How to Translate and pronouce an another language

Translating from one language to another is a great chance to bring two cultures together. Pronouncing is a matter of learning the sounds of another language, then practicing as much as possible to perfect it. Both translating and pronouncing are critically important in a world where people from different countries have more and more opportunities to interact. Read on to learn how to translate and pronounce another language.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Bilingual dictionaries
• Dictionary of common idioms in target language
• Guide to pronunciation in target language
• Books on tape in target language

Translating

1. Carefully read the whole text you will be translating. Look up any words you don’t understand.
2. Identify the tone of the text--scholarly, newspaper, fiction, web site or blog. Find any places in the text where there are expressions that change the literal meaning of the words. Figure out what expressions in the target language to substitute.
3. Write a first draft. Don’t worry about getting it perfect; just produce a text you can work with. Look for places where the text assumes knowledge on the part of readers. For example, a text in English might refer to “carpetbaggers;” a non-American reader might not know what this means.Consider including a footnote or a note directly in the text.
4. Re-read the original text. Now compare your draft to it. Revise the draft until you are satisfied that it accurately represents the original in tone, grammar and syntax.

Pronouncing

5. Try to find a book, CD or other information that compares pronunciation in your language and the target language. The International Phonetic Alphabet is an essential resource.
6. Read and pronounce in turn each of the phonetic symbols. Look in the dictionary for words in which they are used. Repeat them until you are comfortable saying them.
7. Find the sounds which are hardest to pronounce. Learn what to do with your mouth, lips and tongue to produce them.
8. After you have worked on individual words, move on to phrases and sentences. Learn which syllables are accented. Practice as much as you can.
9. Listen to books on tape in the language you are learning to pronounce. Listen for what you have been working on.
10. Record yourself saying words and sentences, then listen to what you have recorded. Compare your pronunciation to what you heard in the taped books.
11. Join a group that meets regularly to speak the new language.

Tips & Warnings

• If your first language isn’t the target language, get a native speaker to review your translation.
• Idioms are very important to understand.
• If you can’t get the pronunciation perfect, don’t worry. Try to make yourself understood and keep practicing.
• Words or expressions in the same language can have very different meanings in different countries.
• Find out which words are rude in the new language so you won’t say them without realizing it.