TRANSLATION PROBLEMS

▪ Just as in every field, there are several translation problems in the

translation industry
▪ Some are faced by the translators,
▪ Some by the clients;
▪ While other ones may be considered structural problems because
they pose a problem for translation itself.
PROBLEM 1: Structure of the Language
▪ This is considered to be one of the main structural problems in
translation.
▪ The structure of sentences in English and other languages may be
different.
▪ For example, in English the adjective is placed before the noun, but in
French the adjective comes after the noun.
▪ In Arabic and some other languages, the subject pronoun is part of
the verb, and that determines the subject gender and the voice of the
sentence.
▪ Language is complex, vast, and ever-evolving.
▪ The translator has to know the exact structure in each language, and
use the appropriate structure.
▪ Tranlators have to ensure that the translation is performed without
changing the meaning as well.
Problem 2: Cultural Differences
▪ The culture practised by the speakers of each language may also be
vastly different.
▪ The larger the region where the language is spoken, the more the
dialects there are likely to be, and the more colloquial words you are
likely to find.
▪ Often, colloquialism is woven into formal language, making the
translator’s task very difficult indeed.
Solution: Research and Investigate
▪ Scan the internet to learn the most popular colloquialisms used in
that language,
▪ Familiarise yourself with the most commonly used dialects.
▪ This can give you a fair idea when you need to translate.
Solutions continued
▪ Soak in the culture as much as you can through movies, TV shows,
magazines and books in that language.
▪ Movies and TV shows will be especially helpful in recognizing local
culture and dialects.
PROBLEM 3: Compound Words

▪ A compund word is a combination of two or three nouns and

adjectives.
▪ There are:closed form, like notebook;
▪ hyphenated forms like long-distance,
▪ We also have open form like fighter pilot.
▪ Some compound words are pretty straightforward, and mean exactly
what they say – like afternoon;
▪ Some mean nothing of their original words – for example deadline.
▪ In such cases, it can get very tricky for the translator.
Solution
▪ Familiarize yourself with the compound words most commonly used
in your subject area, and learn the translations.
▪ Use translation memory and other software to make your job easier.
Problem 4: Verbs made up of two words
▪ In English there are several verbs that are made up of two words –
usually, a combination of a verb and a preposition. For example:
break up, break down, break into, break in, break off, break apart,
break away; these all mean different things, though the common verb
is break.
▪ Here the preposition which follows immediately after gives it a
completely different meaning.
▪ It is highly unlikely that translating the two words into the target
language will give you the same meaning!
Solution
▪ Avoid Literal Translation
▪ Think of finding an appropriate word in the target language for the
phrase or the verb in its entirety rather than attempting a literal
translation
Problem 5: Missing Terms

▪ Missing terms are very common translation issue.

