We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Home

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What does a Chinese Translator do?

By U. Ahern
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,764
Share

Translation is the art and practice of taking written documents in one language and recreating them in another language, reflecting the intent of the original writing not merely the literal words. Unlike the Chinese interpreter who deals with multiple spoken Chinese dialects, the Chinese translator works with two main written forms—simplified and traditional Chinese. Translators possess a high degree of writing expertise in the target language. The Chinese translator can be found in many fields. Literary, legal, technical, commercial, and medical fields all offer productive avenues for the skill of the Chinese translator.

A typical college educated Chinese individual will recognize 4,000 to 5,000 characters and about 40,000 to 60,000 words. Due to the boom in the Chinese economy there is a high demand for Chinese translators. Simplified Chinese was developed to make writing faster and the characters easier to memorize. It is standard to the People’s Republic of China, Singapore, and Malaysia. Traditional Chinese is standard to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and overseas Chinese communities. There is significant overlap between traditional and simplified since some traditional words are only minimally simplified.

Translators must be very familiar with the cultural context and references of the target audience. Since they work with the written word they have the opportunity to carefully craft their documents to accurately reflect written nuances. Literary translators work with books, novels, textbooks, and more. They are in high demand with publishing houses and universities. Their expertise translates the heart and knowledge of one culture to another whether it’s into Chinese or from Chinese into another language.

Chinese legal translators are found in both government and private sector positions. The increasingly global nature of business interactions requires legal documents to be accurately translated to and from Chinese. Both parties need a document to read and sign that is in their own language.

Medical translation requires extreme accuracy. Chinese translation services are highly valued by hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and more. Medical textbooks and research documents can be translated, broadening the scope of medical knowledge.

Technical translation is a niche for those familiar with computers, the aeronautic industry, engineering and more. The technical Chinese translator may be dealing with the translation of websites, manuals, or other field-specific documents. These jobs can be found in both the public and the private sector. Often a translator will work as a freelancer and take jobs without being an employee of a company or government

The best preparation for a Chinese translator is a broad education and specialized knowledge. A translation agency will look for someone who has a general understanding of the topic in both languages. Fields that have specialized vocabulary that makes it challenging to understand in the original language will require a translator to have a grasp of the specialized vocabulary in both languages. With a solid grasp of written Chinese, a good education and writing skills a Chinese translator will be able to find many productive avenues for his skills.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By anon122019 — On Oct 26, 2010

I find these articles highly informative and beneficial, clearing away the fog of doubt from my mind. New vistas have been opened and revealed for myself and others to leap into the exciting unknown. A world of brightness shines into the language-lover's life, hopefully one day, proving beneficial for the advancement of society.

Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-does-a-chinese-translator-do.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.