Calling oneself a translator takes much more than a PC, a couple of dictionaries, and an online Internet service. Even with certifications from universities or the ATA (American Translators Association) which specifies language pairs and areas of expertise. There is much more to be desired in ascertaining the qualifications and suitability of individual translators.
Translators usually work in language pairs. (i.e., English to Spanish or Spanish to English) but it is rare to find a translator that can work without fault in combination of both.
For example, a translator in Latin America with fairly decent skills in the English language and perhaps has lived a short time in the US or UK is not equally well prepared to deal with the subtleties of the target language as one who has lived and studied in their native country, and has also lived and studied in the US or the UK for 20 or 30 years as well.
A translator must be well aware of the Anglic-isms in addition to American-isms, not mention regionalisms like Cockney or Brooklyn-eese.
Translators must know when to translate “trunk of a car” and “automobile’s bonnet”, “petrol” or “gasoline,” know that a US gallon is not the same UK gallon, and that a US Ton is 2000 pounds, and a UK ton is 2240 pounds.
Humor–But Not at The Client’s Expense
A translator must understand the context of a document he/she is about to translate. If a translator fails to fully comprehend the text and the target language and its nuances the end result are many times ridiculous or costly mistakes. Lets take the following examples that are double entendres or hilarious faux pas, and that one finds fortuitously and passes around in e-mails between friends. This humor is mostly enjoyed between translators Sometimes you come across a site where the humor of a mistranslation shines like a gem under a spotlight. Machines can be blamed on occasion, but it is the blunders of the translators that make one wonder “what were they thinking when they translated this?” The Chevy Nova in Spanish (No-va = doesn’t go), Mazda ‘La Puta’, and Mitsubishi ‘Pajero’ (particularly in Latin Markets).
Why Editing Is Often as Difficult as Translating
Once you have finished a document, the next step is the editing process and that takes as much or more time than the translation of the document. Not only has to do with spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure, but it has to involve semantics, word expression, and refinement of the language. A word can make a significant impact on the message it conveys. It is the rare translator that will take time to research the meaning of words and their usage in the proper context. A good translator simply does not use the first word it comes to mind. A good translator knows the Thesaurus and it back pages quite well.
So, you call yourself a translator?
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