What Is Translation? | Explanation & Examples
Translation is the process of converting text from one language to another. In today’s global world, translation is critical to the exchange of information and ideas.
Within the field of translation, there are different strategies and technologies that shape how translators carry out their work. There are also many specialized types of translation.
Italian output text: Che cos’è la traduzione?
Source: QuillBot Translate, a free-to-try translation tool
What is translation?
Translation is the process of converting text from a source language (or original language) to a target language (or new language). In some cases, there may be multiple target languages for a single translation.
The purpose of translation is to make it easier to communicate across languages and cultures. Translation expands access to information, enables the spread of ideas, and supports many industries.
While we may be tempted to think of translation as something developed for a modern, global society, it’s quite the opposite. Translation has been practiced for thousands of years, accompanying written human communication throughout history.
In fact, translation has actually helped to preserve knowledge over time. Translations have allowed modern readers to understand ancient texts even after their original source languages have fallen out of use.
Today, there are three main types of translation, depending on who (or what) is translating.
Human translation
Human translation is translation carried out by human translators. On top of their knowledge of languages, human translators rely on cultural awareness, context, and, often subject-matter expertise to produce accurate, natural-sounding translations.
Many human translators only translate into their native language to ensure the highest level of accuracy and nuance. This aligns with the Native Language Principle, a widely accepted guideline in the translation industry. For example, a native English speaker who is also fluent in Italian will most likely only translate from Italian to English.
However, if not enough people speak the source language as a second language, translators may work bidirectionally. For example, since Basque is not widely studied by English speakers, native Basque translators who know English may also translate from Basque into English.
Machine translation
Machine translation is translation performed by computer programs. It is fast, scalable, accessible, and cost-effective, but it may still struggle to translate context, tone, and figurative language (e.g., idioms or metaphors).
Nowadays, most machine translation is powered by AI. Some tools commonly used for machine translation (e.g., ChatGPT) are chatbots that are also capable of performing generative AI tasks, like content creation in many languages.
Output: A faithful Spanish translation would be:
“Es una verdad universalmente reconocida que un hombre soltero, poseedor de una gran fortuna, necesita una esposa.”
Let me know if you’d like a more literal, modernized, or stylistically adapted version.
Source: ChatGPT
MTPE
Machine translation post-editing (MTPE) is a hybrid model that incorporates machine translation and human translators into the translation process. In MTPE, the initial translation is done by a computer program. A human translator then reviews the output, correcting any errors.
MTPE takes advantage of the speed and efficiency of machine translation and the accuracy, nuance, and cultural awareness of human translation.
Types of translation by method
Translation methods vary depending on factors like the linguistic distance between the source and target languages, the type of text, and the intended audience. There are three main methods: direct, indirect, and transcreation.
Direct translation
Direct translation aims to preserve the original form and wording as much as possible. It’s often used for contexts where it’s important to preserve the original meaning of a text as much as possible, like technical or scientific translation.
Some techniques used in direct translation are:
- Literal translation – This is word-for-word translation that follows the source text as much as possible with respect to sentence structure, word order, style, and meaning.
- Calque – A word or phrase is translated literally, maintaining the original structure and forming a new word or phrase in the target language. This process is also known as “loan translation.” An example of a calque is rascacielos (literally “scrapes skies” in Spanish), translated from the English “skyscraper.”
- Borrowing – Translators use a word from the source language (known as a “borrowed word” or “loanword”) in the target language without translating it. This usually happens when there is no real equivalent in the target language. A few examples are karaoke (from Japanese), hygge (from Danish), and déjà vu (from French).
Indirect translation
When a direct translation can’t convey the intended meaning or would sound unnatural, indirect translation (also known as oblique translation) may be the solution. These methods allow for greater flexibility and cultural adaptation:
- Transposition – The translator changes the part of speech (e.g., verb, noun, adjective, adverb) of a word to make it sound more natural in the target language while maintaining meaning.
- Modulation – This changes the point of view or semantics in the target language. For example, instead of “it’s not difficult,” the translation may render this phrase as “it’s easy.”
- Equivalence – Translators replace an idiom, proverb, or cultural reference from the source language with one that conveys a similar meaning and that better resonates in the target language. For example, “Break a leg!” in Italian would be “In bocca al lupo!” (literally, “in the mouth of the wolf”).
- Adaptation – This adapts cultural references or conventions (e.g., holidays or measurements) to be more familiar to the target audience. For example, American baseball references may be changed to soccer references in other parts of the world.
For example, the Spanish phrase “Él no dijo nada” translates literally as “He did not say nothing” in English. Since English doesn’t permit double negatives, the literal translation is grammatically incorrect and doesn’t sound natural.
A modulated translation would be “He didn’t say anything.” This modulation makes the phrase sound natural in the target language while also maintaining meaning.
Transcreation
Transcreation is a combination of translation and creative copywriting. The objective of transcreation is to maintain style, tone, cultural relevance, and emotional impact across languages. It is used in content-driven fields like literature, video games, marketing, and advertising.
