Language is an inalienable part of our lives. We use it to communicate our thoughts in many different forms. We communicate with each other, use text messages, and write stories that impress or thrill others. Still, sometimes barriers to effective communication might arise precisely because of the language. So, whenever you write a story and want to deliver its meaning in another language fully possible, it’s essential to consider your setup before you even start.
Your Translation Multi-Kit
When we’re talking about translation, some of the first things that might come to mind are document translation and interpreting. Any issues with the latter can be solved by a handful of mobile apps available for free to everyone. The challenges with the former are more complex, yet, after checking out thewordpoint review by TranslationReport, it becomes plain to see that nothing is impossible. Now, when it comes to translating a piece of fiction, things might not be as easily solvable.
The main challenge with translating a literature piece is its specifics. Nearly any genre of prose, from romance to horror and sci-fi, tends to create its own world within one work. So, there are lots of aspects that require manual work in translation. More specifically, it’s more about localizing a story than translating it, especially when it comes to such genres as sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. The names of the characters may carry a special meaning to the story. Or some very specific races of people or monsters wouldn’t sound as convincing in another language. And when things go down to manual works, things can get pretty painful. And the following setup can get you real relief when you think about translating a story on your own.
- Microsoft Word. In fact, any major text editor (like Pages or Google Docs) will do, but MS Word is the best choice as it’s, perhaps, the most functional. To write a story and translate it afterward, you’ll need some kind of digital text editor. It allows you to spellcheck quickly in any language and write and translate side-by-side, saving your time, energy, and nerve.
- Notepad. Like the major text editor, any minor text editor supporting multiple languages and Unicode will work for taking notes. You’ll certainly need it, especially if your story is long enough to get lost in it. You can denote the spelling of names of important characters in another language or create a basic diagram of how the story goes.
- Translation memory tool. As with text editors, big and small, there are also lots of translation memory tools. These tools do a wonderful job at automatically helping you translate the specific words throughout your work (like names and titles). Essentially, translation memories eliminate all the required manual work almost entirely.
- Translation software. There are also lots of digital translators that can help you in doing the routine job as well. If you feel like editing your translated work rather than writing it from scratch, nearly any translator will do, even Google Translate. There are many professional tools like SDL Trados, but they might be pretty expensive and be a not-so-worthy investment, especially if you want to translate your first book.
- Spellchecker. Obviously, you will commit errors (at least mechanical) as you translate your horror story into another language. And while MS Word’s spellchecker is pretty powerful, it still does not insure you from some silly mistakes that can make your story sound ridiculous. Unfortunately, there’s no Grammarly available for other languages than English, but you can search for powerful spellcheckers in other languages. You’ll find them without a doubt.
Getting Closer to the Reader
Every horror story is meant to thrill, regardless of the language it’s being told in. And it can be such a shame if this effect is not achieved just because the vocabulary was not convincing enough for a translated version. Or the names of the characters sound silly to a foreign ear and sight. That’s why partially trusting the translation of your story to appropriate software is so vital in the modern world of fiction writing.
BIO:
Having hundreds of articles and stories behind her back, Merissa Moore is glad to share her experiences in writing with others. Every time she gets an assignment to write about the creative process or writing in general, she gets so excited, she can overwrite her article by a mile. This, however, doesn’t deteriorate the quality of Merissa’s stories. Quite the opposite, these stories are some of her best.
