Translating emotions

To Be a Great Translator, Sometimes You Need to "Feel" the Emotions Too.
Have you ever thought about how being a good translator involves more than just knowing the language? It’s about understanding and conveying not just the words, but also the emotions and feelings of the speaker. Sometimes, to truly capture the essence, you need to “feel” those emotions as well. Take Emiliano Martínez, the Argentine goalkeeper, for example, after his team’s victory at the 2022 World Cup.

Translating Emotions
A translator’s job is about more than just translating words—it’s about translating feelings. After Argentina won the World Cup, Martínez was overcome with emotion and expressed his joy through tears. In these moments, a translator must do more than convey the literal meaning—they need to capture the emotional depth and mood. The translator has to become so involved in the message that they “feel” the emotions too, in order to translate them accurately.

Why Does This Matter?
A translator doesn’t just connect two languages—they connect cultures and emotions. They need to convey not just the words, but the feelings behind them. When a translator manages to do this, that’s when the translation becomes truly exceptional.

But Do You Really Need to Cry?
Of course, this is just a metaphor. A translator doesn’t need to literally cry. But you do need to be so in tune with the speaker’s emotions that those feelings come across in the translation. That’s when the translation becomes truly vivid and authentic.