1. Translating RDA into French : Challenges and Insights
Translating RDA into French :
Challenges and Insights
Daniel Paradis and Pat Riva
Direction du traitement documentaire des collections patrimoniales

2. Partnership and organisation Translation methodology Challenges
Outline
Partnership and organisation
Translation methodology
Challenges
Logistical
Linguistic
Internationalisation of RDA
Insights and lessons learned
After some background about why we started into a French translation of RDA so rapidly, we will explain about the partnership that is carrying it out, including the most relevant organisational aspects and those that highlight the special aspects of our translation effort.
Next we will cover the translation methodology and principles that we have been following.
Naturally, there have been challenges to overcome, we will group them into 3 categories:
- Logistical challenges, those relating to the nature of our partnership and how the work was organised,
- Linguistic challenges, these are those that relate to grammatical or stylistic differences between French and English as languages and we will discuss some specific representative examples,
- Challenges that concern the internationalisation of RDA.
Finally, we will come to some of the insights we have gained from this process, particularly those which may have some analogies for some of the other language translations in progress or planned.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

3. Why translate RDA into French?
Why translate RDA into French?
RCAA2 used by Canadian French-language libraries
LAC policy: Canadian implementation of RDA requires French version
BAnQ catalogues in French only
BnF studying adoption of RDA
The first two translations of RDA to get started are French and German, and the groundwork was laid well before initial release in June What was the rush for the French translation?
In Canada French-language libraries apply AACR2 in French translation (RCAA2) and need an up-to-date content standard as much as English-language libraries. Also, Canadian bibliographic networks are porous between languages, and so any disconnect between practices will result in addditional costs, primarily for French and bilingual libraries.
Library and Archives Canada has announced that its full implementation of RDA can only take place once RDA is also available in French. This is due to LAC's bilingual service mandate. Translating RDA into French is thus an essential part of Canada's RDA implementation strategy.
The other partners are equally motivated for their own reasons.
BAnQ requires a French translation for application as we provide a French-language catalogue.
BnF seriously studying RDA for potential application. Required French version to fully discuss and understand the impact of adopting RDA as a prerequisite to making a final adoption decision.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

4. 1 association + 3 national libraries
Partners
1 association + 3 national libraries
Association pour l’avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED)
Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ)
Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
By 2009 a translation partnership had coalesced involving LAC, BAnQ, BnF and Asted, and negotiations had begun with ALA Publishing. Work started shortly after RDA was published in June 2010.
That our partnership involves 1 association and 3 national libraries (in 3 cities in 2 countries on 2 continents, 2 time zones) is a strength but also an indication of the logistical and organisational complexities of our project.
ASTED (Canada's French-language library association) has long been the publisher of French-language translations of AACR (and other cataloguing essentials such as DDC in French) and very naturally provides the publishing support for the project.
Our 3 libraries have in the past been involved in translations of AACR and ISBD etc., either solo or together in various combinations.
We had also worked together on DDC translations (22nd and 21st eds), most recently in 2007.
As a result the partnership grew organically and naturally from our past experience of working together, and most importantly, working relationships were already established.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

5. Chaired by Executive Director of Asted Meets monthly
Editorial Committee
Chaired by Executive Director of Asted
Meets monthly
Videoconferences and then teleconferences
Role is:
Make policy decisions
Agree on division of the work
Discuss any complicated points and come to consensus
The 4 partners each have 3 representatives on the Editorial Committee, chaired by the Executive Director of ASTED.
We meet, generally monthly. The first year this was by videoconference. While theoretically an excellent idea because of the medium’s greater immediacy and interactiveness, the videoconferences were one of the logistical challenges. Videoconference installations need to be booked in advance, and there is the potential for system incompatibility between our 3 sites (Asted members attend the meetings at BAnQ's offices). In fact, we had more or less severe technical difficulties at each of the 8 meetings in the first year.
At IFLA 2011 a subset met in person. It became clear that all of us hated the videoconferences, plus we found out that they were very expensive for some partners. Since Sept 2011 we meet by teleconference, LAC is able to book us the Government of Canada system, which works well and reliably.
We only had one "technical" glitch since: failing to take into account that daylight savings time does not happen on the same date in both countries!
The Committee has a high-level oversight and policy role, taking decisions on overall editorial policy, coming to agreement on how to divide the work, and discussing any complex points to enable a decision to be taken by consensus.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

