Dear All,
A fortnight ago I asked what the connection might be between translation and indexes, and commented that there is a very strong connection. Now is an opportunity to support that statement with some evidence.
Consider, first of all, that an index is an intermediary between the information contained in a document, and the potential users of that document. Or, to put it in other words, it is a target document that leads us back to the source document. Does that sound suspiciously like what translators do as well?
Then consider that the kind of language used in an index could be called an ‘indexing language’. This language has:
- the power to control a vocabulary
- the flexibility to show the relationships between concepts
- the facility to build up a searchable file providing various access points for users
and it also has a vocabulary and syntax of its own which is a bit different from a natural language, insofar as:
- the written form of an index language is primary, whereas the spoken form is primary for a natural language
- it has a standardised vocabulary to control homonyms and synonyms especially, whereas a natural language continues to evolve in its vocabulary
- it has governing rules de iure (they must be followed!) whereas a natural language has rules de facto (they develop, are regularly broken and often the broken forms become the actual rule!)
- the index language fulfils one specific purpose, whereas a natural language has multiple, almost endless purposes.
And yet, the indexing language is not totally independent of the natural language it comes from, e.g. it will rely on it if the index is alphabetical.
Just as we need to know the languages we are translating from and into, we also need to learn and know the indexing language as well, if we are to do that task.
Indexing requires an attentive, insightful reader with a strong grasp of their own language and vocabulary. It also requires great attention to detail, the ability to identify and disambiguate concepts, places, persons...
There is not much above that differentiates the task of the translator from the task of the indexer, so I am drawing the conclusion that while indexing is not the usual task of the translator, it is one that such a person will have the skills for, and it happened to be the one that this translator was asked to do. It took about 3 weeks to complete the task.
And finally, think of it in ‘pastoral’ terms. 'index', a 3rd declension late Latin noun both masc. and fem., something or someone that points the way. We are fortunate enough to live at a time when ‘index’ no longer has to be sullied by the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, or the Index Expurgatorius. The indexer is a trailblazer, someone who points the way, guides; someone who has understood the essence of a book and is able to present that to others in a systematic way; a translation process from thought --> language --> index language.
But I suppose the question still remains for the translator: do I translate the index, or do I index the translation? That is the question currently facing the Ratio (for all translators except English, since the first index has been created in that language)!
To explore this and other important indexing issues, take a look at the Best Practice.
best_practice_31-indexing.docx
