When it comes to translating documents or texts, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the issue of agreement. Agreement refers to the grammatical rules that govern how words and phrases must match in terms of gender, number, and case. In other words, ensuring agreement is about making sure that words and phrases are properly aligned with one another, which is essential for clarity, coherence, and accuracy.
However, there are times when agreement is not possible or necessary, and this is where the concept of “no agreement traducción” comes in. “No agreement traducción” simply means that certain elements in the source text are not translated according to the rules of agreement, either because there is no equivalent in the target language, or because the context or the purpose of the text does not require it.
One common example of “no agreement traducción” is the translation of uncountable nouns. In English, some nouns are countable (e.g. book, dog, chair) and some are uncountable (e.g. water, milk, money). However, in some languages, such as Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine, regardless of whether they are countable or not. Therefore, when translating a text that contains uncountable nouns, such as “water”, a translator may choose to use the masculine or feminine form of the noun, depending on the context and the target audience. For example, “agua fría” (cold water) is usually translated as masculine, while “leche caliente” (hot milk) is usually translated as feminine, even though there is no grammatical agreement between the noun and the adjective.
Another case where “no agreement traducción” is often used is in the translation of idiomatic expressions. Idiomatic expressions are phrases or sentences whose meaning cannot be derived from the literal interpretation of the words, but rather from their cultural or contextual connotations. For example, the English expression “kick the bucket” means “to die”, but there is no direct equivalent in Spanish that conveys the same idea. Therefore, a translator may choose to paraphrase the expression, rather than trying to find a literal translation that would require grammatical agreement. In this case, the translation could be “irse al otro barrio” or “pasar a mejor vida”, both of which convey the idea of dying, but do not require any agreement between the words.
In conclusion, “no agreement traducción” is a valid and useful approach to translation, provided that it is used judiciously and with a clear understanding of the context, the purpose, and the target audience of the text. While grammatical agreement is an important aspect of language, it is not always the most important or relevant factor in translation, and sometimes it is necessary to prioritize meaning, clarity, or cultural appropriateness over strict grammatical rules. As a copy editor, it is important to be aware of these nuances and to ensure that the translated text is accurate, consistent, and effective, regardless of whether agreement is observed or not.