Workshop: Getting started with translation

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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

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

reflecting a reading of future financial conditions and goals.

14. 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. It 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.

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 ___ ________, 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 ___ ________ 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 ______
_____, allowed time, or downtime.

1
BusinessDictionary. (s.f.). Diccionario de términos. Consultado el 31 de agosto de 2016, en:
http://www.businessdictionary.com
 7
2 3 4 5 6 d
1 O V E R P R O D U C T I O n e
8 r E E a n m
e g t m p v a
9 f l o w a a a e n
j f n i n c n 10 d
o i o l d i t w
b c m e t a a f
i i r y r i o
d e c y t r
e n 11 S U P P L I E R e
s c t c
i y 12 r a w M A T E R I A L s
n m s
g 13 b u d g e t
14 B O T T L E N E C k

B. Understanding Word categories

Translate the following terms into Spanish. Check the example:

English Term Spanish Translation

Supply chain Cadena de abastecimiento
supply chain management Gestión de la cadena de
abastecimiento
flow of goods Flujos de utilidad
storage of goods Almacenamiento de
utilidad
point of origin Punto de origen
point of consumption Punto de consumo
consumer consumidor
supplier Proveedor
Customer Cliente
Provider proveedor
Network cadena
Procurement obtención
Transformation transformación
warehousing and Almacenamiento y
distribution distribución
intermediate product Producto intermedio
finished product Producto terminado
 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
Para cumplir los requisitos
de los clientes
Re ingeniería
Costos de flete y
transportes
Mercado de destino
Temporadas de tendencias
Regulaciones de
importación y exportacion
Derechos de aduana e
impuestos
Inventario de gestion
Servicios de entrega
Orden completada

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

English Spanish Your opinion Your correction

Translation
Logistics is one Logísticas es -Hace falta el uso del La logística es
of the spheres, una de las artículo “La” antes de una de las
which still have esferas, que Logísticas. esferas que
potential as far todavía tienen -En español, el aún tiene
as improving potencial en término logística se potencial en
performance is cuanto a mejorar debe utilizar en cuanto se
concerned. el rendimiento se singular. refiere al
refiere. -El verbo “tienen” se mejoramiento
debe utilizar en del
singular porque nos rendimiento.
estamos refiriendo a
“la esfera de la
logística”
The global El global mercado - Existe un error El mercado
logistics market de logísticas han en la estructura global de
has grown crecido gramatical de “el logística ha
radically over the radicalmente global mercado” crecido
years. sobre los años. - El termino radicalmente
logística se debe sobre los años.
usar en singular
 - En vez de “han”
se utiliza “ha”
The main - En este contexto Los principales
customer groups Los principales traduciría la grupos de
served by the grupos de clientes palabra “served” clientes
logistics industry servidos por la no como atendidos por la
are parcel and industria logística servidos si no industria
documents son los servicios como logística son los
express delivery de entrega urgente “atendidos” servicios de
services, de paquetería y - Gramaticalmente envió urgentes
warehousing and documentos, es un error el de paquetes,
distribution, etc. almacenamiento y uso seguido de documentos,
distribución, etc. “y” almacenamiento,
distribución etc
Efficient logistics Logística - Puesta en plural La logística
and eficientes y el de eficiente es eficiente y el
transportation sistema de incorrecto. sistema de
system are transporte son - Igualmente tiene transporte son
important importantes un orden prerrequisitos
prerequisites of previos requisitos gramatical importantes para
the development del desarrollo de incorrecto el desarrollo de
of any economy. ninguna cualquier
economía. economía.
The art and El arte y la ciensia - Ciensia es El arte y la
science of de la entrega de incorrecto, su ciencia de
delivering goods buenos con forma correcta entregar
with speed and rapidez y precisión es “ciencia” productos con
precision can pueden ayudar - “Gain” es una velocidad y
help businesses negocios a operar palabra que precisión pueden
operate more más eficiente, tiene significado ayudar a las
efficiently, lower reducir costos y en español como empresas a
costs and gain gain nuevos ganar u obtener operar de
new customers. clientes. entre otras, me manera más
parece que no eficiente, reducir
es necesario costos y obtener
colocar en su nuevos clientes.
forma original
ingles cuando
este tiene
traducción
Logistics has Las logísticas ha -Logística en plural La logística ha
evolved evolucionado a lo - incorrecta traducción evolucionado a
throughout largo y ancho de de “ centures” por lo largo de los
centuries to las centurias para “centurias” siglos para
become an convertirse en una convertirse en
integral part of parte integral de una parte
every business. 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 1970 y se
accelerated in the aceleró en la década de
1990s. 1990.
 Logistics has Simple present La logística ha
evolved throughout evolucionado a lo largo de
centuries to los siglos para convertirse
become an integral en una parte integral de
part of every cada negocio
business.
 Globalization is still Simple present La globalización todavía
moving forward avanza hoy.
today.
 Since 2000, the rail Simple past Desde el año 2000, la
freight industry has industria del transporte de
undergone a mercancías por ferrocarril
remarkable ha experimentado una
transformation. transformación notable.
 Logistics has been Simple past La logística ha jugado un
playing a papel fundamental en el
fundamental role in desarrollo global durante
global development casi 5.000 años.
for almost 5,000
years.
 Since the Simple past Desde la construcción de
construction of the las pirámides en el antiguo
pyramids in ancient Egipto, la logística ha
Egypt, logistics has logrado un progreso
made a remarkable notable.
progress.
 Recently, Simple present Recientemente, las
innovations have innovaciones se volvieron
become vital to vitales para cumplir con
meet customer las expectativas de los
expectations. clientes.
  Now, the company Present continuo Ahora, la compañía está
is working on a trabajando en un nuevo
new project. proyecto
 Usually, freight Present simple Por lo general, los agentes
forwarders de carga organizan el
organize shipping envío de diversos
of various goods. productos.
 Now, the ABC present continuo Ahora, la Compañía ABC
Company is está expandiendo sus
expanding its instalaciones de
production facilities producción 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?
Well, I Interpret the correct order of words, also make sure that the
times were right.
2. According to your experience, do you consider that translation is a complex
activity? Explain.
yes, the translation for me is a practice of care and patience in
addition to the necessary skills of grammar and spelling and
knowledge of the culture of the place where it is translated
3. What do you think is necessary to do a correct translation?
As I mentioned before, being a difficult practice it seems to me that
people prepared and with the previous knowledge are the ones who can
perform this task, taking into account factors such as grammar times,
spelling, the meaning of words, and the intention of the sentence that
requires translation to not discriminate its essence
4. According to your experience, what is the most difficult aspect about
translation?

Now that I was doing this activity, it became very difficult to organize the
sentences and give a logical sense to these