Month: May 2014

When it comes to translating documents, the translator must take into consideration many aspects of the material he/she is going to work on. For instance if we compare the methodology between translating a document, specifically a Resolution, for the UN and translating a marketing campaign there are many things to take into consideration. The gap between the two is very notorious, a translation for the UN requires a specific and ONLY language (one format or model to follow). Translating an UN resolution also requires a special skills set as the translator needs to have knowledge of the vocabulary used a the UN. There is a specific format that the translator must keep from the type font, to the spaces and bullet points are done for a reason.For this type of translation there is NOT room for “adaptation” as there is only one way to translate their document. On the other had, when working on a marketing campaign, the translator must have plenty consideration for “adaptation”. Who is this going to, where is it going to show? are the phrases or lines for this campaign understandable in the receiving language. The format used with marketing campaign the “sky is the limit” since it requires lots of creativity to make sure is acceptable for the receiving language. Both translations are totally different in content, style and methodology.

La traducción de una campana publicitaria y un documento de la ONU no tiene la misma metodología.
Cuando se traduce una campana publicitaria se puede manipular el contenido de su texto con el fin de atraer al publico, pero al mismo tiempo se tiene que tomar en cuenta al publico a quien va dirigido; habido situaciones de traducción que a traído malos resultados para la compañía porque la traducción no tenia sentido en el otro idioma, es por eso que la localización juega una parte muy importante en la traducción. El punto de una campana publicitaria es dar a conocer el producto nacional y muchas de la veces llevarlo internacional con el fin de promover sus ventas para lo cual es necesaria la traducción. Otro punto que se puede recalcar de la campana publicitaria es el vocabulario que no tiende a ser tan formal como un documento de la ONU. El mensaje de una campaña es para el publico en general con un vocabulario de el diario fácil de captar el mensaje.

Traducir un documento de United States Security Counsil resolution y una campana publicitaria es totalmente diferente. El contenido del documento es mas directo, entre el texto cita códigos, referencias de actas declaradas en años pasados, podría decir que el vocabulario es mas complejo y profesional. El traductor debe ser mas cuidadoso con la traducción ya que no se puede manipular el contenido y el publico principal son altos funcionarios, por lo cual su contenido es claro y conciso.

A pesar de la diferencia entre la traducción de un anuncio publicitario y una resolución de la ONU, es que los dos tienen un mismo interés, y es la de llevar su mensaje a los demás por medio de la traducción.

Andres Rivera

Blog 10

Translation Methodology

The words translated and the context of the documents must be taken in consideration. The translation would favor for neutral, straight forward words. In contrast a Marketing translation is geared towards the emotion that the advertisement is trying to convey.

Because of the nature of advertisement, the words and ideas used are rather easy to understand, and the language is usually not complicated. While in the United Stations a lot of complex terminology is used, and the intended audience is of power figures and head of states. A wrong translation in Ad campaign might generate some loses for the benefactor company, but a wrong translation in the United Nations could even provoke international conflicts or even war.

While Marketing campaigns might not be fully aware of the audience it reaching ultimately, they do not invest as much time in delicacy or sensible information. Translators in the United Nations are exposed to more risk. Therefore I would use a careful and slow revision of my first draft looking for semantic errors, then I would revise again to make sure the information conveyed is both constant and tone neutral to the original document, and lastly hand it to a colleague for revision.

For an ad campaign the risk for a translator is lower since there is a specified target audience to be influenced. Editors and marketing specialist will work with translators do deliver the same message of a product using a different language. The translation should include words that are familiar to the majority of the target audience.