Success has many fathers…
…and words have many functions and meanings. A sentence can rarely be translated word for word as the use of specific terminology depends on the context, the use of the individual word and of course the target group. A specialised text will not be translated in the same way as an article on, for example, culture.
In the English language you cross your fingers to wish somebody luck, in German, however, you ‘press your thumbs’. In Danish you also cross your fingers but the Danish idiom ‘to have long fingers’ means that you are a thief, while in French ‘having long arms’ means you have a lot of influence and contacts. Confused?
Said in a simpler way: Idioms, expressions and proverbs change from country to country and the examples above are all more or less obvious differences in the use of language. However, there are also more subtle differences. Some words may exist in several languages but the meaning differs depending on the context. The word ‘impliquer’ in French can mean ‘implicate’, however, depending on the context it can also mean ‘involve’ or ‘imply’. At other times a sentence is grammatically but not necessarily idiomatically correct.
Apart from the syntax, the grammar, the spelling, the punctuation, the idioms and the wonderful subtleties of a language, a translated text also needs to be aware of the target audience.
I strive to do exactly this, as this is the difference between a good, high-quality translation and an average translation.
If you would like a price estimate of the text you need translated, please contact me on the following e-mail address contact@wordloge.com.