Poll: As translators, we should all be good writers. Penulis thread: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "As translators, we should all be good writers.".
View the poll results »
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To become a good writer, you have to read a lot. So, if you are a translator who reads a lot of literature or creative writing, you could become a good writer. But, in my experience, writing is a muscle that you have to practice every day and learn from other writers about comparisons, descriptions, jokes, and expressiveness, among others. It is not an easy task, but so joyful when you get it right.
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Overall, I would say yes. At the very least, one needs to be able to convey more than the simple word-by-word meaning of the original text.
That being said, the extent to which we need to be good writers depends on what exactly we translate and specialize in.
Technical and I dare even say legal translation does not require the same extent of writing skills as, say, marketing transcreation or video game localization, not to mention actual literary translation.
| | | | Liena V. 
Latvia
Local time: 13:32
Anggota sejak (2014)
Prancis ke Latvia
+ ...
I mean, we should all definitely have good writing skills in our own language, no? I have never written anything myself and do not have much interest in doing it. One of the things I like about translation is that I do not have to "invent" anything, but it does terrify me to see what passes as acceptable language these days. Only about 15 years ago when I started (which already feels like 19th century) poor style or more than a couple minor issues would have been an automatic fail, now it is per... See more I mean, we should all definitely have good writing skills in our own language, no? I have never written anything myself and do not have much interest in doing it. One of the things I like about translation is that I do not have to "invent" anything, but it does terrify me to see what passes as acceptable language these days. Only about 15 years ago when I started (which already feels like 19th century) poor style or more than a couple minor issues would have been an automatic fail, now it is perfectly fine as long as there are words which allow to recognise the language... ▲ Collapse
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In the sense that a translator must command at least the target language, including an in-depth knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural nuances. In fact, some writers are also translators. Baudelaire, for instance, was also a translator, as well as José Saramago, who said “Writers make national literature, while translators make universal literature”. Some writers (José Saramago again) can even afford to play with grammar, bringing oral language into their wri... See more In the sense that a translator must command at least the target language, including an in-depth knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural nuances. In fact, some writers are also translators. Baudelaire, for instance, was also a translator, as well as José Saramago, who said “Writers make national literature, while translators make universal literature”. Some writers (José Saramago again) can even afford to play with grammar, bringing oral language into their writing. Except for the translator of their works, no one else can do this!
When I was very young, my family used to say I would be a writer because I won an award in my early years at secondary school, but that was as far as it went... ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Obviously not | Dec 31, 2025 |
Why would a translator need to be a good writer? Next they’ll be wanting us to understand a foreign language 🙄
| | | | Samuel Murray
Belanda
Local time: 12:32
Anggota sejak (2006)
Inggris ke Afrikaans
+ ...
| It's nice if you can | Dec 31, 2025 |
Ideally, translators should be very good writers, but what matters at a minimum is that you are a "good enough" writer for the field that you translate in.
Oscar Núñez Alfaro wrote:
To become a good writer, you have to read a lot.
It's true that you can't become a good writer if you read very little, but reading a lot wouldn't improve your writing skills unless you also have the skill/talent for absorbing the styles of the authors that you write. Simply reading more isn't necessarily going to improve your writing. I think "you must read a lot" is good advice to give to teenagers who are aspiring to become writers.
[Edited at 2025-12-31 09:53 GMT]
| | | | | I beg to differ | Dec 31, 2025 |
Oscar Núñez Alfaro wrote:
To become a good writer, you have to read a lot. So, if you are a translator who reads a lot of literature or creative writing, you could become a good writer.
Samuel Murray wrote:
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It's true that you can't become a good writer if you read very little, but reading a lot wouldn't improve your writing skills unless you also have the skill/talent for absorbing the styles of the authors that you write. Simply reading more isn't necessarily going to improve your writing. I think "you must read a lot" is good advice to give to teenagers who are aspiring to become writers.
Reading a lot of other author's writings merely cramps one's own writing style.
JL
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Safaa Gomaa
Mesir
Local time: 13:32
Inggris ke Arab
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| That's a big yes | Dec 31, 2025 |
What made me realize that "writing" is actually a very important skill for translators is that many of the great translated works i read were translated by people who are mainly great writers!
3 years ago, i read the Arabic version of a book called (Hiroshima) by John Hersey, well, the Translator was mainly a writer, and the Arabic translation was great and felt like it was written originally in Arabic.
So, yeah, translators should be good writers.
| | | | Josephine Cassar
Malta
Local time: 12:32
Anggota sejak (2012)
Inggris ke Malta
+ ...
Yes, I believe a translator learns to be more particular about typos and mistakes. Also translators learn to express themselves more logically and think about the audience on the other side of the fence. It's like they have words at their fingertips and they can pick and choose at will. That's the essence of the trade. Happy New Year everyone.
[Edited at 2025-12-31 13:23 GMT]
[Edited at 2025-12-31 13:32 GMT]
| | | | IrinaN (X)
Amerika Serikat (AS)
Local time: 05:32
Inggris ke Rusia
+ ...
| As backhoe operators | Jan 2 |
We should all know how to operate a backhoe.
| | | | Angie Garbarino
Local time: 12:32
Anggota sejak (2003)
Inggris ke Italia
+ ...
Liena V. wrote:
I mean, we should all definitely have good writing skills in our own language, no? I have never written anything myself and do not have much interest in doing it. One of the things I like about translation is that I do not have to "invent" anything, but it does terrify me to see what passes as acceptable language these days. Only about 15 years ago when I started (which already feels like 19th century) poor style or more than a couple minor issues would have been an automatic fail, now it is perfectly fine as long as there are words which allow to recognise the language...
I cannot invent, but I always was a good writer in my target language. I am now writing a sort of biography of my family, just to leave it to my son when I will pass away, I can do it, because I do not have to invent.
Happy 2026!
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ProZ.com Staff wrote:
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "As translators, we should all be good writers.". View the poll results »
If you translate for marketing or literature, then yes.
If you translate for LLM or in a technical field, you need functional writing, which is a different thing.
A good translator writes in a clear, natural manner depending on the register. They might not even be noticed because they're able to adapt to other's text.
A good writer makes personal style choices when writing. They often want to emerge and have a voice.
Therefore, as translators, we should be competent writers in the required register.
| | | | jyuan_us
Amerika Serikat (AS)
Local time: 06:32
Anggota sejak (2005)
Inggris ke Mandarin
+ ...
| Understanding the question | Jan 10 |
"As translators, we should all be good writers.".
Does this mean
"As translators, we are supposed to be good writers."
Or "As translators, it should be the case that we are already good writers."
Or "As translators, we should try our best to become good writers."
Is it just I who found the question ambiguous?
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jyuan_us wrote:
Understanding the question
"As translators, we should all be good writers.".
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Is it just I who found the question ambiguous?
Ambiguity in Proz polls is very common - and probably deliberate.
Why? Because it's that same ambiguity that gives us something to write about!
JL
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