6. Chapters (Sections) claimed by each partner
Sharing the Work
Chapters (Sections) claimed by each partner
Done by staff in the 3 national library partners
BnF : standards and cataloguing librarians
BAnQ : cataloguing librarians
LAC : standards and cataloguing librarians
Done by a professional translator on behalf of ASTED
Examples adapted for a French catalogue by BAnQ
It was important to divide up the work fairly and according to each partner's strengths and capacity. This worked quite well organically. Each partner claimed chapters or sections.
Just to note that the 3 national library partners have done the work by contributing staff time.
ASTED, as an association with a very small staff, hired a professional translator (technical translator) to ensure its contribution. However, most examples cannot be adapted by a non-cataloguer, so BAnQ included completing the examples in these sections as part of its contribution.
The technical translator will also be used for the Toolkit interface translation.
Our structure does not include a central editor or editor-in-chief of any sort. Also none of the partners is the lead, all have equal status.
Need for final harmonisation pass???
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

7. Translation Principles
Translation Principles
Translate only into mother tongue
Review drafts by a partner in the other continent
ensures the usability of the text by cataloguers of all the partner countries and the avoidance of regional terminology
Remain faithful to the text, but adapt instructions assuming use in a French-language cataloguing agency
References to IFLA documents
Examples
At the outset we established two principles:
- All translators translate into their mother tongue, thus all translators are native speakers of French. For the Canadian partners this has constrained the staff who can participate at the translation stage, although some of us others participate in different ways (such as on the Editorial Committee, or in work on adapting examples, or as consultants).
Translators also require a solid command of English, in particular the technical jargon of cataloguing, to be able to convey the true intent of the RDA text.
- French as spoken in France and in Canada is largely, but not entirely the same. To eliminate regional usages in the translation, we implemented crossed revision of chapters: those translated in Europe are being revised in Canada and those translated in Canada are being revised in Europe.
The goal is a text that is equally usable by cataloguers in both countries, and hopefully by other French-speaking countries as well.
- We also determined that our goal is not a literal translation of RDA, but the production of a cataloguing content standard intended to be applied by a cataloguing agency producing a French-language catalogue. (Same relationship as between RCAA2 and AACR2)
This means, for instance, referring to French-language translations of IFLA documents (FRBR, FRAD, ICP), and adapting examples, and changing the word “English” to “French” in instructions when it is there because it is standing in for the language of the cataloguing agency.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

8. Started with Content type, Media type, Carrier type terms
Methodology
Started with Content type, Media type, Carrier type terms
Glossary, terms and definitions
Recurring phrases
Apply the instructions given under …
"Test" chapters
Translation phase
Revision phase
PDFs from ALA Publishing for proofreading
We determined to start the translation process by agreeing on terminology, particularly the lists of Content type, Media type, Carrier type terms, then the rest of the Glossary (terms and definitions). Simultaneously we worked on translations for recurring phrases (83 of these identified by Marg Stewart).
For example “Apply the instructions given under (rule number)”
rendered as “Appliquer les instructions données sous…”
- At BAnQ we worked on these as a group with the whole translation team and this really helped ensure both greater understanding of the RDA text and of the style to adopt for the translation.
- In parallel, early on BnF and BAnQ did draft translations of “test” chapters for a technical test – can the translation template files be manipulated by our respective computer systems and wordprocessor versions and yet be successfully ingested by the Toolkit? We did not want to wait to the last minute to find this out!
BnF's test was chapter 0, and this proved to be another excellent source of terminology and style for later work. It also revealed early on some of the adaptation issues previously mentionned.
The test chapters showed us the utility of looking closely at the PDF output from the Toolkit as a method of proofreading and checking our work.
- At this point the partners are making progress on the translation phase proper, and next we will be in a revision phase, followed by a detailed proofreading phase.
One of the challenges at this phase is that it is hard to divise a process for commenting on or amending in-progress translations in the template format.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

