Avoiding Mistakes While Translating From Chinese to English

China is the second biggest country in the world and it is certainly one thing that would fascinate you when you visit it. The land of China is steeped in history and tradition. Yet you would also find modern cities that you would love to explore. However, some of the signboards in English over there would confuse you for sure. The translation in these cases is so literal that you would find it hard-pressed to control your laughter. It would leave a long-lasting impression on you and of the wrong kind as well. In some cases, these signboards could cause you practical problems, like making it hard for you to get around the country.

Such hilarious efforts to translate Chinese to English could also make you think twice about visiting the country.

The importance of proper translation

It is significant to make sure that you get the translation right and there is nothing to joke about it. You need to get the meaning of the original text right in the translated version. Hence, the essence of the text has to be accurately captured as well. If that means that you should avoid word-by-word translation, so be it. It is the era of globalization, and China now occupies a pre-dominant place in the world economy.

After all, there is such a high demand for Chinese products around the world. Hence, you need a company that can offer you the best translation services in Singapore. Companies such as these can and do play a crucial role from the overall point of view. These services have become even more significant than they were earlier. Keep in mind that Chinese is not such an easy language to learn and get better at.

Areas of difficulty

A Chinese character can have various meanings when you combine it with other characters. In a Chinese sentence, the order of words is quite different. You have to add new words so that you can change the tenses. You also need to combine many Chinese characters, just so that you can translate them into a single word.

Various dialects

In China, you have various dialects. The most prominent options in these cases are Mandarin, traditional or simplified Chinese, and Cantonese. For instance, while traditional or simplified Chinese is used to write, Cantonese and Mandarin are primarily used while speaking.

Cultural issues

The cultures that speak these different languages are also significantly different from each other. It could confuse you when you are doing the translation work. A language of a country is primarily influenced by its traditions and cultures. Human experiences and emotions associated with it also play a significant role in developing a language. It, in effect, means that something that is okay in Chinese could very well be considered offensive in English. 

For example, if in Chinese you say that a woman is behaving like a child it is eminently desirable. But the same thing would be considered offensive in English as it could signal mental imbalance. In Chinese culture, patience and humility are considered primary virtues in the human race and fostering relationships. On the other hand in the West, bold people are regarded more highly.