Paine-ful wisdom – on translators, editors, between them and beyond them

 

[The Odd Couple]

This week, I sent the following email to a trusted project manager (PM) after reviewing the changes her editor had made to my translation: “I reviewed the edits and noticed that the editor found a few minor errors [ones that do not affect understanding], introduced a few minor errors, improved the phrasing in a few places and mainly made preferential changes. The most important thing is that the customer receives the best possible translation.” The translation involved was a two-page bank declaration in convoluted Hebrew (aren’t all bank documents in convoluted language?) on a poor PDF delivered in 24 hours.

This unpleasant interaction between translator and editor, with the PM in between, led me to reconsider the Odd Couple-like nature of the relationship between technical translators and editors. Limited by time constraints, translators must convert a text in the source language, often not very easy to read due to the quality of the PDF, into a Word document in the target document acceptable for use by the customer. This task involves reading the document many times in several forms, including bilingual and monolingual as well as on screen and on paper, all within a short period of time. Not only is it difficult to read the document “freshly” every time without sufficient time gaps, another pair of eyes will always find ways to improve the translation. Thus, the even the most professional translations are not perfect. 

By contrast, the editor’s task is read the monolingual document, comparing it when necessary to the source document, identify any errors and refine the existing text until it shines. They, of course, apply their judgment and opinion of correct language, which may not be identical to the translators’ view. The task is far more focused and involves many less read-throughs. Details matter, as Felix Ungar would say, without consideration of the emotional reaction of the translator that had put so much effort in producing the text. The result is that many translators feel that editors abuse them, as reflected in a typical emotional response: ”This editor had to prove his/her existence.” Clearly, there is generally little love between technical translators and editors.

However, if the goal of the translation process is to produce the most faithful and well-written document for the customer, i.e., to provide value, both the translator and editor are essential to the process. No one pair of eyes can attain that goal regardless of the amount of knowledge and experience. In the best possible world, the PM understands this.  In my case, she will continue to work with me as she has done for many years as I provide a solid translation on or before the deadline, exactly what is required of me. Likewise, she will continue to depend on that editor to improve translations in order to retain her customers. Unfortunately, this global understanding of the goal is far from universal. Still, it is important for translators to keep it in mind when receiving "massacred" versions of their translation. In fact, the words of Thomas Paine ring true: “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

Through the looking-glass – the pleasure of technical translation

 

[photographer and a mirror*]

Most people connect translation with literature and believe that it must be a fascinating to render Tolstoy’s Russian or Balzac’s French to another language. By contrast, translating official documents or financial reports seems as dry as Alice’s history lesson. In practice, the vast majority of commissioned translation is highly technical by nature. Contrary to the general impressions, these documents often create drama by opening up a privileged view (both in terms of special access and confidentiality) of people lives. To illustrate, I will present some examples of what I look for and follow when plowing through my day’s tasks.

Marriage certificates – thought for speculation  - Israeli marriage certificates include a wide variety of information, including the age, profession and place of residence of the couple  as well as the background of parents. Sometimes it is clear what the bride and groom have in common while other times it is not.

Death certificates – the unknown – due to the vagaries of documentation in some parts of the world, the family or the deceased sometimes don’t know the date of birth, leaving the wonderful statistic of 1920, without day or month. Of course, translating the certificates of those that died very young or very old sometimes leads to personal contemplation.

Divorce agreements – priorities – What is a single mother willing to give up to be able to live abroad with her children? How strict are the arrangements for paternal visits? You would be surprised.

Commercial contracts – local character – if you want to know what problems are typical for a certain area, professional and/or geographical, look at the relative weight of the words. BTW, based on the number of pages dedicated to this matter, drinking is a problem at Russian oil fields.

Salary slips – addition with subtraction – It can rather disturbing to have to note how much of the salary or wages disappears in taxes or how much more money other people earn. On the other hand, it can be merely interesting or even encouraging.

Grade transcripts – student life – It is amazing how some students seem to wake up in 12^th grade or college and start achieving high grades. Until then, I imagine that their parents were pulling their hair. On the other hand, I wonder whether certain people ever had fun during their years of study.

