The Application of Search and Verification in Translation

With the development of the internet, the abundance of information resources online has made it an indispensable tool for translators. Compared to specialized translation dictionaries, online searches are much faster and more efficient. Currently, there are various search engines available on the internet, and due to differences in search technologies, results for the same query can vary. As the volume of online information continues to grow, mastering appropriate search and query methods is essential for finding the needed resources.

When searching for professional terminology: Professional vocabulary that looks familiar but does not elicit an immediate response may be composed of different word combinations. First, analyze the word formation to identify key terms. Enter “original text + translated keyword” into the search engine’s dialog box to obtain a wealth of relevant results. Selecting results from the top of the list will help gather translations, which should then be verified through Arabic versions of search engines to confirm their accuracy.

When looking for new words: The internet is constantly generating trending vocabulary, and the update speed of professional translation dictionaries often fails to meet translators' demands. In such cases, aside from inferring meanings from context, one can also search the internet. A common approach is to input foreign new words into a Chinese search engine and verify them using a foreign search engine afterward.

When searching for proper nouns: Generally, for proper nouns such as names of people, places, and organizations, one can refer to the appendices of major dictionaries. For common proper nouns where usage is uncertain, official websites can be consulted. There are two main methods: the first is to input “proper noun + foreign language category” into a search engine; the second is to directly search for “the proper noun of that department,” locating the corresponding department's website. Large organizations or government agencies typically support multiple languages, allowing users to switch to the relevant language version to find the translation.

In addition to the above search methods, commands can also be utilized to filter searches according to specific needs. Common search operators and command words include: +, -, “”, *, site. The "+" sign represents logical AND operations, indicating that the searched keywords must appear in the results; "-" signifies logical NOT operations, meaning that the result excludes the content after "-"; quotation marks (“”) indicate exact matches, meaning the search result must exactly match the content within the quotes; "*" serves as a wildcard, representing any English keyword or Chinese character; the "site" syntax indicates searching within a specific website, where “site” is followed by a colon and domain name.

Mastering quick retrieval techniques and making good use of the ever-expanding online resource database to enhance translation efficiency and quality is a necessary skill for every translator.

◀️：Search and Verification in Translation

▶️：Translation Issues in Russian-Chinese Translation: Determining Word Meaning, Collocation, and Connotation