Translators: Using Dictionaries to Improve the Quality of Your Work

Translators just starting out in the industry will soon discover that dictionaries can be your best friend.

Translators just starting out in the industry will soon discover that dictionaries can be your best friend: they’re a way of ensuring that you produce an accurate and high-quality translation. In the past, translators were required to use hardcopy dictionaries and glossaries, but today it’s all available online so the time involved in research has been greatly reduced. However, it seems that some translators are not using the resources available to them – well it certainly looks that way when we see some of the inaccurate and poor quality translations produced by some translators.

Below we’ve listed our advice for translators on how to ensure that you’re using the appropriate word or expression –

Check, Then Check Again!

In most cases, experienced translators are generally able to guess the meaning of a word when it’s used in a certain context, but even in this case our advice as that you still check with a dictionary. And if there’s any doubt in your mind at all, then you need to check again, then check again using a different dictionary. We know that words can have many different meanings and that’s why it’s important that translators choose the most suitable meaning for that particular text.

Use Glossaries and Specialized Dictionaries

If you’re a translator who works on specialized translations, perhaps in the field of IT, law, or medicine, it stands to reason that you must have easy access to glossaries and specialized dictionaries. Obviously, you need access to these resources in order to produce a high-quality translation, but in specialized fields such as (say) medicine, an inaccurate translation could prove fatal: a diagnosis could be mistranslated, the wrong dosage or treatment could be administered, and numerous other serious or fatal errors could occur.

Cross-Referencing Is Important for Accuracy

Don’t be limited to using just one kind of dictionary; for example, Spanish to English. Use also Spanish to Spanish and English to English dictionaries so you can cross-reference the definitions of expressions or words you’re trying to translate. And again, check the meaning in a glossary or dictionary, if necessary.

Ask for Help!

Don’t ever be afraid to ask for advice. If you’re having doubts about a certain translation, or aspects of a translation, don’t hesitate to ask your peers for advice. There are forums and websites dedicated to professional translators and you’ll find that, not only are translators happy to offer advice to other translators, they’ll also be able to answer any questions you may have. Although the translation industry is growing, it’s been our experience that professional translators are always happy to assist their colleagues, in particular people just starting out in the industry. So, use these forms to your advantage, because there is so much to learn and there are many professionals out there willing to help.