Translating written or spoken word is as much about the word your translator is translating as it is about the words, sentences, and even images around it. When we speak or write, context is important for our audience to understand what we mean, and this doesn’t change for translators.

The meaning of our words depends on when, where, and how we’re using them. For example, the word bark could refer to tree bark or the sound of man’s best friend – or if you’re lucky it could even refer to the delicious holiday season candy! Think of context as the frame around your message that helps your audience interpret the message correctly.

Context in Translation

There are a few types of contexts to keep in mind. The first is the “immediate” context of the words or phrases around something being translated. This type of context translators can pull from the text itself to determine what the best end translation is for your content.

The next, more abstract context is situational. This includes everything from facial expressions or gestures to social, political, and economic relationships and even the culture or ideology of the audience. For interpretation or translation of language in a video, translators can pull out some of these pieces of context on their own. For cultural or ideological factors, they may need additional research or support from the customer to get the translation right with the appropriate context.

The last piece of context that can be helpful for a translator is knowing more about their customer’s company and industry. Everything from industry terms that could be found in a style guide or glossary to a brief description of the company’s missions and values can help a translator with this. Knowing more about the company itself will help a translator as they make decisions about the best “bark” to use in your translation.

Risks of not Including Context

Without sufficient context, translators are left to their own devices when choosing between similar phrases or words in their translation. This could lead to content that doesn’t resonate as well with your target audience or even offends that audience. Or this could lead to the creation of content that doesn’t align well with the missions of your company.

So, when sending content to a translation company for services, be sure to include plenty of context and any supporting materials to assist your translator. This can go a long way to ensure your content is translated effectively and efficiently while maintaining the right context for your audience.