Free Spanish translationsBelieve it or not, using free Spanish translations you find online and elsewhere will help you become a better translator. One of the things I continually preach about on this site is the need to keep up with your language skills and always look for ways to improve them. There are many ways to do this and each way can exercise different functions within the language, such as speaking, reading, writing, or listening. Different activities serve different purposes. However, all of these areas are important in becoming a better translator. One exercise that I have found useful in my career as a translator is one where I have a text written in both English and Spanish and I cover up on of the texts (for example the English one) and practice translating the Spanish text into English. Then I check my work with the already translated English text and cover the Spanish side. I then do the same thing, except this time I translate the English into Spanish and then check my work. This is where using free Spanish translations comes in handy. There's no need to go out and buy books or articles in both languages, because you can do it for free. The great thing about this exercise is that you already have both the source text and target text and (if the texts have been translated decently) you have a means to check your own work and see how you do. This can also not only help you with vocabulary building but also increase your speed as a translator.
So, in order to do this type of exercise, you are going to the same text written (and translated) in both languages. This can sometimes be hard to come by, but with the Internet, things like this are becoming more and more available. One of the first places to look when searching for free Spanish translations is the Project Gutenberg site. You can also go directly to their list of free Spanish translations they have that you can download and practice with. They have tons of free texts to choose from, everything from Don Juan Tenorio in both Spanish and English to a text titled Los Bombardeos Atómicos de Hiroshima y Nagasaki written by the United States Army Corps. of Engineers. While most of the texts aren't necessarily of the type you translate everyday in your profession, they will help you improve by providing you at least some free Spanish translations so that you can do the exercise above. If you'd like to focus on articles instead, you can go to your favorite search engine and type in something like "spanish-english articles" and find various articles written in both languages. Another option is to peruse government websites because information is usually provided in both languages. The official page of the Whitehouse for example, has links to both Spanish and English versions of speeches to the nation, radio addresses, and other news items. These free Spanish translations are usually very well done and so would provide a good opportunity for you to practice your translation skills. Whatever your source for free translations, remember that it's the translation exercise itself that will help you improve. Below are some links to free translations available online: Gettysburg Address Translation Translation for Romeo and Juliet |