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Scientific or technical matter
Today English is the language of knowledge and most of the scientific and technical literature is written in that language. Translation of such works into other languages becomes even more of a challenge. A scientific article in medicine, for example, can be translated only by somebody who has proficiency in two languages as well as at least a working knowledge of medicine. Equivalents of technical terms are difficult because some of them cannot be conceived of in a particular language. Even simple terms like ‘switch' or ‘railways' do not have adequate Indian language equivalents simply because they were products of the western scientific system. The translator has to be aware of these pitfalls when s/he is translating work of this nature. The reader again becomes important here; if it is intended for a student, the translation has to take care that it does not alienate the student by being too technical. Terms and words have to be chosen carefully.
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