ٍAll Translators Know But Others Don’t

Freelance translators are just as busy

You might have an image of a freelance translator lounging on the sofa in their pajamas with a laptop in hand. In fact, it’s very different. These individuals work just as hard as an in-house translator would, and they even sit at a desk for hours, and sometimes nights on end. Holidays aren’t always ‘days off’, either!

Translation technology is a thing…

…And it shouldn’t be confused with machine translation. Translators and language service providers are big fans of this technology as it can make the human translation process a lot easier, quicker, and a lot less monotonous. Tools like translation memory or CAT tools are just a few of the software us linguists use to stay organized and manage a translation.

Humour is difficult to translate

• It may seem easy, but humor is actually one of the hardest things to translate. Linguists have to be extremely skilled and fluent in both languages in order to correctly translate a joke or pun. Different locales have different senses of humor, and certain jokes won’t come across well if the exact same words are used when adapting the message.

.Translating/writing subtitles is complex

Those subtitles you read whilst watching Netflix have had a lot of work put in behind them! Subtitling can be a complex task for translators as the process has specific rules – certain languages limit the word count; some have certain lengths for the subtitle line; they need special attention when considering the deaf; and readability is also a crucial aspect.

.Most translators have specializations

It doesn’t take just ‘anyone’ to translate a medical document or conduct SEO translation. Intricate and specific translations need expert linguists who specialize in a specific field. Most of the time, they have vast experience in a particular industry, or perhaps educational qualification in the said field. Whether it’s a financial, or gaming document, a translator who specializes in this field is best suited for the role.

.It takes more than just knowing a language

Just because someone knows a language, it doesn’t mean they are able to translate it. Being a translator is a skill and a profession. Most of the time, the job requires some sort of qualification – either a degree in the said language or a certificate from the American Translators Association. It also involves keeping up with translation trends and technology.

A.Translating TO and FROM are very different

Unlike some may believe, a translator who’s able to translate into a specific language, might not necessarily have the ability to translate from it. For instance, if a linguist is proficient in En-Ar translations, that means he/she can translate from English into Arabic, but not the other way around. If they were able to do vice-versa translations as well, it would be labeled En-Ar-En.