{"id":2301,"date":"2020-12-16T21:22:45","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T20:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eurotrad.com\/blog\/what-is-slang-how-translate-it\/"},"modified":"2024-01-23T12:25:15","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T11:25:15","slug":"what-is-slang-how-translate-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eurotrad.com\/en\/magazine\/what-is-slang-how-translate-it\/","title":{"rendered":"How to translate American slang"},"content":{"rendered":"

S<\/strong>lang<\/strong> is mainly used in spoken language, and in daily informal situations. It has developed in the USA through the continuous transformation of American English<\/strong> in common use.<\/p>\n

Slang was originally used in spoken language, <\/strong>but over time (and with the increasing popularity of instant messaging) it has spread into written language, and is now considered a valid alternative to the standard language.<\/p>\n

Every language has its own slang, and new generations<\/strong> tend to take possession of the slang used by previous generations and modify and enrich it with new neologisms and expressions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Translating slang, and American slang in particular<\/a> \u2013 which is incredibly widespread and well known \u2013 deserves special attention. Those tasked with translating slang often find themselves having to choose between two different approaches: bringing the language to the reader or the reader to the language.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did you know that there are dedicated dictionaries for American slang?<\/h2>\n

No other country in the world is home to slang<\/strong> as widespread as the USA. There are a number of reasons for this, perhaps the most compelling of which relates to the fact that a significant percentage of the population socialises out on the street<\/strong>. In fact, the \u2018street\u2019 has seen the birth of music genres<\/strong> such as rap and hip hop, and American slang<\/strong>, more than British slang, or any other slang for that matter, has entered the vocabularies and cultures of young generations all over the world.<\/p>\n

Given its linguistic importance and diffusion, the web is now home to dictionaries dedicated to American slang<\/strong>. Here are some famous examples:<\/p>\n

Yup\/Yeah\/uh-huh – Yes
\nNope – No
\nBitchin’ – Excellent
\nBad ass! – Impressive
\nCatch ya in a few \u2013 See you soon
\nCheck it out \u2013 Take a look at this
\nI don\u2019t give a shit \u2013 I don\u2019t care
\nCan I bum a smoke? \u00a0– Can I have a cigarette?
\nKick off \u2013 Get out of here<\/p>\n

As you may have guessed, these dictionaries will soon become obsolete as slang is in continuous evolution<\/strong>, but they nevertheless represent important tools when approaching slang translation.<\/p>\n

Translating slang: approaches and methodologies<\/h2>\n

As the translator Luciana Cisbani once said, translators can either decide to \u2018bring the language to the reader or the reader to the language\u2019<\/strong>. As such, translators can choose to \u2018normalise\u2019 terms that are harder to understand by translating them using familiar language. Young people, for example, might say \u2018the sitch\u2019 instead of \u2018the situation\u2019.<\/p>\n

When translators have to grapple with slang in literary contexts<\/strong>, they have to decide either to render slang \u2018transparent\u2019 and understandable by using a word such as \u2018situation\u2019, or to establish a difference<\/strong> between slang and standard language by using slang in the target language, too.<\/p>\n

When translators use \u2018transparent\u2019 words, they are essentially bringing the language to their readers and making it easier for them to interpret the text. That being said, they are also depriving their readers of certain cultural nuances. When translators choose to translate slang using equivalent terms in the target language,<\/strong> they\u2019re forcing their readers to step out of their comfort zone and make a (small) effort to understand the authenticity of the cultural context described in the text.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s the best approach to take? There is no right answer to this question. It all depends on the agreement between the translator and author<\/strong> (who might fiercely oppose the \u2018normalisation\u2019 of the slang spoken by his or her characters) but also the editorial choices of the publishing house.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Slang is mainly used in spoken language, and in daily informal situations. It has developed in the USA through the continuous transformation of American English in common use. Slang was originally used in spoken language, but over time (and with the increasing popularity of instant messaging) it has spread into written language, and is now considered a valid alternative to the standard language. Every language has its own slang, and new generations tend to take possession of the slang used by previous generations and modify…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":814,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is slang and how do you translate it? | Eurotrad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Translators often have to translate slang (especially American slang), but what is the best approach to take?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurotrad.com\/en\/magazine\/what-is-slang-how-translate-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is slang and how do you translate it? 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