Technolex Translation Studio’s Post

Definition of #translationese : Awkwardness or ungrammaticality of #translation, such as due to overly literal translation of idioms or syntax. It's the one #language that we don't speak! 😏 https://hubs.ly/Q02zDF7D0 #translator #interpreter #interpretation #languageservices #languageindustry #literature #words #grammar #languagelover #bilingual #polyglot

So, I’m in full flow mode on a translation. Making good progress, creating a nicely readable target text and don’t want to get diverted by thesaurus/dictionary searches , so I'll deliberately repeat the last letter of the word and it’ll flag up in the spell check. Then when I see “arrangementt” say, I know I’m looking for something with more spark .. “orchestration” as it turns out when I polish up the draft afterwards. Or again, going full tilt and the creative juices are unbounded. But I write a sentence and am not happy with the phrasing. Instead of slowing up and working on a better formulation, I'll throw a double x at the end of the sentence, and again it gets flagged up in the spellcheck. Then I know to restructure that particular part after. Just a couple of little tricks I use to get the job done, and done well. Keeps things moving and no fear of disappearing down a linguistic rabbit hole. What about you? Do you check your wording before starting the actual translation, or maybe during or perhaps after? Do you find some texts are better done as a (very) rough draft first? How do you make the best use of your creative phases and time?

Why is Laozi’s Classic So Difficult to Comprehend—and to Translate? (adapted from Laozi’s Classic of Virtue and the Dao for the 21st Century: A Psychology Study) The Classic of Virtue and the Dao is inherently a very difficult book to read and to comprehend! In this respect, it is unlike the Confucian Analects, in which ideas (mostly moral precepts) are presented in a straightforward manner. Laozi, on the other hand, prods the reader to be engaged in internal dialogues (i.e., “self-talk” or “talking with oneself”). He presents “strange,” unconventional, or even shocking points of view. He perplexes the reader because his thoughts are often not articulated in a logical, organized manner, but are free flowing, unbounded. Seemingly, many of his thoughts are unstated or incomplete—to be filled in by the reader. To give an example, Laozi speaks of “being different” in the chapter Being Alone and Different. The character wo may be interpreted as I or my; yu may be interpreted as a noun or a verb. Thus, together wo yu may mean “I desire” or “my desires.” The lack of punctuation (i.e., a comma placed after wo or yu) provides no clue which one is meant. So, in what way is Laozi different? Does “being different” refer to Laozi’s desire to be alone or to his desires of being different from those of other people? Robert Henricks’ translation points at Laozi’s desires:    But my desires alone differ from those of others— For I value drawing sustenance from the Mother.   I had to struggle to decide on which is better. Finally, I settled on Laozi’s desire to be alone, which is one of the two major themes in this chapter (the other is being different). So, my translation is: “I desire to be alone and different from others.” The active voice and the passive voice are often not clearly distinguished in Chinese. This problem confronts the translator in the chapter The Sage is Rarely Understood. The point in question is: Who is being valued? I choose the active voice: Those who know me are rare, So I value them highly. Alternatively: Those who know me are rare, So I am of great value to them. The interpretation of many translators (e.g., Chan Wing-tsit, Derek Lin, Robert Henricks) is, “I am highly valued.” Additionally, many of the characters used have different meanings in modern Chinese or are unfamiliar to modern readers; some are not even found in ordinary dictionaries. I must add that looking up Chinese dictionaries is a time-consuming task—and a real pain even for a lexicophile like me.            For poetic or creative expressions, Chinese is my preferred language: Ambiguities may provide the space for inviting the reader to explore further the intimate thoughts and sentiments behind written words. For expressing ideas with precision, English is preferred. And to combine creativity with precision would challenge any author to the limit. This may just about sum up my experiences in translating the classic.  

An interesting take on translation, by translator Damion Searls in The New Yorker Magazine Inc. Some quotes that stood out: On trust: “[Translation] is a philosophy of trust. Readers must take translators on their word that the translated version has anything to do with the original, and authors—well, authors just have to buckle up and hold on.” “Translators also need to trust themselves, and to commit to rendering their experience of a [text], rather than trying to make themselves disappear in the no man’s land between languages.” On visibility and AI: “In fact, visibility may be the key to [translators’] survival as A.I.-driven translators improve, and transcend the mere equivalence-hunting of tools like Google Translate. As is often the case, A.I. isn’t so much changing the game as exaggerating a dynamic already at work: good translation draws on as much of life and experience and personality as good writing does.”

The complex nature of #localisation is so well known that “lost in translation” has become a metaphor for any miscommunication. What are some of the most common types of #translation #mistakes? ⛔ The translation can be accurate but stylistically off-putting, or sound creative and engaging but miss the meaning entirely. It can be concise and clear but use three different terms for the same thing, or it can be perfectly consistent – and consistently hard to read due to awkward grammar structures… 😬 Putting together the whole translation puzzle is not easy. First step: make sure you know all the pieces you are looking for. 👀 Visit our blog to read more about the errors that can make or break a translation – and what we do to avoid these problems. Renata Špukienė Didzis Klavins Ervīns Francs https://lnkd.in/dVDqb6Rg

