How to avoid a bad translation

A bad translation is something that people never forget. As translators, we're continually judged, not by how good our translations are but rather by any single mistake we might make, no matter how small.

But we know that going into it so it's something that isn't too suprising.

So if our goal as translators is to never make a mistake and have that "bad translation" label, it's important to know the different types of translation mistakes we can make.

Totally wrong translations
This is the most obvious type of translation error, and hopefully, the least common. Most decent translators are able to avoid these kinds of translations, and if one of these does creep into a translation, it's most likely a proofreading error.

Slightly off translations
This type of translation error is definitely more prevalent than the major translation errors, and can often be more dangerous. The reason is because a lot of so-called translators don't have either the experience or the training to understand subtle differences and nuances in both languages.

One good example is translating slang. Slang is one part of language that can vary dramatically depending on where, when, or with whom it is used. If a translator renders slang differently than what the original author intended, the resulting consequences of a seemingly small error can be serious.

Wrong approach
One of the pitfalls in both translation and interpretation is that even though word equivalents can often be found, these might not be enough to get across the intended meaning of the author or speaker.

When that happens, it can be extremely difficult for a translator or interpreter. Oftentimes, the best response is to not try and come up with an equivalent, but instead note that it might be better to explain the author's intention.

I've often seen this in talks and speeches. The speaker might relate a joke that works in the original language but just cannot be transfered very well to the target language. Instead of making a "rookie" mistake and try to force the translation, it would be better to say that a particular section doesn't quite translate but then explain the intention.

Translation that's not necessarily bad
The last section of bad translation types includes those that are not neccessarily bad but sound a little off. These types of errors usually surface when someone translates something into a non-native language. To a native speaker, it just doesn't sound right and it can sometimes be hard to articulate the reason(s) why.

These are just some of the errors I've run across. Are there any categories that I've missed? Let me know what kind of bad translation errors or funny translation pictures you've found while you've been in the business.