Translator Tip: Foreign Names and Researching Gender

Here’s a quick tip I got from a teacher in the translation program at Bellevue College in Washington state. It has allowed me to go the extra mile for clients and to produce accurate translations, a source of pride for me.

When Translators Need This Tip

First some context. Translators always work across the source and target culture and have to process the text through the filter of both, even through a third or fourth culture sometimes. In other words, the translator reads the text in French, let’s say, in order to understand what the author said. Then, they take that understanding and translate it into English or whatever second language, applying new cultural norms, such as slang, metaphors, and gender pronouns.

French to English, English to Spanish, Korean to German, etc. This happens every time and personal names are no exception.

First and Last Names

This brings me to the quick tip. Every culture has common first and last names. When the translator comes across them, they are often difficult for that person to pronounce and even spell. Two examples from my work are J-L. Vanoverschelde and Himdata Abdourahime.

It can be an issue when the translator needs to know if the name is feminine or masculine in order to correctly use third-person pronouns or even adjectives in the target text. For example, “So-and-So gave his/her opinion.”

Quick Tip: Research

The tip is to go the extra mile and research the person’s name. Either their full name, if they might have an internet presence - LinkedIn page, website, publications, etc. Or research each name individually with a phrase like “Is So-and-So a girl’s/boy’s name?”

This is a very quick step that could impress your translation client and improve your reputation with them, bringing you to the top of their list of vendors.