In their professional lives translators often come across words that cannot literally be translated from one language to another using a single word. For example, if a translator who is providing French to English translation services needs to refer to the term “seigneur-terrasse” he/she might leave it as “Coffee shop dwellers that sit at tables for a long time but spend little money.” As one can see, this simple French term will require the translator to use more than one word in the English translation because there is no single equivalent for “seigneur-terrasse” in the target language.
Any translator working with any two pairs of languages could encounter a case in which he/she needs to use several words to express what the original word means. Every language has some words and ideas that cannot be translated into other languages by a single word or concept. In this case while the translator is providing French to English translation services he/she would do his/her best to convey an accurate description of what “seigneur-terrasse” means. At California Center for Translation & Interpretation our translators always do their best to find normal equivalents for the source words. When a single equivalent word does not exist in the target language our French translators do their best to translate the idea as closely as possible using as few words as possible.
Likewise, there are expressions in French that cannot literally be translated to another language. Our translators carefully examine the text and the context in which the expression or concept is used. Then they will interpret the meaning and use the best words they can find in English and still maintain the integrity of the text. Furthermore, if you need French translation services for a document that was written in poetic language or informal dialogue we can assure you that our translators will do their best to keep the translation as accurate and concise as possible. We invite you to visit our website or contact us today to learn more about our professional French translation services.
