Termbases: TBX formatting or no?
Thread poster: AC Lincoln
AC Lincoln
AC Lincoln
United States
Local time: 10:21
English to Japanese
+ ...
Mar 4, 2020

I am a graduate student researching two different rail industry termbases: the UIC's RailLexic and the RTRI's Railway Technical Terminology Dictionary. Neither of these resources follow TBX conventions for data categories or formatting.

For practicing translators, how important is it that terminological resources be in TBX format and/or contain TBX specific data categories (e.g. definition, part of speech, gender, usage status, etc.)


 
Marjolein Snippe
Marjolein Snippe  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 16:21
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Not very Mar 5, 2020

As long as a glossary can be converted to something that will open in excel, I can edit it in excel and import it into an existing glossary or save it as a new glossary.

AC Lincoln
Jorge Payan
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 16:21
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@AC Mar 5, 2020

aclincoln wrote:
For practicing translators, how important is it that terminological resources be in TBX format and/or contain TBX specific data categories (e.g. definition, part of speech, gender, usage status, etc.)?


The format of the glossary or termbase doens't matter, as long as the translator's CAT tool can read it. Some CAT tools are capable of exporting and/or importing glossaries in TBX format, but in most of the projects that I work in, very few of the terms have data category information attached to them (and in cases where they do, the values are often not truly useful). If a translator does download a termbase in TBX format from somewhere, he's not going to use it in TBX format but convert it to his own CAT tool's own format, which may or may not include the same data categories as the original file.

In what formats are those two glossaries of yours, and in what program do you usually open them?


 
esperantisto
esperantisto  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:21
Member (2006)
English to Russian
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SITE LOCALIZER
Not in OmegaT Mar 5, 2020

Samuel Murray wrote:
…If a translator does download a termbase in TBX format from somewhere, he's not going to use it in TBX format but convert it to his own CAT tool's own format…


When using OmegaT, no conversion is needed, you can use a TBX file as is. However, you won't be able to add terms from within OmegaT.


AC Lincoln
 
AC Lincoln
AC Lincoln
United States
Local time: 10:21
English to Japanese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Glossary formats are on-line Mar 6, 2020

Samuel Murray wrote:

The format of the glossary or termbase doens't matter, as long as the translator's CAT tool can read it. ... most of the projects that I work in, very few of the terms have data category information attached to them (and in cases where they do, the values are often not truly useful). ...

In what formats are those two glossaries of yours, and in what program do you usually open them?


Samuel,

Thank you for the reply. First, the two glossaries I am referencing are:
1) Rail Technical Research Institute's glossary (3rd edition: https://yougo.rtri.or.jp/dic/third_edition/searchtaiyaku.jsp)
This resource includes Japanese, English, French, German, and Chinese rail term equivalents. As far as I can tell, users cannot download the internet-based resource (which is free to use). However, hardcopy dictionaries which come with a CDROM are available for purchase.

2) UIC's RailLexic (https://www.shop-etf.com/en/terminology)
This resource includes 23 languages and there seem to be many buying options (paper, downloadable, online subscription). I only needed access for my research project, so I procured an online subscription. It allows me to search the database in one language and provides returns for three additional languages. Again, none of the data seems to be downloadable.

Given that these formats are intended for on-line use, I access them through my browser (Google Chrome). Although I have used SLD Trados, MemSource, and MemoQ in my coursework, any termbases would have to be uploaded to the CAT tool itself (or a partner program like MultiTerm in the case of Trados).

Personally, I have not consistently required data categories in my translation duties when I worked in manufacturing but I also wasn't working with/for professional terminologists or a language service provider who required consistent application of terms.


 


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Termbases: TBX formatting or no?







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