mistranslation

Mistranslation is the act or result of translating text in a way that does not accurately convey the original meaning. It occurs when the target-language rendering misinterprets vocabulary, syntax, semantics, or pragmatics, leading to information being conveyed incorrectly, altered nuance, or unintended implications. Mistranslation can affect any domain, from everyday communication to legal, medical, or technical texts.

Common causes include linguistic differences such as polysemy and false friends, idiomatic expressions that do not translate literally, and differences in register or tone. Cultural context, legal or technical terminology, and assumptions about audience can also lead to errors. Human error, insufficent source-text quality, and limitations of machine translation exacerbate the problem.

Types include literal mistranslation, where words are translated directly but the resulting sentence is nonsensical or wrong; semantic mistranslation, where the wrong sense of a word is chosen; and pragmatic or cultural mistranslation, where intent, politeness, or cultural references are mishandled. Omissions, insertions, or mistranscribed data may also produce mistranslation.

The consequences range from confusion and misinformed decisions to offense or safety risks in medical, legal, or engineering contexts. Inaccurate translations can distort public information, undermine trust, and incur legal liability for professionals and organizations.

Prevention and correction rely on professional translation practices, including domain expertise, native-language review, and context-aware localization. Techniques such as back-translation, glossary development, style guides, post-editing of machine translation, and peer review help reduce mistranslation. Ongoing quality assurance and user feedback are important to identify and rectify errors after publication.