Translation… or a betrayal of trust?

Dear Translators,

It may come as a surprise to you to learn that a translation is not merely the rendition of a text from one language into another. No, its real purpose is to provide information and interest; it is there to convince and/or persuade the readers from another language community. But for that to happen, we need to return to the very fundamentals of our profession.

We hear this from clients all the time: when some of the people they work with have to draft a text of some kind, their only aim is to arrive at the last line and get it finished. The very idea of being relevant or readable – let alone providing reading enjoyment and/or interest for the reader could not be further from their mind (or their fingertips, in this day and age). And there’s a good reason for this: they have no knowledge whatsoever of the basic principles of writing.

That is not meant as a criticism: a person needs to learn certain skills to be able to write fluently – which is something barely taught any more these days. Meanwhile, in the world of work, people have to display multiple abilities in their job. Alas, writing is rarely one of them; other skills take precedence.

Robin Hood

As a result, the translation industry has to deal with a whole raft of original texts that are approximate at best, but from which the client expects to see one or more ‘quality’ translations emerge – at the lowest price, of course. Why? Because we all know that technology has begotten a monster: the ability to ‘translate’ far more volume, far more quickly and for far less money. In fact, a translation can cost you nothing at all if you’re willing to place your faith in automatic translation software. But what do these cut-price tools actually produce? For clients, a mediocre translation at a low price will always end up being much more expensive than a piece of quality work, produced at a fair price.

A translator worthy of the name is a modern-day Robin Hood. He (or she) knows that technology alone is incapable of producing a truly good translation – especially if the text it is based on is ham-fisted from the outset! If the client is unable to provide a source text that is compatible with the intended purpose of its translated cousin, then it is up to the valiant translator to come to the aid of the party… Spelling, grammar, style, structure, relevance, readability, the ability to grab – and hold – the reader’s attention from start to finish, credibility, silky persuasion – you name it. So let’s get all of our communication and writing ducks in a row in the original language before we start worrying about translation. Going the extra mile to get things right is simply a question of service. That way, we can avoid compounding the problems and multiplying the errors by the number of language versions requested!

Cheated!

The task of the translator – the true translator – is to advise, to act as a partner, to suggest. Otherwise, even at the trampled rates that some translators charge, the client will be cheated. A dented old rusty white banger will always be just that, even if you produce it in eye-catching versions of red, green or blue.

To the clients of translation services, we offer this message: choose your agency with care. Opt to go with one that dares to stand back and look at your original text – and that is frank in its response. After all, the usefulness and relevance of your translated documents are at stake!

Erik Buelens – admin@litteris.be

English translator: Jonathan Squire. This article also exists in Dutch and French, courtesy of two other translation wizards – human, not computer-driven.