▪ In some languages, certain terms may be completely absent – this
has also to do with culture, as those objects may not be used by the
people, or those actions or activities may not be permitted or simply
not performed.
▪ Missing terms are very common translation issue.
▪ In some languages, certain terms may be completely absent – this
has also to do with culture, as those objects may not be used by the
people, or those actions or activities may not be permitted or simply
not performed.
Solution: It is best to confer with the Client
▪ In such cases it is best to confer with the client and then come to a
decision as to the best course to take.
▪ They may suggest retaining the word of the source document,
▪ Or they may suggest a new term themselves, or may even ask you to
come up with a newly coined term that gets as close to the actual
meaning as possible.
Problem 6: Words with Several Meanings
▪ There are several words in the English language that have different
meanings based on the way they are used in the sentence.
▪ Words are sometimes spelled alike and pronounced alike, but have
different meanings, like break (a plate) or take a coffee break.
▪ Words that have the same spellings but different pronunciations like
to lead a conference, or a lead pencil.
▪ There are also words that have different spelling but have the same
pronunciation, like break and brake, grate and great, and so on.
▪ There are hundreds of such words in English, and also idioms,
metaphors, similes and so on.
▪ However, those words may be different in other languages.
Solution: Read very carefully
▪ The translator has to be very vigilant, and carefully read the source
text to fully grasp the meaning.
▪ Only after that should they begin the work of translation; otherwise,
it can lead to embarrassing mistakes.ie translation problems.
Problem 7 : Lack of Technical Knowledge
▪ Regarding technical knowledge, translators are first and foremost,
linguists; though they do have good knowledge of certain subjects,
they are usually not the top experts in the field.
▪ In fact it’s very rare that you find a doctor, who is also an expert
linguist.
▪ Translators usually specialise in certain niches, and gain subject
matter expertise.
▪ But sometimes that may not be enough for some types of specialized
translation;
▪ Some documents may be full of technical jargon, or talk about
specific procedures or activities in detail.
▪ This can pose a problem for translators.
Solution: Ask experts for help
▪ If the matter is very technical you may need a lot of time – more than
usual, to complete the task.
▪ You could contact the client for some pointers if you’re stuck,
or consult a local expert you know well, and ask them for help.
▪ You would also need to read up and educate yourself to gain deeper
knowledge, or to keep in step with the new developments happening
in that field.
Problem 8: Limited Time
▪ Limited time is the most common problem that translators face
every single day, because most clients need the translated work
quickly; they have no time to lose.
▪ If it is a straightforward document, then you may be able to finish it
within the deadline.
▪ But when it is a technical or legal document full of technical terms or
if there is a lot of dialect and colloquialism involved, it could take
longer.
▪ This can be very stressful for you as a translator, when your client is
breathing down your back to get the translated documents.
Solution: Technology is your friend
▪ Use as many technologies as you can – translation memory software,
computer aided translation software and more, to speed up the
process as much as possible.
▪ Other than that, the only thing you could do is put in a request for
more time, right at the outset.
Problem 9: Personal Challenges
▪ Personal Challenges, as opposed to linguistic challenges, are those
arises because of the environment around the translator.
▪ Take note that all the above challenges are linguistic in nature.
▪ There are many benefits on being a translator, but sometimes some
of those benefits may also bring problems.
▪ For example, being a translator involves a very independent working
schedule.
▪ This means you can work anytime you want, even from home, but
you still have deadlines and time requisites.
▪ If you do not handle your working time correctly you might find
yourself working 24/7.
▪ Apart from those, a translator may face several other challenges in
their line of work.
▪ These include but are not limited to: proper internet access,
competition from other translators, competition from machine
translation, and the dilemma of pricing your services appropriately.
Solution: Know yourself
▪ There is no one size fits all translation solution for these problems.
▪ Know yourself, dissect the problems of translation that we stated
above and face them one by one.
▪ You will need to figure out how to get around each of these problems
and do your best to minimize them.
▪ As with many other problems in life, it helps to be disciplined and
establish a working routine and a schedule.
▪ Always remember that you can always ask someone for help!
Problem 10: Quality Vs Expense
▪ This is the most common translation problem faced by clients who
need Translation Services:
▪ The biggest challenge for the client when facing a translation is
to strike a balance between cost and quality
▪ It is especially important in the case of translations of technical or
medical manuals, or legal documents.
▪ You can barely afford to have any mistakes or near mistakes in such
documents, as it could lead to misinterpretation by the readers and
wrong usage – and that could result in damage to the equipment, or
harm to the user; which could in turn have even further ramifications,
like loss of reputation for the manufacturer, legal hassles and so on.
▪ However, the persons with expertise in such translations may be busy
professionals who are much sought after, and they may charge high
rates for these documents.
▪ This is a classic dilemma faced by the customer, so make sure you
know how to evaluate the quality of a work of translation
Solution:
▪ Do a comprehensive search online, and shortlist a few providers.
▪ Get quotes from all of them and compare rates, experience and
previous customer reviews.
▪ Strike a balance between the two, and come to a decision.
▪ Another thing you could do is to use the same provider for all your
translation work, so that you have more bargaining power.