9. Aug. 10, 2010, first meeting in Gothenburg
Timeline
Aug. 10, 2010, first meeting in Gothenburg
June 2011, Glossary and Phrases done
July 2011, first translations ready for revision
Early 2012, last translations done
At present, revision phase
Testing in the Toolkit and adjustments
Ongoing, integration of amendments
While we had some informal discussions much earlier (I remember speaking to Françoise Bourdon about RDA as early as IFLA 2008 in Quebec), the first meeting of representatives of the 4 partners was held in 2010 at IFLA Gothenburg.
We started on the Terms, Glossary and Phrases in fall 2010, and approx 70% was not particularly contentious, however, making decisions (and also compromises) about the last few terms took us into June 2011.
One of the difficult terms was, in fact, Media (as in Media type) and also “unmediated”...
One challenge we were not expecting to face so soon, will be the translation and integration of changes to the text. We knew that there would eventually be amendments, but now RDA in English has had its first update in April 2012, and an October 2012 update is expected, and this even before the first release of RDA in French. We need to decide what cut off to adopt for the first French release, and yet will need to translate updates in a timely manner (both by contract and to meet the needs of libraries). In fact, RDA translation is going to be transitioning from a project to an ongoing program in our libraries.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec 9

10. Logistical Challenges
Logistical Challenges
Order of work
Interaction of glossary with chapters
When to do the Element set, the Index?
Availability of staff to do the work
No one is on the project full-time
The fine art of compromise
An equal partnership works by consensus
There is no Editor-in-chief with executive power
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

11. Linguistic Challenges
Linguistic Challenges
French title of RDA
French usage
Cataloguing related terminology
Regional usage
“City, town” should this be:
Commune, ville or
Municipalité, ville
Gender and number agreement
English neologisms
Synonyms in English only
RDA's French title is RDA, Ressources : description et accès. This title was chosen to retain the same acronym in both languages.
Canadian and European French have some differences in usage for cataloguing related terminology. [Click on the link for Cataloguing related terminology and discuss examples, especially “Partition condensée” vs. “Partition réduite.”]
So far regional usage of French has not been as big an issue as we might have thought, but one phrase in the glossary caught us by surprise:
A town, city, province, state, and/or country in which a person resides or has resided.
Initially rendered as: Commune, ville, province, région administrative et/ou pays où une personne réside ou a résidé.
clear in Europe, but not in Canada, so modified to
Municipalité, ville, province, État et/ou pays où une personne réside ou a résidé
English and French have structural differences, for instance gender and number agreement which is present in French but not English, which affect the translation. [Click on the link for gender and number agreement and discuss example.]
English adopts neologisms more rapidly than French, requiring research to determine French equivalents for some technical terms. The terms for the layout of tactile musical notation are an example of a specialised vocabulary that does not seem to be well established in French. In this case, it was difficult to determine common usage.
RDA sometimes gives instructions on controlled vocabulary and choice of terms among various synonyms which are specific to English. . [Click on the link for Synonyms in English only and discuss example.]
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

12. Linguistic Challenges : Examples
Linguistic Challenges : Examples
Some examples do not work once adapted
In chapter 6 (Works and expressions)
Nutcracker (Choreographic work)
NuTCRACKER (Computer file)
Casse-Noisette (Œuvre chorégraphique)
NuTCRACKER (Fichier informatique)
There has also been some difficulty with examples that once adapted for a French language catalogue do not illustrate the section any more, particularly for access points.
For instance in ch.6 (Works and expressions)
Nutcracker (Choreographic work)
NuTCRACKER (Computer file)
Casse-Noisette (Œuvre chorégraphique)
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

13. Linguistic Challenges : Examples
Linguistic Challenges : Examples
In chapter 16 (Places)
Livorno/Leghorn
English form no longer in common usage, no such change in French.
Romania/Roumania
Variant spellings in English, only one spelling, Roumanie, in French.
In chapter 11 (Corporate Bodies)
: example of Swiss National Library
Several in ch.16 (Places)
Livorno/Leghorn
(English form no longer in common usage, no such change in French)
Romania/Roumania
(Variant spellings in English, only one spelling Roumanie, in French)
Others in ch.11 (Corporate bodies)
: example of Swiss National Library (selection of German form because none of the forms matches the language of the catalogue) does not work for a French- language catalogue as there is an official French language form of the name. We need to identify additional examples for these sections.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec 16

