Four important translation mistakes to avoid

The translation is a sensitive process. Converting a written text from one language to another could go wrong at times and can also offend people if not taken care of well. The translation is a delicate process, so it is always suggested to hire native speakers as translators. They not only understand the language and its dialects but are also familiar with the nuances of the language. Moreover, they understand the culture well and can translate the content considering cultural appropriateness.

For instance, the red color is taken as a color of danger. But it is also accepted as a color of luck, joy, and happiness in Chinese culture. They adore the red color and take it as a sign of fertility too. Therefore Chinese translation services should always be acquired by local native speakers to avoid controversies and conflicts. To err is human and even experienced translators also commit mistakes. As translating the content is a complex and tough job by nature.

Here are our top four mistakes which should be avoided in the translation process.

1. Translating word for word

A lot of people assume that translation is a word-to-word conversion of the content. However, translation is more about presenting the text with more contextual value and reserving the same meaning and tone. Many translators translate word for word which does not leave a good impact and is rather taken as poor translation. Many times things do not make sense when there is a translation of every word. There is no flow and fluency and the reader can barely get the context.

Every language comes up with its own style of sentence structure and syntax. The subject-verb and object orders also differ with languages. The place of adjectives can be different too. Chinese, for instance, is a tonal language and has a complex character list. Also, it has two variants one of which is traditional Chinese. So for Chinese traditional translation services, people with relevant expertise should be picked.

2. Working in a language you are not proficient in

This has emerged as the top mistake of recent times where many individuals take up the translation job thinking they can ace it when they are not even proficient in one of the languages required. You as a translator should never think it would be easy to translate into or from a language that you barely know. You need to be proficient in the language and understand its dialects, and jargon. So make sure you never commit that mistake and only translate for the language pair that you are proficient in.

3. Using incorrect words

A lot of translators commit this mistake when they find it convenient to use incorrect words in the translation. Most of these translators are inexperienced. There are particular words, phrases, and puns that have no alternative in the target language or get translated differently. For instance, in the French language, words such as many words don’t get translated into English or other languages exactly. Therefore while expanding businesses to the French region, make sure you hire French translation services. Whenever you encounter any such situation as a translator, it is better to spare the word as it is rather than concocting something which doesn’t relate or connect. Don’t take this pressure of translating every single word. Maintaining a flow, and working on fluent and contextual content is more important than working on a word-to-word translation. 

This mistake can ruin the whole effort, particularly in the translation of documents. The documents needed to be followed in a defined pattern and format so you cannot mess with their layout. Also, as mentioned above French language is an Austronesian language and professional French translation services are significant to cater to the people of France and the surrounding for tapping the market also it is better to avoid common translation mistakes.

4. Over explaining the terms and words

Sometimes translators go over the top to explain a term or words which leads to unnecessary details and repetition killing the essence of translation and the content gets dry eventually distracting the readers. Translators practice this to appear diligent, however, this practice is not appreciated much. Also, when the document has complicated and technical terms, it is more important to focus on the accuracy and precision of those terms rather than expanding them unnecessarily.

Now if you are working on Japanese translation services, you should be vigilant enough to translate the words which go well with this language. Such as, Akogare is a Japanese term that doesn’t have an exact translation in English and is rather a state where a person aspires to be like someone else. So finding one word for this term could be a job. Therefore, you can simply write the way it is required.

Nonetheless for professional Japanese translation services, the companies should prefer to hire locals and natives translation companies depending on their expertise in the second language required.

Final words

The translation is an extensive and sensitive process. The experts appreciate a translation that is accurate, precise, and consistent without common mistakes. Also, translators should avoid attempting over explaining certain terms, using incorrect words, and translating the text word for word so that their content is accurate and good enough. 

Also Read about Spanish Translation