Scientific Translation Techniques

SCIENTIFIC TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES
TOP SCIENTIFIC TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

Scientific translation is the translation of scientific texts; thus a special knowledge will be required.
These texts require a deep knowledge of both the source and target languages, as well as a proper
understanding of the subject. Scientific translators are often trained linguists that specialize in fields
such as medicine, biology or chemistry. Sometimes they are scientists that have developed a high
degree of linguistic knowledge, which they apply to the translation of texts in their field of expertise.
Collaboration between linguists and subject specialists is really common in this case. In this article, we
will explain you some of the best scientific translation techniques.
BE CLEAR AND CONCISE

Clarity and concision are the main stylistic goals of scientific translation, which must convey the exact
meaning of the original text. Ambiguities and unclear constructions are characteristics of the literary
texts and must not be found anywhere is scientific translation. This is the hardest task in scientific
translation. Finding the right words can be a struggle sometimes and it can also create repetitiveness in
the text, as synonyms of certain words can be rather ambiguous and more suitable for literary work.
Avoiding repetitions can sometimes be extremely hard. This is why the translator must have a
scientific background that allows her or him to play with the terminology without changing the
meaning of the text.
KEEP AN EYE ON THE MISTAKES IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT

What is also really common among scientific translators is their ability to correct the small mistakes in
the original text, as they will be the persons that will read the document most attentively. Common
mistakes in scientific work include: inconsistencies between numbers listed in tables, accompanying
diagrams showing something else than they should or tables referred to by non-obvious symbols. In
this case the translator is advised to correct such mistakes in brackets or footnotes.
PLAY WITH STRUCTURE AND MEANING

If the syntactic and lexical features of the language differ, it is sometimes necessary to completely
recast certain sentences. For instance, highly inflected languages such as Russian and German can
string together long chain of independent and dependent clauses with many referents and antecedents
and still keeping the whole meaning clear. On the other hand, this would be impossible in English for
example. In this case, the translator will have some work to do in terms of structure and meaning. This
is one of those times when keeping the sense of a sentence intact can be a real challenge. One of the
best techniques to use in these cases is paraphrasing, namely a restatement of the meaning of a text or
passage using other words.
BE AN AVID READER
In order to create a flawless scientific translation, the translator must be as informed as possible.
Reading the latest books and academic journals helps you improve your translation skills. Firstly, you
get used to the terminology and with the style of this type of work. Secondly, you will be up to date
with the latest scientific researches and discoveries, which helps you understand more easily the
concepts that you are supposed to translate. You can even create a blog about scientific translation,
scientific researches and events. You can write articles or take existing articles and then translate them
in the other languages that you know in order to gain more experience (remember to ask permission in
order to avoid copyright infringements). This is a good idea particularly for beginners that want to
specialize in scientific translation. Remember that the more you specialize in niches and sub-niches
the easier it will be to research, write and become an expert.
PAY ATTENTION TO NUMBERS AND SYMBOLS

In science you will come across a lot of numbers, formulas, diagrams and symbols, which must not be
ignored in the process of translation. The sense of a whole page or even chapter can be altered if the
translator adds the wrong number or symbol. To avoid this, he must understand very well the topic.
Afterwards, he must pay a lot of attention to all the little things. This requires patience and analytical
skills, qualities that are indispensable for a scientific translator.
ALWAYS PROOFREAD YOUR TRANSLATION

At the end of your translation, you should always proofread the texts yourself first and then ask a
second translator to proofread your work as well. Ideally, ask other translators who have experience in
the field. This way, all the mistakes that you did not notice will be corrected. In case some concepts
from the original text are really unclear to you, you can communicate this to the author (if possible) or
with the client. It is always better to ask for clarifications, than leaving your work unclear.

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SCIENTIFIC TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

TOP SCIENTIFIC TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

BE CLEAR AND CONCISE

KEEP AN EYE ON THE MISTAKES IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT

PLAY WITH STRUCTURE AND MEANING

PAY ATTENTION TO NUMBERS AND SYMBOLS

ALWAYS PROOFREAD YOUR TRANSLATION

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