While the transcreation process may involve indirect translation strategies, it goes a step further. Instead of translating, transcreators—who are most often copywriters with proficiency in various languages and cultures—essentially recreate the content in another language. This ensures that the content feels like it was created for the new target audience.
Types of translation by content area
Translation also varies by subject matter, with different domains requiring different approaches, specific terminology, or specialized knowledge. Below are some common types of translation by content area, along with real-world examples.
| Type | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Technical translation | Translates instruction guides, product manuals, engineering documents, and other technical texts, with an emphasis on accuracy and precise terminology to ensure consistency, clarity, and safety | Samsung translating the user manual for the Galaxy Smartphone |
| Literary translation | Focuses on translating novels, poetry, plays, etc., with the aim of preserving style, tone, and imagery instead of just literal meaning | Translating Gabriel García Márquez’s Cien años de soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) from its original Spanish to English |
| Marketing translation | Adapts the content of promotional materials and branding, intending to maintain the core message while localizing it to appeal to the target culture | McDonalds transcreating its ad slogans so they resonate with customers in each of its global target markets |
| Website translation | Covers websites (landing page copies, menus, buttons, etc.) while maintaining SEO best practices in each language, often as part of a broader localization process | IKEA localizing its website, translating text, and adjusting details like currency and measurements |
| Software translation | Translates software or apps, addressing elements like UI/UX copies, pop-ups, error messages, and settings, taking into account coding constraints and regional or country-specific regulations | Google translating Chrome’s browser UI into over 100 countries for use around the world |
| Legal translation | Works with contracts, privacy policies, court documents, certificates, and other legal texts with the highest level of accuracy to prevent potential legal repercussions | Translating the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into all official EU languages |
| Academic translation | Translates academic writing (dissertations, scholarly articles, etc.), considering elements like structure and how to cite sources | Researchers translating their articles for publication in British science journal Nature |
| Medical translation | Focuses on clinical trial reports, medical records, patient information leaflets, and other medical or pharmaceutical documents, requiring familiarity with medical terminology and regulatory standards (also called “life sciences translation”) | Pfizer translating the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial reports into different languages for international trial sites |
On the other hand, a researcher who wants to publish a scholarly article in another language may depend upon a translation agency or freelance translator to handle their text.
Translation software
In the contemporary translation industry, human translators generally rely on specialized translation software to streamline workflows, assist with quality control, and manage large volumes of work. Two types of translation software are CAT tools and translation management systems.
CAT tools
Computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools are a type of translation software designed to assist human translators by increasing speed, accuracy, and consistency. A few key features of CAT tools are:
- Translation memory (TM) – CAT tools break up texts and store previously translated portions in TM. As the translator advances, they can reuse previous translations to improve speed and consistency.
- Terminology management – “Termbases,” or glossaries of terminology, help translators maintain consistent word choice. Termbases can also blacklist terms that the client doesn’t want used, alerting the translator if they use them by mistake.
- Concordance search – This search feature allows users to find past translations for similar phrases.
- Quality assurance – The program checks for spelling errors, inconsistencies, or missing segments in the translation.
- Collaboration functions – Teams and translators can collaborate in real time, something that is especially important when translators are working remotely.
- File format support – CAT tools support many file types (e.g., DOCX, HTML, or XML) to help translations most closely mirror the original document.
Translation management systems
A translation management system (TMS) is a platform that manages the entire translation process. They are often used in enterprise environments by large companies and localization teams where various languages, translators, and deadlines are involved.
Some TMS platforms include CAT tools, while others are designed to integrate with separate CAT tools. In any event, a TMS offers extra logistical features not often found in standalone CAT tools, including:
- Project management – These tools often let teams assign tasks, segment work, track deadlines, and automate approvals.
- CMS integration – TMSes often sync with CMSes (content management systems), allowing companies to more easily translate and update different versions of websites, apps, product information, and more.
- Vendor management – A TMS will usually let you keep track of translators, proofreaders, and subject-matter experts and the work they perform and bill for.
Analytics – Built-in analytics let the TMS track productivity, costs, and quality metrics.
Frequently asked questions about what is translation
- What’s machine translation vs. CAT?
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The main difference between machine translation vs. CAT (or “computer-assisted translation”) is that CAT software is designed to assist human translators, while machine translation is designed to be automatic.
QuillBot’s free Translator is one example of a machine translation tool.
- What is machine translation software?
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Machine translation software is a type of computer program that uses algorithms and AI to automatically translate text or speech from one language to another without human intervention.
These tools range from simple word-for-word translation programs to advanced AI-powered systems that are capable of understanding more complex nuances in language, like tone or idioms.
An example of machine translation software is QuillBot’s free Translator.
- What is the most translated website?
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The most translated website in the world is the official website for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Translation has allowed this website to be available in over 1,000 languages.
Try QuillBot Translate for free if there’s something you want to translate.
- What is the most translated book in the world?
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The most translated book in the world is the Bible, specifically the New Testament. Translation has made portions of the Bible available in over 3,000 languages.
If you want to translate between languages, try QuillBot Translate for free.