| What do you think a good translation is? How do you | | | | Because there are many different kinds of dictionaries: |
| rate a translation job as good or bad? To answer | | | | a bilingual dictionary, a dictionary on a historical basis, |
| these questions you have to agree on some criteria. I | | | | dictionaries of current English, dictionaries of idioms, |
| have tried to simplify this task and chosen two | | | | specialized dictionaries (dictionaries of common errors, |
| approaches - a simple one, with just a few clear | | | | dictionaries of idiomatic usage, slang |
| criteria and a more complicated one, with more but | | | | dictionaries,technical dictionaries), encyclopedic |
| also clear criteria. Here they are: | | | | dictionaries, dictionaries of neologisms, and monolingual |
| 1. First, some simple and pragmatic criteria: | | | | dictionaries. The choice of the best or the most |
| - knowledge of the grammar of the source language | | | | appropriate dictionary depends on the style of the |
| and knowledge of vocabulary, as well as good | | | | original text, the specialization of the translator and on |
| understanding of the text to be translated; - translator's | | | | the user of the translation. Professionals know there |
| ability to reconstitute a given text (source-language | | | | are two basic types of translation users - lay users |
| text) into the target language; - translation must | | | | and specialist users. |
| capture the style and atmosphere of the original text | | | | Novice translators and student translators are also |
| as much as possible. | | | | recommended to use some basic researching tips: |
| 2. Second, some less simple but also working criteria: | | | | - bilingual dictionaries for looking up the meanings of |
| - a good translation is easily understood; - a good | | | | new words; - monolingual dictionaries to check the |
| translation is fluent and smooth; - a good translation | | | | usage of the new words in the source language and in |
| conveys, as much as possible, the meaning of the | | | | the target language; - related encyclopedias and |
| original text; - a good translation distinguishes between | | | | glossary lists for specialized terms; - software |
| the metaphorical and the literal; - a good translation | | | | dictionaries if necessary and available; - specialized |
| reconstructs the cultural/historical context of the | | | | magazines and journals helping with the text, |
| original; - a good translation makes explicit and | | | | particularly when technical. |
| understandable what is implicit in abbreviations; | | | | Analytical skills: The translation process is |
| A good translation cannot come from a bad translator, | | | | characterized by an analysis stage and a synthesis |
| and a good translator needs a set of good | | | | stage. During analysis the translator refers to the |
| professional skills and strategies. | | | | original text in order to understand it as fully as |
| Translation skills: | | | | possible. The synthesis stage is the one in which the |
| Any translator, and a novice one especially, should | | | | original text is projected onto the reader. Translators |
| own or should develop a number of basic, fundamental | | | | are advised to use the following strategies at the |
| skills, including reading comprehension, researching, | | | | analysis stage: |
| analytical and composing skills. | | | | - Identify beginnings and endings of ideas in the text |
| Reading comprehension: The first phase of any | | | | and the relationships between them; - Identify the |
| translation process consists of reading the text. This | | | | "best" meaning that fits into the context; - Identify the |
| activity falls under the competence of psychology, | | | | structure in the Target Language that "best" |
| because it concerns the perceptive system. This is, for | | | | represents the original; |
| the most part, an unconscious process, and a | | | | As a novice translator, or a student translator, you are |
| multi-level one. While we are translating sentences, we | | | | invited to make use some of the following basic |
| have a map of the full original text in our minds and, at | | | | strategies: |
| the same time, a map of the text we want to produce | | | | - use correct word order as used in the target |
| in the target language. So, while looking at the trees | | | | language; - use correct sentence structures as used in |
| (sentences) we must not forget about the forest (the | | | | the target language; - transmit the ideas of the text in |
| full text). This skill does not come out of the blue. It is | | | | clear sentences in the target language; - rephrase |
| the result of a wide personal culture and rich life | | | | certain sentences to convey the overall meaning |
| experience. For this reason, novice and student | | | | translated; - make changes to the text as a whole to |
| translators can be advised to attain some basic | | | | give it a sense of the original without distorting the |
| reading comprehension like: | | | | original ideas. |
| - reading for gist and main ideas; - reading for details; - | | | | The skills and strategies presented above relate to the |
| identifying the meaning of new words and expressions; | | | | basic level and are interesting for beginners and |
| - identifying the writer's style - literary, scientific, | | | | students. However, advanced and professional |
| technical, informative, persuasive,etc.; - identifying | | | | translators may find them useful as well. |
| cultural references in the choice of words; | | | | I would not commit myself to the claim that these |
| Researching skills: | | | | requirements and recommendations are also important |
| The simplest advice to a novice translator is: if you | | | | for interpretation and interpreters. However, I would not |
| don't know the meaning of a word, look it up in the | | | | also object to such an interpretation. |
| dictionary. Easy to say but hard to accomplish. Why? | | | | |