Translation-- the act of taking a text or source in one language and hashing it into another. To many the task seems daunting, nigh impossible, even. Thankfully, I'm here to tell you that translating is exactly that. As excruciatingly difficult as it can get, however, translation is ultimately a useful academic muscle to flex. So, as to not sow the seeds of despair and run off, I will provide a handful of pointers to help the aspiring linguist meet their quota for the month, semester, or other deadline.
Let's imagine you're ready to get started. You've got what you want to parse into a different language, maybe some scratch paper and a few pencils, or a laptop if you're typing things out from the get-go. Before you so much as read the first line, stop, and examine yourself for a moment. Give yourself a good, hard look, and acknowledge your limitations. There is only so much we can do when it comes to the quality and speed of translating. And unless you're a trilingual native speaker protégée, chances are this is going to take some doing. And that's okay. Most folks struggle enough as it is with learning a second language, but trying to transliterate something raises the stakes even higher. Providing oneself with the benefit of a doubt will go a long way towards keeping project morale in the green.
Moreover, the amateur's translator toolkit is built upon two pillars: dictionaries, and Google Translate. The former may come off as common sense, but believe me when I say not all dictionaries are created equal. So, to get around this problem, you should ideally be using three to four different reference books throughout the process. By doing so, you not only increase the accuracy of your translation, but may also come across some nifty alternative readings to spice up your own unique interpretation. In regards to the Google service, you might think me uncultured for even suggesting its use. But it is entirely dependent on how you view it. Not unlike a persevering language student, the program is often pretty good at nabbing basic vocabulary, but suffers when it comes to more complicated grammar. Its real value is, in fact, that it can do a lot of the basic grunt work you can, but at a faster rate, which saves you time in the long run. Similarly, once you hit the older or more ambiguous words, you always have your dictionaries to fall back on.
Finally, and most importantly, don't be afraid to check your work against your forbearers. Unless you've uncovered some secret scroll untouched by time for millennia, chances are a translation of your subject already exists. Now to be clear, I am in no way encouraging plagiarism of any sort. That said, double-checking and comparing one's work to another is great way to keep the essence of a text intact. There's nothing wrong with giving a nod to the experts, and so long as credit is provided where credit is due, one establishes a status of professionalism by their efforts.
In the end, there is probably no best way to go about translating. Most everybody has their own methods, and matters will certainly vary from language to language. Yet above all, we must continue to try, to cultivate this skill so that we may unify our communities. Though it manifests differently for us all, there is assuredly a madness to the method.
