When a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous...
As with most things, a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous, misleading or a total train-smash.
This is true with regard to translation as well. I recently encountered a text which described a senior member of staff as “…having gained recognition not once in his field”. So then why would anyone want to use this firm’s services?!
Any professional translator would immediately recognize the source of the problem. Just as any proofreader worth their salt would have picked up on this rather damaging oversight.
“Lo pa’am” in Hebrew, translates literally as “not once”. This literal translation however does not convey the intended meaning, namely “not merely once, but many times…”, in other words, the exact opposite. An elegant English alternative needs to be substituted here.
Words count!
Make sure you have your I’s dotted and your T’s crossed before passing Go!
#translation #language #corporateenglishtraining #englishtraining #hebrewtoenglishtranslation