The Process of Spanish Translation: An Overview I

A Spanish translator needs to analyze the source text in order to understand its contents correctly and completely. According to an English dictionary, the word “text” is derived from a Latin word meaning, “one that is woven.” Similar to the texture of woven cloth, a written text has diverse patterns, some constructed better than others. The words and sentences that form a text document are entangled with each other to form a web. A Spanish translator therefore needs to be well versed in the Spanish language in order to completely grasp the text-based pattern that needs to be translated.

During the mechanics of Spanish translation, the translation oriented text analysis covers all of the relevant text features and elements within the framework of the context and purpose for which the translation has been initiated. Regardless of the diverse approaches to Spanish translation, Spanish translators are expected to be able to justify every single assessment in terms of context. The analysis of a source text provides not only a full understanding of its meaning, but also an explanation of its linguistic, textual and discursive structures. It also reveals the relationship of these properties with the system and rules of the source language and source language culture. Based on this information, the Spanish translator can make each decision more effectively. This analysis acts as a frame of reference for the Spanish translator in the process of Spanish translation so as to deliver a high quality target document.

Spanish translators need to have syntactic and semantic competence in the Spanish language, even if they are native Spanish speakers. Many times, native Spanish speakers lack fundamental knowledge of their own language, such as verbal, cognitive, situational and general socio-historical contexts of the Spanish language. In order to have a complete understanding of the Spanish language, translators must develop their understanding of these key areas.