TRANSLATION

What is Translation?

Translation is the process in which a written communication or a text in a first language is

produced as the written communication or text in the second language interpreting the same
meaning. Here the text in the first language is the "source text" and the equivalent text that
communicates the same message is the "target text" or "translated text". Initially translation has
been a manual activity. Today, together with manual translation, there is also automatic
translation of natural-language texts, which is referred to as machine translation or
computer-assisted translation which use computers as an aid to translation. Translation is one
way to bring the world closer.

Origin of the term

Etymologically, "translation" refers to "bringing across" or "carrying across". Originated from

the latin word "translatio" , the perfect passive participle of which is "translatum" or "transferre".
Trans implies "to transfer" and "ferre" implies to "to carry to bring across". For the
modern Roman, Germany and Slavic European language, the word "traducere" is used for
translation which implies "to bring across" or "to lead across" in English. The Greek term for
translation is "metaphrasis" which implies "a speaking across". "Metaphrase" implies a
word-for-word translation or literal translation while "paraphrase" in Greek means a saying in
other words.

The Nature of Translation

● Successful translations must be accurate, well-written, and purpose-appropriate.
● Translation is not replacing words and encoding them in correct grammar. Instead,
translation is akin to putting together a picture puzzle—with several pieces segregated
from each other. The existing pieces are the parts of the source document that the
translator readily understands. Fitting them together is the first step. The missing pieces
are the parts the translator doesn’t understand at one glanc or or at one reading…..these
pieces are then kept separately and are read again for better understanding and then are
connected with the previous work and the finally translated into the target language….
● Constructing the missing pieces requires analytical and research skills. Especially when
backed by knowledge and experience and often some expert topic is benig
translated….this difficult situation nalso arrives while translating a legal of any other
technical piece of work, the translator should have the skilles to solve the ambiguities in
the piece.. But when (not if) these are not enough, the translator must ask questions.
translation quality depends critically on whether or not a translator asks questions about
doubtful passages.. Questions help me design the missing pieces, and therefore play an
essential role: producing high-quality translation.
 ● Only translators with good background knowledge, subject knowledge, social and
cultural competence and, of course, advanced language skills will be always successful.
● Translation is a process of conveying information with the help of linguistic and cultural
knowledge. “The fact that we are able to produce equivalent in English for every word
does not mean that we can give an adequate translation of the text.
● Translation implies that we have capacity to enter into the mind, the world, and the
culture of the speakers or writers and we can express their thought in a manner that is not
only parallel to the original, but also acceptable to the target language”.
● While translating we need to be faithful to the original and try to fit into the context in the
target language. It is not right to focus on the surface meaning only. Words, sounds and
grammar are important, but the attention should also be paid to the ideas and concepts
● The structure of the sentence is different in different languages, so the goal is to find the
equivalent surface structure in two languages which correspond to the common deep
meaning. Translation involves changing the form of the message from one language to
the appropriate form in the second language without changing the deeper meaning
Adequate translation means a conceptual identity in both, the source and target
languages.
●
Culture in translation plays the biggest and the most important role. It can help in
communication and translation, but the lack of knowledge becomes a great barrier.
● The choices of how to translate should be made very carefully, it requires theoretical
knowledge and an understanding of how choices in texts reflect other relationships
between senders and receivers of the information. To be a good translator it is one of the
most challenging tasks, as it requires switching safely between two universes of
discourse.

Types of Translation:

1.Machine translation
Also known as automatic translation, this is any translation that is done without human
intervention, using software, hand-held translators, online translators such as Babelfish, etc.
Machine translation is extremely limited in quality and usefulness - learn more.

2.Machine-assisted translation
Translation that is done with a machine translator and a human working together. In this type of
translation the machine generaTREES OPTIONS according to which the hiuman can choose one
with the relevance to context…. This is considerably better than machine translation, and it is
more effective than human-only translation.
3.Screen translation
Translation of movies and television programs, including subtitling (where the translation is
typed along the bottom of the screen) and dubbing (where the voices of native speakers of the
target language are heard in place of the original actors).

