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 - Horizontal

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 - Vertical

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.

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O V E R P R O D U C T I O N D

R E E A N E
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E G T M P V M
9
F L O W A A A E A

F N I N C N N

I O L D I T D
9
C M E T O J F
10
I I R W Y R O O

E C A Y B R
12
N S U P P L I E R D E

C T E C
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Y R A W M A T E R I A L S A

I I S
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M B A U G E T
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B O T T L E N E C K N
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 Administración de la Noun phrase
cadena de abastecimiento
flow of goods Flujo de mercancías 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 Adquisición Noun
transformation Transformación Noun
warehousing and Almacenamiento y Noun phrase
distribution distribución
intermediate product Producto intermedio Noun phrase
finished product Producto terminado Noun phrase
to meet customers’ Para satisfacer los Noun phrase
requirements requisitos de los clientes
re-engineering Re- ingeniería Noun
freight and transport costs Costo de flete y transporte Noun phrase
destination market Mercado de destino Noun phrase
seasonal trends Tendencias estacionales Noun phrase
import and export Regulaciones de Noun phrase
regulations importación y exportación
customs duties and taxes Derechos de aduanas e Noun phrase
impuestos
inventory management Administración de Noun phrase
inventario
delivery services Servicios de entrega Noun phrase, plural
order fulfilment Orden completa Noun phrase
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 potencial en Logísticas. aún tiene
improving cuanto a mejorar el -En español, el potencial en
performance is 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 de -en español el El mercado
market has grown logísticas han termino logística se global de la
radically over the crecido radicalmente utiliza en singular, logística ha
years. sobre los años. por ende, mercado crecido
también debe ir en radicalmente
singular. sobres los años
The main customer NO APLICA NO APLICA
groups served by Los principales
the logistics industry grupos de clientes
are parcel and servidos por la
documents express industria logística
delivery services, son los servicios de
warehousing and entrega urgente de
distribution, etc. paquetería y
documentos,
almacenamiento y
distribución, etc.
Efficient logistics Logística eficientes y -termino logística y Sistemas de
and transportation el sistema de en singular lo logística y
system are transporte son mismo que transporte
important importantes previos eficiente. Y en eficientes son
prerequisites of the requisitos del plural los sistemas importante
development of any desarrollo de pues se habla de prerrequisitos
economy. ninguna economía. 2. Transporte y del desarrollo de
logística cualquier
economía
The art and science El arte y la ciensia -la forma correcta El arte y la
of delivering goods de la entrega de es ciencia y la ciencia de
with speed and buenos con rapidez traducción de entrega de
precision can help y precisión pueden godos para el bienes con
businesses operate ayudar negocios a contexto que nos rapidez y
more efficiently, operar más eficiente, aplica, seria precisión puede
lower costs and gain reducir costos y gain “bienes” la ayudar a operar
new customers. nuevos clientes. traducción correcta mas
eficientemente,
reducir costos y
ganar nuevos
clientes.
Logistics has Las logísticas ha De nuevo la forma La logística ha
evolved throughout evolucionado a lo del termino evolucionado a
centuries to become largo y ancho de las logística debe ser través de los
an integral part of centurias para en singular. siglos para
every business. convertirse en una 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 1970 y se
accelerated in the aceleró en la década de
1990s. 1990.
 Logistics has Simple past 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 Present Perfect La globalización continúa
moving forward avanzando
today.
 Since 2000, the rail Present simple 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 Present Perfect 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 Present Perfect 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, Present Recientemente, las
innovations have innovaciones se volvieron
become vital to vitales para cumplir con
meet customer las expectativas del cliente
expectations.
 Now, the company Present Perfect Ahora, la compañía está
is working on a new trabajando en un nuevo
project. proyecto
 Usually, freight Present Por lo general, los
forwarders organize transportadores organizan
shipping of various el envío de varias
goods. mercancías
 Now, the ABC Present Perfect 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?

Recognize the meaning of the phrase, search for known words, know
the subject.
2. According to your experience, do you consider that translation is a complex
activity? Explain.

I think that if it is complex, because in addition to knowing the other

language, you should know the subject to translate.

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

it is necessary to have a wide vocabulary and syntax when composing a

sentence.

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

translation?

The most difficult aspect is to know and understand the technical

language.