This study is to convey to medical students about how important it is to have correct translation of medical texts as it can have various consequences if not done befittingly. Even minor errors can create problems in patient safety, research work and legal compliance. A person should have proper medical knowledge, linguistic proficiency, and subject-matter expertise as well to translate medical texts as medicine is all about accuracy and precision.
Keywords: medical translation, translator, knowledge, doctors, health, culture.
Introduction:
Language acts as a bridge connecting the doctors, patients and researchers worldwide. Translation in any subject is challenging let it be psychology, philosophy, legal but one of the most difficult translation is of medicine—sometimes a life depends on it for example if a person is being shifted from Indian hospital with English case report to a Russian hospital in which translation is required, if there are any errors, it might have dire consequences. So the translation should be precise —case history, research paper, drug trial, pharmaceutical instructions, diagnosis, treatment because here we are talking about lives of people. Let’s understand it by an example: There is ongoing trail of a drug which can be crucial for cancer treatment and it is translated from English to Russian. A seemingly minor mistranslation of “administer intravenously over 30 minutes” as “administer intravenously within 30 minutes” could lead to a drastically different rate of drug delivery which could possibly jeopardize the trial’s validity and can harm the health of participating patients.
Due to the technical nature of the medical translation, the need for precision and accuracy is paramount. The challenges that arise in this field stem from the complexity of medical terminology, the cultural context of healthcare, and the ethical implications of translation errors.
Challenges in medical translation:
— Complexity of medical terminology: Medical terms are highly specific and requires deep understanding of source and target language medical lexicons. Some texts may have very precious meaning in one language whereas in other language it might not have that much of deep meaning. Translators have to understand medical concept of the word and not only the meaning, some medical terms, such as splenomegaly, may not have easily understandable equivalents in other languages, which increases the risk of mistranslation.
— Eponyms and acronyms: eponyms are terms derived from person’s name for example, Crohn’s disease and acronyms are shortened version of medical terms or procedures which uses the first letters of words for example, MRI. These may not have same meaning in target language and some acronyms can have multiple meanings.
— Neologism and evolving terminology: Medicine is very evolving field with new terminologies, diseases, treatments and technologies emerging constantly. It results in formation of neologisms and requires updated translation very quickly.
— False friend or 'faux ami'- a word that looks or sounds similar in two languages but has different meanings for example, intoxicated means drunk in English and poisoned in Spanish. This might create misunderstanding in patients or doctors, if they don't know the context they might assume it has the same meaning.
Grammatical differences:
Different languages uses different verb tenses and moods in different ways so translator should choose appropriate verb tenses and moods to convey the right meaning of the sentence for example, the difference between a statement of fact and a recommendation.
Translator should focus if verb is required to change in noun or to revert to a verbal reconstruction.
Cultural differences in healthcare:
There could be cultural differences between doctors, researchers or healthcare systems of two countries and they may vary significantly so linguistically appropriate translational should be culturally appropriate as well. Translators must remain sensitive and respect the boundaries of varying cultures because something might be accurate in one culture but offensive in another for example, some concepts such as mental health issues may have different stigma in different societies.
Technological challenges: While Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools and terminology management systems can be helpful, they also present challenges.
Machine translation can fail to capture nuanced meanings or correctly handle medical terminology.
Nowadays things are getting more relied upon computers or AIs but they can have errors so it’s always safer to get the papers checked by another professional translator because, again, we are talking about medicine, one minor error can have major consequences.
Legal and ethical considerations:
Medical translation often involves highly confidential patient information, which is protected by strict regulations in many countries, translators must ensure that the information remains secure. The ethical responsibility of the translator to protect patient privacy can sometimes clash with the practical needs of translation, especially in multi-lingual healthcare settings.
Solutions to medical translation challenges:
The primary solution is to use highly qualified translators who have knowledge of medicine, linguistics, know cultural, ethical boundaries and have experience in the relevant subject. After translation it should be cross checked with other sources as well for example, medical journals, textbooks, dictionaries). Advice should be taken from medical professionals such as doctors, researchers, nurses, pharmacists to review the accuracy and appropriateness of translated terminology. [1]
There should be focus on meaning and not on literal translation, they could restructure the sentences with the same meaning. Correct grammatical rules, stylistic conventional punctuation, spellings should be used. Comply with all relevant legal requirements for medical translation in the target country (can consult with cultural experts). Names of the drugs should be firstly written in standard form used all over the world with scientific names. By looking out for the problems and using these solutions we can ensure about the accuracy of medical information and effective communication across language barriers. Medical translation plays a huge role in improving patient care and advancing global health [2]
Discussion:
In the modern world where people instead of doing their own work rely on technology, it is very important to emphasize human expertise as it remains indispensable. Machines can often miss context or cultural sensitivities. There should be more training programs and certification for medical translators to encourage our youth to take part in it more often. There should be proper knowledge of medical terminology, languages, anatomy, physiology, cultural competence and ethics. More collaborations between medical professionals, translators, linguists and culture experts can bring more accuracy and efficiency in the work as there could be potential dangers and consequences if some texts are not properly translated. So translation in medicine is not just conversion of words or texts— it is more about the hope, building trust and safety of well beings of people across linguistic divisions, proving that healthcare is a deeply human endeavour. Let us remember that behind every translated medical document lies the potential to heal, to inform and to empower so it comes with a great responsibility.
References:
- Авхадиева, И. А. Языковые инновации в романе Владимира Набокова «Машенька» / И. А. Авхадиева // Наука России: Цели и задачи: Сборник научных трудов по результатам XLVII международной научно-практической конференции, Екатеринбург, 05 февраля 2025 года. — Екатеринбург: Научный центр «LJournal», 2025. — С. 48–50.
- Авхадиева, И. А. Использование песни «лететь» как инструмента для развития навыков аудирования на уроках РКИ / И. А. Авхадиева // Языковое взаимодействие и интеркультура в коммуникативном пространстве преподавателя: Материалы научно-практической конференции с международным участием, Уфа, 25–26 октября 2024 года. — Уфа: Башкирский государственный медицинский университет, 2024. — С. 7–9.