Medical questionnaires – awfulness – Ignorance can be bliss. Many diseases have extreme effects on people’s lives.  I always feel appreciative that I don’t have that problem.

As you can see, while numbers and facts can appear to be dry and uninteresting, all it takes is a small leap of imagination to see the story being told and discover an unknown world. Technical translation is similar to looking at Alice’s looking glass, seeing both the subject of the document but also reflecting on the translator. I consider that far more interesting than literary translation, having no desire to get into Dostoevsky’s head, but chacun son gout, to each his/her own.

* Picture captions help the blind fully access the Internet.

Picture credit: Pixabay

Audiblilizing translation – the art of legal (and other technical) translation

 

[Quarterback before snap*]

In American football, one of the major differences between experienced and inexperienced as well as effective and ineffective quarterbacks is the ability to audibilize, which means to adjust the play called by the coach as they survey the defense right before the snap. It takes knowledge, judgment and confidence to understand that the given play call will not work and what to do about it.

Likewise, effective technical translators, especially legal experts, know how to correctly take a sentence in one language and render it in another language and culture, making the necessary changes while neither subtracting or adding content. Literal translation of the text can lead to awkward sentences at minimum and fundamental miscommunications at worst.  When translator works properly,  the resulting text may seem noticeably different in terms of sentence structure and even vocabulary but is quite loyal in terms of content.

Simply put, each language has its unique way of expressing itself and framing sentences. Depending on the language combinations, word-for-word translation can lead to simply awful results. The causes for this asymmetry between languages are many and include:

·         Syntax – Word order varies from language to language in terms of placement of subordinate phrases, time expressions, adjectives and even grammatical subjects.

·         Passive/Active – While in certain languages, the passive form is considered more academic and therefore higher level, such as in Hebrew, in other languages it is considered confusing and poor writing. Therefore, in many cases, the translator must change the whole structure, including the form of verb.

·         Punctuation – There are no universal punctuation rules or even rules of what constitutes a sentence. Dostoevsky and lawyers in many languages can get away with whole paragraphs linked with commas and ending after in a period after a half of page (or more). Other languages, notably English, have much more rigid sentence structure and/or stylistic norms, requiring the chopping of sentences in multiple sentences

·         Vocabulary – Languages and cultures vary in terms of terminology development, meaning similar terms may carry more limited or expanded meanings. Moreover, certain terms many not exist in the target language, requiring more creative solutions. Legal, like all technical, translators must understand the exact meaning of a term in both the source and target language.

·         Legalese – Some legal cultures have instituted “plain language” rules intended to render the text intelligible to a greater number of persons. Others view use of the highly specialized phrases as a sign of an erudite writer.

·         Poor source text – The sad fact is that many legal and other technical writers produce poorly written text. While “garbage in, garbage out” may be easier, professional translators try to render the text into proper language.

A truly proficient translator grasps the meaning of the source sentence and creates a clear, well-written equivalent in the target language even if it involves significant changes to the sentence structure and syntax. By contrast, a poor translation may be loyal to the original structure but sounds like a translation. If you wish to judge the result, audibilize it, i.e., read it out loud. It should sound like a native writer wrote it. If so, the legal  translator has properly audiblized the text and is worth hiring again.

 

* Picture captions help the blind fully access the Internet.

Picture credit

Terrible technical translation – Obvious signs and simple preventative measures

 

["no|'*]

There are very few sounds as disconcerting as the groan of a translation reviewer when seeing a disastrous text that essentially needs to be rewritten. The feeling it expresses goes beyond the pain of the knowledge of the time that will require to correct the mess and captures the anguish of the knowledge that somehow neither the translator nor the agency (or company) is probably aware of how bad it is. What is even more exasperating is that the signs of incompetence are quite clear and the preventative measures require little effort. Specifically, in technical translation, if the translated text is literal, inconsistent and inaccurate, it is not professional. On the bright side, there are simple steps translators can take to avoid such results.

