| Konudaki sayfalar: [1 2] > | Do you own encyclopedias? Konuyu gönderen: Heinrich Pesch
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Heinrich Pesch 
Finlandiya
Local time: 06:04
Üye (2003)
Fince > Almanca
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This could be a subject for a quick-poll, but the question is not easy to phrase and the real information would need the forum discussion.
There is no large encyclopedia in my bookshelf, only dictionaries. Ten years ago I would still visit libraries in order to get information, but nowadays I refer only to resources on the net.
How about you? Do you have some of those large encyclopedias like the Britannica, Brockhaus etc. either on your book shelf or in electronic form... See more This could be a subject for a quick-poll, but the question is not easy to phrase and the real information would need the forum discussion.
There is no large encyclopedia in my bookshelf, only dictionaries. Ten years ago I would still visit libraries in order to get information, but nowadays I refer only to resources on the net.
How about you? Do you have some of those large encyclopedias like the Britannica, Brockhaus etc. either on your book shelf or in electronic form and how often do you refer to these resources.
Regards
Heinrich ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I have some... | Nov 20, 2010 |
From the 90-s and from my grannies... The latter are just rare books with nice lithographs, not an information resource any more...
| | | | | I don't - But am considering it | Nov 20, 2010 |
It is very hard to buy an encyclopedia these days with the ton of information readily available in Wikipedia and other sites.
The only main reason why I would (and probably will) buy an encyclopedia on paper today would be to reduce the risk that my children encounter unnecessary or damaging things while browsing for information.
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Oxford + Longam - EN
Grand Larousse - FR
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| Legacy of my profession | Nov 20, 2010 |
I, an engineering graduate, started translation in 1970s when most engineers hated translation jobs. Encyclopedia was one of my largest investments in translation tools. Now I mainly use Internet search but encyclopedia is very good to read and reread: without fatigue of PC glitches and risks of health problem [from a long time at a PC].
I lastly advertised on Internet to by a latest paper edition of Britannica. Beyond my imagine! Not easy to buy a copy of encyclopedia unless waiting ... See more I, an engineering graduate, started translation in 1970s when most engineers hated translation jobs. Encyclopedia was one of my largest investments in translation tools. Now I mainly use Internet search but encyclopedia is very good to read and reread: without fatigue of PC glitches and risks of health problem [from a long time at a PC].
I lastly advertised on Internet to by a latest paper edition of Britannica. Beyond my imagine! Not easy to buy a copy of encyclopedia unless waiting for shipment from other countries or hike of price as an antique set of the books. I have CD version of encyclopedia but my hate of hypertexts prevent me from enjoying the latest information. My mental pleasure: a good paper book, not a very good information in hypertext format!
Soonthon Lupkitaro ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Hollanda
Local time: 05:04
Üye (2006)
İngilizce > Afrikaans
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| Only old ones | Nov 20, 2010 |
Heinrich Pesch wrote:
There is no large encyclopedia in my bookshelf, only dictionaries. Ten years ago I would still visit libraries in order to get information, but nowadays I refer only to resources on the net.
I don't really consult electronic encyclopedias because I can simply consult the internet. However, a book is always handy, so I do have paper encyclopedias, though admittedly only old ones. I have one general one (from 1987).
I also have an animal one (ten volumes, from the mid-1970s) and another animal one (60 volumes, from the early-1990s). I also have two encyclopedias about cultures and people of the world (both have 10 volumes, but the one dates from the 1960s and contains a selection of folk talkes in addition to information about the people of those countries).
I hope my children would some day (on days when they are banned from TV, laptops and DSes) browse idly through these books and discover wonderful things, just like I did.
| | | | | Yes, Encyclopaedia Universalis | Nov 20, 2010 |
I have an old Universalis in electronic form and I still use it because I find the articles of higher quality than Wikipedia. Not for recent stuff since it is a very old version. But for a lot of things, reading first the Universalis entry on the topic gives me a very good basis, I still use it on a weekly basis for my job.
