Improving specialised translation dictionaries on the basis of a study of terminological variation

Previous studies have pointed out that specialised dictionaries only partially meet the requirements of translators because they very often lack a specification of how a term is really used in specialised discourse (Collet, 2004a). Terms may vary depending on the type of text, the intended readership, the register, etc. (Freixa, 2006). For translators, it is important to be aware of the different factors that have an impact on term choice. They need to know what terms in the source language are commonly used to address a concept in specific communicative settings and how these terms can be translated. This article summarises an ongoing project which examines and compares terminological variation in source texts and translations. The aim of the project is to find out whether certain patterns or tendencies can be derived from this comparative study and to reflect on how the results of the study can contribute to the compilation of specialised translation dictionaries.