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Real life Examples: See for Yourself Whether a Professional Translation Is Worth It
Real life Examples: See for Yourself Whether a Professional Translation Is Worth It
Some of these mistakes might not seem like a big deal, but imagine an entire book full of them. It's death by a thousand papercuts. These "papercuts" add up quickly, becoming a constant distraction for your readers.
THE ORIGINAL
THE ORIGINAL
Varcò la soglia del mini-market.
OTHER TRANSLATION
OTHER TRANSLATION
She crossed the threshold of the mini mart.
MY TRANSLATION
MY TRANSLATION
She stepped out of the bodega.
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Comments:
"Varcare la soglia" of course literally means "cross the threshold" in English, but we would only ever say it in a more poetic/literary context or as a metaphor. To say it when describing a simple action such as exiting a store sounds very dramatic and odd.
Although we would typically translate "mini-market" as "mini-mart" in English, this particular story takes place in New York City and the type of store being referenced here is called a "bodega" there. So while "mini-mart" wouldn't be correct, choosing to use the word "bodega" better puts the reader right in New York City.
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Note: "Other Translations" in this series are taken from real translations, whether by AI tools such as ChatGPT or DeepL, or human translators.
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