If you’ve ever worked in translation, you’ve probably had that moment – the one where you think you’ve nailed it, only to realise (often thanks to a more experienced colleague) that you were way off the mark.
For me, that moment came early in my career when I was working on a translation for Christie’s – the world-famous auction house. It was my first real job as a translator at the time (2010), and I was clueless. As I explained in an earlier blog post, I never studied translation at university and fell into the industry almost by accident.
And my first MAJOR rookie mistake is one I'll never forget.
I was translating a marketing email for one of Christie's upcoming auctions from English into Traditional Chinese for the Hong Kong market. One of the paintings was titled something had a simple but evocative title that went something like this: “Two Legs and a Belly” (I tried Googling this exact painting but to no avail – if you happen to know which painting this is, PLEASE share in the comment!)
Well, this is easy! Without thinking twice, I translated it as: 兩條腿和一個肚子
Clear, correct, no missing information.
Job done!
Or so I thought.
The Correction I’ll Never Forget
Thankfully, rookies like me were supervised by far more experienced professionals. Our brilliant translation manager reviewed my work and made a seemingly small change using Track Changes. A revision I'll never forget.
兩條腿和一個肚子 [STRIKETHROUGH] --> 兩腿一腹
That’s it. Three characters shorter. Just as accurate.
But a world apart in tone.
At first glance, my version ( 兩條腿和一個肚子) wasn’t wrong, per se. It faithfully conveyed the meaning of the original English. But when you compare it to the revised version… it’s almost comically literal and childish.
Like something you’d find in a children’s anatomy book rather than a contemporary masterpiece that would fetch tens of thousands of pounds.
In contrast, 兩腿一腹 had the refined, polished quality that a Christie’s marketing email demands – something that my wordy, clunky attempt utterly lacked.
The Importance of Register in Translation
This was my first real lesson in register – the subtle but crucial difference between simply translating words and matching the tone, style, and formality of the target language.
Register is what separates a legal contract from a casual email, a fine art description from a medical report, a luxury brand campaign from a tech manual.
Had my translation gone out to our clients as it was, it wouldn’t have been technically wrong, but it would have felt jarring to the intended audience – simply unfit for an auction house of Christie’s calibre.
Now, with 15 more years of experience under my belt, I fully understand that finding the exact mot juste that conveys the intended tone and register of the source text is an art that comes only with experience and human expertise. (I’d bet anything that AI would translate "Two Legs and a Belly" exactly as I did 15 years ago!)
Lessons from My Rookie Mistake
That tiny correction stuck with me because it completely transformed how I approached translation from that moment on. Translation goes far beyond technical accuracy – it's about elevating the language to match the context.
Now, when I translate, I always ask myself:
Who is reading this?
What kind of tone and sophistication does this text require?
Is my translation just correct, or does it actually feel right?
Because, as I learned that day at Christie’s, sometimes getting the register wrong doesn’t just make a translation less than perfect – it makes it unintentionally hilarious.
So, to all the fellow translators out there – rookies and veterans alike – what was your first register fail?
Let’s hear them!
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