Saturday, April 11, 2009

Excellent Translators are not Produced Overnight !!


What Can You Do To Master Translation??

To begin with, mastering translation means possessing the skills to make the right analysis of the meaning in the target language. Certainly, someone who has a good knowledge of foreign languages does not necessary means that he/she is a good translator. To put it simply, a good translator needs to understand the different dialects of the country so as to translate the documents more accurately. To go straight to the bottom line, if you aspire to master translation, these are some criteria that you need to fulfill first:

1- As a first step towards achieving your goal as a professional translator, you first need to read and speak different languages to be able to translate a document accurately. Bilingual dictionaries and encyclopedias are considered some of the knowledge-providing sources that offer great guidance and assistance. With more exposure to these materials, you get to learn more new words that can be used in different situations. It helps you to put in mind that it is all down to hard work and time spent on upgrading yourself. Remember that if translation was an easy thing to do, automatic translators would be kings !


2- Not only is reading crucial to assist you in your career, but you also need to be a good language writer since writing is the chief work of a translator. To increase the value and readability of your translated materials, you need to have good awareness of the different styles of writing; to utilize proper punctuation and paragraphing; and to possess great copywriting skills.

3- It is highly-recommended that a translator ─ through regular practices ─ develops sharp listening skills. To be a sharp listener includes grasping various key notes, specific vocabulary and idioms so as to translate a speech accurately.

2 comments:

  1. I have started translating my own poems and novels in to English language and it's nothing easy indeed! So you are right on what you say in your post! Would you like to take a look on my blog? If you have some time please come and do it! I'll be very glad if you leave even a short comment! Have a good day and best compliments for your very interesting blog!! albix

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are not enough. What about some experience and education?

    ReplyDelete