CULTURAL INTRICACIES OF

TRANSLATIONS

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When most people think about translation they think about exchanging equivalent words in one language to another. While it would be nice if it were that easy, it is far from the truth. Words have different meanings and values depending on one’s culture.

Because cultures are organic it is often very difficult for translators to accurately express a source’s statement to the intended audience. This is exactly why it is important to work with an expert level translation service that can deliver authenticity, accuracy, and experience to their translations.

INTRODUCTION

MATERIAL CULTURE

Culture is built upon generations of rituals, practices, experiences, and everything else that life has to offer. Consider some of the holidays in your culture and everything that they embody: food, drink, music, decorations, etc. When translating a text these sorts of details can be overlooked or misunderstood by the reader/listener.

All around the globe, people have (and continue to) develop unique ways of behaving or speaking around the same types of gestures. For example, consider the everyday habit of sneezing. When someone sneezes in the United States, they are often greeted with the cheery phrase “Bless you!” Alternatively, if you sneeze in many countries in the world where they speak languages other than English, you will often hear “Health!” (popular examples include German’s “Gesundheit!” or Spanish’s “Salud!”). Gestures like this are all over the place, especially in medical or technical translation texts.

GESTURES AND HABITS

REFERENCES

Even if you comprehend the materials and habits of another culture, foreign language translation can be difficult if you do not understand cultural references. These typically range from mentions of cultural artifacts such as plays, songs or TV shows to allusions to political figures or past historical events. Poorly translated references usually involve the sensation of a reader feeling as if they do not “get it.” How could you translate the full meaning of a reference to a character in a Venezuelan soap opera unless you are intimately familiar with that culture? Only those immersed in a culture for a significant period of time can quickly and correctly work for a successful language translation service.

WORDS OF A WISE MAN

“A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” – Mahatma Gandhi

CLOSING

There are many nuances and intricacies tied to language that often get lost in translation, this is why it is important to have a team with a thorough background and understanding perform expert level translations. If you are concerned about accuracy and faithful translations then we invite you to visit us at: http://www.aptranslation.com/

Translating technical material requires more than technical dictionaries. It requires experience.

The Language Link of CT has teams of technical translators with backgrounds and degrees in engineering and most important of all, experience.

CONTACT US

http://www.aptranslation.com/

The purpose of this document is to quickly share some information on how language embodies generations of culture and understanding.

SUMMARY