The Biggest Translation Challenges Right Now

Certified translation can be a lucrative career, but it also has several challenges faced by translators. Becoming a great translator means you need to balance the challenges in translation and benefits. That way, you can avoid pitfalls before they happen.

So in this article, let’s discuss some top challenges you may face as a translator or interpreter. That way, you can overcome them with ease and enjoy a profitable and lengthy journey as a professional translator.

Problems Faced By Translators During Translation

Without further ado here are some common translation challenges faced by translators:

Culture

Every culture has its unique ways of wording things. There are specific colloquialisms to keep in mind. Additionally, what may be proper to say in one culture could be offensive in another culture.

Understanding these cultural differences is one of the main challenges of a translator. Remember, you should always keep up to date on what cultures consider acceptable and proper in terms of language.

The Structure Of A Language

Each language has a different structure. Some languages start with a subject, then verb, then object. Other languages use a subject, then object, then verb. Knowing the difference between these two can help you translate it quickly.

You need to have a good grasp of grammar in order to be an excellent translator. Sometimes words are combined. These are compound words. For instance, a couple of nouns or adjectives together can create entirely new words.

In English, examples of this are words like notebook, firefly, or childlike. Sometimes the words can have spacing between them.

Understanding these compound words is more challenging than simply looking at a dictionary. You need to know which ones are most popular in the languages that you’re translating.

That way you can be prepared to hear them or read them and translate them in real time.

Missing Terms

Words that exist in some languages don’t exist in others. For instance, one language may use a couple of different words and adjectives to describe something that is simply communicated with one word in another language. Understanding these missing terms and filling in the blanks will be one of the biggest challenges of being a great translator.

Words That Have Various Meanings

There are several examples of words that have more than one meaning to them. Some words even have the same spelling but an entirely different meaning. As a translator, you’ll be tasked with understanding the context of the translation you’re performing. That way you can use the correct words and identify the true meaning in that specific context.

Becoming A Great Translator

There’s more to being a translator than simply changing words from one language to another. It is a multifaceted career requiring  certified translation. However, due to its challenges, it’s also very rewarding.

If you’re one of the select few who can overcome the difficulties of being a great translator, there are several awards waiting for you at the end of the journey. So continue to improve your skills, and you’ll be able to stay in high demand even as challenges get in your way.