Hello there! Welcome to the very first of what will be regular blog posts here on TradCatling.com. If you’ve arrived at this page, chances are you’re a professional translator, looking for a translator or thinking about becoming one! Either way, I hope you’ll always find something interesting here on this page. My name is Chris, and I’m a professional translator specialising in technical translation, mainly from Spanish into UK English, but I also work from a few other languages as well. I’ve been working as a professional translator for a number of years now, but as well as being my job, it’s also one of my passions. So, this blog is about sharing that passion with my customers, colleagues and anyone else with a curious mind.
What is Translation, Really?
Since this is my very first blog post, we should probably talk about what translation actually is! At the most basic level, translation is all about rendering text from one language into another while preserving the original meaning, tone and intention. That might sound all well and good, but actually some of these things can sometimes conflict with one another. You can translate a joke and preserve the same meaning if you want, but it might completely fail in its intention: making the reader laugh. Translation is much more than just replacing words; it requires a profound understanding of culture and context, not just linguistics.
Despite what many people think, translation is not just about word-for-word substitution. If it were, translators would have died out long ago. Google Translate has been around for nearly 20 years now, and yet, translators have a vital role to play in the global economy! To translate something effectively and accurately, you need to have a complete picture of the source and target languages, cultures and context. This is why a professional translator only translates into their native language (almost 100% of the time, anyway). Being bilingual isn’t enough. You need to understand the way the reader thinks and sees the world, and you can’t get that from just language. Have you ever told a funny anecdote only to end up saying, “I guess you had to be there”? Well, that’s basically what happens most of the time when someone translates into a different language, despite their excellent language skills. Of course, that’s not all. The skills and knowledge required to translate a legal contract will be very different to those required to translate an instruction manual for a machine. Every job is different, and that’s why there are multiple different types of specialisation within the translation industry.
Types of Translation
Not all translation work is the same. Depending on the industry or purpose of the text, the translator will require different knowledge or experience to do a good job. Here are some of the most common specialisations:
1. Technical Translation
Technical translation covers the translation of documents that require specialist knowledge that the average person on the street doesn’t possess. Texts can include engineering documents, user manuals, medical reports or academic research. To translate these texts, the translator doesn’t just need language skills; they often require formal training or real-world experience in the field. Accuracy is always critical, but in some cases, a minor mistake can have catastrophic consequences.
2. Legal Translation
The name speaks for itself. This covers everything from contracts and agreements to patents and other legal documents. Once again, accuracy is really important as such documents could end up being used in court. Furthermore, legal jargon can sometimes be quite impenetrable to the average reader and varies wildly from country to country. Misinterpreting the meaning of the source text could lead to some serious legal disputes, not to mention financial or criminal penalties.
3. Transcreation
This is a rapidly growing sector in the translation industry. Sometimes, translating a text word for word is not just insufficient; it can actually be damaging to your brand image. That’s why many international companies opt for ‘transcreation’. This is where new material is created from scratch, using the source text as a guide. This way, the end product will be completely natural in the target language and resonate with the reader so as to elicit the right response. This is a really common approach to marketing and branding for new markets.
4. Literary Translation
In my opinion, this is probably the hardest form of translation there is. Translating books, poems or plays is extremely challenging. As mentioned earlier, translating jokes is incredibly difficult, but then there are all the cultural references that may simply not work in another context. Poetry often has a fixed meter or rhyme scheme, and those rhymes might not exist in the target language. And then there’s tone. One of my favourite poets is Philip Larkin, but I can’t imagine how to translate his sardonic, melancholic tone into another language.
5. Localisation
Localisation is where the content (not just the text) is adapted to fit the expectations of the user. That includes the language, the cultural norms and the technical requirements. There are a number of languages in the world that are read from right to left or top to bottom. There are several languages that use characters, not words. All of this could have a massive impact on the usability of a website or phone app. Ultimately, if it’s not easy to use, people won’t use it, and simply translating the text into something intelligible is not enough.
6. Financial and Business Translation
This is pretty straightforward. This covers the translation of all manner of business and financial documents, such as bank statements, investment reports or balance sheets. Like technical and legal translation, these documents require a fair amount of specialist knowledge just to understand them, let alone translate them.
Professional Translators Are Still Important!
I’ve lost count these days of the number of people who firmly believe that the translating profession will die out. Maybe it will one day, but its days are far from numbered. Some people are happy to rely on Google Translate, but the internet is awash with examples of amusing, horrendous and even dangerous mis-translations. It might be OK for a low-risk document, but most of the time, people want a good translation that helps their business to grow, not one that makes them a laughing stock on the internet. Artificial Intelligence is obviously a step up from machine translation, but even that has a number of drawbacks (which I will take a look at in a future post). So, even if the tools have got better, they are still not quite as skilled, flexible or smart as people. Hiring a professional translator will ensure that:
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- The meaning of your text remains intact, even if it’s complex and highly nuanced.
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- The translated content will sound natural to native speakers.
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- Terminology will be correct.
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- Cultural differences will be taken into account.
For businesses, a poor translation can mean more than just a cheap laugh. It can affect their reputation or even land them in legal trouble. If the text is a medical text, it could even be fatal. This is why it’s vital for businesses to choose the most appropriate professional translator or translation agency for their requirements.
How I Can Help
As a technical and business translator, I focus on delivering high-quality, accurate translations for engineering and tech firms. I have many years of experience as both an engineer and a project manager, and this is what gives me the understanding and appreciation to produce natural translations in a range of technical disciplines.
Beyond translation, I’m also able to help with other language services, such as subtitling, proofreading or voiceovers. Whether you want to translate an instruction manual or adapt a corporate video for an English-speaking audience, don’t hesitate to get in touch to see how I can help.
The Last Word
So, as you can see, translation is more about language; it’s about connecting people and cultures. And despite the rise of technological solutions, professional translators still have a vital role to play, even if they need to adapt to an ever-changing landscape.
Thanks very much for reading, and I’ll be back with a new post on another aspect of the translation industry very soon!
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