4.Sight translation
Document in the source language is explained orally in the target language. This task is
performed by interpreters when an article in the source language is not provided with a
translation (such as a memo handed out at a meeting).

5.Administrative translation
The translation of administrative texts. Although administrative has a very broad meaning, in
terms of translation it refers to common texts used within businesses and organisations that are
used in day to day management. It can also be stretched to cover texts with similar functions in
government.

6.Commercial translation
Commercial translation or business translation covers any sort of document used in the business
world such as correspondence, company accounts, tender documents, reports, etc. Commercial
translations require specialiast translators with knowledge of terminology used in the business
world.

7.Computer translation
Not to be confused with CAT, computer assisted translations, which refer to translations carried
out by software. Computer translation is the translation of anything to do with computers such as
software, manuals, help files, etc.

8.Economic translation
Similar to commercial or business translation, economic translation is simply a more specific
term used for the translation of documents relating to the field of economics. Such texts are
usually a lot more academic in nature.

9.Legal translation
Legal translations are one of the trickiest translations known. At its simplest level it means the
translation of legal documents such as statutes, contracts and treaties.
A legal translation will always need specialist attention. This is because law is culture-dependent
and requires a translator with an excellent understanding of both the source and target cultures.
Most translation agencies would only ever use professional legal to undertake such work. This is
because there is no real margin for error; the mistranslation of a passage in a contract could, for
example, have disastrous consequences.
When translating a text within the field of law, the translator should keep the following in mind.
The legal system of the source text is structured in a way that suits that culture and this is
reflected in the legal language; similarly, the target text is to be read by someone who is familiar
with another legal system and its language.

10.Literary translation
A literary translation is the translation of literature such as novels, poems, plays and poems.
The translation of literary works is considered by many one of the highest forms of translation as
it involves so much more than simply translating text. A literary translator must be capable of
also translating feelings, cultural nuances, humour and other subtle elements of a piece of work.

11.Medical translation
A medical translation will cover anything from the medical field from the packaging of medicine
to manuals for medical equipments to medical books.
Like legal translation, medical translation is specialisation where a mistranslation can have grave
consequences.

12.Technical translation
A technical translation has a broad meaning. It usually refers to certain fields such as IT or
manufacturing and deals with texts such as manuals and instructions. Technical translations are
usually more expensive than general translations as they contain a high amount of terminology
that only a specialist translator could deal with…

Factors to take in Consider for Translation

Translation is not so easy as it sounds to be. Moreover, translation does not mean a simple word
for word for correspondence between any two languages. It is not a mechanical process where
each word is translated to the target language. Rather, many factors are to be taken into
consideration to get the exact output in the target language. The factors are as follows:

● Actual context
● The rules of grammar of the two languages
● The spellings in the two languages
● Their writing conventions
● Meaning of idioms and phrases
● The usage of points and commas to separate decimals and thousands within numbers.
This is to be noted that some languages follow reverse style. For example, while in
 English we write 1,000.01, the same is written as 1.000,01 in Spanish languages, except
for Panama, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the United States itself.
● Again text translation also implies the translation of right-to left alphabets (such as
Arabic and Hebrew).

Beside the above factors, to get the final document all activities are equally important like

● The document needs to be read

● The document needs to be translated
● The document is then edited
● The document is then proofread, not to mention retyped and often reformatted.
● Sometimes, research is also required for translation.
● Thorough knowledge of the native language is required by the translator.

Translation requires a complete understanding of the customs and lifestyle of a group of people
so as to translate in a manner that communicates to that culture's world view.

Approaches to Translation
There are two approaches to translation:

● Formal equivalence: Formal equivalence implies word for word translation or literal
translation. It translate not only the exact appearance of vocabulary but also the idioms
and grammatical structure used in the original. This creates a problem because idioms are
expressions that have meaning which is quite different from the actual meaning of the
words used in the idiom. For example, the idiom "top notch" implies excellent while in
simple English it represents the top notch of a stick. The drawback of formal equivalence
is that idioms or phrases can mislead or confuse the reader.

