Russian-English translation of technical operation rules. What is translation
To date, one of the most popular types of translation is . Most of these texts are articles, reports, patents, mathematical and physical calculations, instructions for devices and applications. Requests for translation of documentation for technology and equipment supplied to the territory of the Russian Federation are very common. In order to correctly and accurately convey the content of such a text into Russian, in most cases, not only excellent linguistic training is required, but also a certain level of technical knowledge, and even better, technical education.
Interpretation of the term “Technical translation”
If it is necessary to give an interpretation to the term “technical translation”, then it can be called a variety, which is required to organize a high-quality exchange of scientific and technical data among specialists who do not speak one common language at the proper level.
To perform technical translation at a professional level you need:
- Excellent knowledge of written and spoken foreign language;
- Sufficient training in the field of science, the content of texts and scientific works of which requires clear, competent and accurate translation.
At the same time, in most cases, it is necessary to present the translated material in a literate and understandable language (sometimes even for non-professionals) with full compliance with all technical features and nuances, so a true professional chooses one, maximum two specializations for his activity.
Specifics of modern technical translation
Translation of technical documentation involves the use of a formal-logical style, distinguished by a number of specific features. First of all, it is worth mentioning the absolute accuracy of the translation content relative to the source text. The translation should not bear even a shadow of the performer’s emotional coloring, as well as the translator’s personal attitude to the content of the material. The final work will contain a large amount of special vocabulary and professional terms, most often having Greek and Latin roots. Well, the last thing that you should definitely pay attention to is the set of language constructs inherent in technical translations. These include a variety of impersonal phrases, passive phrases, impersonal forms of verbs, as well as inverse phrases.
If it is necessary to translate a large volume of technical documentation, especially in a short time, we have several linguists working on this work. But, since the final material must be presented in a single style, then, having divided the entire amount of work between several translators, they also involve an editor in the formation of the finished text, who works to unify the style of presentation and corrects syntactic and stylistic errors.
Difficulties of technical translation
Depending on the complexity of the original text, its subject matter and the deadline for submitting the finished work, you can turn to not only high-level professionals, but also novice translators. In this case, you cannot count on a high level, but the translation will cost much less, and novice specialists will have the opportunity to supplement their resume. To date, technical translation is one of the most well-paid activities of linguists.
By involving a technical translator in the work, the output is a document, the content of which is presented clearly, informatively, objectively, while preserving the semantic specifics of the original text.
Types of technical translation
Translators are faced with a problem when, having accurately conveyed the content of documents, that is, having translated the content of the source material competently and skillfully, the output is a text in Russian that is somewhat illogical or overly rich in special terminology. In this case, the assistance of a technical editor is required in order to obtain a document that will satisfy the customer and preserve the original meaning and specificity of the original document.
If the text to be translated contains illustrations, then the translator must transfer all illustrations, graphs and drawings, translating all inscriptions into the required language.
The main form of technical translation is such a variety as full. A somewhat less popular option is abstract translation, as well. Much less often, compared to previous versions, translation of titles and abstract technical translation is required.
Rules that technical translators must follow
Obtaining a high-quality translation of a technical text requires following a number of rules. Firstly, do not use any machine translators. Secondly, use specialized dictionaries, which are necessary because many foreign words have multiple meanings. Thirdly, it is necessary to carefully study the content of such provisions as:
- Requirements for texts translated by freelancers;
- Current recommendations for written translation;
- System of requirements for document preparation. Publishing and library standards. GOST 7.36-2006
In cases where translation of a document with legal force is required, it is also necessary to study the content of the GOST R ISO 15489-1-2007 and GOST 7.36-2006 standards so that the translation allows the document to retain its legal force.
Requirements for a technical translator
An equally important rule is to present the material exclusively in an official business style; therefore, elements of colloquial language and any abbreviations are not acceptable. The numbers are translated in full accordance with the State System for Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements. But references to international national standards should be left in the original language of the materials that need translation.
It is important to remember that all text must be presented in an impersonal form, using chevrons instead of quotation marks.
A technical translator must have the following knowledge and skills:
- fluency in at least one foreign language;
- fluency in the language into which the foreign technical document is being translated;
- the ability to effectively use working and verified free sources of information to carry out translation;
- possession of excellent knowledge of terminology not only in the native language, but also in the foreign language in which the text of the document is presented for translation;
- possession of a sufficient level of theoretical (practical) knowledge about the field for which the translation is being carried out;
- Proficient in various types of translation of technical documentation.
