Translation is usually termed as an art and I couldn’t agree more. Consider this example; if I were asked to replicate a creative piece of an artist, I might be able to produce a piece that resembles it, but generating one exactly like it might be a laborious task. Translation can be examined in a similar way. Translation is much more than merely a word-to-word interchange. Translators are required not only to import the concepts of the original text but also remain true to the emotions and feelings conveyed by the author while bearing in mind the cultural sensitivities of the intended audience. This is what makes them the “artists.”
So what are the characteristics that make up a good translation piece? It is required to meet a certain criteria in order to be termed as “good.” The criteria are fairly simple. The first and foremost criterion is pretty obvious – accuracy. The translated piece needs to exhibit the accuracy of the original text. It is meant to be a mirror image of it and it should also not contain poor grammar and spelling mistakes or else the translation would be burdensome to read for the targeted audience. For this reason, it is pertinent to get a professional and competent translation services agency to do the translation.
Another important factor for a quality translation is its clarity and simplicity of the language. It must be comfortably, regardless of how bad the original text being translated may be. Many translators choose to write lengthy and complex sentences, giving a sense of clutter in the resultant text. A good translated piece provides the required information in as clear and simple a way as possible.
A seriously discounted aspect of a quality translation is replicating the mood and emotions of the original author. There is always some mood or feeling of the author at work, particularly in literary and editorial pieces. Therefore, a good translation must reflect the true spirit of the original text. Failing to do this will easily misrepresent the true feelings of the author.
An ideal translated text also needs to take into consideration the cultural sensitivities of the intended population. This point has to be seriously respected and observed for religious and literary translations, which if done poorly might offend the audience. It is significant to understand the targeted culture in this context. If the audience being focused on is conservative or, conversely, liberal or broad-minded, its particular religious or social bent can have a serious impact on how the translated text is received.
Lastly, the information being provided in the text needs to be appropriate for the directed group of people. For instance, for a group of scientists the translated piece needs to be in a highly technical form and language as contrasted with a translation that is meant for new immigrants, which would use a much simpler vocabulary and sentence structure.
By considering the mentioned criteria beforehand, one can ensure provision of a quality translated piece.
