It’s a common enough demand from some callers to our translation department and it appears to make a lot of sense. Why spend all that time and energy producing excellent websites, brochures, posters etc to then run the risk of having the translated version being inaccurate?

Perhaps we should think about how language has evolved and then decide if “word-for-word” translation is even possible…

Each language sets its own rules, grammar, spelling, syntax and structure, but these don’t necessarily apply to any other unrelated language. We all know that in German the verb is at the end of the sentence, which explains why the Germans always laugh last when anyone makes a joke at the European Parliament (don’t be surprised, it does happen).

Word for word translation: The impossible you ask, hmm?!

This doesn’t mean that a translation from German to English will keep the verb at the end of the sentence, unless imitating Yoda, you are.

In French, adjectives usually come after the verb, but there are exceptions of course.  In English the adjective is always first, so “word-for-word” is impossible and therefore unsuitable.

We’ve all watched films with subtitles and wondered why the character on screen talks for 30 seconds and the subtitle just says “yes”.  As with the best translations, all that is happening is that the meaning is being communicated, not simply a substitution of one word for another.

Hopefully, the translation is culturally sensitive too as a line like “did you know..?” in English doesn’t translate well into French, as it implies that the listener lacks any knowledge in the first place.

Some concepts find the language barrier difficult to traverse, too. A “single room” in a hotel can mean just one room or a room for one person, even in English.  “Station” is a very adaptable word in English and could mean Train, Bus, Petrol, Fire, or Police Station – but in most languages you would need totally different words to get the concept across.

We’ve all seen poor translations in our daily lives. It’s not so long ago that microwaves built in the Far East came with an English manual that was indecipherable, and I still look forward with trepidation to building furniture from a flat-pack where the instructions are, perhaps, not in a version of English that I can read.

Here are a few more Translations that may have been “word-for-word” but possibly failed to get across the exact meaning:

• Swiss restaurant menu: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for
• Sign in a Bucharest hotel reception: The lift is being fixed for the day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable
• In a Paris hotel: Please leave your values at the front desk
• Copenhagen check-in desk: We take your bags and send them in all directions
• Hong Kong supermarket: For your convenience we recommend courteous, efficient self-service

Fortunately, we have a way of completely avoiding all these problems.  All linguists at Applied Language Solutions translate into their native tongue, and are almost always based in-country e.g. An English to Austrian German translation will be done in Austria by a local specialist.

This way, we can be sure that our customers receive translations that are culturally accurate and communicate the exact meaning (there’s that word again) of the original piece.

If you have any examples of amusing, silly, surreal or downright dangerous translations, please let me know and leave a comment.