Professional translation

Written translation is one of the most difficult forms of translation and especially, when it comes to translating specialized texts that are particularly difficult to understand. It would be a mistake to think, that knowledge of the foreign language philology is sufficient by itself – it is necessary to know the terms and peculiarities of a particular industry to avoid uncertainties and ambiguities that can reduce the probability of a good translation or its correct interpretation. Our qualified native translators follow the main and unbreakable rules for written translation, which ensures the high quality of our translations.

Language clarity

Naturally, some of the quality criteria in specialized translations, which are also generally applied in the practice of translation are clarity, lucidity and unambiguity. These criteria are particularly strictly applied in the translation of legal, environmental, laboratory and scientific research as well as in transport and logistical texts. Indeed, there can be plenty of complex and sometimes hard to capture concepts within the content of a text, which lack the deep semantic structure typical to the semantics which can apply to industrial subjects. The requirements provided by the Directorate – General for Translation indicate that nothing may be omitted or additionally added to a translated text: it must be a precise, consistent translation of the source, while at the same time maintaining identical formatting. Therefore, translators may not diverge from the original language of the text and provide translations involving interpretations at their own discretion. Translations in these areas are the most difficult, as it is not always easy to ensure the clarity of a language that does not contain terms or words that are interchangeable with or even exist within both of the languages being worked with.

Intertextuality

This is another challenge for translators of specialized texts. It includes the precise citation of references, without which, chemistry, pharmacy or biotechnology texts could hardly be imaginable. Intertextuality appears as links in translated texts with former documents using an infinite number of references, direct and indirect quotations and language templates, while using the terms in a consistent manner. The translator has to be very accurate and detailed to not miss any footnotes in the text and to understand their importance.

Terminology

When translating specialized texts of any area, accuracy is very important. Of course, professional translators are also expected to demonstrate consistency in the terms used and vocabulary; however, in practice, it is very difficult to fulfil this requirement. This has been influenced by multilingual and multicultural media, where new words and expressions constantly evolve and are sometimes only used at a national level or within certain styles or areas of languages. Even one term used incorrectly or out of context reduces the quality of a translation and can decrease the clarity of the text language. Therefore, in order to use terms consistently, a professional translator analyses a range of previous documents and those of a similar type to be able to use specific terms and concepts consistently and purposefully. Accurate knowledge of terminology requires constant development and the accumulation of knowledge. Therefore, specialized texts can only be entrusted to professionals with long-term experience.

Although every specific language and industry features its own typical terminology, in order to ensure the accuracy of the text and purity of the language, it is necessary to follow certain general basic principles:

• To seek to guarantee the clarity and unambiguity of the text and to take into account the structure of the language it is to be translated into.
• To use international terms and concepts consistently and, if possible, avoid the usage of terms that are only common at a national level.
• To follow the principle of accuracy, in other words, it is necessary to take into account the goal, impact and meaning of the document to be translated.