Translations have become a part of our daily lives; let it be for legal, business, or personal reasons. Are you looking to translate in your spare time, or looking to get into a new market? It is crucial for our IMO translators to translate to their best abilities. But how do you know if you wrote the best translations?
Here are 5 steps to writing the best translations put together by our experienced IMO translators.
Step # 1: Understand and adapt to language.
Step #2: Keep content.
Step # 3: Be concise and formal.
Step # 4: Pay attention to numbers, dates, etc.
Step # 5: Proofread and check Quality.
1. Understand and Adapt to Language
You must be aware that knowing a language doesn’t always mean you can automatically translate it. Some languages have multiple meanings for a set phrase or word, therefore look at all the possible meanings before translating.
Also, take into account the grammar rules, sentence structures, and syntax of that language. Some languages can have run-on sentences, in which you may have to separate the sentences to make it more clear.
All translators must undergo training in order to properly translate and gain flexible knowledge about translation.
2. Keep Content
Once you understand the difference between the languages, find the best words that express the meaning of the subject. Look at all the different translations of the word and choose the best one without changing the meaning. If you fail to grasp the meaning or tone of the text, it may change the context and can affect the influence it has upon the reader.
Verbatim translation is not always the best option. Although you want to keep most of the text, you should avoid words that have different connotations in English.
3. Be Concise and Formal
It is a very important skill to be able to translate in the briefest way possible. For better comprehension, aim for conciseness.
Synonyms are great but make sure you are not changing the content into something it is not. Be concise with using the same translation for the same word for the entire translation. Try to find the one term that can best identify the meaning of the single concept, this will help with the overall quality and consistency of the translation.
Avoid colloquial idioms or humor unless you are translating word by word.
Always use the active voice instead of the passive when you can.
4. Numbers and dates
Pay attention to dates, currencies, and numbers!
It may be obvious to some, but don’t forget that countries have different currencies and you may have to convert them.
Be especially careful with international dates. For example, dates in America are written in month/day/year, but written day/month/year in some countries and year/month/day in other countries. If you are unsure, spell out the month.
You may also have to convert measurements from the metric system to the US standard or vice versa.
Number interpretations and translations can be critical in legal documents such as court hearings, patents, identity register copies, birth certificates, etc.
5. Proofread and Check Quality!
The best way to avoid mistakes is to proofread. After writing the translation, pay attention to the overall flow of the text and the previous steps above by comparing it to the original.
You should have another translator proofread your translation so they can make sure none of the information from the original text is missing and is correct.
Check for the overall quality of your translation.
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