subject: What Is Translation? [print this page] The ultimate aim of translation is to render an original text from one language to another, in such a way that the meaning of the original is fully understood by the audience, while retaining - as far as is possible - certain aspects of the original.
Some of these aspects include the tone, any underlying historical and cultural elements and humor, to name a few. Sometimes these are achievable, other times they are not. The key to an excellent translation, as opposed to a merely adequate or even good translation, is to combine the meaning with the maximum number of other intangible subtleties.
Those unfamiliar with the onerous task of the translator often feel that every word needs to be translated in order for equivalency of meaning to be achieved - a so-called "literal" translation. Often, this is far from the case; at times one word can replace up to a dozen, depending on the languages involved. By the same token, a literal translation can, and often does, impart totally irrelevant and even incomprehensible cultural nuances that make no sense in the target language.
Specific challenges arise when translating historical materials from eras long past. It is for this very reason that the most widely read book on Earth - the Christian bible - comes in so many flavors. The most modern versions are written in easy-to-read styles, whereas conservative scholars often assert that only a classical King James' version will do. There have even been versions of the bible written in SMS shorthand style and street patios. All of these versions have equal standing, in my view, as they each target a specific audience and fulfill different roles.
Normally, a translator will read a text from start to finish before translating a single word. This is not always an option, depending on the urgency of a particular task, but it is definitely desirable from the point of view of establishing context.
Next, the translator will assess any formatting requirements. Perhaps the source text contains a multitude of difficult and fiddly charts and tables, each requiring translation of captions, legends and other elements of the original. This can consume many hours of a translator's time, and issues surrounding non-standard text translation must be discussed and clarified with the client very early on in the process.
In the modern era, industry specific software is used widely by many translators - depending on the volume of their work and the technical subject matter of translated materials. The use of this software is a virtual guarantee that consistency of terminology will be maintained throughout a particular text. According to the manufacturers of the massively popular software Trados "not using a translation memory can reduce the quality of localized content".
There are many other systems that professional translators employ, including quality assurance and quality control. Usually this means that there could be several people involved in the process.
Whomever you engage to conduct your translation jobs, it is essential that you only source people who have the appropriate accreditation from government or other acknowledged agencies.
Aunes Oversettelser AS has been in the business for 26 years, and we are specialized in technical translations. We are specializing in the Nordic languages, and can offer services into Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic. The premier translation agency for Norway and the Nordic region! Technical translation services for businesses in the Nordic countries and translation agencies world-wide.
