translation

Idioms are a key part of language. They are little nuggets of poetry in a paragraph of prose. But, if truth be told, they can be a real thorn in the side of translators. In this Ultimate Guide to Translating Idioms, Lucy explains what an idiom is, why they are the cause of such misery for translators and how to actually translate the pesky blighters. So, let’s cut to the chase…

If it is impossible to work out the meaning of the phrase just by looking at it, conventional translation practises aren’t going to work. You are going to have to dig a little deeper. But do not worry, help is at hand. Below I have detailed the three simple steps that you need to

Translation involves much more than figuring out word equivalents for an author’s text. Translation is a negotiation and understanding between cultures in the middle of two languages, the source (SL) and the target (TL). It is a tension between what is translatable and what is untranslatable. The translator’s relation with the author of a text is full of surprises and revelations. In looking for similar, familiar experiences in the target culture to convey a working sense of the author’s ...