Translating technical texts: The Igbo language example

Abstract

Translating a text from one language to another poses problems to the translator. The task becomes more enormous when translating from a well developed language to a developing one. It even becomes more complex when dealing with a technical text. While the English language belongs to the Anglo-Saxon group, Igbo language belongs to the Congo Basin. Every domain of translation presents its own difficulties and the technical domain too. Technical translation belongs to a specialized area. This implies that it involves specialized terminology. Igbo language is lagging behind in the development of technical terms. There is a wide gap between the two languages both linguistically and culturally. This paper tries to identify some challenges in translating a technical text into Igbo and suggest the way forward.

Keywords: Translation, technical terms, specialized translation.