Translation is teamwork. In the United States, I am often asked if my translations will be understandable by people from different Spanish-speaking countries. I tell them my practice is that teams include people of different nationalities. Why?
In the US Spanish-speaking community, speakers are familiar with a variety of registers and variants of the language. The Spanish used in US media is the work of journalists from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries, and the Spanish each of them speaks is the the result of multiple influences as well as the fact that English is the dominant language. The end result is a US Spanish in which, bit by bit and deliberately, differences are smoothed, and regionalisms are eliminated. The final product is a more universal Spanish which enhances the ability of publishers to disseminate their materials among the Spanish-speaking community.
Translation by Helen Eby
Martín, Antonio and Sánz, Víctor. 2017. Dilo bien y dilo claro, pg 70. Barcelona: Larousse
At Gaucha Translations, we have a process that includes the client, a reviewer and myself as team members. I am from Argentina, and my reviewer is from a different nationality. This way we can always discuss nuances that will appeal to a broader spectrum of Spanish speakers. We are very reluctant to skip the review step in our translations, which is where another translator, who is just as qualified as the first one, goes through the work with a fine-tooth comb to see if there is anything that could be improved a bit. We always find a couple of details that were worth the trouble, and we have been at this for years. Professional copy editors also do this at advertising agencies, as I recall from the copy editing boot camp I attended with the American Copy Editors Society. Some of them said they went through some texts eight or nine times!
Teamwork. Quality Spanish translation, by certified translators. It is what we deliver.
