STAR TS Translation Services Blog

Damian Scattergood, Stiúrthóir Bainistíochta ar Sheirbhísí Aistriúcháin STAR.

[This interview is available in English here]

Cén fáth a ndearnadh an ‘Caighdeán’ a athbhreithniú?
Athbhreithníodh an Caighdeán toisc go raibh éileamh ar shimplíocht agus comhsheasmhacht sa teanga scríofa oifigiúil.

Ní mór é seo a mhíniú go stairiúil; tá trí phríomhchanúint Ghaeilge ann agus labhraítear na canúintí sin i gCúige Uladh, Cúige Mumhan agus Cúige Chonnacht. Mar sin, bhí ciall le caighdeán scríofa amháin a chur ar fáil le haghaidh cumarsáid scríofa oifigiúil an rialtais.

Foilsíodh an chéad chaighdeán nua-aimseartha, An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, sa bhliain 1958 agus ní raibh nuashonrú déanta air ó shin go dtí seo. Ach foilsíodh cuid mhaith graiméar agus foclóirí ó shin a rinneadh soiléiriú ar, nó a chur leis an gcaighdeán bunaidh.

Is é mo thuairim go raibh réimsí den ghramadach nach raibh soiléir nó nach raibh mínithe i gceart. Anuas air sin, bhí codanna áirithe de nár ghlac cuid mhaith cainteoirí Gaeilge leo, mar sin bhí gá leis an athbhreithniú seo.

Is rud beo í teanga agus bíonn sí ag athrú i gcónaí agus fásann sí de réir a chéile. Athróidh teanga ar bith go sóisialta, déantar focail nua a shainmhíniú agus tagann athrú ar an gcaoi a labhraítear í ó lá go lá chomh maith. Mar sin tá sé tábhachtach  go léireodh caighdeán scríofa ar bith na hathruithe sóisialta sin.

Mar shampla, tharla sé i rith na mblianta go raibh cuid de na graiméir Ghaeilge ag teacht salach ar a chéile ó thaobh rialacha gramadaí de.  Mar sin bhí gá le hathbhreithniú chun gnéithe áirithe a shoiléiriú.

Ar ghá athbhreithniú a dhéanamh air?
Ba ghá; measaim go raibh gá leis ar chúiseanna soiléire ar an iomlán, le ligean don teanga a bheith ag fás. Tá níos mó daoine ag labhairt na teanga go hoscailte anois.

Aistrímid go breis is 50 teanga agus bhí an Ghaeilge ar an tríú teanga ba mhó éileamh inár gcás féin anuraidh. Bhí 10% dár ngnó bliana i gceist léi. Creidimid go leanfaidh sé seo de bheith ag fás. Ó rinneadh teanga oifigiúil den Ghaeilge san Aontas Eorpach roinnt blianta ó shin, tá níos mó iarratas á bhfáil againn ar aistriúcháin agus iad ag teacht ó áiteanna amhail an Ghearmáin agus tíortha eile ar an Mór-Roinn. Mar sin ní mór dúinn a chinntiú go bhfuil caighdeán ár gcuid Gaeilge go hard ar mhaithe le freastal ar chaighdeáin nua-aimseartha na hEorpa.  Is maith an seans gur chóir athbhreithniú mar seo a dhéanamh ar bhonn leanúnach.

An ndéanann sé seo difear ar bith do STAR?
Ní bheidh tionchar mór aige seo orainn ó thaobh ár ngnó ó lá go lá. Tá treoirlínte cáilíochta thar a bheith dian curtha i bhfeidhm againn cheana maidir le haistriúcháin.
Is é an gné dhearfach den athbhreithniú seo ná go soiléiríonn agus go leathnaíonn sé an caighdeán bunaidh. Ciallaíonn an leathnú seo go bhfuil an chuid is mó den obair aistriúcháin a bhí déanta againn roimhe seo gan locht. Ach is dócha go gciallóidh sé go mbeidh sé níos éasca dúinn amach anseo. Maidir lenár bhfoirne aistriúcháin a dhéanann an obair seo, is beag difear atá i gceist. Ach ba chóir go n-éireoidh a gcuid oibre beagán níos éasca mar thoradh ar an soiléiriú. Tá cuid den phlé a bhí ar siúl againn maidir le cúrsaí stíle réitithe anois mar gheall air.

