subject: Why Is It Difficult To Translate Russian Language? [print this page] Russian language is spoken in Russia and in most Former Soviet Union countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan etc.). Total speakers of Russian are estimated to about 285 million people, the majority living in Eastern Europe and Asia. This factor makes it one of the international languages worthwhile translating products in.
Russian translators should understand the terms and phrases which are appropriate for certain translation situations and people. The other main aspect for English Russian translator is to understand the mentality of the people. Russian as well as every other language reflects the world view of the people, their behavior, stereotypes. So, you can't just learn Russian language, and understand the culture. You need to live in Russia in order to "feel" Russian language.
Every nation has a lot of concepts and key-words to express them. For example, concepts for English culture are "sense of humor," "gentleman," "freedom," "home." For the Russian culture they are "soul," "heart," etc.
So, a professional Russian Translator has to penetrate into the Russian or English language and use those key words. This way the Russian translation will be an adequate translation for Russian or English speaking people.
Let's point out the essential translation tips:
Translate meaning not words!
Rely on your wits and savvy - it can prove to be helpful when translating a difficult text.
Ask a specialist or a native Russian speaker to proofread your translation so that it sounds natural.
The way documents are organized in one country may not be understood in another.
Never accept a project which you know is not within your abilities.
Emulate the original style of the author, be it humorous, wordy, with colloquial or scientific language, etc.
Language nuances do matter when making a professional translation. Russian language is very rich in expressions and a good translator knows to take into consideration all this.
