As the saying goes: “Difference in profession makes one feel worlds apart”. As a long-term translator in a Chinese translation company, I have always sought for help when I encounter an English word concerning computers. Last time, I got replies from several net friends; however, I was not sure if the answers they got were right although I have the feeling that they were incorrect. Finally, I consulted with a student who was proficient in computers eventually got the meaning o right.
Why do we need to talk about this issue today? After being engaged in the computer translation industry for years, I have gotten in touch with various kinds of translators. Some translators will take the translation materials boldly on the condition of payment whether they have the relevant experience or not. It is easy to know the quality of translation. . Here, I will provide related articles for your reference.
Tips to Improve your Translation
I accepted a piece of translation related to Linux from a Chinese translation company before. The writer purported to be the technical supervisor in a large-scale firm. I thought that such a highly qualified translator would present a competent translation. However, the proofreading proved to be far from satisfactory. As for a staff who majored in computer with an average English level, most of the words are easy to understand, but all of the meanings of the word became a mess in his translation. Maybe the translator has to know the meaning of those words by looking it up in the dictionary instead of just relying on h is basic knowledge of it. Then, I looked for a word in the dictionary, finding out that there were plenty of meanings for that word. It will be extremely hard for a person who is inexperienced with computers to guess the right meaning.
There’s a tendency lately to just learn general English which is oriented towards the public rather than focused on professional knowledge. It’s believed that only a dictionary will be enough for one to be a translator. Whether the dictionary is professional or not, this opinion is not right, which is also the common problem among professional Chinese translators.
All in all, as a long-term translator in a Chinese translation company, I intend to share with you tips on how to become a professional Chinese translator. As the saying goes: “Difference in profession makes one feel worlds apart.” You should not dare translate what we are unfamiliar with lest you want to risk being laughed at by the experts in that field.