Translation is the art of expressing in the target language the
meaning of a text in the source language. Simple though this may
seem, there is a lot involved in this process. It is not just a
matter of literally writing in another language what the source
text says.
There is a lot more than just words behind a translation
Whenever a translator undertakes a job, he has to bear in mind
many aspects beyond the actual words, such as:
- The cultural aspects that affect the source and target
text
- The context in which that text appears
- The structure of the source text and how that structure should
be adapted to reflect the way language is constructed in the target
text
- The terminology that is to be used
- The register in the source that should be reflected in the
target
- The style of the piece of writing
- The specific audience the translation is addressed to
However, the most important detail that the translator should
consider before translating a text is the target
market.
This is particularly important in Spanish
translations, where there are many countries and cultures where
the language is spoken.
Even though it can be argued that a "general", somehow "neutral"
Spanish can be achieved by trying to avoid regionalisms and using
general terminology that can be understood in most regions, each
country or region has its flavor, its unique expressions, ways of
addressing people, of using tenses etc.
So this is by far the main aspect that should be considered when
translating a text from English into Spanish. It is not the same to
translate for the market in Spain than to translate for the market
in Argentina, Mexico or the Spanish-speaking community in the
US.
Things to consider when ordering a translation
When customers want their texts to be translated into Spanish,
there are some questions they should ask themselves beforehand
which will ease the translator's job and will avoid potential
misunderstandings.
Some of these questions might include:
- What kind of text is it?
- Which audience is it for? (specialized, general public?)
- What market is it aimed at? (Spain, Latin America, US?)
- Is the source text the final version? Is it a draft?
- What's the context for this text?
- Do we have reference material? (previous versions, similar
texts, etc.)
- Who should be the appointed contact for answering queries?
- Are there any previous translated material, glossaries, company
terminology that should be respected?
If a customer is able to answer all these questions in advance,
the translator will be already well-prepared and positioned right
before sitting down to work.
To sum up, translation is a job to be taken seriously and which
requires constant collaboration with the customer so as to meet
their requirements at all levels. This will enable the customer to
accomplish their internal goals ans succeed globally.