What do we mean when we say that the RAE (Real Academia Española) Dictionary is the only “accepted” dictionary for translating into or from Spanish? Simply put, it means that our work must be able to base itself on the norms and standards established by the institution. That is the reason that its dictionary is our most reliable reference source.
This applies both to translating and to editing translations. We have to remember that our choices regarding terminology must also be based on what is established by the RAE. It is essential that our work is demonstrate a professional basis and, therefore, there is nothing better than working with a thorough knowledge of grammar rules.
I know that working on the edition of texts is a task that is far from objective, but the RAE does offer us a source of knowledge which we can immerse ourselves in when we want our bases to extend past the simple “I wrote it like that because it sounds better” or the tried and true “I changed it because of usage”.
In conclusion, as much as we want to use a certain sentence because “it sounds better”, we must first check its proper use according to what the Real Academia Española has decided.
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Tags: Diccionario de la Real Academia Española, Professional Translation, reference, resources, Spanish
Hi Scott, I live in Argentina, I’m currently studying to get a degree in Translation.
I would like you to tell you my view on the real impact RAE Dictionary has here.
First, most of the usage tips and such from the Dictionary are misleading. Why? Because RAE decided to edit one Spanish Dictionary (and only one, even if you include the “Panhispánico de Dudas”) just expecting that all the South American countries abide by it.
I think this “imposition” goes beyond such matters as grammar. It includes a whole range of familiar, high ussage vocabulary that could be interpreted as either “slangish and insulting” depending if you’re living in Peru, Bolivia or Argentina. And the RAE doesn’t provide any help in those cases.
Nowadays, here, we have to be wizards, sorting through the future reader’s cultural awareness, second-guessing their nationality, as for us to neutralize any blunder it may occur while translating material that it’s going to be read all through South America.
Well, keep up the good blog, and I hope this might not be seen as rant.
Bye bye!