14. Linguistic Challenges : Examples
Linguistic Challenges : Examples
Some examples had to be changed in the original version in English
1.7.3 Punctuation
Add punctuation, as necessary, for clarity.
Marcel Marceau, ou, L’art du mime
changed to
Travaillez mieux, vivez mieux
Each word of the title appears on a separate line on the source of information
One example at had to be changed in English because the added punctuation around “ou” dans “Marcel Marceau, ou, L’art du mime” is superfluous in French and doesn’t improve clarity. The JSC felt that adding such punctuation when the title proper includes an alternative title should be left to the discretion of the cataloguing agency, as it is the case in ISBD. The example was replaced with a new one where the added punctuation is grammatically correct.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec 17

15. Internationalisation of RDA
Internationalisation of RDA
Internationalisation is incomplete
Abbreviations for units of measurements in Appendix B
abbreviations for hour, minute and second are not ISO symbols
abbreviations for revolutions per minute (rpm) and inches per second (ips) do not respect SI writing conventions
Structure of Appendix A for capitalisation
Examining RDA this closely for this purpose has revealed some areas where internationalisation is still incomplete.
Although RDA has eliminated much of AACR2 English-language bias and taken steps towards greater internationalisation, some residues remain.
One example is the abbreviations for units of measurements in Appendix B that are not ISO symbols (e.g., hr., min. sec.) or are nor formed according to SI writing conventions (ips, rpm).
Another more striking example is the structure of Appendix A, Capitalization, which starts with detailed instructions on English capitalisation rules, and the rules for all other languages are presented as differences from the English rules, rather than standing on their own. Much more difficult to use in a non-English language environment.
The translation work brings these points to our attention, and will allow us to raise them with JSC as appropriate
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

16. Insights and Lessons Learned
Insights and Lessons Learned
About how to adapt a cataloguing standard into another language
About the ingredients of successful cooperation
Tips of use to other translation groups
Can be applied to ongoing translation of updates
Additional recurring phrases, translators glossary
Final insights:
ideas for helping the ongoing translation of updates to RDA: additional phrases and editorial guidance, translators glossary, not just translation work but also editorial work
- what would we have done differently (that might help other translation teams)
The result, we hope, is a French-language text that fully expresses RDA's principles. As one of the first RDA translation projects, our experience may be of interest to other language groups contemplating their own translations.
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec

17. Titre 12-07-11 Région de Montréal : 514 873-1100
Sans frais, d’ailleurs au Québec :
GRANDE BIBLIOTHÈQUE
475, boulevard De Maisonneuve Est
Montréal (Québec) H2L 5C4
CENTRE DE CONSERVATION
2275, rue Holt
Montréal (Québec) H2G 3H1
CENTRES D’ARCHIVES
Abitibi-Témiscamingue et Nord-du-Québec
27, rue du Terminus Ouest
Rouyn-Noranda (Québec) J9X 2P3
Bas-Saint-Laurent et
Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
337, rue Moreault
Rimouski (Québec) G5L 1P4
Point de service de Gaspé 80, boulevard de Gaspé Gaspé (Québec) G4X 1A9
Côte-Nord 700, boulevard Laure, bureau 190 Sept-Îles (Québec) G4R 1Y1
Estrie
225, rue Frontenac, bureau 401
Sherbrooke (Québec) J1H 1K1
Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec
225, rue des Forges, bureau 208
Trois-Rivières (Québec) G9A 2G7
Montréal
535, avenue Viger Est
Montréal (Québec) H2L 2P3
Outaouais
855, boulevard de la Gappe
Gatineau (Québec) J8T 8H9
Québec
Pavillon Louis-Jacques-Casault
Campus de l’Université Laval
1055, avenue du Séminaire
Québec (Québec) G1V 4N1
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
930, rue Jacques-Cartier Est, bureau C-103
Saguenay (Québec) G7H 7K9