Céard a dhéanann an t-athbhreithniú seo dúinne?
Is é an tuiscint atá agamsa air ná go leathnaíonn sé an úsáid ghramadaí atá ceadaithe. Mar sin is dócha gurb iad an dream is mó a n-imreoidh sé tionchar orthu ná cainteoirí dúchais nach raibh a ndifríochtaí canúna aitheanta sa Chaighdeán go dtí seo.

I gcás an aistritheora, leathnaíonn sé líon na bhfoirmeacha gramadaí is féidir linn a úsáid inár n-aistriúcháin.
Amach uaidh sin, ní bheidh mórán tionchair aige ar aistritheoirí. Ach tugann sé níos mó roghanna dóibh maidir le cén chaoi ar féidir rudaí a aistriú go Gaeilge chaighdeánach.

Mar sin bhí dhá phríomhghné i gceist leis an athbhreithniú seo:
1.    Soiléiríonn sé gnéithe de ghramadach na teanga
2.    Leathnaíonn sé gnéithe gramadaí na teanga,
agus is boinn mhaithe iad seo go léir le haghaidh fáis ar a húsáid amach anseo.

Céard a dhéanann STAR?
Soláthraíonn STAR seirbhísí aistriúcháin go breis is caoga teanga, amhail Gaeilge, Fraincis, Sínis, Arabais agus mar sin de.
Bímid ag obair le comhlachtaí rialtais, earnála poiblí agus príobháideacha le cabhrú leo cumarsáid a dhéanamh ar fud an domhain. Oibrímid le go leor ranna rialtais anseo in Éirinn agus muid ag soláthar seirbhísí aistrithe doiciméad agus suíomhanna gréasáin.  Tá an-tábhacht le cáilíocht, dar linn. Tá deimhniú ISO 9001 agus EN15038 bainte amach againn, mar siad is mór againn caighdeáin. Táimid ag obair leis an gCaighdeán Oifigiúil ó thosaíomar ag aistriú sa bhliain 2001.

Cén fáth a bhfuil sé seo tábhachtach don teanga?
Mar a dúirt mé cheana, is rud beo athraitheach í teanga ar bith. Bíonn an úsáid shóisialta agus an chaoi a mbíonn daoine ag labhairt ag athrú i gcónaí. Ceaptar focail nua agus éiríonn daoine as focail eile a úsáid. D’fhéadfadh an bealach a chuirimid nithe áirithe in iúl athrú chomh maith. Má dhéanann tú scrúdú ar leabhar Gaeilge ó 1912, feicfidh tú go bhfuil sé an-difriúil le leabhar Gaeilge ó 1950. Le blianta beaga anuas, cuireadh tús le roinnt tionscnaimh rialtais maidir le téarmaíocht, amhail focal.ie, le cabhrú leis an teanga téarmaíocht nua-aimseartha a chuimsiú. Mar shampla, ar chóir duit an téarma ‘fón’ nó ‘guthán póca’ a thabhairt ar ‘phone’. Níl sna focail ach brící tógála chun abairtí a dhéanamh, agus tá siad go léir tábhachtach le haghaidh cumarsáide. Mar sin sa chás go bhfuil focal.ie tar éis focail agus frásaí a úsáidimid a nuashonrú, soiléiríonn an Caighdeán cén chaoi a dtógfaimid agus a leathnóimid ár dteanga. Tá gá leis an dá rud sin chun leanúint den fhás seo.

Cén chaoi a mbeidh an Ghaeilge ag forbairt amach anseo, dar leat?
Ba mhaith go ndéanfaí athbhreithniú den chineál seo go leanúnach.