It is desirable that the translator has not only linguistic, but also technical education received in the field in which he specializes, as well as good
Today, technical translation is perhaps the most popular service of a translation agency. In all likelihood, the reason for this is the fact that almost all technical equipment in the Russian Federation is imported. In this regard, both distributors and consumers need high-quality translations of operating instructions, user manuals and other technical documents from foreign languages into Russian for each imported item.
Correct technical translation requires not only knowledge of specialized terminology in a given field of science and technology, but also an understanding of the meaning of a specific text. This means that a technical translator must have a clear understanding of the technological processes described in the text, the design of the product, and the principles of its operation. In this regard, not only linguists, but also specialists with technical education, competent in a specific field of science and technology, are involved in the translation of technical texts, for example, specialists in radio electronics and IT are brought in to work on texts related to radio equipment and computer equipment, and geophysicists - to translate technical documentation in the fields of geological exploration, oil and gas production.
Foreign scientific and technical publications and documents translated by linguists who do not have knowledge of specific areas of technology and are not able to fully understand the meaning of the translated material often become objects of ridicule from technical specialists, mainly due to the oddities of translation. In the worst case, incorrect translation of instructions for production equipment can cause an accident or even a large-scale accident at the enterprise and cost people their health and life.
It follows that the reliability, correctness and literacy of a technical translation can only be guaranteed if the translation is performed by a specialist who has in-depth knowledge in a specific technical field and is thoroughly versed in the industry “subtleties”.
Difficulties and characteristic features of technical translations
Translation of technical topics is distinguished by an accurate and unambiguous presentation of the meaning of the original text in the target language. Lack of uniformity of terminology or logic of sentence construction, the possibility of different interpretations of the text are not allowed.
All technical translations performed in our bureau are subject to mandatory editing before the text is transferred to the customer. The cost of editing technical text is included in the price of the translation service.
The strategy of the Azbuka translation agency is to build strong long-term relationships with technical translation customers. Long-term cooperation with clients allows us to better understand their specific requirements, to better understand the nuances of using special terminology in a specific technical field, and thereby guarantee high quality translation.
Translation agency "Azbuka" works with technical texts in the following areas:
Technical translation in the shortest possible time (urgent translation of technical texts)
The standard volume of text performed by one technical translator within one day is up to 10 accounting pages. It is preferable that the entire text is translated by one specialist - this allows for uniform terminology and consistency in the presentation of information. However, a situation may arise in which the customer will need to translate technical text as quickly as possible. In this case, several translators and an editor are involved in the project, ensuring the quality of collaboration. You can find out about the cost of urgent translation on this page.
You can order a technical translation from English into Russian, as well as translations from/to other language pairs, by phone, by email or by placing an order using an online application. In the latter case, we will contact you after receiving the application to agree on the deadline, form of payment and other details.
Our managers accept orders online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Proofreading of technical text by a native speaker
Proofreading a technical text by a native speaker is one of the most reliable ways to improve the literary quality and readability of a translation, including a technical one.
If you already have a translation of a text that needs to be edited or proofread, the Azbuka translation agency offers the service of editing/proofreading a technical translation by a native speaker of the relevant language. After professional processing, your translation will be as understandable as possible to technical specialists in the country in which you intend to use it.
When it comes to translating technical texts from a foreign language into Russian, we suggest using the services of qualified technical editors.
Translation agency "Azbuka" takes on technical texts on various topics:
How we ensure the quality of technical translation
We are confident in the quality of our technical translations because:
1. We have formulated and strictly adhere to the following requirements for technical translation:
maximum accuracy of information transfer;
use of a scientific and business style of writing text;
compliance with specific design requirements in accordance with regulatory documents.
2. Our translators who perform technical translations have professional technical knowledge, understand the subject of translation and the terminology used.
3. We use translation memory systems (CAT tools) to ensure uniform terminology and maintain document structure.
4. All specialists involved in one project share the project glossary and have common access to supporting materials.
5. After the completion of the technical translation, the finished text undergoes quality control both in terms of the correctness of the translation and in terms of compliance of the design with the original text.
1. You should save the name of the original file with the addition of a two-character language name. It is not acceptable to merge or split original files. This is necessary for faster matching of translation files with the original.
2. When translating into a foreign language, it is necessary to use the current alphabet of the target language, including the use of umlauts, aksans and other subscript and superscript characters.
