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The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a string of characters conforming to a standardized format, which refers to a resource on the Internet, e.g. a web page, by its location. For example the URL of this web page is: http://ecolotrain.uni-mainz.de/en/. You can find this HTTP URL in the address bar of your web browser.
Information contained in a URL
An HTTP URL combines into one simple address the four basic items of information necessary to retrieve a resource from anywhere on the Internet:
- the protocol to use to communicate
- the host (server) to communicate with
- the network port on the server to connect to
- the path to the resource on the server (for example, its file name)
Example
In the example of http://ecolotrain.uni-mainz.de/en/
- http is the protocol
- ecolotrain.uni-mainz.de is the host
Terminological note
Do not mix up URL with its superordinate concept URI. Every URL is a type of Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), or, more precisely, the set of URLs is a proper subset of the set of URIs. A URI identifies a particular resource while a URL both identifies a resource and indicates how to locate it. Though since 1994 the more general term URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) comprised the URL, the latter is still more widely used.
Why is this information important for translators and translation teachers?
It is important for translators to know how a URL is composed because the subparts of a URL might give some important information on the information source, e.g. the quality and reliability of a web page. If for example you are looking for a translation of the Italian legal term "numero di conto corrente" (bank account number) into German on the Web and your search engine returns you "Kontokorrentnummer" and "Kontonummer" which term would you choose? Having a closer look at the URL of the results web pages reveals you that "Kontokorrentnummer" is mainly found on .it top level domains because the term is mostly used in South Tyrol in Italy while "Kontonummer" is mainly used in Germany and Austria. You must choose terms according to the target market of your translation.