Translation preference, mistake or caprice?
Just as each word, sentence and paragraph in a piece of marketing collateral must be weighed up carefully, both to judge its individual impact and its relation to the document as a whole, so it is with the translation of that document. And if it can be a long process to hit on the right word or phrase in the original, imagine how difficult it can be to find the right translation!
Very, very often, what it comes down to is a question of preference. Preference for a certain translation of a word, or rendering a certain verb form in a certain way. Preference for longer sentences, or a preference for shorter words.
An original text represents one out of several possible versions, and is a compromise between different approaches to the messaging. Similarly, a translation often reflects one of a variety of possible perspectives. Crucial here is the understanding that no translation is the only possible ‘right’ one.
Related topic: Translating for your Target Audience
All our translations are reviewed and checked for QA
Once we are assured that there are no ‘technical’ or ‘mechanical’ errors in the translation, the precise details of the phrasing simply reflect the experience and preferences of the translator. One of the great banes of any translator’s life is that people routinely confuse ‘preference’ for ‘correctness’. That is to say, they assume that there can be only one ‘correct’ way to translate something. More often than not, this ‘correct’ version will do no more than indicate their own preferences.
Translation is a specialised art, and career translators will have spent as much time studying and training as any other professional. Good translators (such as those QuickSilver Translate works with) are highly experienced linguistic experts. You would be wise to put your trust in their judgement.
