About
What is translation?
In the simplest terms, translation is the art (and science) of converting information from one language into another language. Because of differences between cultures and differing communicational goals, translation can take on different forms. Sometimes, the purpose is to translate word for word from the source language, and at the other extreme, the translation is processed to sound like natural use of the target language, while still conveying the original meaning. Human translators are very good at adjusting a text for a given target audience and purpose.
What is medical translation?
Physicians, researchers and healthcare professionals write texts for many different purposes: medical reports about patients, textbooks for teaching their profession, clinical trial documentation for developing new products and services and much more. Technical writers write instructions on using and maintaining medical devices. Health authorities write instructions for regulating the practice of medicine and other healthcare professions. All of these fields may need to be translated into a different language, which is where the medical translator comes into play.
The language used by physicians may differ from everyday or lay terms for historical and scientific reasons. A medical translator can provide a text intended for professionals or members of the public, in their target language, for a given purpose. Becoming a medical translator takes serious devotion, education, practice and experience. At the very least, it involves reading and learning from medical textbooks. A clinical background in medicine and other health sciences is a benefit.
Why do human translators still exist?
Artificial intelligence has made leaps and bounds in recent years, and this includes the ability to break down texts in one language and translate them into another. When machine translation was first available to the general public, translated texts were somewhat crude, but a reader could understand the meaning or intent of the text with a little guidance and guesswork. Machine translation is becoming increasingly sophisticated, consistent, fast and affordable.
Often, a human editor is required to make sure that machine translation (just like a human translation) sounds natural and is fit for its intended purpose. Human translators are still better than machines in bridging various gaps: choosing a context-appropriate term, overcoming spelling and grammar mistakes, being consistent, correctly catering for the target audience, and generally not embarrassing the user of the text. This is especially important in medical translation, when often there is no time for inquiries and corrections, or when an innocent mistake, if not caught in time, can have catastrophic medical consequences.
Who needs medical translation?
Many people do. Some examples follow:
Patients and their families who need help in understanding medical reports written in a language that they don’t understand.
Medical personnel in another country who wish to learn a patient’s medical history.
Pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers that are interested in testing, releasing and marketing new products.
Health authorities wishing to make their communications understandable in additional languages. Insurance companies that are processing international health insurance claims.
As far as the client is concerned, what’s the difference between different translators?
Different translators work in different language combinations and directions, have differing fields of expertise and differ in the price of the service they offer, the quality of their work and the speed with which they deliver translations to their clients. It is safe to say that no two translators are alike!
Can medical translators translate non-medical texts?
Certainly. While many translators specialize in narrow niches based on their education and life experience, it is always a good idea to cross-train in other disciplines and be knowledgeable in other fields. For example, many medicolegal documents require good knowledge of legal terminology (and some legal background) as well as medical education in order to produce documents that are useful for legal applications. Many translators have multiple specialties in order to satisfy market demand.
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