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Do you sometimes people are stupid if they can't translate simple words from English to Arabic or vice versa? Is it really THAT difficult?

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Question added by Sarah Ali , Senior Evaluation Specialist , United Nations
Date Posted: 2017/03/07
Asim Hussein
by Asim Hussein , English Arabic Translator, Editor, Proofreader , Khafji Joint Operation (JV between Saudi Aramco and Kuwaiti Petroleum Co.

Sorry to say that I did not like the word "stupid" in this context.. When it comes to translation, what seems simple for a translator might not be so for others. When it comes to physics, what seems simple for a physicist might not be so for others, and so on so forth. There are a lot of simple things in each specialty that we don't know about, so it is not fair to say "stupid" in this regard. Thanks

mohamad danach
by mohamad danach , Freelance Translator , Freelance Translation - Mohammad Danach

it is not a stupidity, because translation is not a knowledge, it is a practice and a talent.

Mohammad Araidhah
by Mohammad Araidhah , Senior Technical Translator , Manens Tifs

Do you sometimes people are stupid if they can't translate? 

I believe the question is not written correctly, but do not think you are stupid.

Osama Abdel-Maksoud
by Osama Abdel-Maksoud , Senior Translator and Paralegal , AMJ

Translation in general is a skill and a gift and it is unacceptable to call someone stupid for failing to translate even simple words. Moreover, several fields of specialization in translation such as legal translation requires more strict and deep understanding of the language and the target. A minor mistake in legal translation may cause the freedom of someone, the loss of money and/ or goodwill. 

Given the above, I believe it is natural for people not working in the specific field of legal translation to fail in understanding, conveying and communicating the right meaning and implications of the term

Hamza Toghoj
by Hamza Toghoj , Lecturer/ Field Training Supervisor , Isra Private University

'Stupid' is too harsh a word to describe such individuals. Language acquisition and linguistic competence do not necessarily equate to intelligence. Furthermore, some people do make a conscious effort not to speak in a foreign tongue when communicating with fellow native speakers of Arabic. 

Not entirely. Some might be superstitious and won't translate fearing that they will get a wrong translation, so they prefer others doing it for them.

This is one of reasons, I believe.

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