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1997-05-21
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____________________________________
Truth About Translation, Version 2.0
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS COPYRIGHT (C) 1996
BY ALEXANDER GROSS
DATE: May 18, 1997
[This information is also found
in the file VENDINFO.DIZ.]
***********************
* PLEASE NOTE!!! *
***********************
This File Contains the following sections:
1. Official Disclaimer
2. Nature of License
3. What Is "Truth About Translation?"
(And What Is "Truth About Translation Enhanced?")
(AND HOW TO ORDER THESE PROGRAMS)
4. List of Most Important Files
5. How to Run and/or Install TRUTRANT,
the Animated Slide-Show Program
6. How to Print Out the Text Files
7. Type of Support Offered
8. Other Information
9. Varieties of This Program
10. About the Author...
11. ASP Ombudsman Statement
12. What Is Shareware?
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
1. OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER: This program has been tested
on many different computers, ranging from a slow 286
to the fastest Pentium. It has also been tested using
various versions of DOS and both WINDOWS 3.x and
WINDOWS 95. It has run perfectly well in all of these
congifurations. This does not mean, however, that
it will work perfectly on *your* computer. Neither
the author nor the distributor of this free, educa-
tional program is in any way responsible if it fails
to work on any machine, nor are they responsible for
any damages claimed to have been caused on existing
hardware or software. The program is offered "as is,"
with no warranty of any kind. This disclaimer is
stated in more formal terms in the file VENDINFO.DIZ.
2. NATURE OF LICENSE:
You are entitled and encouraged to make as many copies
of this free Shareware program as you wish and to
distribute them to your friends. It is hoped that this
free, abridged version of the program will encourage you
to order the full version at the reasonable price of $12,
which you can do by filling out the form in the file
ORDER.DOC. Any exceptions to these terms are shown
below and in the standard Shareware file VENDINFO.DIZ.
Please feel free to place this abridged version of the
program on local Bulletin Boards, in the Zipped form as you
most probably received it--and to publicize it in any and
all appropriate media. Sysops are especially encouraged
to post it on their Boards, and publishers of CD-ROM's
are welcome to include it on their disks. In fact,
almost all ways and methods of distributing this program
are most welcome, with three exceptions.
1. As stated at the beginning of the
program itself, its contents remain the
Copyrighted property of its sole author,
Alexander Gross.
2. No one is authorized to charge any special fee
for obtaining this program, aside from the usual
nominal fee charged by legitimate originators
and/or distributors of Shareware and CD-ROM disks.
See the VENDINFO.DIZ file for details.
3. No changes to be are made to any part of the
program, except as specifically provided for in the
VENDINFO.DIZ statement, and all files belonging
to the program are to be kept together as a single
unit.
3. WHAT IS "TRUTH ABOUT TRANSLATION?"
(AND WHAT IS "TRUTH ABOUT TRANSLATION ENHANCED?")
***(AND HOW TO ORDER THESE PROGRAMS)***
The following is the brief description of the abridged
version of this program, which you have received. It
is less than 450 bytes long and appears elsewhere on
the disk as FILE_ID.DIZ and DESC450.TXT:
Truth About Translation 2.0 animated text
show - gives much info, removes many myths
about translating/interpreting/computers.
New menu-driven version humorously probes
complex language issues, presents quotations
about translation thru 2,500 years plus
HILARIOUS "Translation Bloopers" by man and
machine PLUS humorous & incisive ideas about
workings of language & translation. Animated/
printable, ASP Shareware, Full version $12.
Further summations of the program in 250, 750, and 1500
bytes appear in the files named DESC250.TXT, DESC750.
TXT, and DESC1500.TXT respectively.
Here is a more detailed discussion of this software:
=================================================
(if you want to know how to install the program,
either jump to Section 5 or read the file INSTALL.DOC)
"Truth About Translation" is a three-part program
that clears up many misunderstandings about translation
and interpreting. It is directed towards the general
public and especially those who work with computers. A
great many people mistakenly suppose that there is
nothing more to translation and interpreting than
substituting one word for another in a second language.
