Translating a text riddled with spelling mistakes 投稿者: Maria-Jose Pastor
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In translating a text that is riddled with mistakes - do we as translators translate what we the translator believes the author is trying to convey through context clues, or indicate there is a mistake? The text is from Spanish to English, examples would be:
Despues instead of Después / mas instead of más / le pego un puno instead of le pegó un puño
The translation is to be used in a court proceeding.
Thank you for your input.
| | | | Joseph Tein 
米国
Local time: 07:51
2009に入会
スペイン語 から 英語
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| You have to be very careful | Apr 8 |
This is an important question since the translation may affect the outcome of a court proceeding!
I would just say take each instance separately. If the meaning is clear even without the punctuation, just translate it. If it's not clear in any way, or ambiguous, I would add a comment that says something like "meaning ambiguous due to lack of punctuation." Alert whoever has assigned you the translation task that there are ambiguities.
Often, our less-educated Spanish... See more This is an important question since the translation may affect the outcome of a court proceeding!
I would just say take each instance separately. If the meaning is clear even without the punctuation, just translate it. If it's not clear in any way, or ambiguous, I would add a comment that says something like "meaning ambiguous due to lack of punctuation." Alert whoever has assigned you the translation task that there are ambiguities.
Often, our less-educated Spanish clients/witnesses write poorly. It's the best they know given what is often a horribly deficient educational system back home. ▲ Collapse
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I would certainly inform the client about any spelling error or other issues present in the source text, to be sure that I have understood what I am translating. Moreover in such a way I would deliver a good service to my client, and my good standing would grow stronger.
| | | | | Helping spelling can be good marketing | Apr 9 |
We translate a lot of engineering and technical stuff. When we look at the document if there are a fair few errors, we say to the client "If we notice any typos, do you want us to alert you? No charge!" The response is usually "Yes please, that would be great!"
A lot of people in the UK who go into technical careers weren't necessarily highly literate at school in the obsessive way us translators are. (My own brother is dyslexic, but he was in charge of making sure a petrol refinery didn't... See more We translate a lot of engineering and technical stuff. When we look at the document if there are a fair few errors, we say to the client "If we notice any typos, do you want us to alert you? No charge!" The response is usually "Yes please, that would be great!"
A lot of people in the UK who go into technical careers weren't necessarily highly literate at school in the obsessive way us translators are. (My own brother is dyslexic, but he was in charge of making sure a petrol refinery didn't blow up the locality..it's a different kind of clever!).
Having said that, if an error makes a big difference to the meaning (in legal documents) or in Health and Safety, if we need clarity we go back to the customer rather than guessing. ▲ Collapse
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If these are the kind of mistakes you are talking about, it shouldn't be a problem. It seems the writer did not have the programme at hand to type Spanish accents, however, as far as I can see the context seems quite obvious in the examples you posted.
| | | | Kay Denney
フランス
Local time: 16:51
2018に入会
フランス語 から 英語
123Translations wrote:
If these are the kind of mistakes you are talking about, it shouldn't be a problem. It seems the writer did not have the programme at hand to type Spanish accents, however, as far as I can see the context seems quite obvious in the examples you posted.
I only have a smattering of tourist Spanish but it does look like the text was simply typed up on a non-Spanish keyboard. If misunderstandings are possible because of missing accents, it should be pointed out in a translator's note. If it's actually incomprehensible, you should ask the client to try to find out what the spelling should be.
| | | | Belen Lozina
アルゼンチン
Local time: 11:51
新規ユーザー
英語 から スペイン語
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| It will depend on the mistakes | Apr 11 |
123Translations wrote:
If these are the kind of mistakes you are talking about, it shouldn't be a problem. It seems the writer did not have the programme at hand to type Spanish accents, however, as far as I can see the context seems quite obvious in the examples you posted.
I strongly agree with 123Translations here, in the example you gave the mistakes are not misleading and the typos do not produce a change in meaning in Spanish.
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