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German Transcription
Turning Spoken German into Written EnglishTranscription is the process of converting spoken words into written words. It’s a service you’d expect any good German translation agency or freelance translator to offer. However, it relies on the translator having a very good ear for German, not just a good eye! I would it say it's a pretty tricky skill for anyone who hasn't lived in a German-speaking environment for a reasonable period of time.
When I’m asked to do a transcription, I usually listen to the recording in German, translate it in my head and then type out the English translation directly. Unless the client needs a written German copy, this is quicker than the two stage process of first producing a written German version and then translating it.It's great fun and makes a break from normal translation work. It is also a good test of “real” German language skills! If you don’t understand the accent or the slang spoken by the people in the recording, you are simply lost! As a result, it's a great test of a translator’s abilities! The challenges!Just as most German texts are not written with a view to being translated, many sound recordings are made with no consideration of the poor translator who will subsequently try to decipher them!The Germans are great engineers and the majority of my transcription work to date has been producing texts of interviews recorded in German factories. My main challenges is usually to separate out the background noise – factory processes, mobile phones going off – from the interview itself, not to mention the problems caused when everyone involved talks at once! Then there’s slang and regional accents, mumbling and speaking in low voices, and the inevitable interruptions.
And the realization that very few people actually manage to speak in complete sentences! Usually they veer off, half way through, and change topic. ChargingThe translator will often access the sound recording directly from the client’s ftp website. The recording can usually be played using standard playback applications such as RealPlayer. The translator is paid according to the length of the recorded interview – a standard hourly rate. So it is rather a matter of luck as to the time the translator will actually need to transcribe the piece. But nothing in life is fixed, and so these rates are probably negotiable if the quality of the recording is dreadful. Learning how to transcribeTranscription and translation are related skills. Once you know enough German to translate, you just need to hone up your listening comprehension skills. My suggestion – tune into a
German radio station
and record a programme or an interview. Practice typing out exactly what is said. It’s a great way of “getting your ear in”, and recognizing all the German varieties of the “ums” and “ers” which litter spoken English sentences! If you are keen on improving your language skills, then regularly listening to German radio or German TV is something you should be doing anyway. The technological future of translation?Good news for those of you worrying about wearing out your digits with all that tapping at the keyboard! Modern software allows the German translator to read an original German text, to work out the appropriate English translation and then, instead of typing, to speak their translation out loud. The software then transforms the spoken word into written text and displays it on your computer screen. I can’t say that I’ve tried this myself yet but I’ll let you know when I do! My immediate thought was, “I wonder how easy it is to make minor changes to a text afterwards?” Or whether subsequent changes must be typed in? Obviously, anyone wishing to use transcription software will have to speak clearly!
Watch this space for further details…..
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