A window into the academic term control mechanism: a thorough presentation of processed terms in the process of completing an environmental science dictionary

Abstract

AbstractThe evaluation and improvement of scientific terminology translation plays a crucial role in consistently and accurately communicating knowledge at an academic level as well as in applying this theoretical knowledge in practice. This becomes even more important in countries such as Greece where the majority of scientific innovations originate from other, predominately English-speaking, countries. Consequently, the dissemination of this knowledge must go through a translation process. Within this context, the author is conducting postdoctoral research in the academic field of Environmental Engineering and Hydraulics in the School of Engineering of the AUTh, Department of Civil Engineering. The research focuses on evaluating English to Greek handbooks in the academic field of Environmental Engineering and Hydraulics by using a translation control mechanism based on seven variables firstly derived from the studies of Belgian translatologist Dirk Delabastita. The outcomes so far highlighted the quality of academic and translation work, but also identified a number of translation ambiguities, different semantic variations of terms within the source text in relation to their context, the complete absence of certain terms in the translated text, and the use of an incorrect term’s translation. The evaluation of all these cases constitutes a comprehensive decision-making process that can be applied by any translator of technical texts. This process involves first evaluating the translated texts in their mother tongue and then suggesting enhanced term translations, ultimately contributing to the establishment of a more cohesive scientific consensus in Environmental Engineering terminology to implement the optimal utilization of scientific environmental methods by the Greek academic community to protect the environment, particularly in the highly sensitive Eastern Mediterranean region. Moreover, this process represents an initial step toward creating a state-of-the-art tool in teaching technical translation and lexicography to Environmental Engineering students as well as introducing foreign terminology to students in the faculty of engineering and the schools of English language and literature in the department of translation and intercultural studies, with specialization in technical translation.