Rumor, or should we say rumour, has it that many (or at least more than usual) translators on this side of the Atlantic are being approached to translate into what we commonly refer to here as U.K. English. I would guess that this has more to do with the falling U.S. dollar and weakening U.S. economy than with a sudden shortage of qualified into-English translators in the U.K.
This brings up a number of interesting questions. The first is, what is meant by U.K. English? Does this mean that the translator simply sets her/his spell-checker to U.K. English and uses U.K. date formats? Or does the translator attempt to write with a British flair, substituting “pudding” for “dessert” and “chemist’s” for “pharmacy,” or “at weekends” for “on the weekend”? A more conceptual issue is whether some sort of culturally neutral English is possible or desirable, and whether translation consumers are satisfied with translations that may be technically correct but stylistically more American than British.
U.S.-based German to English translator Jill Sommer says, “Translating into U.K. English involves more than switching a z to an s. When a client contacts me for a U.K. English translation, I turn it down.” Jill sees part of the problem as client misunderstanding of the many differences between U.K. and U.S. English and relates the story of a U.S.-based colleague who was asked, halfway into a 100+ page translation to “make it U.K. English.” “At a minimum, clients should be willing to use a U.K. English proofreader. They underestimate the differences that make a text sound British or American,” says Jill.
With session proposals for the 2008 ATA conference due next Friday, it seems like there might also be a niche for some linguistic education on this topic. Maybe a session on “Fundamentals of U.K. English for U.S. English translators” or “English with a British flair”? I would also be interested to know whether the reverse phenomenon happens on the other side of the Atlantic; do U.K.-based translation buyers automatically use U.S.-based translators, or do they ask U.K-based translators to Americanize their translations?
Hi Corinne:
There is at least one translation agency which specializes in translating from British into American English (and possibly, vice-versa).
Riccardo
Hi Corinne,
As you know, I’m British and live in the USA. I translate into both British and US English, because I do highly technical work where the scientific content is really what the client is paying me for. I also edit US>UK sometimes, but I prefer translating.
Your quote from Jill that it is not just about spelling is quite right. There are lots of usage and style differences and many of them are the ‘you just don’t say it like that’ type that we are very used to when seeing non-natives’ written in English.
I do occasionally have editors tell me something I’ve written is too British. I have key words that I drop or bring back according to my target ‘sub-language’.
Another point – the strength of Sterling may be part of the reason US translators are being asked over Brits. I can imagine continental European agencies are finding American rates quite cheap at the moment but not British ones. A Euro is worth about 80 pence at the moment and about $1.55. Quite a difference.
Thanks, Karen, for your interesting and insightful (as always!) comments; I think you should offer a session at the ATA conference on “bilingualism USUK” or something like that! Also interesting about Sterling; I don’t have any UK clients so I don’t track it, but that’s amazing that it’s currently stronger than the euro!