Translation category: Common translation mistakes to avoid.

Welcome back to another part of this exciting series. This part will explain some of the common translation mistakes made. This is the eight part of the series that tends to explain how open source contributors can partake in the translation category on Utopian.

The first part previews the category past and present mode.

In the second part, enthusiastic translators were enlightened on writing the application post.

The third-part explained the category guidelines.

How to write a good translation report was discussed in the fourth part.

The fifth part treated the category review questions.

The sixth and seventh parts exposed both the translators and language moderators to the hidden functions of crowdin.

This part will look at some of the common mistakes made during translation.

Source

It is every translator dream to fully translate a project without a single error. This may look impossible but it is achievable. Crowdin already provided the tools needed to achieve a hitch-free translation. The onus is on you to deliver.

Verbatim translation

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Many translators fall into this trap. Verbatim translation otherwise known as word-for-word translation is not ideal. It fails to capture the intended meaning of the string you are translating. As an approved translator, you need to be able to understand the string as a whole and then interpret it into the target language in the best way that we preserve the original meaning.

Take for example you are asked to translate the following

• He works in the ministry of finance.
• He will finance the trip.

Translating word for word will give a wrong meaning in the target language. That is why I do advise that the translator should be familiar with the project before embarking on it. If you are translating a project whitepaper, downloading the whitepaper from the project website and going through it won't cost you a thing. This will help you understand the style used and how best to replicate it during your translation. You should know that each language possesses different syntactic rules and it is imperative that you understand them if you wish to provide an error-free translation.

In summary, get the full text of the string you are translating, make sure you understand the meaning being passed out, translate in a way that best conveys the source language meaning. This will help to prevent situations where a translator is undecided on the right word to use.

Words usage

Usage of complex words to describe simple terms is common among new translators. They are new and want to impress, so they use complex words in a bid to show that they understand both languages very well. This is not so good. The translations should be simple and not filled with complex words or technical words.

It is also important for the translator to know who the project audience is. That will help cut out mistakes of improper words usage. The style use in translating a project meant for the tech community will be different from that of the finance community. I urge you to remember that whenever you want to translate a project.

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Some projects use gender-related variables and it is required that the translator follow suit. However, many translators find it difficult to differentiate between masculine and feminine words. The source language may define a word as Masculine which may be Feminine in the target language. You should understand these words intricacies. In case of any doubt, you can always use the comment feature on the crowdin to contact the project owners so as to get the actual message being passed out.

Translators should avoid adding unneeded information in their translated text. Many translators tend to include clarifying information while translating. This breaks the word flow and should be stopped. That is why translators must have adequate knowledge in the target language.

Most translators tend to provide unneeded information simply because they couldn't find the appropriate word to use. Therefore they tend to elaborate it. You need to find the right word to use that will convey the source language meaning without the extra information.

Other mistakes

There are a host of mistakes that can change the intended meaning of a string.

• Structural errors
• Typographical errors
• Punctuation errors
• Omission errors
• Whitespaces errors
• Grammatical errors
• Inconsistency

These are a number of errors that may make your translation bad.

You can see inconsistency listed there. Translators must try to be consistent with whatever style they use. That is why crowdin possess a translation memory. It reminds you of the style used in a previous string so you can follow suit.

Whitespaces error is one common error that translators make. Most translators live out whitespaces especially those found at the end of the word. This is not a good practice. The whitespace should be copied exactly into the translation.

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Typographical error is commonly made when inputting translations. It is basically spelling errors. It may be due to the fat finger syndrome where one finger is bigger than the touch zone and unexpectedly press and adjoining key. Translating thief to Ole in Yoruba can be wrongly translated as Oke due to the L key being near K. That is why I do advise translators to double check their translations. This will help spot any typographical error made which can be corrected immediately.

There are situations which translators go on to translate links, HTML tags et.c. this is not acceptable as it will have an adverse effect on the project. Those links you translated would turn out to be a bad link as they cannot point to the intended location again. Translatable HTML text should be translated. A situation where a text go to which links to another page is not translated, it shows incomplete work done. The translator should translate text that will be viewable. In case of any problem, you can always contact your language moderator or the project owner.

Personal mistakes

There are situations where translation mistakes happen because of personal reasons.

You should develop a sort of love for the project if you want to provide an error-free translation.

However, when the translator approaches the project with a lack of passion it will only result in a word for word translation which is not good. Be passionate about the project.

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I also advise translators not to overwork themselves. Take a break from translating when you are tired or stressed. It helps prevent many mistakes such as typographical errors. Overworking yourself leads to poor translation.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned mistake as some of the most common mistakes made by translators. I believe this post will serve as an eye opener and see them make some changes.

Series Backlinks

https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@zoneboy/translation-category-joining-the-translation-team-1

https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@zoneboy/translation-category-writing-your-application-post

https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@zoneboy/translation-category-understanding-the-category-guidelines

https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@zoneboy/translation-category-how-to-write-your-translation-report

https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@zoneboy/translation-category-the-contribution-review-questions

https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@zoneboy/translation-category-understanding-crowdin-1

https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@zoneboy/translationcategoryunderstandingcrowdin2-2t6zlu1c4d

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