My mother is not fluent in English and this fact counted heavily against her on a call to an insurance company recently.
The call was about an important question relating to my mother’s account, so I joined her to make the call. The person on the other end of the phone said they had to verify my mother’s identity, and so they needed her to speak, not me, her daughter. The operator asked what language my mother speaks, and put us on hold while they found a Farsi interpreter.
The American Translators Association (ATA), a well known international organization, offers a translator certification—a distinction that puts all translators, regardless of work status, in a better position to market themselves. For Farsi translators and interpreters in particular, the ATA certification is more than just a suffix.
I am very passionate about the mission of the organization and the importance of these certifications for the following reasons:
I find this article to be both essential and amusing. How many times have I wondered where an English idiom came from and if it does convey the meaning I am looking for. Find out for yourself. Read more.
Even though English is not my first language, I always thought the English speaking world is not speaking correct English. When it comes to pronouncing consonants that are grouped together, the familiar way of pronouncing them is to cut the words. Is it ice tea or iced tea? It seems that nobody cares. Skim milk was originally, skimmed milk. Ice cream was iced cream and wax paper was waxed paper. Misspelled words, grammatical errors, and half – pronounced sentences are taking over the way we communicate. As it turns out I am not alone. Here is the proof! An article posted on Merriam Webster’s website here.
In Iran, the phrase marg bar Amrica ( مرگ بر آمریکا) is often chanted at rallies and seen on signs held by unhappy protesters. The phrase is most commonly translated literally as “Death to America”, but it actually means ”Down with America”. Hooman Majd, a former interpreter for Iranian President Ahmadinejad, has explained that “Death to America” is far too harsh of a translation. As Majd pointed out, Ahmadinejad also handed out potatoes in exchange for votes, after which protesters chanted ”Marg bar seeb zameeni!” They were literally saying “Death to potatoes”, but it’s pretty far fetched to assume that their intention was to kill the spuds.
The above excerpt is from Jost Zetzsche’s book, Found in Translation, which mentions a myriad of instances of literal translations and interpretations gone wrong because of the fine nuances associated with cultural idioms and values.
A friend of mine recently graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in Tehran. She told me that while the university has a renowned and acclaimed faculty and a very high standard for achievement, most of their textbooks were difficult to read. She specifically mentioned a textbook in economics that was translated into Farsi (Persian) and didn’t make sense because it was highly technical and had been translated too literally.
This reminded me of my own frustration as a young student in Iran when studying translated textbooks. I often wonder how students can master subjects without access to textbooks that are as high-quality as their curriculum.
Several key questions come to mind. How can we avoid these pitfalls in translating different books, documents, and texts into Farsi? What are the right criteria for choosing a Farsi translator? How is the Farsi language different from other languages? Is there an organization that can evaluate and certify Farsi translators?
The difference between Farsi and Latin languages is not just that Farsi is written right to left and uses a different alphabet. When seeking a translator for a technical document or a literary text in Farsi, education and fluency in both languages may not suffice: A good translator also must have a deep understanding of both cultures and customs. The general rule is to find a translator who is a native speaker of Farsi, educated in both languages and has a deep understanding of both.
In the US, the American Translators Association (ATA) certifies interpreters and translators in most languages but not in Farsi. The lack of a trustworthy centralized authority has made it difficult to evaluate the competence of Farsi translators. Some automated translators convert words literally without conveying the meaning dictated by the culture. The internet has made more translation tools available, but again here, it’s impossible to assess the quality of the results.
Of course, if you only need to translate a simple text without specific idioms or technical jargon, you don’t need a college-educated linguist. However, what if you need someone who understands the legal terms and procedures related to a lease contract in Iran? In situations like these, it is essential to choose a translator who can convey the precise meaning without sacrificing intent and context.
A textbook in economics may not require a deep understanding of Iranian Islamic laws or the culturally charged idioms used in contemporary poetry. However, it still requires sensitivity and cultural perceptiveness to render precise translations that convey the exact meaning and intent of the author.
You can choose to settle for inexpensive and mediocre translation, but is this really where you want to set the bar?
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