But translation often requires a considerably higher
level of perception and skills in a number of different
areas. Learning a second vocabulary correctly is often
only the first of many steps. Other fields that must
be mastered are writing and editing (or for interpreters,
skills in public speaking, acting, and quick thinking),
mastery in both languages of the subject matter being
translated, and crystal-clear understanding of grammar
and usage in both languages. Perhaps the most important
requirement is the slow and gradual cultivation of a
form of bilingual seeing, hearing, and understanding,
which will make it possible to tell when two entities or
situations as expressed in two different languages or
cultures are truly simmilar and when they are truly
different. Pliny the Younger expressed this quality
rather precisely almost 2,000 years ago when he observed:
At the same time, what they may miss
in reading, they cannot avoid in translating.
From this process intelligence and judgment
are acquired.
This is another way of saying that the translator must
always be on the alert to avoid errors. Just as no human
being can understand every book written in his or her
native language, there is certainly no way a translator
can accomplish such a feat with two languages. Thus,
specialists are absolutely crucial--just as in law or
medicine--to ensure adequate results. While a few principles
are shared by all forms of translation and interpreting,
there is usually no such thing as "generic translation."
*******************************************************
* Projects linking computers and *
* translation--so-called "machine translation" *
* methods--have repeatedly failed altogether or *
* fallen demonstrably short because their authors *
* have not been able to accept or to understand *
* the basic ideas outlined above. *
*******************************************************
The three parts of "Truth About Translation" demonstrate
these ideas in different ways. The first section
("Translation and Translators: Quotations Through the
Ages") gathers over 2,500 years of observations about
translation and interpreting and shows how complex these
arts have remained from the Ancient Sumerians right down
to the latest translations of texts on Molecular
Biology. Ultimately, no truly faithful translation can
be created unless the minds of translators can come
extremely close to approaching the knowledge and skills
of the authors they are translating. This can become
painfully true even where truly "simple" texts are
concerned. This section makes one other aspect of trans-
lation clear beyond all denying: while there have been
numerous advances in most branches of human knowledge
over the centuries, these quotations, voicing much the
same observations about translation through the ages,
clearly demonstrate that there has been almost no
advance in knowledge about translation over the past
2,500 years.
The second section ("Famous Translation Bloopers By Man
and Computer") presents hilarious real-life
illustrations of what happens when the translator's mind
fails to capture the mind of the author and/or the
meaning of the text. Many of these ridiculous and
outrageous translations were produced by poorly trained
translators or simply by NON-translators who imagined
the task was easy. But the examples of computer
translation shown in this same section easily outdo
these human amateurs in the number and unpredictability
of their errors.
The last major section ("Spray It Again, Sam") uses a
semi-humorous history of language and translation to
explain why so many of us have so many problems with
languages, including our own. Its major thesis
is rooted in evolution and biological processes
and suggests an alternative to the widely held Chomskian
view of language, since these widely held trans-
formational/generative theories of linguistics may be
inadequate to describe practical problems of translation.
Far from satisfying such highly intellectualized
preconceptions as "universal grammar" or "deep structure,"
the origin and use of language may spring from far
more basic human and animal habits.
Fully one-half of the quotations contained in the first
section do not appear in any work on translation history,
and only a small fraction appears in any one such work.
They are also notably absent from works on cultural
history, anthropology, and linguistics. Perhaps most
ironically, many of these quotations have never before
been translated into English. In other words, although
the Modern Language Association currently boasts some
32,000 members, most of them tenured and well-rewarded
scholars and professors, none of them has ever taken
the trouble to unearth these quotations from their
largely obscure sources.
The full text of the program is presented in two forms:
1) this executable program (TT.BAT);
2) a printable text file (ALLTEXT.ASC).
