The essential qualities for translator
Working in linguistic department for two weeks, I have acknowledged some information on translation. To better perform as a translator, I guess I shall recognize the essential qualities for a qualified translator. Here are some aspects summarized:
Firstly, a wide and professional scope of knowledge is required. A translator sometimes is turned out to be an encyclopedic knowledge owner who shall know knowledge in politic, economical, cultural fields and the like. When we are translating something, at least we should know what it is or how it is. Without cognition of it, how we can convert it into another language.
We will get totally lost even we do not what it is talking about. We should have a picture in our mind when we translate some real object or intangible matter, if not; we have no way to express it truly in another language. We should get familiar with the background and culture content for the two languages we are converting.
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Many fields will be involved for a translation piece of work, if we totally know nothing about it; we have no way to work out. Thus, when we do a piece of translation job, we, at least, should try to learn and understand what it is to the possible extent.
It is widely said that translation job is a keep learning process in which you will encounter unfamiliar fields. Therefore, only constant learning can catch up with the basic rules. For instance, I translated some files on Forex Broker last week. To be honest, I know just one percent of Forex Broker.
So I have to quickly learn more about it in order to do it well. So the basic rule is to learn about it before you translate it into another language.
Secondly, master the translation skills under varied circumstances to make response sharply.
Under different circumstances, the translation language should be changed accordingly. A professional translator should bear the important competency such as swift response, clear expression etc. Anyone with lack of the important competency will definitely fail to turn to be a qualified translator potentially.
thirdly, the must for a master of source language or target language and the ability to convert the content of source language faithfully and objectively. When we are translating a material or something, we shall express exactly what the source language delivered verbally or spiritually.
The translators who receive no professional training on translation, usually add their imagination such as personal thought and personal understanding, in many cases when describe the content they translate. It is violating the rule of faithfully converting of the source language.
We should deliver the pound for pound meaning when translate. It is advocated that the translator must be faithful to the speaker’s intention to provide the audience with the exact judging message from the speaker. Even if the translator’s own interest is involved, we should retell the speaker’s intention objectively with no personal opinion added.
Fourthly, excellent ability of logic analysis is another essential. When everyone speaks, she speaks with her logic. In this circumstance, it is suggested that the translator should understand the internal logical relations of the source language, and then convert it into the target language with reasonable integration.
Some translators encounter wrong translation such as misunderstanding, wrongly translated or missed translation, which is due to a poor logic analysis, rather than low-level language ability.
If the translator fails to extract the internal relationship from the lines, context, it would be quite impossible to provide a perfect translation. However, excellent logic analysis ability takes time to practice and accumulate. No one was born to have a keen insight of logic analysis ability.
Fifthly, never give up learning. As stated above, translation is a process of consistent study, practice and accumulation. The saying No pains, no gains is applicable in the translation industry. When you look back after four or five years in this industry, you will find out that you have learned much.
As to the method of study, there are varied kinds in our current world, for instance, participate training activity, join a club, communicate with foreign friends, self-teaching etc.
Sixthly, a translator shall have his own strong points. For example, one shall know much of a football game if she wants to translate a report on football game.
The translator should know how to use translation tools and look up dictionaries, search information from different channels including from books, friends, and internet. One should know the style of a specific file, manual or document, legal and economic report.
All in all, it is not easy work to be a qualified translator. Nevertheless, we can try our best efforts to be a more qualified one.