3. The translation must be complete, i.e. The translation must reproduce absolutely all parts of the original text. All text presented in the original language is translated, including headers and footers, inscriptions on seals or stamps, handwritten inscriptions, footnotes, text elements in images and tables. Only parts explicitly specified by the customer may be left untranslated.
4. Within one text, terminology should be uniform and (if necessary) correspond to the glossary. Headings, section names, parties to the agreement must be named the same. In technical texts it is not allowed to use the imperative and indicative moods alternately; the personal forms of the verb characteristic of the English language in such texts should be replaced with impersonal predicative constructions or the imperative mood (“do” or “should do” instead of “you must do”).
The principle of uniformity of terminology should also be observed when translating several files from one customer. Moreover, even if, after submitting some of the orders, you find a more suitable translation option for a cross-cutting term, it is recommended to use it only after agreement with the editor.
5. The translator gives only one translation option for words, terms or expressions. It is unacceptable to provide several translation options for the customer to choose from.
6. All comments to the translated text are submitted in the form of a separate document or using the “Note” function of the MS Word program (Menu “Review” - “Create a note”).
7. The format for presenting digital values in the target language is observed (including requirements for integer and fractional separators).
8. All orders must be completed in person. In other words, orders are distributed taking into account the level of your work, thematic specialization, and all the advantages and disadvantages of your work. Practice shows that often involving third parties in fulfilling an order leads to the fact that we end up with a translation of unsatisfactory quality and, accordingly, charge the translator for payment.
9. The use of the software specified in the task (including CAT programs) is a MANDATORY condition of the order.
Formatting
The formatting of the translation text should correspond to the source text as much as possible. It must maintain the division into chapters, paragraphs, paragraphs, align paragraphs (headings, subheadings), font and other methods of highlighting. Paragraphs of the translated text must correspond to paragraphs of the source text.
In case of technical impossibility or the customer’s stated undesirability of preserving design elements of the source text in the translation text, as well as if the source text was received by the translator in the form of unformatted text, it is recommended, in the absence of other instructions from the customer, to carry out the translation in the format of the MS Word text editor (as the most common ) in compliance with the following rules:
translation text font - Times New Roman or Arial;
font size (font size) – 12;
margins: left - 35 mm, right - 8 mm, top - 20, bottom - at least 19 mm (GOST 6.39–72), or 2.54 cm on each edge (the Western standard used in the Russian Federation);
1. Do not use spaces to format text (for example, to align it to the center of the page). If you need to separate text within one cell (in a table), this can be done using the tab function. To prevent the cursor from moving to the next cell when you press the TAB key in a table, you must press it while holding down the CTRL key.
2. Do not use automatic text recognition programs. It is often almost impossible to make changes to such files at the editing stage so that all other pages do not “move out”. If the translator independently decides to use the recognition program, he is responsible for removing redundant formatting in the file, i.e. any traces of recognition.
3. The location of the text on the translation page should correspond as much as possible to the original. It is possible to increase/decrease the font size. In most cases, page matching is not required.
4. Drawings should be transferred to the translation text. If the inscriptions on the figures are not edited, then it is permissible to use a bilingual correspondence table under the figure.
5. All features of text formatting (emphasis) should be transferred to the translation as much as possible bold, italics, underlined, crossed out or capitalized words). If you need to type a large piece of text in capital letters, then it is better to first type it as usual, and then, having selected it, select the property Format - Font - All capital letters. When you use the Caps Lock key to type text, the spell check feature in MS Word does not work.
7. When typing a table, you should not type several lines in one cell, separating them with the Enter key. If in this case changes have to be made to one of the columns, the alignment of the text between the columns will be disrupted. In other words, every table row must be just that: a table row.
8. When writing dates, numbers, proper names (for example, so that the initials and surname do not appear on different lines), non-breaking spaces are used (for more detailed information, please refer to the help of your text editor).
9. Portrait/landscape orientation of pages must be preserved in translation. If you need to change the orientation of only one page, use the “Page Layout” function – “Page Options” – “Select Portrait/Landscape” – at the bottom of the window, select “Apply to the end of the document” from the list. This will change only the orientation of the last page.
