Blog

The Three Enemies to a Native-Sounding Translation (And How to Conquer Them)

April 30, 2024

All the translators I trained beyond the beginner level struggled with a key point — writing in their native language.

It’s amazing how they went to great lengths to study the source language. They set all apps, games, and subtitles to that language. They looked for foreign conversation partners, researched obscure idioms, and did grammar exercises. In fact, they displayed a strong grasp of the source text, and accuracy wasn’t a major issue.

But the translated text didn’t read like Portuguese (Brazil) or Portuguese (European).

I called it a ‘new’ variant: Portuguese (English), or PT-EN.

Sentence construction closely resembled English, redundant pronouns were all over the place, and words had been used as cognates where they shouldn’t.

Now, I imagine this is a common issue in all language pairs, not just English to Portuguese. Absorbed by the source text, we inevitably stray from the natural use of our native language. The result often is a low-readability piece that just feels translated.

So, let’s examine three common, overarching problems in translated materials and how to address them.

Lack of Industry-Standard Vocabulary and Style

This is what sets a specialist apart from a jack-of-all-trades (but master of none). While generalist translators might be able to understand specialized terminology, they’ll probably have a hard time writing like native professionals from a given field. At best, this creates graceless sentences that sound a bit alien. Worst-case scenario, translation errors could lead to medical malpractice, like botched knee surgeries in Germany.

Mastering a field of expertise isn't about just learning the jargon. It's also about choosing when to leave some terms untranslated. Imagine translating "haute couture" into a clunky phrase like "high sewing." Your readers might be more familiar with the original French term than its less fashionable English equivalent. When translating content, consider your audience's existing knowledge and preferences.

Tips to improve industry-standard vocabulary

• Acquire glossaries and domain-specific dictionaries. Using them will ensure your translated terminology is spot-on, instilling confidence in readers who are familiar with the field.
• Read from reputable, native-language sources in your field of expertise. There’s no better way to absorb industry-standard style than reading how language is actually used in a given domain. Market leaders, newspapers, and recognized universities are generally good resources.
• Consume high-quality translation in your field of expertise. It can be hard to discover strong translations in your language, but once you do, you’ll have a reliable reference of how professionals tackle translation challenges that have long eluded you.

Convoluted Flow

Convoluted sentences often suffer from unclear ideas, awkward phrasings, and ambiguous pronouns. Even when grammatically correct, they may require multiple readings to be understood. Strung together, these sentences can form messy paragraphs lacking cohesion and coherence. This typically occurs when translators attempt to replicate the source text's sentence structure 1:1. However, each language has a framework of its own, solidified through generations of usage.

Let's compare a few characteristics of English to other languages.

• Discourse idiosyncrasies. For example, requests in English often begin with the politeness marker please: ‘Please tighten your seatbelts,’ ‘Please close all applications before proceeding.’ Also, English is generally more welcoming to the passive voice than Romance languages.
• Repetition of pronouns. Verb inflection is fairly simple in English, and a standalone verb doesn’t typically carry as much grammatical information (such as person and number) as in other languages. Besides that, English sentences always require a clear subject, making repetitive use of pronouns inevitable. That may not hold true to your native language, however.
• Syntax order. English is defined as an analytic language where word order plays a crucial role in conveying meaning. Your native language might be more malleable or need a different order to sound natural.

Tips to improve target text flow

• Take a break from your work (ideally overnight) to clear your head before the proofreading step. This is an age-old writing tip, but it’s worth mentioning anyway.
• Read the translated text first. Don’t refer to the source text until you’ve ensured a natural flow in the target text. This will make it easier to immerse in your native language, avoiding interference from the source language’s sentence structures and word choices. Once that’s done, compare the translation to the original text to ensure it retains key information and doesn’t distort meaning and tone.
• When working with segmented text, export the files so you can read how sentences are joined in paragraphs. Reliance on automated segmentation has led many of us to overlook basic editing practices like sentence reordering, splitting, and joining. They can greatly increase readability, however.

Poor Grammar

It should go without saying that translators need mastery of grammar rules in their native language. Spend a day as a language test evaluator, however, and you’ll quickly see how ill-prepared some applicants are, including those with experience.

Even if your specialism involves slang or casual speech, learning normative grammar isn’t a step you can just skip. To go against the norm, you must first understand what the norm is. In the end, knowing when to break the rules is at a more advanced level of language proficiency. You don’t want a broken grammar rule that can make your text vague or imprecise. This is particularly important for technical fields such as law, life sciences, and engineering.

But why do grammar mistakes creep into the text of even seasoned translators?

Basically, we all tend to make assumptions about certain grammar rules without ever having researched them properly. Take punctuation, for example. Writers may add commas according to oral speech pauses. In English, this could lead to comma splices or to commas separating long subjects from their main verbs. Consider other lesser-known rules in your native language as well. Never take grammar for granted until you actually read about the grammar points involved in a sentence you’re writing.

Tips to improve grammar

• Attend writing workshops and private courses in your native language.
• Research specific grammar points, such as verb transitivity, sentence structures, comma splices, uncountable nouns, declensions, and noun genders.
• Identify blind spots by using AI tools to pinpoint grammar mistakes you’re unaware of. Then, consult grammar manuals and other resources to work directly on your weaknesses.

Translation is a 24/7 Job

This article brought helpful tips to put you on the right track toward improving target text writing. However, the best way to ensure your translation sounds natural is simply to pay close attention to its day-to-day use. Whether you’re translating for Marketing, video games, or technical fields, stay attuned to native speakers, and you’ll be surprised at the vast linguistic repertoire you can build long-term.