A Paper about this program that was published by the
American Translators Association is provided in the file
TRANTRIP.TXT. In addition, a few other articles on
computers and translation by the author of this program
are included following the file ARTICLE0.SEE, as ARTICLE1,
ARTICLE2, etc. All of these materials can be accessed
from the menu.
The unabridged and fully licensed Shareware version of
this program is entitled "Truth About Translation Enhanced"
and presents several additional features. First of all,
both the Quotations and Bloopers sections of the program
are considerably longer (providing twice as many quotations
and three times as many bloopers). There is also an
additional section: a 14-question Quiz on the history of
Translating and Interpreting. An additional program
showing some of the problems of "machine translation has
also been provided. Perhaps most important, a complete
"scholarly apparatus" is available in the unabridged
version, making it possible for anyone to locate the
precise source of any quotation. Fully one-half of the
quotations contained in this program do not appear
in any work on translation history, and only a small
fraction appears in any one such work. As has also been
made amply clear, this material cannot be found
in works on linguistics, cultural anthropology, history,
or literature. Perhaps most ironically, many of these
quotations have never before been translated into
English.
***HOW TO ORDER THE FULL, REGISTERED VERSION***
The unabridged version of the program can be
acquired for $12 by completing the form appearing in the
file ORDER.DOC or by placing credit card orders on
CompuServe's SWREG Forum (GO SWREG). Reduced prices
for multiple copying can be found in the file VENDINFO.DIZ.
CLASSROOM USE BY COLLEGES OR OTHER INSTITUTIONS:
************************************************
Colleges and other institutions intending to use the
program for educational purposes are requested to order
the complete program for the price of $30, which includes
the right to make three copies for institutional
purposes.
FURTHER INSTITUTIONAL COPIES:
If three copies for institutional use are not
enough for you, you can obtain a License to make
further copies at the following greatly reduced
rates:
4 to 10 copies $ 8 each
11 to 20 copies $ 7 each
21 to 30 copies $ 6 each
31 to 50 copies $ 5 each
Over 50 copies by arrangement
Please contact the author, either electronically or
at the mail address given below, to obtain such a
License in writing. Please note that no disks will
be sent--the License covers the right for you to make
the specified number of copies for your own
institutional use.
4. LIST OF MOST IMPORTANT FILES:
You do not need to know the names of these files if
you are running this program from the menu. They
are nonetheless listed below:
README.1ST This file--you are reading it now.
TT.BAT Executing file for the animated
text slide-show.
ALLTEXT.ASC Printable text file for the entire
contents of the animated slide-show.
XX.BAT Further batch files for running various
sections of this program individually.
See the following section for details.
XX.TXT text files about various aspects of
or XX.DOC this program
ARTICLE? articles about related themes (see file
ARTICLE0.SEE for list).
5. HOW TO RUN THIS PROGRAM AND/OR INSTALL IT ON YOUR
HARD DISK:
If you have received this program in zipped form from a
BBS or a CD-ROM disk, simply unzip it using the widely
available PKUNZIP.EXE program. Some Dos Shell programs
such as XTREE have their own built-in UNZIP programs.
Place the unzipped files in a directory of its own
(possible names: TT, TRUTRANT, TRANSLAT, etc.).
Then go to that directory.
TO START THE PROGRAM, simply type
tt followed by <ENTER>
Am opening menu will immediately appear.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM FROM THE MENU SCREENS
You can run all parts of Version 2 from this menu.
Simply move the highlight to the section of the program
you wish to view and press <ENTER>. Alternately, you
can simply left-click on the menu item with your mouse.
Make sure you also click on the item "MENU OF RELATED
ITEMS." This will bring up an additional menu con-
taining much supplementary material.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM MANUALLY FROM DOS
You can also run the program entirely from DOS by simply
typing:
tat followed by <ENTER>
The program will then begin. It lasts about 45 minutes.
