Perfect Simulator

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It is said that the perfect translator is bilingual and bicultural. Of course, a perfect knowledge of target and source language is the aim of every translator, but it is rarely achieved in real life. I agree that a good command of the target language is of the essence, but saying that it is even more important than the knowledge of the source language is, in my opinion, an overstatement. During my studies and from what I’ve read during these years both are equally important. Having said that, it might be fundamental to highlight the fact that translating from L2 into L1 is preferable - not only from a linguistic point of view, but from a cultural-related point of view, or, even better, those cultural aspects that are related to the use of …show more content…

It can be said that translating a text is similar to rewrite it, to re-code the units of translation after decoding their meaning, therefore it is important to be as fluent as possible in both languages. This is what Nick Rosenthal, in his column The Pillar Box on the Institute of Translation and Interpreting website, describes as “the ability to express ourselves clearly, precisely and unambiguously in our target language. In other words, writing skills.[…] But we must also consciously work on our own target-language writing skills. We must ensure that we can wield a pen with precision. We must be able to make a text come alive, to ensure that it is a pleasure to read, and that the information it contains can be easily absorbed by the reader. And we must keep abreast of changes in the way our language is used.” It is also remarked as a necessary skill by the National Network for Translation. On their website, there is a list of skills that they deem required for the job, and writing is the sixth: “Writing skills: This is extremely important. Translators are professional writers. For this, you need to know your own language perfectly: grammar, vocabulary, style. Reading voraciously helps, and so will writing practice such as blogging, student journalism, creative writing. Even the little things like spelling are important. Spelling is really important for translators; bad spelling can give a really bad impression to clients.” The importance of the writing skills of a translator can be found in “The Translator as Writer” by Susan Bassnett and Peter Bush. They state in the fourth section of their book, “Translation and creativity,” how translation is a creative literary activity, how it needs to take into account the process and importance of creating new versions of classics, and how it also should highlight the importance of style. Bassnett, who is a professor at the

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