英语翻译中常犯的10个错误,你占了几个?

如题所述

第1个回答  2023-01-30
【 #英语资源# 导语】如果你正打算翻译某些内容或将你的网站本地化,请在着手前注意以下10个易犯的错误~以下内容由 !

1. Translating content verbatim from a source language to a target language

逐字逐句将源语翻译成目标语

This is a surefire way to let blunders sneak into your translation. Even though words may be correctly translated, it’s important to know that different languages have different syntax, sentence structure, and subject-object agreement. The key is paying attention to syntactical nuances, the etymology of words, and phraseology between languages.

这么做一定会使你的翻译出现错误。即便是每个字词翻译得可能都正确,我们还是要清楚,不同的语言有不同的句法、句子结构和主宾一致。关键是要注意句法的细微差别、词源以及不同语言之间措辞的差异。

2. Failing to interpret intent behind language

没有译出语言背后的意思

Missing the intent behind a translation can have big implications. While the translation might be technically correct, the nuance of intent can completely change the meaning of a sentence from one language to another.In some cases, this mistake has escalated tensions between countries bringing them the brink of war, but more often than not it leads to an awkward translation that doesn’t make sense.

译文没有体现原文背后的意思可能会产生天壤之别。从一种语言译入另一种语言时,虽然译文可能基本正确,但说话意图的细微差别可能会完全改变句子的意思。有些情况下,这类错误加剧了各国之间的紧张关系,使它们濒临战争的边缘;但我们更经常看到的是,这种失误常常会导致翻译蹩脚不堪、难以理解。

3. Assuming English (U.S.) to English (U.K.) is going to be mirror image

以为美式英语是英式英语的翻版

The differences may be subtle, but they’re important. For example, large online retailers often have copy departments dedicated to product deions just for their U.K. market. Even though you’re essentially speaking the same language, when it comes to reading, there are often spelling differences and phrases that would stand out as starkly American to a British person—words like “favorite/favourite,” and common deions like “to the reverse” instead of “at the back.” The devil is in the details, too—some common words (even words to describe parts of an item of clothing) in the U.S. can be offensive slang words across the pond.

美式英语和英式英语之间可能差别甚微,但这些细微差别却至关重要。例如,大型在线零售商通常有专门针对其英国市场产品描述的复印部。尽管你们基本上讲的是同一种语言,但在阅读时,通常会有一些拼写上的差异以及对英国人来说明显是美式英语的短语——像“favorite/favourite”这两个词,并且美国人通常用“to the reverse”来表示背面,而英国人则喜欢用“at the back”。陷阱也通常出现在细节之处——一些美国的常见词语(甚至是描述一件服装不同部位的词语)很可能在英国就是充满冒犯意味的俚语。

4. Not having translated content proofed by a native language speaker

不经母语人士校对翻译内容

The easiest way to comb your translated content for lost intention or awkward phrases is to have a native language speaker proof it. Allowing time in your project for a final proofing phase is a good idea regardless of translation, but when you’re pushing content out into the world in a language you don’t understand, it’s best to be certain it’s not missing the mark.

避免译文丢失掉原文背后的意思或出现难堪的短语*容易的办法,就是找一位母语人士校对译文。无论你翻得如何,在项目进程中安排终审阶段是个不错的办法。但是当你打算用一种自己不懂的语言将内容推广到全世界时,*好要确保能达到你的目的。

5. Not creating a glossary or translation memory (TM) database as you go

不及时创建术语表或翻译记忆数据库

Get the most bang for your buck by creating a glossary of translated terms as you go—something your translator can do in addition to their work. Have your translator write down terms that you often use, words that stood out, or phrases that were a bit more complicated to get right. That way, you’re making life easier for future translators, ensuring more consistency, and hopefully reducing room for error.

及时创建术语翻译词汇表可以让你的收益*大化——你的译员可以在工作之余完成这项工作。让译员写下你经常使用的术语,特别需要注意的词汇,或者需要搞清楚的复杂短语。如此一来,就能让将来合作的译员工作更轻松,确保内容的一致性,并有助于减少错误。

6. Translating text without paying attention to style or tone

翻译文本时不注意文风或语气

Imagine how difficult translating a poem would be, and you’re starting to gather how complicated and nuanced nailing tone can be. You might be strictly speaking about the types of words your translator chooses. For example, a casual article shouldn’t be translated with a lot of flourishes, or overly difficult words, a common thing someone who wields a thesaurus too bravely might do. Or, you might be talking about the overall gist of a book or . How it reads can ultimately be as important as what is being read.