One clear sign of lack of confidence is extreme loyalty to the word order of the original text. This dedication to the original syntax is like using the handrail at an ice-skating rink, not a sign of great confidence. The reason is that no two languages have the exact same syntax, often differing in terms of word order, verb tense, noun/verb choices and/or article usage, to name a few elements. Therefore, if the source and translated text completely share the exact same word order, something is most probably awry. The easy check is to have a native speaker read the translation out loud. Even if the actual mistake is not clear, any discomfort on the reader’s face signals inappropriate syntax, i.e., “We don’t say it like that”. Translator and buyer – beware.

Maybe to compensate for the previous sin, some would-be technical translators love to show off their rich vocabulary and use a variety in words for the same concept as if they were writing a story. Unfortunately, technical translation, especially medical and legal, is about precision, not beauty. For example, in law, if there are two similar words for the same concept, only one is used unless the writer intends to create a contrast between two terms, which must be defined. Two (and more) are definitely a crowd in technical translation. The easiest ways to ensure uniformity are to use CAT (Computer Aided Translation) tools, which suggest previous word and sentence choices, and QA tools that can identify multiple translations for the same source sentence. The customer may challenge the term choice but at least the translator is consistent.

The most dangerous trait of poor technical translation is inaccuracy. At best, it creates confusion and a poor marketing image while at worse it leads to legal issues and even death. A quick glance by a knowledgeable person in the field can quickly identify when the content of a translated text is incorrect in terms of content. Professional translators recognize what they understand and don’t understand. If the latter is limited to a few phrases or paragraphs, it is possible to research through the Internet or consult experts in order to attain the understanding required to create a proper translation. While it may add time to the process, this knowledge can be useful in the future. On the other hand, if most of the text involves uneducated guesses, translators should inform the buyer as soon as possible that, after review, they realize that they are not capable of producing a proper translation. Of course, the buyer will not be happy but this admission is a far better option than submitting an unprofessional result. The best option is to avoid such situations but almost all translators have mistakenly taken on such assignments in the past and lived to regret it. Think before you accept.

There is a rule of 80/20, which states that  the first 80 percent of the result takes 20% of the effort while the last 20% of the result requires 80% of the effort. Focusing on the first element, translators can produce a decent technical translation by avoiding extreme loyalty to the source syntax, using a CAT or QA tool to maintain consistency and making sure they only translate texts whose material they understand. Such basic steps not only contribute to a flow of business but also improve the mental health of all those that have to read their translation.

* Picture captions help the blind fully access the Internet.

Picture credit

On closer thought

Once a year, some (but not all) Israeli translators leave their Internet caves and mingle at the ITA conference.  While part of the pleasure is networking, the formal activity is three consecutive days of lectures on a whole plethora of topics, some immediately relevant to the person’s work and others completely outside the usual sphere of activity.  Curiously enough, I find the latter much more interesting and ultimately more satisfying. 

This year, we technical translators could learn about Donald Duck in Holland, Hebrew detective books, translating Brazilian-Jewish culture into German and the joys of Jane Austin, to name a few.  Of course, we can also hear practical advice about medical translation, French legal terms, site building, Wikipedia translation tools and the tricks of LinkedIn.  Due to fact that three different lectures were going on any time, I and the other attendees had to make cruel choices.

At first glance, the reason for my preference for the “irrelevant” is my fascination or envy of the challenges my colleagues face.  I do not have to find a parallel structure or alliteration to express the language of Jane Austin.  I don’t have to express the language register of the American detective Sam Spade when he talks with his secretary. I don’t even have to ask which kind of jacket the hero wears.  However, on second thought, I do have to choose my words, albeit different ones, carefully. I have to remember that a French “sentence” is the judgment, not the punishment, when to use the Hebrew as compared to the English name of a disease and thoroughly check my documents for spelling errors.  My range of freedom for translating a sentence may be less but my requirements are no less exacting.

In short, all translators, as communicators, are smiths.  In olden times, physical smiths may have worked with iron, gold or silver, but they all used the same tools, heat and hammer, granted of varying temperatures and size.  Like, we word smiths may treat different materials and vary in out finish, but we share the same tools, specifically words and creativity.  We all belong to the same guild.