Translating is an inexact science. Most people, when thinking about translating, often associate this activity with a mechanical, nearly mathematical process in which every word belonging to a language perfectly corresponds to another in the target language. If you have yet tried to translate a text or even a sentence only, you perfectly know that it’s not how it really works.
Translating is not an exact science, it’s rather an art seeking its balance between faithfulness to the original and creativity. Each language is a separate universe, with cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and peculiar grammar structures. Therefore, translators are not only “technicians” but they are also cultural interpreters who need to consider both the literal meaning and the deepest sense of a text.
Semantic equivalents: A mere delusion
Translating is an inexact science. One of the most common mistakes when it comes to talking about translating is to believe that a semantic equivalent between the two languages is always possible. Indeed, words bring a wealth of connotations and cultural references that do not always have a direct equivalent. A typical example of this is the Japanese term wabi-sabi defining both an esthetic and a philosophical concept and is difficult to express in other languages by using one single word only.
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Creativity and compromises
Translating is an inexact science. Every translator constantly makes choices: is it better to prioritize faithfulness to the original text or fluency and readability? Is it better to keep a pun or to find an equivalent one in the target language? Literary translators, for instance, have to keep the author’s style, whereas translators dealing with subtitling also have to take into account brevity and reading time.
The Role of the Context
The meaning of a word or a sentence depends on the context. An easy expression, such as “It’s raining cats and dogs” cannot be translated literally into Italian (“Sta piovendo gatti e cani”) without seeming absurd to a native speaker. In this case, the translator’s sensitivity is essential as he/she has to adapt the translation and it’s not sufficient to transpose it word by word.
Conclusion
Translating is a balance between science and art, between language rules and intuition. Therefore, a perfect translation doesn’t exist, you may yet have more or less effective interpretations depending on the aim and public. Perhaps, being imperfect, translating is getting more and more attractive.
