Translating academic texts into English
The work of an academic researcher is multi-faceted, with many steps that need to be taken along the way in order to build a reliable and professional reputation. A researcher's path into the coveted world of academic notoriety, both on a local and international level, can be long and challenging, and success is determined based on sheer determination, talent and investment. This investment and determination characterizes each and every stage of a researchers work, and even more so when his work is at the stage of publication, for it is precisely at this hurdle that a quality editing or translation job will drastically alter the chances of publication or not.
How does one choose a translator?
You want to hand the task of translation off to a competent translator, if possible, the best out there. This much is obvious. But who is a good translator? What characterizes a good academic translation?
Let's start with the most basic rule, the translator must have a thorough knowledge of both languages, the source language and the target language, but it is important that the translator not only know the language well, but be a native speaker of the target language.
Although English is the most common language in Israel, which to a lesser or greater extent, most Israelis do speak , only about 100 thousand Israelis speak it as their mother tongue. Grammatically, English is one of the world's most simple languages, but really knowing the language goes above and beyond knowing grammar and syntax rules, and a good translation will never be a literal word for word translation.
Did you know that English is the richest language in the world? According to various estimates it has about 240,000 words (when there are approximately only 70,000 words in Hebrew). Expert translators require a thorough knowledge of the language and a full command of the rich vocabulary, along with the ability to choose the right word, or phrase, which will transfer the ideological and cultural nuances. He/she will use language that will not only depict the text, but also convey the subtext. This can only be done with a translator who is a native speaker of the target language, and who will therefore recognize the dialect (British English, Australian or American, for example), culture and current affairs.
Alongside a full linguistic and cultural familiarity of your target language, the translator must have the proper tools to understand your research. He/she must have a high level of academic education and a proper knowledge of your field of study, which will allow him/her to understand the arguments, data, findings and research questions. The experience that comes with translating academic texts will allow expert translators to maintain the clarity of the material, as well as the writers unique and personal writing style.
There is one more important feature of an expert translator. Beyond high professional competence, the translator must also possess good interpersonal communication skills. The relationship between the academic and his translator should be based on trust and open communication. The translator must share uncertainties and deliberations with his/her writer, and maintain this open relationship throughout the process. This should of course not come at the expense of missing the deadline for publication, and the final work should be polished and proofread, with all potential questions resolved.
Academic Translation with ALE
ALE specializes in academic translation and editing. We understand the level required when working with academia and therefore only work with experienced academic translators and editors, who themselves come from a broad academic background, and are therefore best equipped to provide the highest level translation.
Contact us today to be matched up with an expert translator or editor, from our team of leading, handpicked language professionals from around the world. Let us help you publish your work!
For more information about Academic Language Experts and how we can help you translate, edit and format your work for publication, please visit our website or contact us at
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