Chapter 5 - Translate and adapt: Translation

Culture Counts: A Guide to Best Practices for Developing Health Promotion Initiatives in Mental Health and Substance Use with Ethnocultural Communities

In chapter 5 - Translate and adapt:

• Introduction
• Cultural adaptation
• Translation
• Cultural validation
• Summary

On this page:

• Translation is a cycle of review and revise
• Who will do the translating?
• The translation process

If you have never been involved in the process of translating a document from one language to another, you may assume it is a straightforward matter. To get a better idea of the real challenges of translation, go to Babel Fish Translation (http://babelfish.altavista.com/). Try having a simple sentence translated into another language, then translated again back into the original language. Here are some sample results:

Original text:

“The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.”

Translated into Dutch and then back into English:

“The fast bruine fox jumped concerning the lazy dog.”

Translated into Portuguese then back into English:

“The fast brown fox jumped on the sluggish dog.”

Although done by an electronic device rather than a human translator, these examples do show how even small errors in translation can change the meaning of a text.

Some useful things to know before you begin the translation process:

• Translation takes longer than you think it will.
• The translated text may be substantially longer than the original (this may require alterations to layout and added cost for extra pages).
• Using a plain-language approach when creating the original document will make translation simpler.
• Having the original document in finalized form before having it translated will save time and trouble in the long run.

Translation is a cycle of review and revise

When a document is translated into another language, meaning must have priority over form. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Translation Protocol, 2000, states that the best translation is one that:

• uses the normal language forms of the target language
• communicates as much as possible the same meaning that was understood by the speakers of the source language text to the target language speakers
• maintains the dynamics of the original source language text, which means that the translation is presented in such a way that it will evoke the same response as the source text attempted to evoke.

Translation is a cycle of reviewing and revising until you have a text that everyone involved is more or less content with. It is probably impossible to come up with a translation that everyone is 100% happy with, so at some point some compromise may be needed, or else the cycle can become endless.

Finding a translator

Even when it is possible to produce an original document in the users’ first language, the document will likely have to be translated into English for verification by subject matter experts and perhaps for approval by your organization’s communications office. At some point, almost any project that is not in either of the official languages is going to require the services of a translator.

It may be tempting to use a non-professional to translate a document, as the cost of translation services can be high. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a professional translator working in the target language for your document. However, just because someone is a native speaker does not mean he or she will be a skilful translator. In any case, your funders or others whose approval is needed may require that a professional translator be used for your initiative.

When looking for a translator, look for the following:

• diploma from an accredited translation school
• certification by the Canadian Translators Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC) or provincial/territorial translators’ association
• references
• experience translating in the health sector.

Using a translation agency may be the easiest way to find an appropriate translator. Many agencies can be found through the Yellow Pages or through an internet search. As with any other type of service, however, it may be helpful to get referrals from colleagues. Inquire at a few agencies before choosing one. Some questions to ask before choosing a translation agency:

• How long has it been in business?
• Who are its clients and can it provide references?
• What are its staff’s qualifications?
• What business and professional associations does it belong to?
• Does it have ISO (International Standards Organization) certification?
• What and how does it charge for its services?

Using professional, certified translators was a requirement for the LRDG. However, almost all community partners were dissatisfied with the first version of the translation into their languages. Many felt that members of their staff could do a better job of translating the material to ensure it was accurate and appropriate for the intended audience. The documents had to go back and forth between community reviewers and the translators many times before a satisfactory result was achieved.

Some tips that may keep frustration with the translation process to a minimum:

• Make sure the document to be translated is in its final form (i.e., all copyediting and proofreading has been done and the content of the document has been approved by all concerned parties) before sending it out to be translated.
• When possible, hire a translator with a background in the subject matter of the document.
• Discuss with the translator the content and purpose of the document and the literacy level of the intended audience.

The translation process

The steps involved in translation:

1. Get a finalized version of the document to be translated.
2. Hire a qualified translator—ideally someone who is familiar with health terms and the topic of text. If you can't find one with specialized knowledge, be sure to give him or her some background information on your initiative and its message.
3. Deliver the document to be translated to the translator; discuss with the translator the purpose of the document and its intended audience.
4. When the first draft of the translation is received, have it reviewed by community liaisons, key informants, and a panel of members of the intended audience.
5. Return the document to the translator for further refinement according to the readers’ notes. Discuss any discrepancies.
6. Have the second draft read by the community readers.
7. Have the second draft translated back (“back-translated”) into English to be reviewed by a subject matter expert (SME) and anyone who has to give official approval for the document. The back translation should be done by translator, whose mother tongue is English (emphasis in the back-translation should be on conceptual and cultural equivalence, not linguistic equivalence)
   
8. Return the document to the translator for any further changes.
9. If only minor changes have been made, the final translated document can be reviewed by bilingual community liaisons. If changes in technical information were made, the document will have to be back-translated once more to be reviewed by the SME and for any further former approval necessary.

 

"We suspected we would be unhappy with the translation process based on past experience.  It's vital to have a translator who understands the content and the audience.  If possible, I would prefer to have one of our staff do the translation and then have a professional translator review it, rather than the other way around." -Maria J. Benevides, MSW, RSW, Portuguese Mental Health and Addiction Services

“We consulted with three different linguistics professors to capture the exact meaning of the headings in the LRDG brochure.” --Dr. Krishanthy Shu, Vasantham (Tamil Seniors Wellness Centre)

To learn more about the translation process:

• New South Wales Multicultural Health Services: “Guidelines for health staff producing multilingual information” (PDF) (Australia)
• Society for Technical Communication: ITC SIG Translation Reader
• American Translators Association: “Translation: Getting It Right” (PDF) (USA)

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