*** IF YOU WISH TO STOP IT AT ANY TIME, press ANY KEY ***
The program will also run from a 3 1/2 inch floppy disk,
but you will have to unzip it onto your hard disk and
then recopy the files to another high density floppy in
order to do so. Running it from the hard disk is
recommended, as it will be slower and less smooth when
run from a floppy.
You can also install this program via Windows 3.1 or
Windows95 and set up icons for running it. See your
Windows documentation for full instructions.
RUNNING VARIOUS SECTIONS INDIVIDUALLY FROM DOS:
You can run the various ections of this program
individually by simply selcting them from the menu.
These sections are:
INTRO introductory section before quotations
QUOTEALL view all the quotation sections
QUOTE1 view quotations from Sumeria to 1600
QUOTE2 view quotations from 1600 to 1900
QUOTE3 view quotations from 1900 to 1950
QUOTE4 view quotations from 1950 to 1995
BLOOPERS view "Bloopers" section
SPRAY view "Spray It Again, Sam"
CONCLU Some Concluding Remarks
REMOVING THIS PROGRAM FROM YOUR HARD DISK:
******************************************
It is very easy to remove this program from your
Hard Disk. Simply delete all its files from the
directory where you have placed them, and then
delete the directory itself. See your DOS or
Windows docs if you need any further information
about this.
6. HOW TO PRINT OUT THE TEXT FILES:
You can print out either ALLTEXT.ASC or any text file
(such as this one) by simply copying it to your word
processor and printing it in the usual way. Depending
on the typeface and margins you choose, you will need
approximately 25 pages to print ALLTEXT.ASC.
7. TYPE OF SUPPORT OFFERED:
Both "Truth About Translation" and the full registered
version are very easy programs to run and have
encountered no insoluable problems during the testing
phase. They are furthermore based on an extremely
successful Shareware program called Automessage (see
below), which has itself gone through three successive
versions and been thoroughly tested over a three-year
period.
The only problem one user has encountered so far
has involved running this program with certain kinds
of "screen savers" or "screen blankers" automatically
loaded into memory when their computer goes on. The
solution here is simply to disable such screen savers
or screen blankers (see the manuals that came with
them for details) before running this program. In
some cases, it may become necessary to remove a line
from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file in order to do this.
See your DOS manual (or ask a computer-wise friend)
for details.
All of this is a friendly way of saying that we do not
expect you to run into any problems with this
program--or at least no problems that you cannot solve
for yourself. IMPORTANT: No shareware support and no
handholding is in fact available for the free version
of this program, though this is a feature of the fully
licensed version. If you REALLY run into a TRULY UNIQUE
problem, please let the author know at either of the two
e-mail addresses below:
alex.gross@factory.com
Compuserve: 71071,1520
In such exceptional cases the author will, based on his
estimate of the problem and his time commitments, make
an attempt to provide some advice.
8. OTHER INFORMATION:
"Truth About Translation" has been extensively scanned
for viruses at all stages of its development. This
does NOT mean that you shouldn't also run it
through your own virus scanner, especially if you
have obtained the program through a third party.
As noted above, "Truth About Translation" is based
on the Automessage program by Russell Holloway.
You can obtain more information about Automessage
(but **NOT** about translation or "Truth About
Translation") by phoning (800) 815-6578.
At the present time, both "Truth About Translation"
and its registered counterpart are available only in
DOS format, and there are no plans to create versions
for other platforms.
9. VARIETIES OF THIS PROGRAM AND ORDER FORM:
So far, this program exists in two separate forms:
"TRUTH ABOUT TRANSLATION" about half as long as the
(this one!) full-length version,
available FREE OF CHARGE FREE OF CHARGE from Compuserve
"TRUTH ABOUT TRANSLATION ENHANCED"
see the file ORDER.DOC
If the reception to this program is reasonably positive,
new, enlarged, and improved versions will be offered
at appropriate intervals.
