A few considerations | Jun 23, 2018 |
There are certain principles you need to follow strictly, e.g., absolute consistency in terminology within the same document, and using standard equivalents in your target language for typical patent terms and phrases (in a preferred embodiment, according to claim X, skilled in the art, etc.). There are certain advantages, such as not being required to make the text "not boring". If the source text repeats the word "component" six times in two lines of text, just repeat it. If your ... See more There are certain principles you need to follow strictly, e.g., absolute consistency in terminology within the same document, and using standard equivalents in your target language for typical patent terms and phrases (in a preferred embodiment, according to claim X, skilled in the art, etc.). There are certain advantages, such as not being required to make the text "not boring". If the source text repeats the word "component" six times in two lines of text, just repeat it. If your source text says 40 times "for example" (and they do), say it 40 times in your target. If a sentence is ambiguous, meaning that it admits variable degrees of generality/specificity, when in doubt err towards the general - being too specific is a capital sin. This includes not taking unwelcome initiatives: if a subordinate sentence seems to lack a subject or be otherwise left hanging, don't volunteer the missing entity even when it is reasonably clear from the context, but rather find a way to reproduce the exact structure. If it is poorly built, don't try to improve it if that means adding any bit of information. Fix only blatant mistakes, which are quite rare (except for mistakes in reference numbers, which are relatively common). There are certain style convolutions that are highly appreciated or even compulsory, e.g., in clauses introduced by "wherein" and such. EVERYTHING is meaningful. If you see "moreover", "also" and "additionally" all in the same sentence, resist the temptation of omitting one of them, redundant as it may seem. If you see "A is connected and B is connected to...", never turn it into "A and B are connected to...". You don't really need a course. The best thing you can do is get your hands on a reliable bilingual glossary for patent lingo and study patents translated in your target language. If you are willing to invest your time, you can pick an already translated patent and translate claim 1 (the heart of every patent) by yourself, then compare your version with the published one. You will certainly learn a lot from this effort. Having a solid technical-scientific background helps, but is not really required. You can get by with a thorough research on the specific subject before you start with your document. Most importantly, you need to build a highly rigorous mindset. Switching from a patent to, say, a marketing-oriented text for a website and back requires tons of mental flexibility - imagine working for several days as a scientist, then switching to salesman and vice versa. Your background in linguistics can be useful. Patents involve a lot of linguistic subtleties.
[Edited at 2018-06-24 09:18 GMT] ▲ Collapse | |