If you have ever had something translated, you know that at the end you have to deal with a problem: "How to evaluate a translation if you don't know the language?" (If you knew it you'd probably do it yourself.) The most common way is to ask a native speaker of the target language (i.e. the language which the text was translated into) to tell whether the translation is good or bad.
The problem is that the evaluator often doesn't know what exactly "a good translation" means. Help him or her - set the criteria. Ask these simple questions to the person who is going to judge the quality of any translation:
Q1. Can you tell at once that it's a translation?
The most important question, in fact. If translation is excellent, you won't tell it's a translation. The text reads as if it were written in the language it was translated into. So, if the answer to this question is "No" (or "Really?") - you're lucky! You've come across a brilliant translator. They're pretty rare nowadays... So, skip questions 2, 3 and 4 - just ask the very last one.
If the answer is "Yes" , "Oh, yes", or anything else like "Hm... in a way...", "Maybe...", etc., go to
Q2. Is there anything that doesn't make sense? Are there any words or phrases that sound funny?
If yes, that's the mark of a very poor translation. Some so-called translators, who are incompetent - or just inexperienced - will translate a sentence word by word, so "the end product" makes no sense. A good translator never does so - he or she will always find the right word to use.
Q3. Can you spot any sentences which are hard to understand? Or any phrases you understand - but you'd never put it that way?
The more such sentences in the text, the worse the translator. Poor or mediocre translation can make the text really hard to read and understand. Phrases sound unnaturally, the word order seems to be somehow weird, and sometimes you have to guess what the author wanted to say.
(Let's assume your original text in English was clear and well-written. If it was sloppy and gibberish, the translator isn't responsible for the translation being the same. Translators can't improve the original. Well, you know the principle: garbage in - garbage out.)
But if a good, clear and well-thought-over text turned into something unintelligible, it's most likely because of the above-mentioned word-by-word approach. Well-translated texts always run smoothly, you won't "stumble" when you're reading them.
Q4 Does the translator slip in his grammar?
Poor grammar is a sign of a poor text, whether it is the original or the translation.
Q5 Are there any misspelled words or typos?
Typos and misspelled words are not necessarily a mark of a poor translation. If this question is the only one answered "yes", it means that the work was done in haste and/or the translated text hasn't been proofread properly. It could have happened because of a tight schedule, pressing deadline, etc. But, of course, lack of time doesn't justify misspellings and typos.
Well, as you have probably guessed, the more affirmative answers you get to these questions, the worse. If you hear two or more answers "yes", you'd better not use services of this translator anymore - let him or her gain experience by translating somebody else's texts, not yours.
Alexandra Gamanenko is a senior translator and editor of the Literary Translation Department, which is a part of a Web design studio. It offers localization and translation of websites into Russian and Ukrainian, as well as lots of other useful services.
Learn more -- visit the website www.clever-crayon.com
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