In Translation, Familiarity > Formality (Sometimes)

When it comes to the act of translation, especially if you have a language major background, there is perhaps a certain instinct that you have to always use the correct form of languages or correct spelling of words.

Part of it is, well, it is the correct thing do for certain cases. The reason why we fuss about what is or is not correct spelling or word usage is because all of us collectively agree that without certain agreement of what is “true” people can just say whatever they want and we won’t be able to communicate with one another.

Another motivator behind the instinct is that sometimes a translator likes to show off. Well, at least I do. There is a certain delight that I feel whenever I use a word that most people don’t know very well or don’t know the correct spelling for it.

Having said that, if there is one important lesson that I’ve learned in my training to become a translator, it’s that when choosing between a spelling or a word that people mostly recognize versus the one that is more “accurate”, it’s better to choose the one that people are more familiar with.

For instance, I still remember how an editor at a translation agency that I used to work for correct my translation of “computer mouse”. Being the clever boy that I was, I opted to use “tetikus” which is a translation of “computer mouse” that is available in the Indonesian national dictionary. The fact that this is a word that came up in a legal document, which I thought means you need to use the Indonesian equivalent, more or less made me feel confident about my choice.

Instead, she opted to leave “computer mouse” as it is, only italicizing it to emphasize its foreign origin. When I asked why, she explained that a “mouse” is something that most Indonesians are already familiar with while “tetikus” is not something that most people know.

Ultimately, translation is more than just the translator’s form of self-expression. It is a product made for consumers so that they can understand a content that was previously inaccessible to them due to language barrier. Making customers feel confused is defeating the point.

Granted, accurate spelling and diction has its place, especially when said spelling and diction is something that most people are familiar with. However, when it comes to translation, there are two questions that translators have to prioritize above all else:

Can readers understand this?

And

Is this something that a native person would type?

As long as we can always keep these two questions in mind, I believe that we can produce a good translation.