By: TB07-09

Most translators will agree that their jobs aren’t as simple as merely converting the content written in the source language to its equivalent in the target language.There are many things to consider before even placing a word on the target field. If there’s one thing we’ve all learned from taking grammar classes, it’s that there’s a science –or an art, to making your message understandable to readers.Doing a word for word translation won’t always guarantee that your audience will be able to grasp the message (plus a practically verbatim translation done badly might inspire a case of the giggles!).

Instead, it’s important to carefully consider how to use nouns, adjectives, and verbs in the right syntax because a slight error can send a completely different emotion and be mistakenly perceived as negative.

And although writing styles are innate to each individual, there are still some writing requirements one has to conform depending on the particular subject being discussed.Say you’re writing a diary, which for all intents and purposes, is a place where you can write all your innermost thoughts. In this case it’s perfectly acceptable to use an informal tone. However, it’s a different story altogether when you’re writing a contract. Aside from giving attention to the intricate details, you should use formal words, phrases, and expressions that could help the reader glean the seriousness of the document.

  While a translator may find hints on the source document on what style should be applied to the translation, it’s important for the client to identify the linguistic rules they want followed for the document.

  Clients are encouraged to prepare a checklist of what might qualify as the appropriate translation. This list is called a “style guide”.

  Style guides normally begin with a list of the words they prefer to be used as a translation, especially if their document references products or other terms that are crucial to building their image.

      Aside from these, clients may also attach an explanation of the tone they prefer to be used for writing, a list of terms they want to retain in the original language (or source language), and other grammar rules that may apply.

Remember that although there are different grammatical rules per language, it is still up to the client how they want their company or product to be perceived. A professional translator may translate a document doing it in a way that is at par with industry standards (ie, grammatically and contextually correct), but if the tone is not preferred by the client then, then the message wasn’t conveyed properly.

Now it’s possible that a translator might not be able to come up with a translation based on the source file, since the rules of grammar vary per country and some languages simply don’t have the exact equivalent of a specific word from the source language. But this shouldn’t be cause for panic. One way to fix this is to have the translator use a similar term or an approximation of the term and then have the document examined by a 3^rd party reviewer. If the reviewer is able to understand the wording and the spirit of the content, then the translation was done successfully. Remember, the last thing you need is an impolite translation because you didn’t allow the translator to “localize” your document.