Of course there is no absolute answer as to what makes a translation “good” or “bad”. In a sense, a good translation is one that can be done within the available budget while serving its purpose.

However, there are occasions when the quality of the text is the dominant factor: a well-written and easily understood text will save your colleagues time and make a positive impression on your clients and business partners. Here are some of the things I suggest looking for when evaluating the quality of a text translated into English. They are the kinds of criteria a good translator should consider when translating your text, and they highlight some of the problems that abound in mediocre translations. Some of these points will of course apply generally to translations between different languages:

Does the translation overuse formal or scientific vocabulary? Words that sound overly scientific in English may often be direct translations of words in other languages ​​that sound more straightforward. For example, is the word “abnormal” used when the word “error” sounds more normal? Does the translation mention “lung disease” when “lung disease” would sound more normal to a general audience? These are the classic symptoms of translation from a language such as French or Spanish, where “Latin” is a naturally derived and naturally-sounding word in these languages, but in English it becomes a scientific term suitable only for highly specialized audiences.

– Does the translation use words that are understandable but not quite “le mot juste”? Does the text talk about “social inclusion” when “social inclusion” sounds more natural? Are you talking about “potential problems” rather than “potential problems”? Or someone’s “administrative status” when “administrative status” is more common?

Are adjectives or descriptive phrases used where it is normal for English to use a compound? For example, English allows a phrase like “remotely accessible device”, while other languages ​​might have to use a phrase that literally means “remotely accessible device” or “a device that allows remote access”.

Likewise, phrases containing “of” or “for” are overused as English uses a compound. The overuse of phrases like “sales strategy” instead of “sales strategy” are classic signs of translation from different languages.

– Are the determiners (“the”, “a”, “your” …) used as they would be in idiomatic English? Phrases like “seen increased productivity” rather than simply “seen increased productivity” refer to an overly literal translation. More accurately, phrases like “terms and conditions” and “towns and cities” rather than “terms and conditions” and “towns and cities” refer to a translation from a language that normally does not allow two nouns to share the same word for “the” (such as French), whereas The repetition of “the” is unnatural in the English language.

Does the translation use a narrative style and rhetoric that sound natural in English? We’ve all seen French Museum signs telling us, for example, that “The King will die in 1483.” More subtle signs of a translation include rhetorical, overused questions (which, for example, seem more common in Spanish than in English, where they can make the text sound overly childish). In English translation, decisions must also be made about the use of abbreviations (“no,” “can’t” vs. “not,” “couldn’t”) or prepositions (“from…to?” vs “To who (m”). ) …?”) which probably weren’t source language issues. Does the approved style convey the impression you want to leave on your audience?

In the end, the translated text should look as perfect as the original text, written to convey your message with the style and readability you desire.