A translation for children … at first glance it seems simple, right? Well, it’s actually not as easy as it seems. For the translation of children’s stories, like for any other specialized translation, we must adapt the target text to the target audience, preserving its original sense but also making sure that the child can fully feel and enjoy the history, context and meaning of the text.

It is true that the vocabulary and grammar used in children’s literature is usually a lot simpler that that used in more technical texts, such as a medical document for example, but this doesn’t mean that the whole translation process is simpler.

For example, one important aspect to take into account is the translation of the names of the characters, which are an important way of helping the reader identify with the characters. For example an English boy is probably not going to identify with a character called “Jaimito” (a common name for a Spanish children’s character) – it would probably be better to adapt it to something like “Charlie”, which is a more recognisable name for English kids.

In the same way, it is important to pay attention to the other cultural aspects. The scenes, characters, situations, everything should be familiar to the child’s life. That way, the information that they read will be easier for them to retain.

However, at this point I should mention that there are some contrasting opinions related to the pedagogical function of children’s books, i.e. what the author is trying to make the children learn through the book. There are those who think that aspects like geographical settings must be rendered exactly in order to provide children international outlook and knowledge of a foreign country. On the other hand, there is the opinion that all foreign aspects of a text must be adapted to avoid hindering the child’s understanding. In any case, we should take the age of the target audience into account when deciding the best method of translation.

Finally, another skill that a translator must have when translating children´s literature, perhaps the most important in my opinion, is a special sensitivity that includes being able to go deep into the fantasy world of the child. Personally, I consider this type of translation very pleasant and interesting. What is sure is that this type of translation is not an inferior area, but requires the same dedication and effort as translation for adults. Don’t you think?

Don’t forget to vote for Veritas – we’ve been nominated as one of the top 100 language blogs in the whole world! Click here to vote!