● Dynamic equivalence: Dynamic equivalence, also referred to as functional equivalence,

implies the essential thought expressed in the source text. This include, if necessary,
literality, original sememe and word order, the text's active vs. passive voice, etc. It is not
following a word for word translation but changing, adding, or subtracting from the
original text to make it look as the translator sees fit.

Success of Translation
For the success of translation, four requirements are to be fulfilled:

● Making sense.
● Displaying the spirit and manner of the original.
● The translated document has a natural and easy form of expression.
● The translated document produces a similar response.
Types of Translation Services
There are various types of translation services that can handle various types of written work.
Translators can be contacted through language schools or universities. You can get in touch with
with freelance translators through such schools or universities or there are staff in
such universities who regularly take on translation work. There are many
translationcompanies that can address one's needs. Also, you can use translation software, which
can cover more basic translation needs. Further, one can also recruit translators through any of
the above resources to conduct oral translation as required. The various translation services
offered by translation companies are as follows:

● Language Translation Services

● Document Translation Services

Document Translation Services

For all professional translation agencies, document translation is always a part of the portfolio.
Document translation services involve the translation of written documents of every kind, from
letters, certificates, marketing materials, to detailed technical brochures, manuals etc. in the
target language . With the increased competition in the global market, communicating your
message clearly and accurately is very critical. Selecting a reputable and professional service for
document translation is very important as your company's reputation and financial security is at
stake. Professional document translation services are the most sought after these days.

Document Translation Process

All standard document translation process passes through a three-tier level of translation to
ensure complete accuracy:
1. Initial translation
2. Proofreading and
3. Editing

Importance of Document Translation

Global markets are growing. Global markets are highly competitive. To remain competitive in
the global market for any business, communicating with your target audience using their
language is becoming increasingly important. Document translation plays a vital role here.
Inaccurate document translation can lead to any of the following problems:
A scar on a brand's or company's otherwise good name.
Non-compliance with strict requirements in a regulated industry.
Expensive delays in bringing new projects/products to market
Increased legal exposure etc.
Types of Document Translation Services

1.Notarized Document Translation

Notarized document translation services involve translation of official statutory documents that
have to be presented to official authorities for legal purposes. These translations are governed by
local laws in each country. Usually in a non-certified translation, the translator is sometimes
given the right to write in his own personal style to make it more accurate for the target audience.
However, in notarized document translation, it must be an exact translation of the source. Such
translated document should include a clause from the certifier combined with a round seal
affixed which only Notarized Court translators make use of. The document must be certified by
the translator's signature, so that it can be accepted by the courts and the authorities. Some
notarized document translations include:
1. Marriage Certificates Translation
2. Divorce Certificates Translation
3. Birth Certificate Translation
4. Wills Translation
5. Academic Degrees Translation
6. Judgment Translation
7. Diplomas Translation
8. Immigration Documents Translation
9. Naturalization Papers Translation
10. Adoption Papers Translation etc.
11. Technical Document Translation

Document translation services involve translating technical & scientific documents. The
technical documentation that is given with any product into your export markets is often your
most visible ambassador. The document must convey important and complex technical and
procedural information concisely and correctly translated in several languages.

Patent document translation refers to translation of intellectual property patents which are used in
Patent & trademark offices, scientific & technological inventions and research & development.
These translations can be both manual human and machine translation. Patent document
translations can be done exactly in the same format required by Patent and Trademark Offices.

Applications of Document Translation Services

Document translation services are used in various fields where precision is always required such
as follows:
1. Medical
2. Legal
3. Life sciences
4. Technology
5. Scientific & Enterprise businesses
6. Banking
7. Business
8. Finance
9. Insurance
10. Marketing
11. Advertising
12. Government
13. Social sciences
14. Engineering
15. Education
16. Software
17. Sports
18. Journalism
19. Literature