How can you use critical thinking to avoid common translation errors?

Idioms rarely translate directly between languages. Sometimes a language will have a similar idiom, but not always. This is where it is important to maintain a flexible perspective on language use.

Avoiding misunderstandings in translation requires careful thought beyond a purely literal reading. To minimize misunderstandings, translators need to be sensitive to detail and take cultural factors into account. For instance, literal translations of an idiom aren't always the best option when trying to convey its meaning. The ability to critically evaluate vocabulary choices and spot false cognates is crucial for avoiding confusion. Rephrasing while preserving the original meaning requires analytical reasoning because grammatical structures differ greatly between languages. The ability to think critically in translation is essential for achieving high standards of accuracy and cultural appropriateness.

Utilizing critical thinking is key to sidestepping translation errors. Start by thoroughly understanding the context, cultural nuances, and idioms in the source language. Question assumptions and seek clarification when in doubt. Break down complex sentences to grasp the intended meaning accurately. Consistently reference reliable sources and consult subject matter experts for technical content. Regularly review and revise your work, emphasizing precision over literal translation. Embracing a questioning mindset and being open to feedback ensures a thoughtful and accurate translation, mitigating the risk of common errors.

It’s all about the data available in the training set. If you have enough examples of “kicking the bucket” in parallel to “to be dying” and similar, a neural network will pick it up , and a multilingual system such as MBert a lot more. You can also fine-tune models with such information, this is not new. I haven’t found any MT systems that fail in the translation of “actually” as a false friend. Statistically, it appears in tmx training material as “de hecho” or similar expressions. They’re different problems

If you have taken the trouble to specialise in a foreign language, study and work with it, then hopefully, you also take a keen interest in its cultural origins and have immersed yourself in that culture at some point in your life to delve deeper. Having this experience will set you apart from service providers who translate robotically without any real feel for the target foreign language and its audience. It’s easy to make a cultural boo-boo in translation. Again, reread and ask if in doubt. If it’s an idiom that sounds really culturally specific, do some sleuthing! If it involves a certain food or body part for example, chances are it might not be the same one in your language. That’s where critical thinking comes into play big time.

When considering the cultural aspect, I think critical thinking in translation boils down to: Cultural Proficiency: Delve into the cultural intricacies of the source text for precise representation. Values and Norms Alignment: Harmonize societal values and norms, anticipating potential conflicts and adjusting translations accordingly. Adaptation with Sensitivity: Expertly modify terms for cultural clarity, showcasing sensitivity in your translations. 🌍✨

In my opinion, to avoid any cultural "faux pas" (meaning stumbling into cultural confusion), one must remain very humble. It's good policy to simply ask trusted sources of an older generation their feedback on cultural values and norms. This is critical especially when the translator is living abroad far away from the target language community. You then use critical thinking and good judgment to render the intended source message the best you can in the target language.

A Chinese man was asked by Coka-Cola to translate: drink Coka-Cola that Coka-Cola brings you back to life. He instead translated: drink Coka-Cola that Coka-Cola brings your anscestors back to life.

To prevent such errors, critical thinking is essential. The translator must understand the context, cultural nuances, and the specific meaning intended in the original text. For instance, when translating idiomatic expressions, a literal translation often does not work because idioms usually have cultural and linguistic underpinnings that do not translate directly. An Arabic speaker must think critically to find an equivalent saying in Arabic that conveys the same meaning and tone as "It’s raining cats and dogs," which might be expressed as "يُمطر حبًا وسلامًا" (it's raining love and peace) if a culturally equivalent idiom is sought, rather than a literal and nonsensical "يُمطر قططًا وكلابًا."

Don't be afraid to be old-school and use a thesaurus when you go to edit and redraft. If the word doesn't feel right, check it, scrutinise it and seek out an alternative!

Context is king. A well-made translation should not only sound natural and native, it should primarily capture the right tone. This means identifying the target audience, the register and the purpose of the target text right at the start of the process. Is the translation aimed towards the layperson, should it be informative but not too formal? Is it possibly important for the text to be entertaining, or are there certain formalities that need to be met, such as in contractual documents? By being in constant contact with a wide variety of text types, possible target groups and communication with stakeholders, you also sharpen your own awareness and understanding of the right tone.