11. Pages should be numbered using the “Insert – Page Numbers” function.
13. Punctuation in lists must comply with the rules of Russian spelling.
Translation of various text elements
|
Abbreviations |
When translating into Russian, at the first mention, we decipher the abbreviation (if possible), and then use it in the original language. When translating into a foreign language, we do the same, but the abbreviation must be transliterated. This does not apply to generally accepted abbreviations that have a correspondence in the target language (for example, UN, EEC, etc.). |
|||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
NASA, INN, EU |
NASA, INN, E C |
NASA, TIN, EU |
||
|
Transliteration is used to translate addresses, except in cases historical spelling. In this case, the procedure for specifying addresses in the country of translation must be observed. There is no need to duplicate the address in the original language in brackets. |
||||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
B. Pokrovskaya street, London street |
ulitsa B. Porkovskaya, London street |
B. Pokrovskaya street, London street |
||
|
Bibliographic references in translations from Western European languages are left in the original language, and from Eastern and other languages with non-Latin graphics - they are printed in Russian transcription. In each specific case, it is better to clarify the need for translation with the project manager. |
||||
|
When translated into a foreign language, the names of currencies are usually designated in accordance with ISO code (RUR, USD, EUR, CHF ). When translated into Russian, the names of currencies are written in Russian. In this case, reduction is allowed (RUB, USD, EUR, CHF). |
||||
|
Geographical names |
Geographical names should be written in accordance with historical spelling. In other cases, the rules of transcription rather than transliteration apply more often. |
|||
|
Emblem of any state |
The word “Coat of Arms” indicating the official name of the state is written in bold. Coats of arms are not indicated as a background design on paper. Example: / Coat of armsRussianFederation/ /Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation/ /Armoiries de la Fédération de Russie / |
|||
|
Graphic elements with text in the original language (diagrams, graphs, pictures, drawings) |
If the file format does not provide the opportunity to replace the inscriptions inside such elements, then under the graphic element the translator creates a table of two columns, on the left of which he places inscriptions in the source language, and on the right - the corresponding translation. |
|||
|
Dates and times |
When writing the date in the text in words in translation, it is also indicated in words. When translating into a foreign language, the date format used in that country must be followed. |
|||
|
Original |
Right (EN) |
Wrong(EN) |
||
|
October 05, 2005 June 22, 1941 |
||||
|
Positions, professions |
The names of professions, positions, academic titles, and titles are translated in cases where there is an unambiguous corresponding concept in the translation language. If there is no one-to-one correspondence, then it is allowed to use tracing or transliteration. |
|||
|
Units |
As a rule, there is no need to convert digital data from one system of weights and measures to another. At the request of the customer, non-metric imperial and other national units can be recalculated and given in units of the International System of Units (SI). In any case, the diameters of pipes and bolts indicated in non-metric units (inches) are not recalculated. Units of measurement must be translated, even if they are very similar in the original and target languages (for example, mm - mm). After the name of the unit of measurement in Russian, there is NOT a dot. |
|||
|
First names, last names |
Transcribed according to the rules of the target language. When translating personal documents (passports, birth certificates), the project manager must provide the correct spelling of the name (for example, in accordance with a foreign passport). When in the source text articles, prepositions and particles form one word with the surname or, according to tradition, are connected to the surname through an apostrophe, these articles, prepositions and particles should be written with a capital letter. The particles Saint, San and Santa, appearing in the source text, in the translation should be attached to the name with a hyphen and written with a capital letter (for example, Saint-Simon). The particles Mac - and Ms-, appearing in the source text, in the translation should be attached to the main part of the word, which is written with a lowercase letter together (for example, McDonald's). |
|||
|
Use of color highlights and translator's comments |
Any comments by the translator that are not in the original should be highlighted so that they are immediately noticeable. Standard use of selections: Some of the text could not be made out - it was illegible. Could not find an abbreviation or complex term - green. Fragments of text in another language are yellow. Errors and inconsistencies in the original, comments to the original text, as well as all other cases - red. Comments on the translation text are not included in the text, but are reported in a letter when sending the translation or using the “Note” function of MS Word (Menu “Review” - “Create a note”). Any comments, footnotes, or question marks in the translation are not allowed. |
|||
|
Headers and footers |
You should create headers and footers using the “Insert Header and Footer” function. |
|||
|
Company or institution logo |
The word “Logo” and the colon sign are written in the target language with a capital letter. After the colon, a translation of the text content of the logo is given. Purely symbolic logos are not displayed in translation. Example: /Logo: Bank of Cyprus/ |
|||
|
Hand lettering |
If handwriting is normal for this type of document (for example, a form filled out by hand is being translated), then handwritten inscriptions are translated as plain text. If handwriting is not typical for such a document (for example, notes in the margins), then you should write the phrase “Handwritten:” in the target language, and then what is written. |
