Specialised translation can be defined as the translation of materials which:

– refer to a highly specialised field or domain (e.g. law, finance, computer science, telecommunications, etc.)

– and/or are of a particular type,

– and/or are targeted at a particular audience or public through specific dissemination channels and/or are used by specialists in specific circumstances,

– and/or are embedded in a particular medium (e.g. multimedia technology, film, video, ICT, etc.) therefore calling for the use of special procedures, tools and protocols and leading to the emergence of new specialisms or even jobs.

The most widely-known sub-categories of translation are those of materials with specialised subject matter – often to the point that the medium too is specialised. Sub-categories are a matter of volume since a sub-category emerges whenever a significant number of translators are concerned. Traditional sub-categorizing is as follows:

– technical translation,

– commercial translation (sometimes recognized by the official qualification of ‘commercial translator’),

– financial translation,

– legal translation,

– biomedical and pharmaceutical translation,

– scientific translation,

– IT translation,

– marketing and advertising translation,

– translation of X documents (where X refers to the denomination of a given domain).

Literary translation is the translation of any kind of fictional work, including prose narratives, drama and poetry. The last two types (drama and poetry) involve particular constraints related, for instance, to theatrical performance or poetic style. Further specialisation may occur if the translator chooses to focus on one author, period, style, country or region, or if she/he specialises in children’s books, crime novels, science fiction or comic strips, with the specific features related to the combined use of text and graphics.

In most countries, literary translation is viewed as a form of authorship. The translator may be a “secondary author” vis-a-vis the original author of the translated work, but is often considered in the eyes of the law as an author in her/his own right.

Literary translation often requires particular talents on the part of the translator in terms of style, sensitivity, creativeness and aesthetic feeling. In the most talented, they border on creative genius and are generally considered a natural gift rather than an acquired skill.

To dispel a few common illusions, literary translation is anything but ‘free’. It is in fact quite ‘controlled’, with the publisher, the manager of thecollection, the proof-reader, and the commercial staff all having strong opinions about what the translation should look like in terms of length (yes, translations of literature may be cut or expanded), contents, and style. In that respect, with the exception of the ‘monuments’, literary works are first and foremost commercial products.

Literary translation is the preserve of full-time professionals (deriving most of their income from literary translation) and enlightened amateurs. Their professional profiles differ widely and include:

– authors in their own right (novelists, poets or playwrights),

– well known literary translators, generally overworked and ingreat demand among publishers,

– budding literary translators, bent on building up a reputation, who are encouraged by the fact that literary works are now increasingly marketable

commodities and by the general acceptance of translations by the reading public and critics alike,

– ‘pulp fiction’ translators, often faced with cut-throat competition in their particular market segment,

– all kinds of amateur and part-time translators.

A particular subcategory of literary translation would be the translation of philosophical works since it requires specialist knowledge of a particular kind. Translators of philosophical works are a category by themselves.

And some words about technical translation. Technical translation is a specialisation in its own right. It covers the translation of any material belonging to a particular area of knowledge, technical field or technology (e.g. mechanical engineering, hydraulics, electrical engineering, business management, etc.), providing the materials require special knowledge of the area involved. To some people, technical translation is the translation of anything non- literary. To complicate things further, the professional denomination, and practice, of technical translators tend to blur borders or make them overlap.

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