Encyclopaedia Universalis is special, though, it is written by expert contributors, I would never use a Larousse or Encarta encyclopedia anymore.
Also, the French... See more I have an old Universalis in electronic form and I still use it because I find the articles of higher quality than Wikipedia. Not for recent stuff since it is a very old version. But for a lot of things, reading first the Universalis entry on the topic gives me a very good basis, I still use it on a weekly basis for my job.
Encyclopaedia Universalis is special, though, it is written by expert contributors, I would never use a Larousse or Encarta encyclopedia anymore.
Also, the French Wikipedia is not very good imo, it happens to me all the time to come across articles which are poorly written and hurt my eyes (I was reading the article on the "VTA" yesterday again and some parts are just awful), so it feels good to read proper French on the topic in Universalis! The contents are very different, it still makes sense to me to use both.
[Edited at 2010-11-20 10:43 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I have a few books, the ones I use most are the unilingual dictionnaries, much more completes than the free online versions.
But I am learning German and some friend of mine gave me a dictionnary French-German from the 70's and many expressions are not in use now and yet hardly understandable... This dictionnary is like a travel on time!
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| I have encyclopedia | Nov 20, 2010 |
I have Britannica both in paper and DVD. Though Wikipedia is useful, Britannica contains more useful information than Wiki. So, I use both of them as references.
| | | | Evans (X)
Local time: 04:04
İspanyolca > İngilizce
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| I have a whole library | Nov 20, 2010 |
I am lucky enough to have amassed a whole library over the years I have been translating (too many to mention).
I have quite a few specialist encyclopedias and reference books, such as The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Art, Larousse Dictionary of Science and Technology, New York Public Library Science Desk Reference, The New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, The Oxford Companion to Wine, The Story of Western Architecture, Chambers Biographical Dictionary, and many more... ... See more I am lucky enough to have amassed a whole library over the years I have been translating (too many to mention).
I have quite a few specialist encyclopedias and reference books, such as The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Art, Larousse Dictionary of Science and Technology, New York Public Library Science Desk Reference, The New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, The Oxford Companion to Wine, The Story of Western Architecture, Chambers Biographical Dictionary, and many more... all related to the fields I work in. Not to mention endless books about the history of the countries I am interested in and more general encyclopedias from my source countries.
I find these particularly useful when research the background of a subject in-depth, so that I have a more rounded understanding of it.
The internet is wonderful for solving specific problems, and gathering certain types of information. But I still turn to these paper resources for authoritative information. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Annett Hieber
Almanya
Local time: 05:04
İngilizce > Almanca
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Yes, I have them - and I am proud of them, although 2 tomes are lacking. I have purchased them at a flee market some time ago, they are really old, but very interesting. From time to time I take one out of the shelf and look through it.
But as concerns work, I work most with the Internet too. I have amassed several specialist dictionaries over the years, but with the growing importance of the Internet they have lost their importance, I'm afraid to say.
But I love books... See more Yes, I have them - and I am proud of them, although 2 tomes are lacking. I have purchased them at a flee market some time ago, they are really old, but very interesting. From time to time I take one out of the shelf and look through it.
But as concerns work, I work most with the Internet too. I have amassed several specialist dictionaries over the years, but with the growing importance of the Internet they have lost their importance, I'm afraid to say.
But I love books!
Annett ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tony M
Fransa
Local time: 05:04
Üye
Fransızca > İngilizce
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SİTE YERELLEŞTİRİCİ | Yes, and I find such hard copy resources invaluable | Nov 20, 2010 |
When I first started translating, I didn’t have access to today’s online resources, but I was lucky enough to live near a large town with a very good range of library facilities, and to work in and around the University whose library resources were also a great help to me.
But it’s true that the advent of the Internet has made many resources much more readily available — though I think often at the expense of true research skills, and sometimes, just downright common sense! ... See more When I first started translating, I didn’t have access to today’s online resources, but I was lucky enough to live near a large town with a very good range of library facilities, and to work in and around the University whose library resources were also a great help to me.
