With International Translation Day coming up this week, a day which celebrates the contributions translators make to breaking down language barriers, we look at the complex sub-roles translators carry out as part of their day-to-day work.
CULTURAL MEDIATOR
Many people think that translation simply involves converting text from one language to another. However, it requires a high level of cultural sensitivity and deep knowledge of the target culture.
Translators need to be aware of what is culturally appropriate in their target language. This ranges from forms of address and politeness to the choice of pronouns, whilst also taking into account the function of the text. This also includes how target language usage may vary regionally and globally.
SPECIALIST IN THEIR FIELD
Alongside language skills, translators must specialise in the fields they work with. These may include, scientific, legal, commercial or literary translations. When they are not translating, translators must be brushing up on vocabulary to ensure that their glossaries contain key terminology from their field. They also need to keep up to date with changes in their field.
EXPERT WRITERS
Translators also need to have excellent written language skills. It often said that before you can learn a second language, you must master your native language first. This means that translators must have outstanding levels of grammar and spelling and be able to effectively write documents in their specialist field, whether these are legal documents, medical reports or literary prose.
Attention to detail is a must and as part of the translation process, the translator also acts as an editor and proof-reader.
TECHNOLOGICAL SAVANT
More and more technologies are becoming available to aid the translation process. Whether these are CAT tools, terminology software or machine translation tools, translators need to keep up to date with new and emerging technologies. Translation technologies are becoming increasingly popular and some agencies now only work with certain translation software.
Aside from translation technologies, translators must also be able to carry out basic formatting and work with a variety of file formats.
