More than words

You can spend hours writing the perfect article, press release or web text to then realise all you hard work might be in vain because it has to be translated.  Subtleties of phasing, word play and delicate sentence structures are often smashed to pieces and broken apart with the brute force of translating, especially if it’s done by translating software or an online translation service. 

However, translation does not need to do this.  You do not need to see all your hard work ruined.  A sympathetic translation is one that focuses on meaning, tone, audience and the market. A text highlights the beauty and clarity of the original work and does not confuse it with broken grammar or incorrect phrasing.  

In order for a translation to do this I believe you have to first realise and accept that no two languages are exactly the same.  It is never word for word, but messages and meanings.  A good translator has the ability to understand a text, understand the key points and the audience who will read it and to then create the exact same messages with the exact same meanings to the audience in another language, utilising the correct tone and phrasing.  To do this takes time, understanding and experience. Translation is more than words.