| Hebrew Translation: It Can be Done!
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| | “Fred kicked the ball.”
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| English to Hebrew translation can be a
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| | The trick is this: modern Hebrew speakers
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| tough nut to crack. This article will
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| | use the word “et” to identify
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| discuss six difficulties that accompany
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| | the direct object. So, in Hebrew you
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| the task of Hebrew translation.
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| | could say “Fred kicked et
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| These six difficulties can also be six
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| | ball,” “kicked et ball
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| different reasons that you should
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| | Fred,” or “et ball kicked
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| consider hiring a Hebrew translation
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| | Fred.” Sound a little confusing? It
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| professional:
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| | can be. That is why it is so important to
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| 1) One reason that you would want to
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| | look for a Hebrew translation expert
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| consider hiring a Hebrew translation
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| | especially if you are involved in a
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| professional is that many of the Hebrew
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| | document localization project.
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| 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person
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| | 4) During English to Hebrew translation
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| pronouns are gender specific. For
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| | there is also the issue of translating
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| instance, according to an article1 that I
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| | English style questions to Hebrew style
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| found online, you need to know the gender
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| | questions.4 Again, in English, word order
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| of a noun so that when you come—or
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| | is also usually important when asking
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| hear-- the pronoun you can understand
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| | questions, especially when those
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| what it is referring to. This may sound
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| | questions are on paper. For instance, if
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| strange to English speakers who are used
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| | you saw the following
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| to genderless pronouns (except in the
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| | “question” written on paper
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| case of singular 3rd person pronouns) and
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| | it might seem fairly odd in English:
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| use word order to keep references to
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| | My money is safe in the bank of England?
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| nouns under control. However, if you want
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| | Sure, eventually the reader would catch
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| to learn more about Hebrew and Hebrew
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| | on that this declarative sentence
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| translation, you will have to understand
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| | wasn’t actually that declarative
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| that Hebrew just isn’t quite as
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| | but afterwards--unless the context
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| “word orderly” as
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| | happened to be ideal in this particular
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| English—at least in a grammatical
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| | instance--his or her mind would probably
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| sense. Of course, a native speaker of
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| | back track and think that the question
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| Hebrew who could speak English might be
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| | was a bit odd. He or she might even think
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| able to handle the job but a translator
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| | that the question should have been
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| could most likely do it faster.
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| | written as follows:
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| 2) In Hebrew, word order means far less
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| | Is my money safe in the bank of England?
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| than it does in English.2 For instance,
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| | In Hebrew, questions can be identified
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| in Hebrew you could say “brown
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| | with voice inflections or with a tag (if
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| kangaroo jumps” or “jumps
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| | you know Spanish the concept of a tag
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| kangaroo brown” and it would
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| | will be familiar to you). The tag word is
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| project basically the same idea to a
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| | “nachon” which means correct.
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| modern Hebrew speaker. In contrast
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| | So in Hebrew you could say “My
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| however, an English speaker would
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| | money is safe in the bank of England,
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| probably become confused when reading
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| | nachon?” You could of course use
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| “jumps kangaroo brown”
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| | the tag “correct” in an
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| especially if it is in the middle of a
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| | English phrase but it wouldn’t be
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| sentence that would normally require the
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| | as common.
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| “brown kangaroo jumps”
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| | 5) This is just a guess on my part, but I
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| version. This is simply another reason
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| | was reading an article5 about doing
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| that you would want to find a Hebrew
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| | business in Israel and it mentioned that
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| translation professional who you could
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| | many people have the opinion that
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| trust to get the grammar right and make
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| | Israelis are “arrogant, aggressive
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| quick translations by fast-paced
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| | and pushy” when in reality many
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| deadlines.
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| | Israelis are simply honest and direct. In
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| 3) Another thing that must be understood
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| | my opinion, the issue of cultural values
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| during Hebrew translation is the
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| | (e.g. being direct rather than
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| difference between identifying direct
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| | “polite”) plays a big part in
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| objects.3 For instance, in English, a
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| | A-1 Hebrew translations. Wouldn’t
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| direct object can be identified from the
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| | it be logical to assume that the values
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| word order of the sentence. In the
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| | of a country and the way that they
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| sentence, “Fred kicked the
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| | verbalize in everyday communication would
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| ball,” the ball is the direct
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| | play a part in the way that they write to
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| object because it is being acted upon and
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| | each other? This is another reason you
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| it wouldn’t quite be proper if you
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| | might want to consider hiring a Hebrew
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| wrote “kicked Fred the ball,”
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| | translation professional as he or she
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| especially if it were part of a larger
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| | will most likely have experience with the
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| whole. So, you are probably wondering how
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| | best way to right to a specific cultural
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| a Hebrew speaker would identify a direct
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| | group without offending anyone.
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| object if they can say things like
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| | Translation should dissipate ideas, not
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| “the ball kicked Fred,” when
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| | aggregate negative emotions.
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| really what they mean to say is that
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