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About Translating |
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Translators are responsible for converting information in one language into another for use by a third party. They differ from interpreters in that they only work with the written word, whereas an interpreter translates the spoken words of other people into another language, either as they are spoken, or after each completed sentence or clause.
The Translation Process The process of translation begins when a client is in possession of a document which they either cannot fully understand, or which they cannot use in its present form for purely linguistic reasons. The language in which this document is written is known as the source language. The client delivers it to the translator, who then translates that document into the language of the client's choice, and then returns it. The language into which it is translated is known as the target language. Nowadays, most clients requiring the services of a translator possess these source documents in electronic format, over a wide range of industry-standard file types like .doc or .pdf, as well as familiar spreadsheet and graphic presentation formats. Modern translators are therefore equipped to deal with material presented in this format.
The Translator's Expertise The Translator receives the source document and then embarks upon four distinct steps:-
Preparation Before performing the translation, the translator reads the document through in its source language. This is done, firstly, in order to make note of any complex technical terminology or linguistic constructions, and find preliminary translations for them in either general or specialised dictionaries. This is also done so that the translator properly understands the linguistic "register" of the document: in other words, the style of language used and therefore the intended audience for the material. For example, a job specification will have a more formal, purely informational style than, say, a magazine article, which is written not only to inform but to entertain. After the initial read-through, the translator may make up glossaries to help in translating the more complex parts of the document.
Translation The translator then translates the document into the target language, using the glossaries constructed after initial preparation.
Proofreading The translator then checks back through the translation of the document, ensuring correct spelling and grammar in the target language have been used, and that repeated terminology in the source document has been translated consistently. Continuous comparison with the source document is also made to ensure that the linguistic register of the source document has been preserved or reasonably reflected in the target language.
Delivery Once all necessary checks have been made on the target document, the translator delivers it back to the client in a format previously agreed between client and translator. The client then has the right to make their own checks, in order to make sure that the target document fulfils the client's own purpose, and if the client has an understanding of the original source language of the document, whether the target document is written using the correct register, and is therefore likely to communicate with the intended audience in the same way as it did in the source language. Once both parties are satisfied with the work undertaken, the translator issues an invoice for the work done and the client pays on the agreed terms.
The Translator's Equipment Naturally, translators have well-developed expertise in the source language. However, a number of tools are essential to ensuring high-quality translation:
Dictionaries General dictionaries translating from source to target are indispensible in order to offer the full range of possible translations for words and terminology, depending upon register and context. No translator should operate without a dictionary ideally containing hundreds of thousands of entries from source to target language. This type of dictionary is usually quite expensive (compared to average book prices) and usually obtained through specialised bookstores or wholesalers catering to linguistic specialists. Specialised dictionaries are also available which deal with highly technical, scientific or legal terminology, and while not always essential, are very often used by translators working in highly specialised subject matters.
Computer Aided Translation It is often thought, amongst the wider public, that human translators are gradually being put out of business by computer translation. It is true that a lot of work has been done to enable computers to translate from one human language to another. However, good quality translation involves interpreting not only words, but the all-important linguistic register of the source document. That means that the translator has to understand complex nuances of linguistic mood, which implies a level of self-awareness that a computer cannot deploy without a human input. Computer Aided Translation (CAT), on the other hand, is an essential tool of the modern translator. CAT software helps the translator to ensure correct spelling and grammar, and proper consistency in translating terminology and concepts which appear repeatedly throughout the source material.
Communications The modern translator does business almost exclusively via technological forms of communication. Aside from a dedicated telephone, the professional translator will almost definitely possess a fax machine and, nowadays, a powerful desktop computer, complete with specialised software, and a high-powered (usually broadband) internet connection.
The Translator's Standards The relationship between the translator and the client is defined by strict standards of work to which the translator adheres at all times, and the client's understanding of the work the translator has to carry out:
Confidentiality The translator must maintain strict confidentiality of the work carried out on behalf of the client. No details of the client's identity, or of the work carried out by the translator on the client's behalf, should ever be revealed to a third party, other than those details that must be properly declared by law to the translator's or client's domestic legal or taxation authorities. If the client is a translation agency and is outsourcing work to another translator, then the translator to whom the work is outsourced must not contact the end-client unless on terms agreed between the end-client, the outsourcing agency and the translator. Similarly, the end-client is usually asked to accept terms which ensure they can only make contact with the translator through the outsourcing agency. This is a standard form of client-contractor-subcontractor relationship which is accepted internationally across many sectors of industry.
Translators usually accept and exercise certain legal standards to underpin their work. Unless they are directly employed by an agency, professional translators are predominately registered, either as self-employed on a sole-trader basis, or as limited companies in their own right (where they are both Managing Director and either sole employee or one of a handful of staff). Either way, professional translators have to comply with their own domestic taxation regulations at all times. This includes compliance with any value-added or service taxation rules which apply in their own country. As most translation work is now carried out with the aid of computers, many translators are also registered through their domestic Data Protection authorities. Also, as consultants, many translators have some form of professional indemnity insurance.
Integrity The translator is human and every translation assignment can be tackled in many different ways. Aside from clear linguistic mistakes, it is possible for the translator to use terminology in a target document for which there is an equally valid but different translation which the client would prefer. Sometimes the client directs the translator in advance to use a certain phrase in translation for a given term in the source document, but agreement on the terminology may come after initial delivery of the target document back to the client. Negotiation on these points depends on honesty and trust between translator and client, and success in these negotiations is usually achieved without any conflict between the two parties. The translator must not be too proud or afraid to ask questions of the client if clarification is needed on any particular aspect of the source document, and the client should ensure that they set out their requirements as clearly and precisely as possible.
The Golden Rule of Translation It is not obvious to the general public, but nonetheless essential, that good-quality professional translators only translate into their native language, or a language in which they have native-level ability. They almost never venture into translating in the opposite direction. Therefore, if a client has work in Swedish which needs translating into English, they should try to find a translator who has highly-developed skills and expertise in the Swedish language, but is a native or native-level speaker of English. The central reason for this is that the source document is usually linguistically correct, and the translator must preserve that linguistic integrity in the target document. There is, however, another reason…
Translation as a form of writing Translators are not only linguistic experts in a language, or languages, other than their own native language. Good translators are also good writers, and where they handle highly-specialised, technical material, are also experienced in a field of knowledge or work other than the pure study of language. They may not be academic linguists per se, and are more likely to be qualified specialists (engineers, lawyers, medical practitioners or commercial executives etc.) who just happen to be formally or vocationally trained in a foreign language. |
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Tel. & Fax: +44 (0) 1902 569496 E-mail: info@meddingstranslator.co.uk |