There are cases where one word in the source language might have 20 or 30 different, more precise translations in the target language, but none of them actually match the vagueness of the source term. In that case, you might have to make up a phrase and give up matching terms from one language's dictionary to the other's. Sometimes one source word can mean two things at once, so in that case you have to say "X and Y", rather than picking either X or Y. Sometimes the source language uses two words that mean the same thing, which often happens when people think it's cool to use English and then repeat the word in the source language, resulting in phrases that literally mean things like "service and service". Just write "service".

Ambiguity Resolution: Original Text: "He left the company." (English) Critical Thinking: Recognizing the potential ambiguity, you seek context and clarification to determine if "left" means "resigned" or "physically departed" before translating. Research and Reference: When encountering a technical term in a scientific paper, you research to find the most accurate translation that fits the context. Proofreading and Revision: After translating a document, you carefully review it for typographical errors, inconsistencies, and areas where the translated text may not accurately convey the source message.

Grammar can be complicated even in one's own language, and sometimes it helps to look at things with a fresh set of eyes. Proofreading and rereading are critical to catching mistakes, working on something and coming back to check on it after a break can be very helpful. And the advice that is given on every English class still applies: "Always read aloud"

It's important to not just rely on tech to do the checking. Take a good break once you've finished a draft. Go back to it and revisit your wording with "fresh" eyes. Any person who has lived abroad for any length of time and immersed themselves in the language will, at some stage, notice a curious fusion in their use of language, particularly spoken: the way you express yourself, your word choice, mannerisms etc. You can find yourself questioning which preposition to use in your OWN language - because the equivalent expression in other languages takes a different one! From experience, the longer you live abroad, the more conscious you need to be of really checking the grammatical accuracy of your native language in translation.

Feedback and Collaboration: You share your translation with a native speaker of the target language or a colleague for feedback and corrections. Self-Reflection: Before translating a sensitive political text, you critically examine your own political beliefs and ensure that your personal biases do not influence the translation. Legal and Ethical Considerations: When translating legal contracts, you carefully evaluate the translation for potential legal ramifications and ethical concerns to ensure it complies with the law. Quality Control: You use translation memory software to maintain consistency and quality across multiple translations for a client.

Truth is that CAT tools took over the work of translators because they make it cheaper and that s why those errors are there in first place. Translation work is professional work that machines cannot do properly let alone exposing translators to the risk of glossary-hacking. Maybe one day they ll work properly but a human professional translator wouldn t make such mistakes that can change the meaning of a text. Sadly the one-size-fits-all principle cannot be applied to intellectual activities where context changes everything. You wouldn t want that in Health for example whereas using a machine as a precision tool is very helpful like in keyhole surgery.

Revision of Idiomatic Expressions: You encounter the Spanish idiom "echar agua al mar" and thoughtfully translate it as "throwing water into the sea" to retain the idiomatic sense. Test for Clarity: You have a non-native speaker read your translation to gauge whether the message is conveyed clearly and without ambiguity.

Translation jobs are never the same, sometimes you have to work on clinical works where literal translation will be more common, or in expressive works where your job is to find idioms and figures of speech in the target language that will capture the essence of the message. It is critical to understand that every translation is created through the translator's point of view, what we consider to be the best fitting word or sentence, and can hold our biases, but we must not let these get in the way of the message that the text is trying to deliver.

A lot of translators find themselves bound by time pressure i.e. delivery deadlines. Make sure, where possible, you negotiate a work schedule that allows you the "space" to think critically - particularly if you know you don't produce your best under pressure. At the end of the day, what your client wants is copy that reads naturally and accurately. A good translation will often read better than the original too (!), mainly because it has gone through various editing stages. In marketing translation, you're telling a story, which means you really need to feel into your target audience. Top clients understand that word-for-word translations aren't desirable and will give you the trust and freedom to create true connection.

My advice to fellow translators and aspiring professionals is to approach every project as if it were your first. Stay curious, allow yourself to be surprised. Stumble across terms and perspectives that you didn't know before. Get to work and familiarize yourself with knowledge that you don't necessarily consider relevant - general knowledge is like a deep well from which you can still draw water years later. Never stop learning and being enthusiastic about new things!

One thing that will improve your translation is — when appropriate — to translate image to image or concept to concept, rather than from words to words. If you're translating a user manual or a marketing text, it's best to step away from the wording of the source text and ask yourself, "What are they trying to get the person to do?" and write according to that. Just make sure you haven't left out any information.

Successful translators possess an acute intuition. By slowing down, pausing, and rereading, they can identify when something is off. Trust your intuition!