An opening gambit at a social or business gathering is for the person next to you to ask what you do. When the person finds out your profession the inevitable response is, ‘Oh so you’re a translator – that’s interesting’ and, before you have chance to say anything, the next rejoinder is, ‘I suppose you translate things like books and letters into foreign languages, do you?’. Without giving you a chance to utter a further word you are hit by the fatal catch-all, ‘Still, computers will be taking over soon, won’t they?’. When faced with such a verbal attack you hardly have the inclination to respond. The skills clusters that the translator needs at his fingertips are shown below.

Regrettably, an overwhelming number of people – and these include clients – harbour many misconceptions of what is required to be a skilled translator. Such misconceptions include:

• As a translator you can translate all subjects

• If you speak a foreign language ipso facto you can automatically translate into it

• If you can hold a conversation in a foreign language then you are bilingual

• Translators are mind-readers and can produce a perfect translation without having to consult the author of the original text, irrespective of whether it is ambiguous, vague or badly written

• No matter how many versions of the original were made before final copy was approved or how long the process took, the translator needs only one stab at the task, and very little time, since he gets it right first time without the need for checking or proof-reading. After all, the computer does all that for you.

by Marta Muñoz Gil

The translatability of humour has been widely questioned for a long time. A number of studies have been carried out so as to determine to which point and degree can a text with humorous features be adequately translated, and if, once translated, the result can be acceptable as a ‘good’ or appropriate translation. Mateo (1999) argues that the success of a humorous act depends on the existence of shared knowledge between sender and recipient, a factor that determines the translation strategies to be implemented. The perception of the quality of a translation will also have a direct correspondence with the attitude of the reader/viewer. When discussing the translation of humorous situations, it is necessary to bear in mind the general translation problems that translators often face such as the existence in the source text (ST) of puns, wordplay, or cultural references. The perception of humour varies depending on every culture, person and situation. It is widely acknowledged that a joke may make some people laugh while it goes unnoticed for others. Considering that this takes place in communication settings within the same culture, it is not diffi cult to imagine that these factors will be differently perceived when dealing with dissimilar cultural backgrounds.

Translating and Dubbing The Simpsons in Spanish

One of the main problems: Patronymics

The general strategy chosen to deal with proper names might be seen as an indicator of the overall approach to any given translation, and it is especially important in fi lms and series where the names of some characters are loaded with meaning, as is the case in comedies such as The Simpsons. It should be noted that in the translation of proper names, the Spanish and Latin American versions differ considerably. The fi rst aspect that must be pointed out is the different title used for the commercialisation of the series itself in Spain and in Latin America. In Spain, the series is translated as Los Simpson, in accordance with the usual way of forming family names in Spanish, that is, by placing the plural determinate article in front of the family name which does not add an ‘s’ to its ending. In the Latin American version, however, it is translated as Los Simpsons, mimicking the English way of referring to a family by their surname in plural. As for the proper names of the characters, they have not been translated for the Spanish audience, keeping in line with the general strategy applied in most fi lms, TV series and books, in which only the names of kings (Isabel II [Elizabeth II]), popes ( Juan Pablo II [John Paul II]), and some historical characters (Carlos Marx [Karl Marx]) are translated. However, nicknames in the series have been translated, as well as the titles accompanying the proper names. Thus, ‘Reverend Lovejoy’ becomes Reverendo Lovejoy and ‘Krusty The Clown’ becomes Krusty el Payaso. In Latin America, patronymics with an equivalent in Spanish have been translated, and ‘Homer Simpson’ becomes Homero Simpson. The names of the cartoon characters ‘Itchy & Scratchy’ are quite different on each side of the Atlantic. In Spain, the mouse and the cat are known as Rasca y Pica, a literal translation of the original names, although curiously enough, the order has been altered: Rasca (Scratchy) comes fi rst and Pica (Itchy) second. In Latin America, they are known as Tomy y Daly, in reference, on the one hand, to the cat-and-mouse cartoon Tom & Jerry, and on the other, to the Spanish expression toma y daca which, according to the Diccionario de la lengua española (2001: 2190), means a simultaneous exchange of things or services or favour which expects immediate reciprocity. The strategies applied to the translation of the teachers’ names are also interesting. Whereas the surname of Miss Krabappel is the same in Spain and Latin America, the surname of Miss Hoover differs quite notably. In Spain, the name remains unchanged and in Latin America she is known as Miss Strickter, a pun that plays with the phonetic similarity with the Spanish adjective estricto [strict]. Another difference in approach can be seen in the way the title ‘Miss’ has been dealt with. In the Latin American version, the children call both teachers maestra, whereas in the Spanish one they call them sita. This is a point that must be foregrounded because this is not the most usual term for children in Spain to call their teachers; the most common being maestra, señorita or even seño, without the need to add the surname. Sita is the short clipped form of señorita [miss], and it is a rather old-fashioned and traditional term. So, there is a strange contrast in the use of Sita Hoover or Sita Krabappel, since we are confronted with the use of a very traditional word (sita) with a very foreign construction, namely, the use of the surname when addressing a teacher at school.The names of Krusty’s colleagues, Sideshow Bob and Sideshow Mel, also deserve some commentary. In the Spanish version, they are called Actor Secundario Bob and Actor Secundario Mel [supporting actor], whereas in Latin America they are called Bob Patiño and Mel Patiño. This can be considered a case of a straight forward translation, since the term patiño is a Mexican word meaning ‘sideshow’. However, the problem here is that the term is not widely known in the rest of Latin American countries and it could, therefore, lead to confusion and perplexity among some audiences.

