Translation Myths

Translation myths

We at Language Services Bureau keep hearing a lot of myths surrounding translation from clients as well as would be translators! 

In this month’s blog, we would like to share and elaborate upon some of these very common myths.

·         Translation can be done within a short span of time

·         Anyone who knows 2 languages can translate “both ways”

·         What is the need of proofreading and editing

MYTH # 1 Translation can be done within a short span of time

This is the most common myth about translation. However, it is as far from the truth as possible.  Translation is not just substitution of words! It is about conveying the correct meaning of a source document to the target audience completely and this requires time! The duration required to translate a document   depends upon factors such as:

o   Type of document:

 Documents like birth certificates, death certificates, mark sheets, etc., i.e. general texts take much less time to translate than for Technical documents, Legal documents, medical documents, etc. In short, any domain which requires subject matter expertise needs more time for translation.

o     Comprehension and research:

A translator has to first read through the document and when required, do some research on the content to get a complete overview of the document. Therefore it really does not make sense to expect a 500 page document to be translated in 5 days .. well it takes much more time to read through all those pages .. not to mention the time to understand, research upon the topic if required and then translate it! 

o   Formatting –  

Formatting is usually considered as least important and often not considered as part of translation until the output is shared with the client .. it is only then that it is evident that without a document formatted as per the original, it is quite difficult to make sense of it.. e.g. a bank statement without the tables and alignment will not be of much use!!.  For translation of documents which are scanned images the document needs to be actually recreated. And correspondingly the time estimate increases

o   Proofreading

A second translator normally goes through the translated document to check for completeness, inconsistencies, correctness, numbering, formatting, etc. and if sufficient time is not provided for the same, optimum quality cannot be guaranteed.

 MYTH # 2 Anyone who knows 2 languages can translate “both ways”

Knowing a language and having expertise in it are two different things, the latter requires time, dedication and experience. A person who knows two languages cannot necessarily translate in or from the known language The person needs to be fluent in both languages and should have years of experience in a specific domain too. The flair for languages, understanding a text, correctly re-expressing the message in a different language, patience and ability to do research, etc. are some of the basics to become a good translator.

When it comes to translating into a foreign language, it always makes sense to get the translation done from a native translator, which is the international practice, since it’s hard to know a language as well as a native does.

MYTH # 3 Good quality translation is possible without proofreading and editing

In the language industry, you will come across these terms frequently.  The reason behind their importance is enhancement of translation quality but majority of clients as well as translators are not convinced!  They don’t see the need of proofreading and editing. Proofreaders and editors are language and domain experts who compare, check and correct the document translated by other translator(s) - grammatical, logical, terminological, syntactic, formatting related errors and omissions are thus verified and corrected by them.

A translated document needs to be checked at least twice, once by the translator himself/herself and then by the proofreader. If time and budget permits, proofread document needs to be reviewed again by the editor since to ensure translation quality, this is the internationally followed practice!  

Let’s have a look at the an example to prove the importance of review, since even a seasoned and experienced translator can commit such errors.

–E.g.

Translated sentence:

Supporting the meteorology assembly

Proofread sentence:

Supporting the metrology assembly

The term “metrology” was misspelled as “meteorology”!!!

Ø  In this case, it is clear that an automatic spell-check was not sufficient. Thanks to our proofreader who identified this error! A proofreader is always essential, since they not only look for typos but also check the terminology and semantics.

Myths busted hopefully!! Do let us know if you too have come across some myths about translation or the language industry!

Written By Daya Shetty and edited by Devaki Kunte
May 20, 2017
Language Services Bureau, Pune, India

Is your content translation-friendly Part 1

Manuals that leave you more confused?

Game instructions that only lead you to lose the game?

Package leaflets that give a good laugh instead of directions?

Have you come across documents that totally missed the point? Probably these were translations that lost track. But did you know that the first and foremost requirement of an effective translation is a well written source document?

In our day to day translation projects undertaken at Language Services Bureau, we often come across texts which are poorly compiled and difficult to translate. We spend considerable amount of time doing some guess work about the meaning, understanding, formatting and re-checking such documents. We therefore thought it is crucial for the content writers and authors of documents to be translated to understand a translators point of view, and we have enumerated steps below which will definitely ease their own work as well as that of the translator! In short if translation is a pre-planned process, it will definitely help to think it through right from the beginning!

Creating translation-friendly documents

When product literature, technical content or any documents are created for business across multiple geographical locations, and when the translations of these documents are going to be used for various purposes, some preparation will certainly help in making the translation process easier and quicker.

An object in a photograph cannot appear clean if it is dirty in reality. It is important that the source document for a translation is clear, precise and easy to understand for the translation to be all of these. When the source text succeeds in communicating the exact meaning to the translator, he/she can work on effectively expressing the same message in the target language. The lesser the challenges faced by the translator, the more the translation will be efficient in its intended application.

Most of the flaws in translation such as –

-          word-to-word translation,

-          ambiguity,

-          lack of exactness,

-          lengthy and complex sentences etc.

may indicate that the translator failed to understand what the source document had to say. If the source document i.e. the original document is unclear, the translator tends to stick to the dictionary equivalents of the words to avoid deviating from the source. There are  language-specific styles articulated by certain unique expressions and are almost impossible to translate in another language. If the source document contains such expressions, the translation may become flat and ineffective.

How to write to ensure accurate translation of your document

Making sure that the document helps the translator to understand it is the biggest step towards receiving accurate translations. To save on the cost of going from one language into another, to reduce on the frustration of translators all over the world raising questions about your business literature and to finally enjoy the feeling of getting satisfactory service that you paid for, here are some tips to make your source documents translation-friendly.

Structure:

If a document is developed following definite and logical path, it is understood better. The structure of a document refers to the manner in which it establishes, explains and concludes a topic. A well-structured and organized document is easily followed by the translator as well as the reader. As a thumb rule a document should evolve starting from the basic to the complex or from core concepts to the circumferential ones.

The translator may not always have background knowledge of your project. At times, the actual translator of your document may not be a part of any of your meetings. So, for him/her the first source of information about the project is the document itself. If the document has logical linking between various topics that it contains, it helps the translator to better visualize what is being said in it.

Pointers to remember:

- Define the structure keeping in mind the type and size of your document as well as the available space.

- Outline the document structure: e.g. if you are writing about a product, here is a basic structure that the document can follow. 

     -   Follow a progression that is universally understood.

Example: A product brochure/documentation can have the following sub-topics and sequence
Introduction --> Purpose --> Basic Features/basic functions --> Usage instructions --> Precautions --> Maintenance and servicing --> After sales service and support

Terminology

One of the most crucial tasks in creating and translating technical document/s is handling the terminology. Domain specific technical terms are the crux of a document and may pose tough challenges in finding equivalents in another language. However, you can follow certain rules to ensure accurate and fast translation of technical terminology.

Pointers to remember:

-  Consistency: It is a must. The terms used for the major concepts must be kept same throughout the project. It ensures consistency in translation.

-  Common terms: Apart from the project-specific unique terms, it is always better to use terms that are most common. Avoid using region-specific terminology. Common terms can be easily found in dictionaries and glossaries which saves on the translation time. Also, such terms help the translator to make a fool proof choice of the equivalents.

-   Create a glossary: When writing technical documents for a project, it is preferable if a glossary of terms, abbreviations, expressions that commonly appear in the documents is created alongside. This glossary can be passed on to the translator.

This topic will be continued in our next blog in the upcoming new year and month!

Written By Shweta Bhide and edited by Devaki Kunte
December 20, 2016
Language Services Bureau, Pune, India