Articles About Spanish/English and English/Spanish Medical Translators

1. Factors in Medical Translation
2. So You Call Yourself a Translator?
3. Natural Health Industry Translations
4. The Need for Professionally Trained Medical Translators
5. Excellence in Medical Translators
6. Medical Translation Pitfalls
7. Justification for a Medical Translator

Medical translation is a very specialized field and only those with extensive experience, and/or medical background attempt to undertake.

Besides specializing in specific areas a translator works in language pairs, (i.e., English to Spanish, very few can master the combination Spanish to English as well). Therefore most translators work solely in one language pair, thus assuring quality in a translated text.

Factors translators should be familiar with:

• Medical terminology, Latin was used in medicine until the 18th century.
• Specific and General Acronyms, the translator should be prepared to do extensive research or contact its sources for the full explanation.
• Eponyms, a translator should be quite aware that illness can be named after different people in different countries therefore, it is imperative to document its source.
• English is the language in Science therefore a certain term may be left in English in different languages to be made easier to understand.
• Medical use of words or phraseology. There are factors not included in the real language that must be taken into consideration depending on the type of text.
• Documentation and Research, using all tools available to validate the translation.
• Professional Use and Patient use. The translator should make the translated text specific to each. One requires a high level of complexity, the later a clear and understandable document for the layman.