Finding the Right Word

How hard can it be to substitute one word for another in a different language? As all translators will know, the answer is very!

Take the German word nerv?s as an example, this can be translated into English as nervous, but also edgy, or perhaps tense or jumpy, oh and it could also mean excitable… So which word do you choose?

Here are just a few reasons why the process of translating individual words is far from straightforward:

• A word may have several meanings and it’s not always clear from the context of the source text which is implied
• The word chosen for translation usually has to have not only the same meaning, but also the same stylistic qualities as the source-text word
• The client that the translation is being written for may have particular requirements regarding which word should be used
• The text should generally be consistent; if you choose one target-language equivalent earlier on in the text for a certain word, it should be used again when the same word pops up later in the source text
• The word may not exist at all in the target language or the concept it refers to may be completely unfamiliar for the target culture

Most translators will be well-practiced in gauging the meaning of the word they are trying to translate from the source text, taking things like the context, style, genre and purpose of the text into account. But there can be times when even these clues don’t help them out! Translating requires an outstanding command of both the source and target language. Translators will often have to dig deep below the surface level of a text to get to the real meaning and purpose of a certain word.

So next time someone says that translating is just a simple process of substituting one word for another, remind them it’s not that easy!

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