Educators See Increased Need For Translation Courses
Translation and interpretation can be extremely difficult, but the common reader usually doesn’t understand the complexity that is involved. In this paper, we attempt to explain some of the more common reasons for translation error and some new courses to aid translators. The art of document translation does not follow hard and fast rules, since something is translated into another language, and sometimes translated back into the original language and because of differences of the languages some of the original meaning is lost. Because people from academia saw the weakness with which translations were being performed, a need for improved translations was recognized. Eventually, complete degrees began to be offered in universities that had the objective to teaching the skills necessary to deliver quality translations that are equivalent to source documents.
As more German Translation studies programs were developed, a formal curriculum was developed that included a history of translation theory, beginning with the ancient Romans and encompassing key twentieth-century structuralist work. New coursework was later amended to study programs plans that emphasized specific problems of literary translation through a close, practical analysis of texts that tackles crucial problems of translation and extensive suggestions for further reading.
In the first semesters of the program, students learn that a text’s reliability consists in the trust a user can place in it, as a representation or reproduction of the original. Perhaps the first lesson that students learn is that simple word by word translations have tremendous disadvantages. Anyone who has ever used an internet translation product has encountered the weakness of online translation systems. These issues are encountered on a regular basis by professional translation workers when dealing with highly technical subject matter like Legal Document Translation. For your insight, the author of this article has written a real life story to help you better understand the challenges that the translation field is presented with.
Several months ago, a major healthcare provider sought the assistance of a Medical Document Translation worker in the United States. Consequently, the project required some travel to Dresden, Germany. Because the new translator had some German language skills and proficiency in English, his translation skills were acceptable.As you might imagine, the person had excellent English language skills but his German skills were somewhat limited. In one example, a company representative asked if he was comfortable. He knew the answer to the question, how he might respond in English and the corresponding words in German. He felt confident that if he responded that he was a bit too hot, that the correct meaning would be conveyed. However, as most Anglophones do not realize, in German, it is necessary to say “it is hot to me,” and not, “I am hot.” The two statements carry very different meanings in German. The person who had asked the questions gave him a bizarre look that made him think he had done something embarrassing. Indeed, the German translation of “I am hot,” conveys a sexual meaning, whereas “it is hot to me” conveys the meaning that the temperature is too warm. You can be assured that the American will think twice the next time he thinks about how he might respond in German.