6 Must-Remember Tips for Novice Spanish Translators

Spanish Translators: How to Get Started

Spanish is one of the oldest languages in the history of human civilization. Spanish has its roots in the earliest form of Latin which was the language of Romans. Today, Spanish is spoken by over 400 million people as mother tongue while more than 60 million people use it as a second language. Spanish is also spoken by more than 20 million foreign students. So if you are a Spanish Translator or you own an online translation website, you have good chance of getting plenty of assignments for Spanish language.

As with any other language, translating a Spanish text demands your knowledge and skills in its all forms, i.e. writing, speaking and listening. Additionally, you must have a robust arsenal of vocabulary.

An understanding of the culture, literature and lifestyle count more if you want to pursue a career in translation. So it is equally important that you have sound knowledge of these essentials elements. Here I will give you guidelines on how to become an effective Spanish translator. Just follow these tips:

1. 1 – Understand The Subject: Before translating a document, it is important that you get familiarized with the subject in question. An understanding of the subject will provide you a better sense of tone and word selection that you need to apply while translating the document. For example, if you need to translate a movie review, you must watch the movie so that you have knowledge of its story, characters and dialogues. Similarly, you will give a better interpretation of a legal document if you understand the laws of that particular area.

2. 2 – Consider The Tone And Style: Translation is not about interpreting a document word for word. It is about conveying the right meaning in the right tone. Unless you have a sense of the style and tone, you cannot convey its true essence. Without these crucial elements, a document will be a mere piece of translation without any real meaning.

3. 3 – Identify Your Target Audience: Your audience is the guiding factor when it comes to translating a document. With an understanding of the sensibilities and intellectual level of your target audience, you are in a better position to translate a document. Any slight error may result in wrong interpretation and hurt the sentiments of readers, especially if it is about a piece of scripture.

4. 4 – Know the Etymology: Translation is about interpreting words in the right context. Without knowing the etymology of a word, you cannot give proper interpretation of a subject. A word may imply a practice or ritual in one culture that may not exist in other. This is particularly applicable in translating sacred documents or scriptures as any slight mistake can change the whole context of a word, sentence or passage.

5. 5 – Be Wary With Use Of Idioms: Likewise, it is important that you are good at using idioms and expressions. In fact, the mastery of a translator is judged by his ability to use phrases and expressions. While converting an idiom into other language, you must be sure that it implies the same meaning.
6. 6 – Make Use Of Technology: The use of technology can facilitate the process of translation. While it is not always the case, you can get instant help with translation and meaning of a word with contemporary tools. Besides, you can find online resources of many popular publishers of lexicon where you can find meaning of a word or expression. Google Translator and Wikipedia can be handy tools for Spanish translation.