Just about to order this book – Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World.
Nataly Kelly gives 10 examples of difficult-to-translate concepts that reinforce the importance of your translator having a clear understanding of both the languages they are working in. The first, which concerns a Spanish to English translation, is a true case of a wrong translation of the Spanish word “intoxicado, “.
In Spanish the meaning of “intoxicado” is closer to “poisoining” than it is to “drunk”.
Sadly, the translation from Spanish to English gave this word as “intoxicated”. This resulted in a young man being given the wrong course of treatment, becoming quadriplegic, and a very expensive legal settlement.
Good translation is often not considered a priority. It should be! If you have any materials or brochures that need translation, contact la Academia, where the translator will be a native speaker of the target language. As well as Spanish we offer translation from and to French, Italian, Chinese and Portuguese. Call us for a translation quote on your documents or website!