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Translation means different things to different people. It is often wrongly used to mean interpreting which is the verbal process of translation. Translation, by contrast, deals with written communication.
The commonest form of translation deals with general communication. Beyond that there is the translation of reports product specifications, manuals and catalogues and, at a higher level of specialisation, legal documents, patents and research articles.
The most difficult type of translation is, however, of publicity and advertising material. Why is this so?
The answer is that you have to translate the sense of the culture as well as that of the words themselves. What fits well in your own language and culture may not fit at all well in another language and culture.
As an example, in German texts you tend to find great emphasis on detailed product specifications, performance and quality levels. By contrast, English materials tend to underline performance of the product relative to that of competitors and its overall attractiveness.
Good translation successfully masters language and cultural differences.
Professor Stephen Hagen, University of
Warwick, UK
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