A Guide To Translation: Obstacles And How To Approach Them

Translating can be both enriching and frustrating, a double-edged sword. Since it is almost impossible to create the ‘perfect’ translation, because there are always arguments for and against the choice of a certain word, this article is intended as a guide to crafting considerate and thoughtful translations.

General advice to consider before you start to translate

Practice translating different styles of writing

It is very useful to translate different styles of texts because people often only think about translation in relation to literary works as this is what schools and universities tend to focus on. However, translating a variety of works, such as recipes, poetry, plays, extracts from novels etc, is very beneficial; it gives you the opportunity to practise translating for different audiences, adapting the tone, grammar, sentence structures, style and emphasis which vary according to the type of text you are dealing with.

Think about the context

The context in which you are translating might affect the approach you take, such as whether you write a ‘close translation’ or a ‘free translation’. A close translation is more faithful to the original text (and the translation is more literal) than a free translation which can stray more from the original as it tends to prioritise preserving the essence and feel of a text over the literal words used.

Therefore, consider context before starting the translation – for example, in a university exam, you might choose to write more of a ‘free translation’ to show the examiner that you are able to think of creative solutions, such as using idioms, in a time-pressured environment. However, in GCSE/A-Level exams, a close translation is more favourable. In most cases, there will almost certainly be occasions when you need to abandon either meaning or faithfulness to the text and this is something that Lydia Davis examines closely in her fascinating article found here.

Specific tips to start the translation process

  • Read through the passage once completely without making any notes or highlighting anything. Don’t try to come up with solutions to the tricky parts which you notice; instead, try to get a good idea of the overall sense of the passage. Some questions to ask yourself whilst you read are: What is the trajectory of the text? Does it end on a cliffhanger or come to a resolution? Who are the characters? Doing this can help you become acquainted with the text, avoid you jumping to conclusions and make sure you fully engage with each part of it, rather than mainly focusing on the sections that initially seem complicated.
  • For the second read through, highlight the tricky bits of the passage so that you can evaluate how much time you will need to spend on each section.
  • Next, pay attention to whether the tone of the text is formal or casual as this will affect the choice of vocabulary you make. Think about the type of text itself – is it an extract from a children’s novel or is it a recipe? This will give you an idea of who the audience is and therefore the general tone of the passage. Then look more specifically at the language used; the use of tenses such as the passé simple in French (a tense rarely used in spoken French today) might suggest that it is more formal. Le passé simple: the past historic in French (lingolia.com)   
  • You might find that there are some elements of the text that you cannot reproduce exactly in your translation because an exact equivalent does not exist. In these cases, it is worth considering “compensation”; this is where, if you cannot reproduce the exact tone or emphasis of a phrase, you can replicate this tone in another part of the text. There are some examples of translation compensation in the article Elvis Has Left The Chamber: What Is Lost And Gained When Translating Harry Potter – LinguaTute.
  • After you have finished a draft of your translation, it is important to take a break before coming back to it, so that you look at it again with a new perspective and can be more objective about it when making changes. Even in an exam situation, taking a few minutes away from the translation can help you make better decisions when going through it again. 

With all of these points in mind, it is important to remember that there is often no right or wrong. One word might feel right for you that does not for someone else and this is because we each have different relationships and connotations with words. The art of translation can present several challenges but hopefully this advice can lead you to embrace them. 

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