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.
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