Preventing Errors in Translations

Unless the issue of mistranslation is suitably addressed on every level, the advent of suffering another devastating or humiliating translation work has not been fully averted. It takes only one faulty translation to skew the reputation of a translation agency, so it is also a risk that cannot be taken.

Very little about the quality of a translator can be ascertained by simply administering and grading a standard assessment test. It could be that the prospective linguist will bring their very best efforts into this one test but this says nothing of their continued diligence over time and thousands of translations.

This implies that recruit managers and clients must be increasingly cautious of who they sign on as a translator. A test of general knowledge in the specific translation fields the translator will be working should certainly be part of the assessment. A translator with experience and capability should be able to produce a quality translation with no errors, especially on the initial test. It is however my experience that no matter the quality and experience of a translator, even the best can make a mistake.

This fact is best addressed by a thorough vernacular editor, who has a superior command of both the target and source languages. An optimal vernacular editor should also have a curious mind matched with tenacity, driving them to always search out the best meanings. Without this vital safety net to catch errors, the final translation will be strewn with incongruities and humiliating misinterpretations.

Errors in translation happen and they happen very often, even to the most diligent linguists. Nevertheless, it is the duty of linguists and project managers to produce precise translation without fail.

Sometimes when the tedious errors of mistranslations are driving me to tears, I take solace in the book I plan on writing when I retire titled “1,000 Hilarious Mistranslations and Other Great Party Jokes.” But until that day, I vow to use these recurring flaws as a constant reminder and example in the articles and advice to future linguists who will mature into accurate translators.