The following is a collection of signs in English from other countries:

In a Tokyo hotel: Is forbidden to steal hotel please. If you are not a person to do such a thing please do not read this notice.

In a Bucharest hotel lobby: The lift is being fixed for the next day. During the time we regret that you will be unbearable.

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

In a hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 AM daily.

In a Rhodes, Greece tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

On the door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.

In the office of a Roman doctor: Specialist in women and other diseases.

Two signs from a Mojorcan shop entrance: - English well speaking - Here speeching American

In a Chinese restaurant: If you are satisfactory, please tell your friends. If you are not satisfactory, please tell the waiter.

Detour highway sign in Kyushi, Japan: STOP! DRIVE SIDEWAYS.

And my favorite! From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.

All goes to show - when it comes to translation, you need the professionals!

What is a translator?

In a nutshell, a translator is a human being who changes written words from one language to another. If this sounds obvious, take another look! First, it's important to note that although computers play an important role in translation, professional translators are humans, not computers. Second, a translator works with written words, unlike an interpreter, who works with spoken words. If you're new to the industry, you've learned something important right here; that the phrase "speaking through a translator," contradicts itself, since translators work in writing. While some people work as both translators and interpreters, most concentrate on one or the other. Translators are also, by definition, fluent in more than one language. In the industry, these are referred to as the source, or "from" language(s), and the target, or "into" language, which is almost always the translator's native language. So for example, a translator who is a native English speaker and learned Portuguese and Spanish might translate from Spanish and Portuguese into English. If you work in the most common language pairs, such as English paired with French, Italian, German or Spanish (known as FIGS in the translation industry), chances are that you will never translate into your second or third language. If you work in a less common language pair, you might find yourself as the exception to this rule. A client might need a document translated from Thai into English, a job that would usually be handled by a native English speaker who has Thai as a second or third language. However in practice, it's often easier to find a native Thai speaker who has English as asecond language since there are many more native Thai speakerswho also speak English than the other way around. In this case, the job might be handled by a native Thai speaker, and then proofread by a native English speaker. In the United States, most translators work from one or two source languages; it's extremely common for translators to have only one working language pair, like Spanish into English, or Japanese into English. In other areas of the world where foreign languages are more widely studied, most translators work from at least two source languages, and often many more. It's not at all unusual to find Europe-based translators who work, for example, from English, Spanish and French into German, or from Norwegian, Swedish and English into Danish.

What does it take to become a translator?

At the outset that to be a successful professional translator, you need near-native proficiency in your source language(s); if you're starting from scratch, a few semesters of part-time language class won't be enough. As a point of reference, the U.S. Government's Defense LanguageInstitute Foreign Language Center offers a program to teach Middle Eastern languages to government employees, and the basic program involves 63 weeks of full-time study.Many people wonder how to tell if their language skills are good enough to work as a translator. While there are various language testing services that can tell you where you stand, probably the easiest way to get a feel for your translation readiness is to translate something. Go on the web and find a legal document, newspaper article or press release in your source language, then try to translate it. As we'll discuss later, professional translators make constant use of reference materials such as print and online dictionaries, terminology databases, etc., so when you look at your practice document, don't assume that you should be able to whip out a perfect translation on the spot. The key points are: can you understand this document on both a word-for-word and a conceptual level, and can you convey its meaning in your target language?Translators today work in almost every conceivable language pair; while the market in the United States has historically been very strong in Western European languages such as French, German, Italian and Spanish, there is an increasing (and increasingly lucrative) market for translation in Asian and Middle Eastern Languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, Pashto and Kurdish; Central and Eastern European languages like Serbian, Czech, Slovene and Macedonian; as well as the "languages of smaller diffusion" like Nepali, Hebrew or Somali. In most language pairs, the amount of work available is proportionate to the number of translators in the language. While there is obviously a great deal of English to Spanish translation work in the U.S., there is a correspondingly large number of translators in this language combination; and while there may not be a great deal of work in Indonesian to English, there are also not many translators in this combination, resulting in a correspondingly small amount of competition for work. In addition to near-native source language proficiency, translators need other skills too; probably the most important are excellent writing skills in their target language, in-depth knowledge in one or more areas of specialization, and business management skills. Some would-be translators are in practice not very successful because they have weak writing skills in their target language, making their translations difficult or unpleasant to read. Highly specialized translators are among the highest-earning members of the profession; for example a bilingual intellectual property attorney, stock broker or biomedical engineer may earn many times the per-word rate of a "jack of all trades" translator with a B.A. in German. Some translators turn a previous career into an area of specialization, while others take additional courses in areas of specialization or learn specialized terminology from more experienced translators. Paradoxically, specializing can also lead to more work, not less, as the specialized translator becomes known as the go-to person in his or her area of expertise, whether it's environmental engineering, textile manufacturing or stage sets.The translation industry in theUnited States is moving more and more toward an independent contractor model, where the vast majority of translators are self-employed and work for a variety of clients; in 2005, approximately 70% of the members of the American Translators Association were self-employed independent contractors. As such, translators need business management skills such as the ability to find and retain clients, work on tight deadlines with little supervision or management, handle increases and decreases in work flow and cash flow and perform tasks such as bookkeeping, tax planning and computer upkeep and maintenance. In fact, most self-employed translators spend 25-50% of their time on non-translation work, largely involving management of the day to day tasks of running a business, so these skills are just as important as translation-related skills in succeeding as a freelance translator.