf\u00e4hrst du hier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"class_list":["post-3565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maschinelle-uebersetzung"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3565"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3565"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70872,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3565\/revisions\/70872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}