The challenges of Arabic translation
Arabic language translation issues
It is well known that Arabic is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Translating documents into or from Arabic language is not easy either. Arabic is so complicated because this language requires a strong command of the developments and refinements needed to convey a specific message, especially in fields such as technology or business. Compared to other languages, technical terms are lacking in Arabic. Besides, technology has not had a strong impact on Arabic culture, which makes many modern concepts difficult to translate.
Translation from Arabic to English
On the other hand, English is a rich and thriving language that has been greatly influenced by technology over the past decade. Adapting English content into Arabic is challenging since this language did not undergo the same recent changes. For instance, in the context of a business document translation, translating into Arabic is made difficult by the lack of nuances since there is only one word for “management” and “administration”. Both words would be translated as “Idara” in Arabic. However, both words have very different meanings in English and using the same Arabic word to translate both concepts could lead to some confusion. The English words “compute” and “calculate” are both translated as “Hisaab” in Arabic. It is very easy to lose the true meaning of an English sentence after translating it into Arabic.
There are other issues with translating content into Arabic. For instance, there has been very little research done in this language regarding the development of computer resources. There are no programs that can check Arabic grammar and no Optical Character Reader (OCR). There are no search engines in Arabic either. Translators have to work in an environment where there are no standards. There are no methodologies or best practices for translators to follow when they work in Arabic. Translators have to follow their gut feeling and adapt a document as best as they can to preserve the meaning from English to Arabic. However, there are many instances where translators simply cannot translate a concept into Arabic and have to keep English words. This is why a lot of Arabic organizations rely on English terms to refer to specific concepts that cannot be translated into Arabic. You will find many English words in Arabic brochures, websites, pamphlets and other marketing content or business documents since there are simply no words that exist in Arabic to convey these ideas.
If you want to be sure your documents are properly and accurately translated from Arabic into English or vice versa, it is wise to hire reputable Arabic translation services agency or a certified translator who has excellent command in both languages, Arabic and English.
At Apoling Solutions, a certified translation services agency NYC, we provide professional translations from Arabic into English and from English to Arabic and, being a member of the ATA (American Translators Association) we ensure that every Arabic translation performed by Apoling Solutions’ Arabic translators will be accepted by the official authorities, including the USCIS and courts, in the USA and abroad.