Unlike mathematics or chemistry, translation is not a science. When it comes to evaluating the quality of a translation, there is a great deal of subjectivity involved. Clients might feel that they received a sub-par translation, whereas the translator see things quite differently. The cause for this confusion comes down to understanding the difference between translation errors and preferential changes.
Translation Errors v.s. Preferential Changes
A “translation error” typically refers to quantifiable issues such as spelling, grammar, a mistranslated term, and missing or added content, to name a few. For example, translating “車子” as “輪船” in Mandarin is clearly incorrect and leaves no room for interpretation. On the other hand, a “preferential change” is the preferences of words/style from a single person (or a translator) to another individual. But translating “car” as 車子, or 轎車, and all of them are correct in Mandarin. If a client wishes to alter 車子 to 轎車 in their own translation, that means it is a preferential change, but not a mistake in translation.
The Gray Area
However, the difference between translation errors and preferential changes isn’t always black and white. Whether a translation should be more literal or more idiomatic is something that should be discussed by the translator and client beforehand. The target audience and intent of the document also play an important role in completing the translation. It’s alway important to remember that translators are rightfully hesitant to diverge too significantly from the source material. In those cases, localization or transcreation might be more appropriate solutions than translation.