Translation Glossary

Accuracy:
Preserving the meaning of the original text

Accredited translator:
Translator who has received accreditation from a professional institute like the ATA or the ITI.

Allusion:
An indirect reference to something else, maybe another piece of writing

Audience:
Refers to those who read , see or hear something

Back translation (BT):
A literal translation of a translation made in such a way that it can be understood by a translation consultant of a national language

Certified translation:
A certified translation is that where a freelance translator or translation agency carry out translation work that certify to the fact that they carried out the work in the form of an accompanying certificate or signature.

Computer assisted translation:
Translation done by translators using computer tools for accuracy.

Copywriting: The writing of text on brochures, publicity copy, websites, and the like, ewhich is more is an advertising format.

DTP - Desktop publishing:
Here an expert can use foreign fonts for typesetting, creation of image files, brochures, company reports, etc. In short, multilingual DTP is using foreign languages for artwork.

Document translation:
Translations of any forms of documents, specially official and certified documents.

Dynamic equivalence:
The translation principle in which the meaning of the original is translated in such a way that the target language wording will have the same impact in its hearers that the original wording had upon its hearers.

Equivalent:
Refers to having the same meaning and function.

Financial translation:
Translation of texts of a financial nature.

Free translation:
It preserves the original meaning but uses natural forms of the target language, which includes normal word order and syntax, so that the translation can be naturally understood.

Freelance translator:
A freelance acts as an independent entity and is not considered an employee.

Formal Equivalence:
The translation process which retains the language forms of the original as much as possible irrespective of whether or not they are the most natural way to express the original meaning or not.

Hard copy:
Hard copy refers to the source format of a document that needs translation, usually on paper such as faxes, letters and brochures.

Human Translation:
Translation done by humans without using machines.

Interpretation:
Determining the meaning of something which has been spoken or written.

Interpretive translation:
Translation of a spoken word.

Interpreters:
The person who does the job of interpretation.

Legal translation:
Translation of legal documents. Translation is quite complex at times due to their importance as documents and the actual terminology used.

Literal translation:
A word for word translation of the original text.
v Machine translation:
Translation done using a software and without human intervention.

Native language:
A translator should only ever translate in their native language , that is, their mother-tongue. Native language is the language they grew up speaking and know "naturally".

Proofreading:
Proofreading refers to the revision, checking and editing of a translated text.

Source language:
The language from which something is being translated.

Target language (TL):
The language into which something is translated.

Translation agency:
A translation agency provides translation services.

Translation service provider:
A translation agency

Translator:
A translator converts the written text of one language into another.

Technical translation:
A technical translation refers to translation of various technical subjects and requires specialist translators due to the use of uncommon vocabulary in a text.

Word-for-word translation:
Match the individual words of the source language as closely as possible to individual words of the target language.