💎 Great Translations Begin Before the First Word is Written... Ever wondered what goes into a great translation? 🤷♂️ It’s more than just converting words—it's about fully understanding the source before any translation even begins... Here’s what a translator needs to consider: 🔍 What is the subject? A deep understanding of the topic is essential. Without this, the final text might lack clarity and precision. 🎯 What is the tone? Formal or casual, persuasive or informative? The tone shapes how the message is perceived and must be mirrored in the translation. 🧩 What is the structure? The structure of the text guides how the information flows. A good translator maintains this flow, ensuring the translation is coherent and logical. 💡 What is the purpose? Is the goal to educate, inform, or persuade? Knowing the purpose allows the translator to choose the right words to convey the intent accurately. 👥 Who is the audience? Understanding the target audience is key to crafting a translation that resonates. After all, how the message is received depends on who’s reading it. ✍️ What is the style? Whether the text is professional, technical, or creative, preserving the original style is crucial for an authentic translation. 🔑 What are the key words and expressions? Every text has its important terms and phrases. A good translator ensures these are reflected consistently and correctly in the translation. Of course, all of this requires some extra time, but it will pay off! 🗣️ What do you think? Which of these steps do you think is the most challenging in producing a high-quality translation? Or are there other factors you consider critical to the process? Let’s discuss! #translation #Ukrainian #translationtips

I love a good metaphor, especially when it comes to describing translation 🌐 A traditional metaphor for translation is that of a translator as a bridge builder 🌉, connecting two languages and two cultures, but here’s another one: translation is like solving a jigsaw puzzle 🧩 You start with the big picture on the box (the original text) and then work to fit all the individual pieces together. And every time you find the right word or phrase to match the original meaning, it feels like a little dopamine rush! But this metaphor falls short: unlike a puzzle, translation isn’t just about putting pre-made pieces together; it’s not a simple copy-paste of words or phrases. Translation is dynamic, creative, and requires flexibility. Sometimes you have to reshape the pieces entirely to make the final picture come to life in a new language… Recently, I came across a brilliant metaphor from Anthony Panetto (via the podcast “Lost in Translation” hosted by Clara Joubert) that really stuck with me. Here goes: he compared the original text to a raindrop 💧, and the act of translation to sunlight 🌞 passing through it, creating a rainbow 🌈—each color symbolizing the many ways a text can be interpreted and translated. This image hit home for me, and I guess the visual of Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” album cover helped it sink in too! 😅 What metaphor do you use for translation? I’d love to hear your thoughts 🤔💭 📸 The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (1973) #translators #translation #creativity #metaphor #audiovisualtranslation #freelance #freelancetranslator #translationservices #traduction

What does a translator do? Behind every global connection lies the unseen work of translators, the unsung heroes of understanding. This thoughtful article from The New Yorker explores the art and precision of translation — how it’s not just about words, but about culture, emotion, and intent. At PTIGlobal, we’ve spent almost 50 years mastering the art of translation across diverse mediums — from software and websites to marketing content and technical documentation. We understand the profound impact that skilled translation has in connecting businesses and cultures on a global scale. Dive into this essay to uncover the beauty and complexity of translation. Whether you’re in the industry or simply curious about how the world communicates, it’s a must-read. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/etHk2eDr We’d love to hear from you: How has translation impacted your business or personal journey? Share your thoughts in the comments!

🥅 Why your goals matter to me (yes really!) ⚽ My clients are often surprised by one of the first questions I ask at the start of a new project. Sometimes they know the answer straight away. But sometimes it takes a conversation to tease it out. The burning question? I really want to know my clients’ goals, what they want to achieve with the translation (and this applies to editing and writing projects too). Why does that matter so much to me? You might think that a text should be translated only one way – and I’ve certainly met a few translators who think that (slaps self on wrist for the cattyness 😉) – but in fact there are often many different ways to translate even one sentence. And there are lots of factors that affect how I choose to translate something. Let’s look at an example from my own practice, and I think it will be clear why I care. Translation task: A company's internal process You need to get an internal document translated into English (or written in English from scratch) laying out a new process for staff to follow, and you really need everyone to follow every step to the letter (that’s your goal). Here’s how I help make sure that happens: ➡️ Split the long French sentences into short, clear English ones. No fancy words. Nothing confusing. ➡️ Split large paragraphs containing instructions into bulleted or numbered lists, so no important steps are hidden in a big slab of text. We're all guilty of skim reading sometimes 😉 ➡️ Strip out the superfluous details, keeping the essentials. Why? This way, we make the process as easy as possible for your staff to read, understand and remember. And then actually apply it in practice! We’ve all seen instruction manuals that are so confusing you’d be better off figuring things out for yourself. Sure, I could just copy the sentence length and formatting of the original, if that’s what you’re after. But often, by spending a little bit of time together defining what you want the translation to actually achieve, we can make the end result work so much harder for you (insert chef’s kiss). If you are looking for a translator and writer who will go above and beyond to get to know you and help you achieve your goals, send me a message or email me at josephina@jwtranslation.co.uk, I can't wait to chat! #xl8 #EnglishTranslation

How do you retain meaning when translating a text? The first step is to understand language and how meaning is conveyed. Every language is multidimensional, some more so than others. However, there is a consistent structure to each language. This 4D model provides a basis to fully understand each layer of language and how it contributes to the conveyance of meaning. The 4 Dimensions of Language: 1.        Words: The first dimension provides the materials used to build meaning 2.        Grammar/Punctuation: The second dimension lays the foundation 3.        Sentence structure: The third dimension gives the building shape 4.        Cultural nuance: The fourth dimension adds detail and color Follow me for more translation tips, or let me know in the comments below how you grasp and convey meaning when translating.