picture as a definition of foreign vocabulary word

[rsherwood12]

Hi,
I am fairly new to transcribing foreign language textbooks. I have an Italian textbook where vocabulary words are defined at the bottom of the page, sometimes in words, and sometimes with a picture. When a picture is provided for the student to learn the vocabulary word, is it appropriate to include an English description of the picture in an embedded TN? Are tactile graphics ever included?

I have attached a .pdf of a sample page.

Thanks,
Rebecca

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[joannavenneri]

This topic is covered in depth in the Foreign Language Braille article in the Fall 2012 issue of the NBA Bulletin, so I will not repeat that here. To summarize, the foreign language label (or caption) is treated as a picture caption and the contracted English description is enclosed in an embedded transcriber's note. The description should be verified in the book's glossary by looking up the caption to determine the vocabulary. Thanks for including the print page. That is very helpful.

--Joanna

[joannavenneri]

Thank you for reminding me about the NBA Bulletin. I had forgotten about that wonderful resource for this type of question.

And thank you for your quick response. I really appreciate your help!

Best,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

Hi Joanna,
I looked over the NBA Bulletin article, and it was very clear about the formats for pictures which illustrate vocabulary words. Thank you.

In this book, the body has italics for keywords and line numbers, so the notes at the end of the page will be identified by a reference indicator in the body and preceding the note like [simbraille]77il#ae[/simbraille].

Should I omit the reference indicator for the keywords referring to pictures but retain the italics?

Thanks,
Rebecca

[joannavenneri]

I need to see the actual print page with line numbers. I'm not sure what you calling a keyword either. Can't picture it. So please post a print page that shows the exact situation you're asking about.

[joannavenneri]

Sure, here is a scan showing an example of footnotes and pictures.

Sorry for the unclear wording. By "keywords" I mean the words in the text that are emphasized with italics and are defined in Italian at the bottom of the page or illustrated with a picture.

Best,
Rebecca

[joannavenneri]

My apologies. The pages I just sent were from a similar book without line numbers.

Attached is a scan with line numbers, footnotes and pictures.
edited by rsherwood12 on 6/21/2013

[rsherwood12]

Thanks for the print pages. Now I can see what you are referring to. You have asked one of the toughest questions in Foreign Language right now. The new Foreign Language Guidelines have not yet been approved by BANA, but I can give you what we are calling a recommendation to follow here. I can see you are familiar with how to handle reference notes in Braille Formats. For THIS KIND OF NOTE, there is an exception to regular formatting that is used just for foreign language and ONLY for this type of note, often called a GLOSS NOTE. This is a note that gives a definition or translation of the referenced word. Instead of placing the actual note at the end of the print page, gloss notes, that is, words that are translated or defined are placed on the very next line in 7-5 as was done in the 1997 Braille Formats. Got that now? ONLY gloss notes and ONLY in Foreign Language. All other reference notes are placed as the end of the print page, just as in 2011 Formats.

First, the notes that refer just to the pictures. Those are not technically reference notes. So just show italics as in print. You'll discuss the pictures in a TN and you can run that TN in a appropriate place. I think I would run the TN about the pictures right after the dialog paragraph that refers to them. As you describe those pictures, look in the book glossary and use the translated terms so that you can describe the pictures and what is being shown. And yes you are correct. No reference indicator is used here because this is not technically a reference. Do retain the italics.

Line numbers--ignore the italics for the actual line numbers themselves. Your construction of the reference indicator is just right. Be sure to list these reference indicators in special symbols exactly as you have constructed and used them. Again, the only difference to regular format is that you will place the actual reference on the following braille line in 7-5. Retain print italics, but not in the actual line number that is at the right margin.

Please let me know if I left anything out!

--Joanna
edited by joannavenneri on 6/22/2013

[rsherwood12]

Thanks for your description of how to handle pictures and gloss notes. That was very clear.

The only difference from this book and what you described is that this book does not have a glossary, so I am using a HarperCollins Italian-English dictionary to get the definitions for the picture descriptions.

One more question: Can I move a picture caption and description to another print page in order to place it after the paragraph that refers to the picture?

The attached example shows two situations: one where a picture is at the bottom of a print page, but the paragraph referring to it doesn't end until the next print page and one where the picture is on the page facing the paragraph that refers to it.

Thanks again,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

This is VERY tricky. I will make the following suggestions. First, I would NOT move the picture. We just don't move things unless absolutely necessary and that's not the case here, in my judgment. For the first page, you can put the picture description above the paragraph is refers to. The reader will read the brief picture description and read and on, see the paragraph and get the idea.

Be VERY careful about translating those picture captions. VERY. In fact, don't use translation unless you say simply that the labels point to the coat, the label points to the armchair. For the picture of the mirror, just give the caption and say it's a picture of a boy looking in a mirror. You are NOT translating. You are DESCRIBING.

Hope that helps.

--Joanna

[rsherwood12]

I see what you mean about not being a translator. The sighted student learns from the picture, not from a dictionary, so my job is to produce an alternate format of the picture rather than a translation of the captions.

I am a little unclear where to put the labels and the TNs. For the first picture, would the following be acceptable:

,'Picture,' poltrona ,'label points to an armchair.,' cappotto ,'label points to the overcoat of a girl sitting in the armchair.,'

Thanks,
Rebecca

[rsherwood12]

That looks about right. You have a caption with a description, that's all. The caption happens to be Italian. If you haven't already, take a look at 6.3 and its example. It shows the relationship between a description and a caption. It shows WHAT is being described (it's a picture, not a graph not a map, etc.) and the caption as it is printed and the additional of words in the transcriber's note (not appearing in print). In foreign language sometimes you have to get a translation in order to describe, but we don't call it a translation. It's our little secret.

--Joanna

[rsherwood12]

Thanks so much, Joanna. Your advice and explanations are invaluable.

Best,
Rebecca

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