byTB07-09
Readability can be defined in various ways, but how does it affect translation?
Readability is more than just how easily your text flows when its intended audience reads it. Professional translators know that, apart from the careful construction of words, the accuracy of translation is highly important. This is why translators should be meticulous about maintaining the fidelity between the meaning behind the source document and that of the final product.
For example, a legal document should be translated while still retaining the same tone and degree of formality befitting formal documents of that type without interpreting the content further. Interpreting text for the reader is a common error among translators who want to “help” the audience understand the content quicker. Putting one’s own interpretation of the document’s concepts means that the translation may become less faithful to the original source.
Although a document’s level of readability usually hinges on the reader’s “enjoyment” of the text, this should not be the priority. Communicating the main idea of the document while staying true to its importance, urgency, and legality should take precedence over anything else. Hence, as translators we need to familiarize ourselves with the language and tones used for different kinds of documents.
To illustrate, here are some subjects and their classifications which can help you identify the readability levels you might need for your files:
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FORMAL TONE AND READABILITY (should have high fidelity to original text)
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INFORMAL TONE AND READABILITY (the use of shorter words or more localized terms are encouraged)
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One should note that readability does not mean using “literal” translations because these only make the write-up sound clunky and awkward. Instead, we translators have to be conscious about speaking “in the writer’s voice”. This means that while we may know how the end-readers might better understand the document we’re working on, we should still consult the original writer to make sure that we’re able to capture the essence of their message.
A translator should not be the interpreter of the message –we aren’t the end-reader of the document and we may not have the complete context behind the document. At the end of the day, translators are the mediums that help writers communicate their messages into different languages and not filter them.
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