When words get too much! Where do translators go…
Even the most knowledgeable translators get stuck on certain words during the translation process. The word(s) can linger in the mind and bring the translation to a halt which can be disastrous.
So where can translators go to get help to find out these troublesome words? A dictionary, a certain blog, a forum? Each translator has their resources, some better than others. We need to know the best!
My suggestion is try to get a rough translation of the word or phrase, then do research on sites such as “wordreference”. From here you can get general idea, if not the actual word(s). I find the forums particularly good on the site mentioned above.
Finally you can check it by typing the phrase in google with the troublesome word present. If the phrase comes up often in the search and it is in the right context, you have found the correct translation!
I personally think the best tool is the internet.
Try typing the word on certain search engines and find out if that expression is there.
Also there are plenty of websites translated into different languages where you can check.
Needless to say a good technical dictionary is a must.
As a translator myself the best tool to translate correctly is to have, next to you, a native speaker helping you out with vocabulary, grammar and expressions
When words get too much, it is best to delegate the job in order not to produce embarrassing unprofessional translations
Depending on the type of document you can find lots of websites and similar documents on the internet to compare. For example, if you are translating a technical manual or the parts that a boat has, just type those words on google and find the version you need for your translation
From my point of view the internet offers endless possibilities to find the word you are looking for, from online dictionaries to glossaries or just specialised websites.
If everything else fails, just delegate the translation to someone professional.
When coming across words that are difficult to translate, from my point of view, you should ask the client to provide some feedback or previous texts that have been translated and get an idea of what it is.