But it’s true that the advent of the Internet has made many resources much more readily available — though I think often at the expense of true research skills, and sometimes, just downright common sense! On more than one occasion, exasperated by more or less wild speculation in our very own KudoZ forum, I have simply telephoned the person concerned by the text or term in question, and asked for the explanation "straight from the horse’s mouth". Surprising how many people still saw fit to disagree with me, though!
However, I digress… I wanted to say that yes, I do still cherish my paper reference works; I bought the new Petit Larousse that came out in 2002, with reproductions of the most beautiful original plates; and I also rely on my trusty smaller edition from 1962, which interestingly enough, contains lots of stuff deleted from the larger, more recent edition
I am also very pleased with my ancient 1930’s Columbia encylopædia — in which I was fascinated to read that "Mr Hitler has recently been elected as Chancellor of Germany and hopes to lead it out of its economic problems"!! Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing?
But I do find these older editions invaluable, since although they don’t of course include most modern technoloogy (but that sort of thing is readily available on the 'Net anyway), what they do include is masses of older stuff — classical mythology, antiquity, etc. — which has sadly been excised from more modern editions. These references have got me out of trouble on many an occasion.
Depsite others’ reservations, I do find Wikipedia a useful resource — provided, that is, one knows enough to appreciate its shortcomings; but for general background info, and at least pointers to vocabulary, I have time and again found it to be a precious and highly accessible resource. ▲ Collapse
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R.C. (X)
Local time: 05:04
İngilizce > İtalyanca
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| I' ve got reference books but mainly dictionaries | Nov 21, 2010 |
I rely mostly on dictionaries, and memory, and now the Internet (but via searching in more than a translation site before making my choice).
I own old '90s books on single issues (eg little encyclopaedia of music and music history) and a very large six-book religious encyclopaedia, plus sundry basic texts, especially in Italian, by literary authors - family inheritance and school remainders.
Thank you for the very interesting question.
PS a dictionary of It... See more I rely mostly on dictionaries, and memory, and now the Internet (but via searching in more than a translation site before making my choice).
I own old '90s books on single issues (eg little encyclopaedia of music and music history) and a very large six-book religious encyclopaedia, plus sundry basic texts, especially in Italian, by literary authors - family inheritance and school remainders.
Thank you for the very interesting question.
PS a dictionary of Italian sinonimi e contrari is also one of my favourite companions.
[Modificato alle 2010-11-21 09:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | ahmadwadan.com
Suudi Arabistan
Local time: 07:04
İngilizce > Arapça
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I have Britannica (digital version). However, I never needed in my professional career. Surfing web is always there in need.
Regards
| | | | | Brockhaus, Teyssler-Kotyska | Nov 21, 2010 |
Tony M wrote:
But I do find these older editions invaluable, since although they don’t of course include most modern technoloogy (but that sort of thing is readily available on the 'Net anyway), what they do include is masses of older stuff — classical mythology, antiquity, etc. — which has sadly been excised from more modern editions. These references have got me out of trouble on many an occasion.
Depsite others’ reservations, I do find Wikipedia a useful resource — provided, that is, one knows enough to appreciate its shortcomings; but for general background info, and at least pointers to vocabulary, I have time and again found it to be a precious and highly accessible resource.
This is exactly why I'm still loving my "Der große Brockhaus" (about 2 running meters on the sideboard, printed around 1930, an heritage from my grandparents) as well as a Czech technical encyclopedia (about the same size and time) I was lucky to get rather cheap from a private person. Of course I'm using web-based information most of the time but there *are* things you won't find there. And, after all, Internet is great but you always need to have a computer...
Another reason, why I like those paper encyclopedias is that you are reading something and on the same page you see something else you actually had not been looking for but which sounds VERY interesting - well, you probably know what I'm talking about
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