Tips and Tricks for a Good Translation

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Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when translating an analysis or an article.

General Considerations and on Fluency

The main purpose of a translator is to provide a clear, fluent translation while maintaining the original content of the analysis or of the article. To do so, strictly literal translations should be avoided and you, as a translator, are free to reorganize the structure of a sentence and, in extreme cases, of a short paragraph if doing so would enhance the reader's experience. Note: it is prohibited to change the content of the text without receiving the approval of a QC member.

Using instruments such as Google Translate and Linguee in a malicious way is strictly forbidden and there will be severe consequences if you are caught doing so. However, this does not mean that you can not use Translate or other sites, such as Synonyms and Antonyms, to provide a better translation. In short, do not just blindly copy paste entire sentences.

Keep in mind that you are not writing an essay nor are you meant to impress anyone. Do not use unnecessarily complicated words just to make the translation appear fancy. However, the translation’s quality should remain high from start to finish; do not rush a translation

On Grammar

Each language is unique, and most of the languages we translate into are romance languages and do not share the same origin as English. While things such as articles and gender tend to be simple in English, they might be slightly more complicated in Spanish or Italian.

Here are some grammar aspects you should be aware of

- Articles, Pronouns, Gender. While there is not much differentiation in English, most of our languages rely on masculine and feminine nouns, articles, et cetera. Some words that have no gender in English may need one in your language in order to improve the fluency of the text.

- Capitalization. Capitalization is a delicate matter even in regular articles and analyses. While most Projects agree to follow the English rules of capitalization, be sure to check your Project's glossary and the Spelling and Grammar Standards.

- Technical Terms. All Projects have agreed to maintain a certain dependency on English vocabulary, particularly Pokemon-specific terms. Words such as EdgeQuake, BoltBeam, sweeper, cleaner, and many more are usually kept in their original form.

- Abbreviations. Abbreviations should be avoided. Particular cases are allowed and you can find them in the glossary.

- Non-translatable terms. Non-translatable terms are left to deal with at the discretion of the translator. Think about what the term means and find a suitable translation in your language. Be careful not to make the sentence too long or unpleasant when doing this.

- Puns, assonances, and dissonances. If there is an expression that makes sense only in English like puns, due to factors such as meaning, sound, etc. you are free to translate them and keep the façade if possible, transform them into a pun in your own language (be careful if you choose to do this), or just do not include them into your translation. The last case is likely.


If you have any doubt, do not hesitate to take a look at your language's glossary and at the Spelling and Grammar Standards! Or even better, ask one of your team members on platforms such as Pokémon Showdown and our Discord server. Translating is not a mechanical work; the more opinions, the better.
 
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