Although many people believe that translation means taking words from one language and expressing them in another, there’s a lot more to it. Depending on the content, consider the myriad differences in culture, manner of speech, and the law before translating your materials. What are the differences between translation procedures and methods, and how to streamline the process using the best translation methods?
What is a translation method?
According to Peter Newmark, translation methods refer to activities on an entire document. On the other hand, translation procedures apply to smaller units such as sentences. Choosing the appropriate method facilitates the translation process so that content conveys the right meaning in the target culture appropriately. At Acculing, we understand that different circumstances require different translations, and so we tailor our strategies and methods accordingly.
What are the best translation methods?
1. Word-for-word translation
Linguists translate individual words according to their most literal meaning with little or no consideration of context. Because word-for-word doesn’t take into account grammatical, semantic or cultural differences between languages, the original word order remains as is. Typically, word-for-word translation does not render quality translations (think machine translation), although the reader should note that word-for-word works well on documents like medical research reports.
2. Literal translation
When it comes to literal translation, linguists translate grammatical structures of source text into close equivalents in the target language. In this case, words are translated without paying attention to connotations between them. Contrary to the word-for-word method, literal translation focuses on context and strives to find metaphorical equivalents in the target language.
3. Communicative translation
Reflecting the exact contextual meaning of the source text into the target language defines communicative translation. Readers receive a fully understandable, acceptable message. Communicative translation takes into account context, culture, grammar, and semantics, thus preferred by many specialists. Although it’s not always the most technically accurate option, it communicates meaning in a natural way and is frequently used when translating text that contains culture-specific idioms, proverbs or word play.
4. Semantic translation
In a semantic translation scenario, one strives to convey the syntactic and semantic structures of the source language in the target language. This method most closely reproduces the original text in a foreign language, while maintaining context and culture. At the same time, semantic translation puts greater emphasis on the aesthetic value of the source text, is more flexible, and gives the translator more freedom for creativity.
5. Adaptation
Adaptation uses modification or even total rewriting of source text language to find equivalents in the target language, while conveying the same message as the original content. Often referred to as transcreation, specialized linguists can assist when presenting messaging or ideas in ways totally different from the source content to the intended public.
Even though various translation methods exist, a quality translation can’t be obtained with any one singular method. Depending on the source and target language, audiences, culture, and semantics, it’s crucial to combine different strategies to create a satisfying translation that will resonate with global audiences everywhere.
At Acculing, we offer comprehensive solutions that incorporate the above mentioned methods to achieve results that meet customer expectations. Depending on your preferences and budget, we will combine elements of word-for-word, transcreation, and other approaches to achieve results that deliver the best value for your money.