Translation from/to Bulgarian in Practice: Types of Translation Strategies

Every professional Bulgarian translator knows that translation is not just to replace words from one language into another. Translators are dealing with a complex process where they often face many challenges.

Each language is unique and has its specifics. That is why a professional Bulgarian translator will use different methods and strategies to transform the differences in two languages. They do it in such a way as to produce a meaningful text that communicates the information from the source as accurately as possible.

In modern times translation is a very mature and well-developed field where we can see different schools of influence, classifications and strategies. Below we will look at the categories of strategies used in modern translation practice.

Translation strategies can be defined as procedures that help to solve a translation challenge in the most optimal way. They represent different approaches and the choice of a strategy depends on the translator and his/her personal view of the process. The term “translation strategies” generalizes the individual procedure conscious and unconscious, verbal and non-verbal, external or cognitive, that the translator uses to improve the translation. In this sense, translation strategies play a key role in the decision-making process.

Here are some of the most used categories of translation strategies.

1. Strategies for Understanding

These are the strategies that the profesional Bulgarian translator will use to understand the original text, identify the different type of discourse, structures used in the text, information progression, mark the main and secondary ideas of the author as well as trace the flow of the logical thought, etc.

2. Strategies for Problem Solving

These are strategies used to solve challenges with the re-writing and interpreting of the text. They are used to identify the chunks of written and oral expression, paraphrasing, following the logic of the text, etc.

We have mentioned translation challenges few times already so, let’s take a look at some of them.

Here are some challenges that a Bulgarian translator will often face when working with different languages.

• • Translation from English to Bulgarian

Idioms can be difficult for any English to Bulgarian translator because they shouldn't be translated with the word-for-word method. This approach will result in a translated phrase which sounds unnatural to the Bulgarian reader. Idioms have to be translated carefully ideally to be compared to the respective phrase in a language rather than translated word-for-word.

• • Translation from Arabic to Bulgarian

Arabic is considered one of the most difficult languages for localization. Translation from Arabic to Bulgarian is usually assigned to professionals who have solid knowledge and experience in the field. The Arabic to Bulgarian translator has to be an expert in the lexical and local specifics of the Arab speaking country and the language variation they are dealing with.

• • Translation from Russian to Bulgarian

And while Arabic is very different from Bulgarian and belongs to another language family, translating to and from a similar language from the same family can be quite challenging too. Such is the example with the translation from Russian to Bulgarian where the similarities between the two Slavic languages can cause confusion if the Russian to Bulgarian translator is not an expert in his/her field.

3. Strategies for Information Acquisition

In their work translators get information from different external sources including specialized literature and even expert consultants. The information acquisition strategies summarize these consultations, dictionary or encyclopedia checks, parallel text comparisons, etc. These strategies stand for the process of finding the right sources for reference and the appropriate literature to support the translation process.

4. Strategies for Memorizing

These are used mainly in interpreting where the interpreter needs to memorize chunks of information and interpret them simultaneously or consecutively. Memory training is a big part of the interpreting process, so these strategies play a key role in it as well.

Translation strategies are used on different levels; some of them are applied on big chunks of text, others to smaller linguistic entities. They depend on the type of translation (written or interpreting) also on the direction of the translator/interpreter. Professional translators/interpreters decide on their approach and strategies carefully because they will not only help them solve problems along the way but to increase the efficiency of the whole process.

So, as you can see if you need translation services to Bulgarian is better to count on a professional Bulgarian translator.