|||
|
Company name and legal form |
You should use the name listed on the company's official website. If the company’s website is not translated into the target language or is missing, then we use transliteration (including in relation to abbreviations indicating the legal form - ZAO, OOO, OAO, GUP etc.). If the abbreviation is deciphered, then it must be fully translated (for example, Closed Joint Stock Company). If we are talking about a Russian company, then the Russian designation of the organizational and legal form should be used. A company name can only be translated if it is fully translatable or if there is a generally accepted translation option (for example, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development). It should be remembered that when translated into English, the names of legal entities are not surrounded by quotation marks. When translated into Russian, the name of legal entities is always transliterated. |
|||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
OJSC Gazprom, Stada AG, OJSC Nizhpharm |
OAO Gazprom, Stada AG, OAO Nizhpharm |
OJSC Gazprom, JSC Shtada, JSC Nizhpharm |
||
|
National and cultural realities |
When translating realities, the use of transliteration is allowed (for example, dacha, perestroika, demobel etc.), as well as a brief description of the reality in parentheses or in a footnote. |
|||
|
Blank (strikethrough) document fields |
It is also necessary to translate (and cross out). An exception is the case when, when transferring the order, it was agreed that the crossed out paragraphs do not need to be translated. |
|||
|
Illegible written details |
In this case, you should indicate the name of the props and write the word “illegible” in the appropriate language. Example: /Seal: illegible/ |
|||
|
List numbering |
When translating from a foreign language into Russian, numbering points using the Latin alphabet do not change. When translating into a foreign language, the letters of the Russian alphabet are replaced by letters of the Latin alphabet. In this case, it is also necessary to change the links to these points in the text of the document. |
|||
|
Designations, markings, document numbers |
Both when translating into a foreign language and when translating into Russian, the alphanumeric designations in the number are left unchanged. This rule does not apply to cases where the letters next to the number are an abbreviation. The number designation format must comply with the rules of the target language (# - American, No. - English, no - French, Nr. - German, No. - Russian). |
|||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
outgoing number 5UF-008 |
reference number 5UF-008 |
reference number 5UF-008 |
||
|
Federal Law FZ-244, GOST 12.08.08, DIN 12.08 |
Federal law FZ-244, GOST 12.08.08, DIN 12.08 |
Federal law FZ-244, GOST 12.08.08, DIN 12.08 |
||
|
C:/My documents/annual report.doc |
C:/My Documents/annual report.doc |
|||
|
Appeals |
When translating official and business documents, forms of polite address, positions, titles, titles, academic degrees, etc. subject to translation. |
|||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
Mr. Jones |
Mr Jones |
Mr Jones |
||
|
An automatic table of contents should be used. If only part of the file was sent to you, you need to translate only part of the table of contents, containing links to the items contained in your part of the translation. |
||||
|
Description of the software interface |
Translated keeping the original name in brackets. Otherwise, using the translated software instructions will be very difficult. |
|||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
Open |
Open |
|||
|
Errors and inconsistencies in the original text |
Errors in the original remain the responsibility of the original compiler, not the translator. Places in the original that caused you doubts (including obvious errors) should be translated, highlighting them in color and drawing the editor’s attention to them. Next, we will contact the customer and point out to him those places in the original (and translation) where, in our opinion, there are inaccuracies. If a phrase is broken, only the existing fragment is translated. |
|||
|
Seals, stamps, holograms, stamp duty stamps |
At the place of the seal (stamp) in the translation text, the word “Seal” (“Stamp”) is placed in the target language, and then after the colon, all the text that is visible on the seal (including OGRN, INN numbers) is translated. The translation of the seal is framed with a “/” sign. Seals should not be numbered (“Seal 1:”, “Seal 2:”, etc.). It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of “seal”, “stamp”, “stamp seal”, “embossed seal”, “hologram” and “stamp duty stamp”. Example: Seal: / ALBA LLC. TIN 5262053993/. |
|||
|
Handwritten signatures should not be transcribed. If a signature is found in the original text, then in its place in the translation text it is necessary to put the word “Signature” in the target language, delimited by slashes: Example: “/signature/”, “/signature/” |
||||
|
Screenshots |
They are not transferred unless otherwise specified when transferring the order. |
|||
|
Word abbreviations |
Abbreviations in the translation text are allowed only if it is necessary to fit the text into a limited-size field. |
|||
|
Texts in other languages |
If the text contains paragraphs in a language that you do not speak, they must be inserted into the translation text in the form of an image and immediately notify our office about this to transfer the specified fragments to a translator who speaks the specified language. The Latin text in any case remains without translation (for example, E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae). |
|||
|
Terms written in the original with capital letters |
It must be remembered that when writing terms in English, each word is written with a capital letter, but in Russian only the first. This is especially true for the translation of contracts. |
