LIMITS OF THE TRANSLATOR'S FREEDOM

LIMITS OF THE TRANSLATOR'S FREEDOM

1. There are some types of document which require rigid translation of the original, ommiting and adding nothing. Legal texts belong to this group and patents. In such cases the translator has the minimum of freedom.

2. Translators should correct grammatical mistakes, wrong word choices and other linguistic defects in a badly written source text.

3. They should also polish the translation of the texts which include swearwords and take note of any omission of dates or distortion of facts because it is their moral and professional duty to translate correct information.

4. Yet, translators shouldn't change the content of source texts no matter how they feel about it.