Translating instructions

[Yeager]

Hi everyone
I just received in the mail my first “real” paper models from WAK and my very first thought was how to get those instructions translated from polish? I’ve read some comments that those instructions are sometimes basic and not really helpful but as a noob I really need to get all possible info.
Being the kind of guy to actually read and use instructions manuals before trying to assemble anything (either a new bbq or IKEA furniture) I was a bit worried to miss important info.

I didn’t want to use the “built-in” Google translate text recognition feature on my iPhone as Google translate does a crapy job. Maybe to English Google translate is ok but to French it really does a sloppy job…. I much prefer to use Deep L, it free to use and does a fantastic job.

Now all I needed was an scanner and text recognition app. And I found the Adobe scan app. It’s a free app where the free version has no limit on the number of scan or a limit on how many characters. It will even store unlimited scans on their server if you sign up. It has a cleaver feature where you can manually encircle only the text you want to copy-paste so the translation is not contaminated by unwanted part numbers for example.

Process goes like this:
Use Adobe scan to take picture of the instructions to translate. In Adobe scan adjust the highlighted text, then clic “select text”. If you are ok with the image, select “Copy text”. Now Switch to the Deep L app. Select “auto detect language” and the language to translate to. Paste the polish text, translation starts automatically. Deep L let’s you change the original text and instantly adjust the translation. You may have to change some weird characters that Adobe scan didn’t pick up. For exemple the Polish alphabet uses a few vowels with hyphens that are mistakenly replaced by random numbers or -, ~ signs. Simply replace the letter by the regular letter without the hyphen and Deep L will recognize the word anyway.

I even found out that playing around with the text sometimes provide a better translation. Like putting back in a single line a text that was in 3 or 4 separate lines.

Finally I copy all the translated text(s) bits in a single Word document, print, staple and place it in the model booklet.
And Voila! Neat translated instructions.
Hope this will help.

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

And hi, Yeager. I’m sorry to see that your request for help has gone unanswered. We’re a pretty helpful bunch around here and it’s not like us to abandon a member who requests some assistance.

I can’t give you a quick fix to your translation problem, but I’ll offer some advice from experience.

Start simple.

Set aside your WAK project for now and find an easier paper model with language appropriate instructions. Start your build and commit to finishing it no matter how many mistakes you might make. Ours is an international hobby with no common language other than the dashed and dotted lines found on our models. You will have translation problems throughout your participation in this hobby. You’re going to have to learn to how see a paper part and instinctively know where it should go. The best way to gain this knowledge is by building paper models and starting simple is the best way to go.

Experienced paper modelers pride ourselves on being able to build a Polish paper model without understanding a word of Polish. As a self-described “noob,” I understand your desire for clear instructions, but after a while you’ll find that instructions aren’t need. What is needed is experience. Build a few models, make some mistakes and get better with every model you build.

Start simple.

Best of luck,

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Viator]

If some of you has a problem with the translating from Polish or Russian, I can try to translate the instructions by myself if you will send me scanned text. My English is not fluent, but maybe it will be enough for you to help you with the making of the model.

[Skyhawk]

Not sure where I got this list from - I thought it was from this site! I can't find the link - so I have attached it.
This might help with some basic instructions.

[Viator]

Originally Posted by Skyhawk

Not sure where I got this list from - I thought it was from this site! I can't find the link - so I have attached it.
This might help with some basic instructions.

Well, from the first glance it contains many words non-existing in Polish at all (bombenie, ruruche, scianch and many more which are perhaps typo errors, while some other as decyd, dluz are a "partial" words, perhaps originally hyphenated at the end of a verse, which was overlooked by the translator) as well as some words absolutely wrong translated, for example: sa - are not (should be: are!; "are not" sounds "nie sa" in Polish); goleni - shave (should be: undercarriage leg or shock-absorber; a vertical loadbearing element of a landing gear); tym - so much better (should be: of this); wzorow - perfect (should be: templates in Accusative); kola - to knock/to bang/to rattle (should be: wheels), sciac - bulkheads (should be: cut off) and so on, and some unnecessary (for example "element" in Polish is "element" in English, so it doesn't require the translation, but on the other hand if someone want to translate the remaining forms of "element" from the Polish as a fusional language, they should be separated, for example: "element" - "element", "elementy" - "elements", "elementu" - "of the element"; some forms as "elemencie" couldn't be translated until we add a preposition: "na elemencie" - "on the element" or "w elemencie" - "in the element" or "po elemencie" - "after the element" and so on). Some basic forms weren't translated (for example "celownik" - a gun sight (Nominative) although there is "celownikiem" (Accusative) and so on). Some words are undistinguishable because the diacritic marks were neglected, for example: "nic" means "nothing" but "nić" (c with a coma over the top) means "thread" (but not a cord! A cord (thicker than a thread) in Polish is "sznurek"); the same for "pol": "pół" means "half" but "pól" means "fields, areas" in Dative. But in general it is not bad and many technical terms are translated better than when using Google Translate.

It is worthy improving anyway. Maybe I will improve this vocabulary by myself? But it will take some time... I am a busy man...

[romanmodels]

I like to translate the instructions to have something to refer to if nesasery and to see if some part elements need to be done before others. i have a scan marker that will scan a line of text into word or into google translate. the marker uses Bluetooth or a USB cable.

[Yeager]

Originally Posted by Thumb Dog

Hi All,

And hi, Yeager. I’m sorry to see that your request for help has gone unanswered. We’re a pretty helpful bunch around here and it’s not like us to abandon a member who requests some assistance.

Thumb Dog

Thank you Thumb Dog for your support and kind advices.
I’m sorry if a mislead you, maybe it’s my English but my post was not a request for an answer. It was actually a description on how I did manage to work my way to get the instructions translated. And it works pretty well

As for paper modeling the WAK models I ordered are my first real ones (from a publisher I mean) but not my first paper models. I’ve made several simple James Bond vehicles (Moonraker space shuttle, db5, lotus submarine, db7). Also a 1/72 x15, a 1/50 dr1 triplane and my latest is a 1/33 Corsair from Paper Replika. All were printed at my local print shop. Now I wanted to taste the difference using professionally printed models!

I’ve also being a modeler for 40 years mostly plastic but also several balsa and tissue airplanes. And last year I’ve scratch built a 1/12 sailboat from the plans of the full size sailboat I would like to built.
Talk to you on the forum
Best regards