Bilingual Ability Does Not Ensure a Quality Translation

Is Spanish from Mexico the same as Spanish from Spain? As a professional translator and interpreter it is a question that I am asked fairly often. The answer is no. Are they different languages? Again, the answer is no since Spanish has a fairly uniform grammatical structure. If an English-speaking Canadian, a Brit and an Australian sat for dinner would they speak the same language (English)? Yes. Would they understand every single term used in their conversation or business dealings? Probably not. Although, most Spanish speakers can understand beyond the basic content of their conversations, they also bring a host of nuances and regional terms that may or may not be understood by individuals from other countries.

These language differences could present a challenging scenario for businesses and other entities attempting to reach Spanish speakers. In addition to this misconception presented by an ever-developing Spanish language, there is also a prevailing misconception that any bilingual person is capable of conveying those regional language differences in the written form. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a continent of diverse races and ethnicities, Latinos (also termed Hispanics), do share a number of commonalities, including their Spanish language. Nevertheless, a language spoken in over 21 countries by more than 330 million speakers, requires that anyone translating or interpreting to and from Spanish consider these regional differences. Cultural competence in addition to linguistic expertise sets apart a professional translator and/or interpreter from a mere bilingual speaker.

Actually, in many instances a bilingual ability could simply lead to Spanglish (code mixing, loanwords, or bilingualism). The following examples can illustrate this difference. On the one hand, I have witnessed how the widely used term aseguransa has been used to describe insurance, when in fact; the word is not even found in the dictionary. This word is basically a product of Spanglish. Colloquial usage of such word has led to the incorporation of them in rather important written documents, such as the word forma—instead of formulario—in voting ballots. On the other hand, if you were to call any major company in the U.S. with a voice system that includes Spanish, you are likely to hear “para español apriete el dos” (for Spanish press or dial 2). However, in Spanish this literally means, “to squeeze”.

I doubt anyone’s intention is to squeeze any number before getting to customer service. Very few companies seem to be aware of this or have changed their message to pulse (press) or marque (dial). Another particular case is found in the parking lot sign of a local recreational center that uses the word violadores (rapists) to indicate parking “violators”.

These are only a few of many inaccuracies caused by literal and poor translations by unqualified bilingual speakers attempting to pass as quality translators and/or interpreters. Furthermore, these examples seem to abound and appear in all sorts of settings from state agency web sites to library literature to childcare centers.

If you want respect for your product or service, communicate accurately. Would you entrust your fundraising or web development project to one of your employees because he/she took a few university classes or read the latest manual on the subject? Not likely. Therefore, why do so many CEO’s, city administrators, or non-profit leaders rely on bilingual staff to produce quality Spanish translations? One reason is that if they don’t know the language, they can’t verify the accuracy themselves. However, one can easily ensure quality by getting a review from an experienced professional. Not doing so, is like sending out a resume riddled with grammatical mistakes.

In addition to obtaining a linguistically accurate product or service from a culturally competent professional there is another important factor to consider when looking for a quality translation or interpreting service: price. In this industry cost varies and is not always the best indicator of quality. Beware of higher cost from larger translation agencies since many of these agencies typically hire sub-contractors (often foreign freelancers) to complete the work for them.

In an increasingly diverse country, if you want or need to reach your Spanish-speaking customer, make sure the professional you hire considers the culture, the educational level, and the beliefs of your intended reader resulting in more meaningful and accurate content and possibly, a more engaged buyer or future client.