Articles
Article 1: Bad translation is funny but can spoil your business

A
translation does not imply word for word translations and a good
translator knows this. Accurately interpreting the meaning when
translating from one language to another is very critical. Either you
stick closely to the source text for translations or you give loose
translation to deliver the central meaning, depending upon the subject
matter.
A bad translation is indeed very bad for business, which can harm your
reputation as well. No doubt the translations might look very funny and
you also enjoy reading it. But at times, when the interpretation is
conveyed in the wrong way, you are in big trouble. A large percentage of
translations suffer from poor translation.
Here are some examples of bad translations-some signs found in various
public places. These translations are wrong translations and hence
humorous. These translations were extracted from an article originally
published in the newsletter of the San Diego High Tech Marketing
Association.
"We take your bags and send them in all directions" -
at an airport at Scandinavia
"Drop your pants here for best results" -at a dry
cleaning store in Tokyo.
"Please leave your values at the front desk" -a hotel
in Paris.
"Ladies may have a fit upstairs" -at a dry cleaning
store in Bangkok
"No smoothen the lion" - at a zoo in the Czech
Republic.
"Teeth extracted by latest methodists" -Hong Kong
dentist's office.
"The lift is being fixed. During that time we regret that you
will be unbearable" -in Bucharest hotel lobby.
"STOP! Drive Sideways" -detour sign in Japan.
"It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if dressed
as a man" -a Bangkok temple.
"Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon
having a good time" -at a Rome laundry.
"Specialist in women and other diseases" -at a
doctor's office in Rome
"Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin" -in a
Swedish furrier
"Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable
food, give it to the guard on duty" -At a Budapest zoo
There is no doubt about the fact that these translations must have been
done by bad translators or these were just word for word translations.
The signs are funny but when it comes to the pharmaceutical, legal or
financial areas, it is not so funny and could be dangerous.
Article 2: Misconceptions in translations
Translation is a serious business that should be dealt with sensibly
and carefully in order to avoid poor results. Before starting any
project involving translation, it is necessary to keep in mind the
following misconceptions regarding translation:
You know a foreign language and that means you can be a translator
There is this misconception that anyone who knows his native language
and a foreign language can be a translator. Being able to speak, read
and write a foreign language does not mean that that the person is
capable of doing translation. Firstly, a translator for doing
translation in a foreign language must have an in-depth knowledge of
both the languages: a foreign language and his native language.
Secondly, translating is an art . You must have an excellent command of
every nuances of the language and you must be able to write well .
Thirdly, translations also require that the document is translated
without hurting any emotions and culture. If the culture behind the
language is not appreciated, an accurate translation is extremely
difficult.
Translating is easy
Translation is not easy. It can be very intricate and complex and
requires lot of patience and hard work. To concentrate on two different
texts simultaneously is mentally exhausting. This is because a
translator is moving between two languages and hence two mind frames.
First he has to read the source text, understand it, and present it
accurately in the target language, which requires excellent vocabulary.
Machines can do translations
Machine translations are used but no translation program can take the
place of a human translators. This is because computers or software do
not understand what language is, how it is used, the nuances within it.
Computers may be able to translate simple sentences, word for word, but
they will never be able to deal with the complexities within literature
or technical texts.
Having a professional translation is not crucial
Professional translators may not be always necessary, because simple
translations can be done by some who has knowledge of the foreign
language and his native language. However if the translation is to be
very accurate and must be prepared and presented in a professional
manner, an experienced translator is crucial. Bad translations create
many problems like people misunderstanding texts which ultimately spoil
the reputation of the company or organization. It is like when your car
breaks down, you contact a mechanic and not a car salesman, though both
of them knows about cars. Similar is the case with translators.
Article 3: Translations and Culture
We always say that when translation is done, the translator should take
into consideration the culture of the people, the locality of the
foreign language. What actually is culture? The term 'culture' involves
three main categories of human activity:
- The "personal": where we as individuals work, speak,
think and function as such.
- The "collective": We as individuals function
considering the social aspect.
- The "expressive": Here the society expresses itself.
No social institution can function without language and language
has three pillars upon which culture is built. Translation implies the
thoughts expressed in one language by one social group is transposed
into the appropriate expression of another group and this requires a
process of
- Cultural de-coding: It is the "cultural" aspect of the
text that translators should take into account.
- Re-coding: Re-coding across cultures, imply distributing
corresponding attributes via the target culture to ensure
trustworthy in the eyes of the target reader.
- En-coding: Finally presenting the text in such a way so that
cultures of both the languages are maintained.
Cultural proverbs, words, and idiomatic expressions, whose origin
uniquely bound to the culture concerned. So there is the need of
cross-cultural translation whose success depends on understanding of the
culture the translators are working with. In conclusion, we can say that
translation process should be focused not only on language transfer but
also on cultural transposition.