Tá sé le feiceáil go bhfuil cultúr Gaeilge níos nua-aimseartha ag teacht chun cinn sa lá atá inniu ann. Creidim go gciallaíonn an aird atá ar an Eoraip agus an geilleagar aonair go bhfuil an t-aos óg ag machnamh ar an rud atá i gceist le féiniúlacht Éireannach. Ar láimh amháin, creideann cuid mhaith daoine go bhfuil an Ghaeilge ag fáil bháis, ach ar an láimh eile, tá an t-athmheasúnú seo ag cabhrú leis an teanga a athrú agus a fhás agus is cuid níos tábhachtaí de chultúr na n-óg í an Ghaeilge anois. Tá sé seo le feiceáil ar an teilifís, le cloisteáil ar an raidió agus sna meáin eile ar an saolta seo. Tá cláir as Gaeilge atá “faiseanta” á gcruthú anois, mar shampla.

Tá sé ag éirí níos nádúrtha go mbíonn daoine ag úsáid beagán Gaeilge ina saol laethúil, go háirithe i measc daoine óga. Tá deireadh leis an traidisiún de dhíriú ar fhoghlaim na Gaeilge ar scoil amháin. Féachtar ar an nGaeilge mar dhlúthchuid bheo den fhéiniúlacht Éireannach anois, seachas mar ábhar amháin is gá a fhoghlaim ar scoil. Tá cuid mhaith teicneolaíochta ar fáil chomh maith as Gaeilge, amhail suíomhanna gréasáin a chabhraíonn le foghlaim na teanga, feidhmchláir is féidir a íoslódáil, agus mar sin de.

Mar is cinnte gur ábhar bróid é cultúr sóisialta teicneolaíochta faisnéise na Nua-Ghaeilge ag cuid mhaith daoine ar mór leo an teanga. Creidim go leanfaidh sé seo de bheith ag fás, mar sin measaim go bhfuil athrú chun feabhais ag teacht ar an nGaeilge dá bharr.

[This interview is available in English here]

Who will speak Irish during Irish Language Week?

Dáil Business to be conducted in Irish for Irish Week.

This year during Irish Language Week on March 7th the main business of the Dáil will be conducted in Irish. The Irish Times reported this weekend that Dáil Éireann will conduct business through Irish during the event to mark the occasion. It will be very interesting to see who will be able to converse correctly and if any real business will be done.

For the Taoiseach Enda Kenny it should be an easy enough day for him. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív will comfortably take the opportunity to talk about issues other than Gaeilge. But the pressing question is : “Who will answer for the technical group ?”. How many deputies can speak and discuss the tougher political agenda of the day in Irish?

The Irish Times bet on Joe Higgins. Who would you bet on?

If they need help maybe they could call us here at  STAR. We provide Irish Translation Services and over 40 other languages.

I see this week on Common Sense Advisory’s website the the EC has un-cancelled its tender for CAT tools. Quite an interesting story for those following translation technology and political institutions.

In 2010, the European Commission (EC) opened a tender for bids on computer-assisted translation (CAT) and translation memory (TM) tools to which a number of well-known industry firms responded. In July 2011, a “Corrigendum” was issued declaring the awarding procedure unsuccessful. The reason given? “None of the submitted tenders met the minimum quality criteria.” Understandably, the companies that invested time and cost in responding to the tender expressed disappointment.

For more information visit: Common Sense Advisory

Recent changes to various rules and regulations in Ireland have led to a dramatic increase in the level of demand for translation for Government departments from English into Irish. The changes were welcomed by the translation industry as a whole, and the public sector translation services in particular, as demand for translators of Irish increased. The Official Languages Act 2003 placed a statutory obligation on public services and departments of state to provide information through Irish, as well as correspond through Irish if requested.  When Irish became an official language of the EU, all key EU legislation had to be translated into Irish also.

