When discussing translations, it’s essential to understand that the quality of the source text directly impacts the final translation. At World Translation, we collaborate with professional translators who face the daily challenge of translating texts from one language to another. But what happens when the source text isn’t up to scratch? The answer is straightforward: the translation quality suffers.
A poor source text leads to a poor translation
The old adage “garbage in, garbage out” is particularly relevant in translation. If a text is riddled with spelling errors, grammatical ambiguities, or awkward phrasing, these flaws will inevitably reflect in the translation. Translators work diligently to interpret a text correctly and convert it into the target language while maintaining the essence and natural flow. However, if the source text is deficient, translators have to make interpretative choices that might lead to a translation that appears disconnected, stiff or, at worst, incorrect.
The significance of uniformity in the source text
A further issue with an incomplete source text arises when multiple authors have contributed to the same text. When different people write different sections without thorough proofreading, it can result in an inconsistent tone and style. These inconsistencies become even more pronounced in translation. To prevent this, it is crucial to have the entire text proofread by a single person. This ensures a uniformly consistent tone and phrasing, making it easier for the translator to deliver a coherent translation.
When the translator has doubts
Translators are skilled at discerning the right meaning and tone. However, if the source text is unclear or ambiguous, it can lead to delays. Whenever a translator is unsure about the text’s meaning, they need to contact the project manager, who will then consult with the client. This not only delays the translation but can also frustrate the client, who needs to spend time answering questions. Additionally, it’s not always possible for all translators to ask questions simultaneously, leading to further delays.
Limitations of AI and machine translation
While AI and machine translation can be great tools for certain tasks, they have clear limitations when it comes to poorly drafted source texts. Machine translation does not identify contextual errors and often just translates verbatim, ignoring potential inaccuracies. Though light post-editing of a machine translation can fix some mistakes, it’s not always sufficient, especially if the source text has errors. A comprehensive post-editing process becomes essential to ensure the translation is precise and coherent, but this also increases the necessary time and expense.
Check your text for these errors
To guarantee an optimal translation, it is important to focus on several key aspects of the source text:
- Spelling errors: Even minor spelling errors can cause confusion and misunderstandings in the translation.
- Grammatical errors: Grammatical inaccuracies can alter the meaning and make the text difficult to translate accurately.
- Tone: Ensure the tone remains consistent throughout the text.
- Pronouns: Consider the use of the 3rd person singular pronoun – should it be ‘he’ or ‘she’ or the increasingly popular 'they’ (which, although grammatically incorrect, avoids focusing on the gender of the person concerned)?
- Tenses: Verbal tenses are crucial to maintaining a correct timeline in the translation.
- Terminology: Use the correct terminology to ensure accuracy in specialised texts.
Proofreading is essential before translation
It’s always worth having a professional proofread a text before sending it for translation. This is particularly true when the text is to be translated into multiple languages. If errors in the original text are found after translation, they need correcting in every translation, which can be a lengthy and expensive task. This is even more crucial if the original text is not in the author’s native language as it increases the likelihood of mistakes.
Invest in your text!
To ensure the best translation, it is essential to begin with a high-quality source text. This reduces the chances of errors and makes the translation process smoother and quicker. At World Translation, we advocate for thorough proofreading of the original text before submitting it for translation. This saves both time and money and guarantees that the final translation meets the highest standards.
Contact us today to discover how we can assist you in ensuring an exemplary original text and a translation of unparalleled quality.
