Paying Attention to Chinese Medical Translation Problems
September 25th, 2023
Medical translation plays a vital role nowadays and is comprised of various different subcategories, such as scientific brochures, drug leaflets, and medical reports. Making sure you use the correct terminology is a critical part of a top-quality medical translation. Translation work is not a smooth sailing endeavor, but Chinese medical translations are by far the most challenging.
Chinese medical translation is crucial to spread medical knowledge and making new medical discoveries. However, Chinese medical translators face a lot of challenges, which include Chinese medical terminology, the equivalence of medical texts, readability, and certain Chinese medical language characteristics such as:
Eponyms and multiword terms
Chinese Acronyms and abbreviations
Polysemy and Synonymy
Affixation
Word compounding
Not every Chinese translator is equipped to do the medical translation. It takes an expert to get the job done, who has to be an expert on the subject matter.
Different Types of Drug Names
You need to give special attention to Chinese drug names and identify the difference between drug names and the INN (International Nonproprietary Name). The latter is a unique name and is different from the drug name. For instance, if you were translating Tylenol into Chinese, it would be important for the end receiver to know what the INN is so that the equivalent drug used can be identified. The medical translator should have the capacity to precisely translate Tylenol into its Chinese equivalent.
Sharing Medical Product Knowledge between Chinese Linguists and Clients
It is crucial that both Chinese linguists and clients invest adequate time in sharing knowledge about medical products and extensively learning about them. Although it consumes a lot of time, linguists will be able to fully comprehend the complexities of what he/she is translating. This, in turn, would boost linguistic quality. Communication between clients and linguists is of paramount importance.
Different Target Audiences
Chinese Medical terminologies present unique challenges from other translation domains. Medical translators must determine their target audience before starting the task. Different audiences include doctors, patients, laymen, and other individuals in the medical industry. If you are translating a Chinese medical text for a patient or a layman, you must translate it into simple language that is easy to understand. However, if you were translating for a doctor, all the relevant technical information should be translated and kept, such as research publications and scientific data.
Make Use of CAT Tools (Computer-Assisted Translation)
As the consistency of content between universal regulatory agencies and Chinese medical organizations is of paramount importance, Computer Assisted Training systems provide exemplary accuracy while saving a lot of precious time.
In addition to the knowledge of subject-specific Chinese medical terminology, it is also very crucial to have complete access to all relevant sources such as Chinese glossaries, traditional dictionaries, textbooks, reference books, articles, and Chinese medical databases. The final stage in the medical translation process is consulting with a medical expert, a specialist in a medical domain. This is because their contribution will play an integral role in enhancing the translation quality. By following the aforementioned strategies, a translator can easily avoid common Chinese medical translation problems.
Here at WELLinguist, we offer accurate, professional, and quality translation services. Collaborating with us, a professional Chinese translation team, can help you send the right medical message to your consumers. We are affordable, transparent, reliable, and responsive and offer expertise in relevant medical industries. We have experience translating specialized content and terminology, ensuring accurate and contextually appropriate translations for diverse fields.