Do professional translators need creativity? There are only a very few who associate creativity with the work done by a translator. Many people think that specialized translations are done word by word, with the dictionary in front and that it is enough to know a language perfectly to translate any text, on the spot and without any problem.
Yet, a professional translator must feel the emotion behind the words and translate it into the other language, preserving the meaning, but adapting the words to convey the same emotion.
The role of creativity in translation
Companies addressing a global audience seek to respect the cultural and linguistic particularities of each country. This makes impossible the word-for-word translation of advertising or marketing messages, as an example. When cultural differences speak their word, only creativity can remove the translator from the deadlock. He must feel when to translate literally, when to adapt, and how to preserve the meaning and message of the original text. Without a little creativity, it will be difficult for them to achieve a successful translation.
The biggest problem with advertising and marketing messages is that they have to be effective, that is, to convince the target audience to take a certain action. This action can be a purchase, a phone call or subscription to a specific site, in other words, a lead or a conversion. A perfect but unconvincing translation will never generate the desired results. The translated message needs to have the same convincing power as the original message. Most of the time, it requires, besides good linguistic knowledge, a certain dose of creativity.
The linguistic subtleties demand creativity in translation
The translator must know all the subtleties of the two languages and be ready to adapt the texts, to be able to accurately reproduce the messages that these texts wish to convey.
Most of the time, a literal translation will lack the flavour of the original text or even distort the meaning of certain expressions. A translator who does not show creativity and flexibility in thinking will have trouble in rendering the atmosphere and emotions of the original text.
A good translation manages to accurately convey the mood of the original text, without distorting its meaning. Most of the time, this approach requires creativity from the translator, as well as a very good understanding of both languages. However, knowing these languages perfectly does not guarantee a perfect translation. Creativity is one of the basic ingredients of a successful translation.
The professional translator’s dilemma
Although the need for creativity in professional translations is obvious, the line between creativity and distortion of the original meaning is extremely fine. The translator is often in a position to decide whether to opt for a textual translation or to seek a creative solution to translate the intention of the original text into another language.
Even a translation of a technical text may need a dose of creativity from the translator, albeit to a much lesser extent than translations from literature or marketing. The true art of perfect translation lies in finding the best solutions to convey the original message in its entirety and with the same intensity. The ultimate goal of a good translator is to awaken in the reader the same feelings and the same passion, without in any way distorting the meaning of the original message. Without creativity, this is impossible to achieve.
Why Should You Choose Translation AZ?
Translation AZ is determined to offer our clients translations to help them achieve their goals. If you need a creative and experienced translator to facilitate your communication with clients globally, please contact us.
Our professional team of translators is dedicated to providing either consistent translation coherent with source style or creative translation, at the client’s request. The objective is to keep travellers engaged on their journey with your brand. Our professional team shares the same goals: to provide the best translation services at the highest professional standards. Our work is based on the knowledge, the technology and the resources required offering accurate translation for business or personal use. Our expert translators will translate all your content, providing you with high-quality translations.
All translations are proofread and formatted to match the original layout. As a certified translation service provider, we make sure you get the best quality translations to match the emotion and lingo of your target audience.
Translation AZ will work with you to plan and implement effective global solutions to meet your industry-specific requirements—for any language, market, or deadline.