想象一下翻译一首诗有多难,你就会开始了解,描写到位的语气是多么复杂和微妙。你可能会严格谈论你的译者选择的词语类型。例如,翻译一篇非正式文章不应该使用大量的华丽辞藻或是过于难懂的词汇,喜欢拽词的人往往会犯这种错误。或者,你可能是在谈论某本书或某部剧本的梗概。阅读方式*终可能和阅读内容一样重要。

This mistake isn’t limited to marketing content or literary works, either.An entire article can be misinterpreted if the tone is off. Say a casual document speculating about weather trends is translated with a very formal, authoritative tone. All of a sudden, the reader might take the situation to be much dire than it is, and assume a global storm is imminent.

这个错误不仅仅会在营销内容或文学作品中出现。文章一旦缺乏语气,可能整篇内容都会被误解。假设一份关于天气趋势的非正式文件以非常正式、官方的语气翻译出来,读者可能会突然觉得天气状况比实际情况要糟糕得多,并会设想一场全球风暴即将到来。

Always mind the tone, and make sure you’re communicating your intent clearly with your translation specialist.

始终注意语气,并确保与翻译专家清楚地交流你的想法。

7. Assuming knowledge of the language automatically equals skilled translation

认为语言知识自然而然等同于翻译经验

Consider this: Even professors who teach a foreign language for a living can make mistakes translating documents. Knowing how to speak two different languages doesn’t automatically qualify someone to translate between the two, contrary to what you might think. Translation is truly an art form and requires learned creativity and plenty of experience to do well.

设想一下,即使有些教授以教外语为生,他在翻译文件时也会犯错误。与你所想的恰恰相反,知道如何说两种不同的语言并不等同于有资格在两种语言之间进行翻译。翻译是一种真正的艺术形式,需要经过习得的创造力和丰富的经验才能胜任。

For certain types of translations—highly technical content, medical and scientific translation, or other regulated industries—knowledge of a language is only half of the requirement. You’re also looking for someone skilled in that industry or field. For marketing translation, you might require more cultural knowledge to resonate with that audience—for example, knowing about religious holidays, political news, or pop culture.

对于某些类型的翻译,包括高技术含量的内容、医学和科学翻译、或其它受管辖的行业,语言知识只占翻译要求的一半。你同时也是在寻找在这个行业或领域有丰富翻译经验的人。对于营销翻译,你可能需要更多的文化知识来与读者产生共鸣,例如了解宗教节日、政治新闻或流行文化。

8. Thinking languages never change or evolve

认为语言永不改变或演进

New words are added to the dictionary every year—and not just in the English language. Translators are professional students of the languages they learn, staying up to date on new words, trends, and evolutions of language.

每年字典里都会收录新的词汇,不止英语如此。译者在其所学语言方面有所专攻,要不断跟进语言中出现的新词汇以及语言的发展趋势和演进。

9. Ignoring “untranslatable” words or native colloquial sayings

忽略“不可译”词汇或本土口语表述

This is a common problem when using slang, common sayings, or catchy taglines. They might work in one language, but fall flat in another. Your best bet is to have a native language speaker proof it to make sure your meaning carries over to your target language.Or else, you might end up like HSBC bank whose rebranded tagline “Assume Nothing” becomes “Do Nothing” in another country.

这个问题普遍出现在使用俚语、俗语、标语口号时的情况。这些表述或许在某种语言中能够达意,但在另一种语言中讲不通。*好的办法是让说母语的人进行校对,以确保你的意思符合目标语的表达习惯。否则可能就会闹汇丰银行那样的笑话,在重塑品牌过程中将“绝不麻痹大意”的口号翻译成另一国语言里“毫不作为”的意思。

10. Assuming numbers are just numbers, no matter the language

认为数字就是数字,无关语言

Pay close attention to figures, stats, and any translation of numerical information like currency, dates, times, drug doses, and the metric system (weights, distances, temperatures, etc.). It might seem like numbers are numbers no matter who’s reading them, buttheir formats can vary from country to country, and the language surrounding them might affect their interpretation.

要格外留意数字、数据等数字信息的翻译,如货币、日期、时间、药物剂量和公制单位(重量、距离、温度等)。虽然看上去无论译文的受众是谁,数字就是数字,但它们的形式却因国而异,数字周围的语言可能也会影响对它们的解读。
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