10. ABOUT THE AUTHOR...
Alex Gross has contributed many papers and articles
about translation, computers, and linguistics to
scholarly and professional publications. Some of
these are reproduced following the file ARTICLE0.SEE,
as ARTICLE1, ARTICLE2, etc. He is Adjunct Lecturer in
Translation History for the NYU Translation Studies
Program. He has served as PR Committee Chair for the
American Translators Association and was one of the
co-founders of the New York Circle of Translators. A
produced playwright, his translation specialties are
stage plays and poetry, though he has also translated
diplomatic and business texts and has even done work
on Chinese herbal medical theory.
11. IMPORTANT NOTE: OFFICIAL ASP OMBUDSMAN STATEMENT
************************************************
Alex Gross is a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to
resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member
by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute
or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write to
the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI
49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe
message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
12. WHAT IS SHAREWARE?
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try
software before buying it. If you try a Shareware
program and continue using it, you are expected to
register. Individual programs differ on details--some
request registration while others require it, some
specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you
get anything from the simple right to continue using the
software to an updated program with printed manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial
software, and the copyright holder retains all rights,
with a few specific exceptions as stated below.
Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just
like commercial authors, and the programs are of
comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good
programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the
method of distribution. The author specifically grants
the right to copy and distribute the software, either to
all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some
authors require written permission before a commercial
disk vendor may copy their Shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of
software. You should find software that suits your
needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or
Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your
needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And
because the overhead is low, prices are low also.
Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if
you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.
DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT
Users of "Truth About Translation" must accept this
disclaimer of warranty:
"Truth About Translation" is supplied as is. The author
disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied,
including, without limitation, the warranties of
merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.
The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or
consequential, which may result from the use of "Truth
About Translation." "Truth About Translation" is a
"shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the
user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your
friends, but please do not give it away altered or as
part of another system. The essence of "user-supported"
software is to provide personal computer users with
quality software without high prices, and yet to provide
incentive for programmers to continue to develop new
products. If you find this program useful and find that
you are enjoying "Truth About Translation" and continue
to consult "Truth About Translation" after a reasonable
trial period, you may wish to make a payment of $12.00
to Cross-Cultural Research Projects. In return for your
$12.00 registration fee you will receive a copy of the
Full Registered Program, entitled "Truth About Translation
Enhanced."
You may use either program only on one computer at any
one time. You must treat this software just like a book.
An example is that this software may be used by any
number of people and may be freely moved from one
computer location to another, so long as there is no
possibility of it being used at one location while it's
being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by
two different persons at the same time.
Those who wish to use "Truth About Translation" in the
class room are asked to register and pay for their copy
of the fully registered version at the institutional
price of $30. This will entitle them to make three
copies of the program for institutional purposes. The
registered version contains twice as many quotations and
three times as many "bloopers" as the Shareware
version. It also has a special quiz feature and an
extra program about "machine translation" as well as a
complete bibliography and scholarly apparatus. Thus,
there is nothing in "Truth About Translation" that is
not also in the full version, but the full program
contains much information that is not in the Shareware
one. Information on making more than three copies can
be found in the file VENDINFO.DIZ. Anyone who requires
a Site-License arrangement should contact Cross-Cultural
Research Projects directly.
Anyone distributing "Truth About Translation" for any
kind of remuneration must first contact Cross-Cultural
Research Projects at the address below for
authorization, except as provided for in the VENDINFO.
DIZ file. Such authorization will be automatically
granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as
adhering to its guidelines for Shareware distributors,
and such distributors may begin offering "Truth About
Translation" immediately. (However Cross-Cultural
Research Projects must still be advised so that
the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest
version of "Truth About Translation".).
You are encouraged to pass a copy of "Truth About
Translation" along to your friends for evaluation.
Please encourage them to register their copy if they
find that they can use it. All registered users will
receive a copy of the full version of this program.
ADDRESSES
Cross-Cultural Research Projects
P.O. Box 660
Cooper Station
New York, NY 10276
CompuServe: 71071,1520
Internet: alex.gross@factory.com
71071.1520@compuserve.com
