A little knowledge is dangerous. This saying easily applies to the translation industry, which is prone to more than its fair share of fallacies. Many of us have taken classes in another language that involved constantly translating phrases and sentences. As a result, the idea of doing this professionally may seem overblown. Isn't a translator just doing the same thing we did, only with full documents instead of textbook exercises?
This could not be further from the truth. Translators are dedicated professionals and their work is not so easily duplicated. To achieve a quality result, the translation process should be approached with a mind free from the following mistaken notions:
1. Translators Translate Words:
Translators do not simply translate a document word-for-word. Dictionaries and "machine" translations like those done by free online translation programs, function on a word-for-word basis. On the other hand, a translator strives to understand the meaning of the original text and express that meaning in the new language.
This explains why translation programs are incapable of creating professional quality translations. A concept that may be expressed with one word in one language may best be expressed with an entire phrase or idiomatic expression in a different language. For example, a translator has to decide how to handle words like German's schadenfreude (enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others) or phrases like French's esprit d'escalier (stairway wit, or thinking of a clever comeback after the moment is gone).
Another reason why simplistic word-for-word translations are not professionally acceptable is that words have different meanings when placed in different contexts. A translator needs to understand the context of each word in order to identify the appropriate equivalent in the target language. For example, what should a translator make of the English word "lead"? Depending on the context, it can refer to taking charge or to a dense metal.
2. Translators Can Translate From Language A to Language B, and From Language B to Language A:
While a talented few can pull this off, most translators can only produce high quality results when translating a document into their native language. Translators are expected to produce documents that read like a native speaker wrote them. Naturally, very few people achieve this level of familiarity with any second language.
According to the American Translators Association, translating into a foreign or acquired language is the height of unprofessional behavior. Before entrusting your translation job to an individual, make sure to vet his or her qualifications. Besides being a native speaker of the target language, a good translator should also be certified in his or her language pair and be familiar with the subject material.
3. Translation and Interpretation Are The Same:
While they share similar goals, these are two separate trades. A good translator isn't necessarily a good interpreter or vice versa. Translation is written while interpretation is oral. Translators take a written document and convert it into a new language. Interpreters listen to speech and quickly render it orally into the target language. While translation takes reading and writing skills, interpretation uses listening and speaking skills. Translators should have a deeper understanding of the language being converted, education in grammatical nuances and experience in the subject matter. Interpreters need stronger powers of short-term memory recall and pronunciation.
4. Translation is Not Necessary in My Industry:
Does your industry exist in any other country? People throughout the world have the same wants and needs. Someone is going to profit from meeting those needs, and there is no reason why that someone can't be you. Globalization is a fact of life. Technology has erased borders, giving every company the opportunity to expand into new markets. Will yours be the one to discover new overseas customers and suppliers?
Even if your company chooses to remain domestic, translation is a growing necessity. Over 50 million Americans speak a language other than English at home, including more than 30 million Spanish-speakers. Furthermore, research has found that most people prefer to do business in their native tongue. With increased globalization, your industry may be forced to compete with foreign firms to supply the needs of this large potential market.
Translation can be your key into a wider, more lucrative market. Dispelling these myths will help you approach translation with a clear mind and help you make the right choices for your business.
Michael Bargar is a freelance writer for Foreign Translations Inc. Foreign Translations, Inc., is a foreign language translation, interpreting and website localization firm headquartered in Greenville, SC, that offers professional and accurate translation services in all major languages.
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