The Internet as an information source for translators.

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the Internet as a source of information for translators. Specifically, its goal is to determine the usefulness and efficiency of the Internet as a means of providing some of the linguistic and domain knowledge required during the translation process. This thesis is divided into four chapters. In Chapter 1, I examine the unique set of factors that gives rise to translators' information needs, and, in particular, how translators' information needs differ from those of unilingual writers. Next, I examine some of the tools that translators have traditionally used to find various kinds of information, and I end this chapter by providing an overview of the trend toward the automation of translation tools. In Chapter 2, my focus turns to the Internet. I explore its history and current state, as well as the technological concepts that are at the heart of network communication. Next, I examine in detail several Internet tools, with a particular emphasis on how each them can be of use to translators. In Chapter 3, I carry out a practical exploration of the Internet, which involves actually translating three specialized texts, with the Internet being used as the sole source of information. I then assess the usefulness and efficiency of the Internet for the translation of the three texts. The results of this exploration indicate that the Internet's value can vary significantly from one type of text to another. Finally, in Chapter 4, I provide an overall assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Internet as a tool for translators, and I conclude this thesis by outlining some additional issues raised during the study.