According to Irish Times journalist Lorna Siggins, http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0518/1224246810030.html the Government runs two separate language units for translating primary and secondary legislation from English to Irish. The new Rannán Seirbhisí Aistriúcháin will translate secondary legislation, such as statutory instruments, while the existing Rannóg an Aistriúcháin will continue to produce Irish versions of primary legislation. According to the Houses of the Oireachtas Communications Unit, the intention is for the new unit  to develop the capacity of the private sector to provide outsourced translation services at the requisite standard and to meet needs by a mixture of staff recruitment, outsourcing to the private sector and providing advisory and support services to departments and other rule-making authorities.

According to Daniel Mc Connell in his Sunday December 27 2009 article, http://www.independent.ie/national-news/government-wastes-83641m-on-translations-into-irish-1990149.html the Government  spends  almost €1m of taxpayers’ money per year on translation into Irish for government departments.

Working alone and in collaboration with other organizations, Fiontar, Dublin City University’s Irish-medium Teaching & Research Unit, has set up Irish language terminology databases to help facilitate translation from English into Irish. These projects include  Fiontar’s www. focal.ie national database of Irish language terminology and its LEX project, which involves supplying terminology for the EU term bank iate.europa.eu. The organization is working with The Placenames Branch (Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs) to develop the Placenames Database of Ireland at www.logainm.ie. and is also working in collaboration with Cló Iar-Chonnachta and original authors to develop an Irish language biography project, the objective of which is is to digitise nine volumes of Irish biographies (1986-2007).

http://www.focal.ie/Stats.aspx shows a chart  revealing the number of searches carried out by the general public on the focal.ie national terminology base over the past few years. It is interesting to note that there seems to be a spike of interest in the Irish language around March/April for each of the years.

There is a growing  level  of demand on translation agencies to deliver quality public sector translation services in Ireland. Translation for government departments both takes place in-house and is outsourced to translation agencies who offer public sector translation services.

According to an article at http://www.nccri.ie/pdf/Interpreting%20and%20Translating%20Services.pdf,

the increasing diversity in languages spoken in the country today means that the provision of interpreting and translating services has become a pressing need if people with low proficiency in English are to experience equality of access and outcomes in their interaction with key government services such as health, justice, education and housing.

The 2006 Census illustrates the diversity that exists among Ireland’s non-Irish population.  Immigrants numbering over 10,000 without mother tongue English come from Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Nigeria, Latvia and China and  there are between 1000-10,000 immigrants from each of the following countries: Czech Republic, Estonia,  Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Russia and Ukraine. While there are some remarkable similarities among the different groups there are also areas of strong dissimilarity e.g. while many Polish people are primarily here to work, Chinese people often come here to study.

Graph and figures from Census 2006

According to Paula MaGovern at http://careeradvice.loadzajobs.ie/industry-insight/multilingual/multilingual-jobs-in-ireland-irish-translation-942, over recent years there has been a particularly sharp increase in demand for the translation of English into Irish, not least because from 1 January 2007 Irish became an official language of the EU. This means that all key EU legislation must be translated into Irish. At http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/3828/government/public-bodies-get-lost-in-translation/ John Kennedy states that the introduction of various pieces of legislation means that every document produced will have to be done in both languages, ranging from an information notice to a press release.

A major challenge for public sector translation services in general, and for translation for government departments in particular, is producing health care, education, and legal service documents that are sensitive to cultural differences. According to a Garda spokesman at http://thetranslatorscafe.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/ireland-garda-siochana-spent-almost-e3-million-on-interpreters-last-year/ the Garda Siochána spends almost €3 million on interpreters per year,  and deals with over 200 languages and dialects on a regular basis.  The contracts to translate for the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Courts Service and the Garda are the biggest public sector translation contracts in the country. In 2007,  these three bodies had an annual bill of about €5.75 million.  The HSE spent €750,000 on interpreting in 2007 and uses a list of preferred providers that it issues to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The Courts Service spent more than €2 million on interpreting  in 2008, and expected to spend €2.5 million  in 2009.  According to Ivana Bacik  in her article The Language Barrier: Access to Justice in the New Ireland

http://www.jsijournal.ie/html/Volume%207%20No.%202/2007%5B2%5D_Bacik_Breaking%20the%20Language%20Barrier.pdf,

the most frequently used languages in court are Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Romanian and Russian.