FREELANCE TRANSLATORS INDUSTRY JARGON - WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW IT

FREELANCE TRANSLATORS INDUSTRY JARGON - WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW IT Every industry has its own terminology and the translation world is no different. However sometimes industry jargon can obstruct clarity in a translation. There are some professional freelance translators who feel that the overuse of industry jargon opens the door to misunderstanding; you are using a term that in your mind has a certain definition, but the readers’ understanding of the term is completely different. With that said the fact remains that members of every profession use jargon simply because it is an easy way to convey an idea. Having a clear understanding of your own industry jargon can be used to identify terms in documents from other industries as well. When a client presents you with a document for translation that has many terms that fall in the jargon category, you have to work closely with the client to refine the term into one that will be understood clearly by the reader. Generally the rule of thumb with industry jargon is that the broader the audience the simpler the language. Limiting your use of jargon in your daily communications is good practice if you want to stay focused on being clearly understood; even within the freelance translation world not every individual is on the same page with all of the terms. In conclusion, while the use of industry jargon is a widely accepted practice, the benefits of using it is coming under more criticism, due to the confusion that it produces when used inappropriately. It is to your advantage to be aware of industry jargon in the translation world and within the area of your specialization, but for the sake of clarity, it is best to limit your use of it when you are translating a document to make sure that the integrity of the content is maintained.