subject: Translation and professional translation services [print this page] A lot of what you make of a text depends greatly on the translator. A translator might choose to include or omit or use a word which you wouldn't have had you been in his shoes. And it also might differ from the one that is there in the source language. But one can question its legitimacy only if he or she has got a sound knowledge of both the source and the target languages.
When translating, the genre of the text (whether it is a play, a novel, a poem or an epic) is very important. Whether it is a sports magazine, a travelogue, bed-time stories for children or a simple leaflet about some festival or a new store, this decides the kind of translation it calls for because the connotation of a word in a literary text will be way different from that of a non-literary one.
If it's a poem, the translator has to keep in mind the rhyming pattern along with the translation of the word meanings. If it's a drama, he shouldn't forget that the text has been written to be performed (in front of an intended audience). There might be a virtual reader that the author intends to have.
In industries like law, engineering, accountancy, etc., translating documents may require highly specialized technical terminologies which can only be translated by people who belong to that field, who have the necessary qualifications to be able to comprehend the technical jargon used and be in a position to offer their services. Sometimes, the language has to be recreated, manipulated or altered, to make it attractive in order to promote and sell the products in question for a certain target audience.
This is where professional translation services come into play. They have the expertise that can save you from the ordeal of a translation that is not befitting to the original source because they are trained and have the much required practice and experience which an ordinary or the regular translator may not have. There are many that are available and one has to find a suitable deal which will do justice to both the text as well as his pocket.
