Unfortunately examples of bad translations
are all around us and contain some or all of the following:
::
Over-literal translation
that sounds stilted, unnatural, even comical
::
Style of writing that isn't
appropriate to the subject matter
::
No attempt to adapt to target
country/culture/readership
::
Misinterpretation
::
Typos and missing accents
::
Grammatical errors …
How?
::
Machine translation programs - All languages,
although logical to an extent, are also extremely complex
and subtle. Many people don’t realise that translation
software can totally ‘botch up’ translations.
Only skilled “human” linguists produce quality
translations!
::
Unqualified translators - Language students,
a colleague posted abroad, an Italian acquaintance. Being
a native, speaking a language, having language qualifications
– none of these makes a translator. Good translators
are skilled professionals.
::
The “Can’t you just translate the
words?” mentality