|||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
Purchase and Sale Contract, Director General |
Sales and purchase agreement, General Director |
Sales and Purchase Agreement, General Director |
||
|
If it is not possible to type formulas in the translation text, then they should be transferred in the form of images or the word “/formula/” should be written in their place. The latter method is only allowed if the formula separates paragraphs, but not in any case for small formulas included in a sentence (for example, a=b 2). Subscripts in formulas must be translated. Creating subscript (superscript) characters is only allowed using the MSWord function (Ctrl += or Ctrl + Shift + +). Creating subscripts by reducing font size is not permitted. |
||||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
|
N MAX, m 2, m 2, H 2 O |
N MAX, m 2, m 2, H 2 O |
N MAX, m 2, m 2, H2O |
||
|
When translating quotes from publicly available works, you should check whether a translation of this text into the target language has been published. If such a translation exists, it is recommended to take the quote from it. If it is impossible to find the original text or its translation, it is recommended to translate the quote yourself and inform the project manager about it. |
||||
|
Numeric data |
Numerical data must be transferred to the translation text. In this case, you should pay attention to the delimiters used in the target language (the exception is translation in MS Excel format, where incorrect delimiters can lead to broken connections between formulas). |
|||
|
Original |
Right |
Wrong |
||
Every day around the world, many companies, individuals and organizations enter into dialogue or share information with foreign colleagues.
Most of them seek help from professional agencies for translating texts from English into Russian, which are represented in all major cities of the world. If you decide to independently master the skills of an English translator, then this article will be especially interesting to you!
What is translation?
Translation is an important factor in bringing people and organizations closer to each other around the world. Etymologically, the meaning of the word "translation" means "carrying through" or "moving through."
Thus, by translating text from English into Russian, it is possible to overcome language barriers that often hinder effective communication.
Language translation is a complex process with many details, in which the translator tries to express the meaning of a text in one language using the means of a second language.
During the process of converting text from English into Russian meaning should remain unchanged. Typically, the source language is referred to as the “source language” and the target language as the “target language”.
How do translators work?
Usually, to obtain professional and high-quality translation of English texts, people use the services of translation agencies in a large city.
However, dealing with foreign languages is not as easy as it might seem. It would be a mistake to think that translation simply means replacing words in one language with similar words in another language.
There have been cases when a person ignorant of translation tried to assess its quality by comparing the number of words in the source text and the translated text. Since these numbers did not coincide (and such a coincidence, to put it mildly, is unlikely), the translation was assessed as inadequate.
High-quality translation requires intensive research into the subject of the source text. In addition, the translator usually must have in-depth knowledge of both the source and target languages.
Ideally, the translator should be a native speaker of the target language. It is important that the translator has a good understanding of the customs and lifestyle of the people for whom the translation is intended. This will allow you to more accurately convey the meaning of the text to the addressee.
It is very important that the translator of texts from English into Russian in the field of legal, medical, technical, scientific or commercial translations is an expert in the relevant issue.
What is needed for high-quality translation?
It must be remembered that translating text from English into Russian is not simply a mechanical process of translating words from one language to another.
There are many factors that need to be taken into account in order to obtain an accurate and thematically tailored English translation.
Here are the most important aspects that a translator should pay attention to:
- Actual context in the source and target languages. The meaning and subtext of the same concept can be very different.
- Grammatical features of two languages. Remember that grammar, being the most important component of any language, has its own specific rules in each of them.
- Spelling in the target language is the most important factor in a quality translation. As you know, there are quite a few differences in spelling between English and American English. For example, the English word color in the American version looks like color.
- Written standards adopted for the target language. We are talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar, as well as the rules of capitalization (highlighting words in capital letters) and dividing text into paragraphs.
- Translating idioms and expressions from one language to another is often difficult. For example, a literal translation of an English phrase into any other language is unlikely to have an understandable meaning.
- The use of periods and commas in writing numerals has its own rules in different languages. This is important because in English, decimal numbers are written as 1,000.01. The same thing is correctly written in Spanish as 1.000.01.
Such details are important from the point of view of high-quality translations of texts from English into Russian.
In addition, I would like to remind you that during the translation process it is important to carefully check the translated text with the source text. Editing at different stages of work will allow you to avoid mistakes.
