When I discuss my profession with laymen, they often think that nothing is more difficult than translating culture-specific words into French. Frequently the Dutch word “gezellig” will be mentioned, a word that is difficult to translate because it has no exact equivalents in many languages including English and French). In such a conversation I won’t deny that translating such words can be problematic, but I will then add that a good French translator should know how to handle them. Sometimes the other person will add that with the rise of Google Translate, the days of the translator must be numbered by now. In such a case I will feel compelled to object, though.
Admittedly, much has changed in the world of translation in recent years. For example, you see streaming services like Netflix having their subtitles created by amateur translators. And by now we know that those subtitles do not always meet the expectations of the viewing public. They do have every right to do so, though, because the profession of translation is not protected. If you want to translate a single word, a sentence or even an entire book on your own, you no longer need to call in a professional translator. You can use Google Translate or another translation service. So in short, the professional French translator seems to be struggling. The problem, however, is that translations done with services like Google Translate often produce vague sentences and stylistic errors. For example, when I enter an idiom like “When life gives you lemons…”, it produces a literal translation in French that you can’t do anything with: “Quand la vie te donne des citrons…” This is because Google Translate does not understand that this is an expression and that a French equivalent should be searched for. So it is in fact not truly being translated. As a French translator, you will also need to ensure that your translation fits well into the context of the text. And a translation of a marketing text, for example, requires a different tone of voice than a medical text. So there is still a need for human translators and that will not change. But in some cases Google Translate may pleasantly surprise you with a perfectly fine translation.
Paul Groenen, in-house French translator.
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