Techno-scientific terms omitted from translation

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The discussion centers on the omission of the terms "visible light interference" and "the non-visible spectrum" in the English translation of a Chinese sci-fi novel. The original text emphasizes the technical distinctions between traditional and radio astronomy, highlighting that visible light interference is less relevant to radio astronomy due to the significant differences in wavelengths. The translator's choice to omit these terms is defended on the grounds that they do not impact the scientific accuracy of the description and that the translation is clearer and more accessible for readers with some understanding of astronomy. The conversation also touches on the potential pitfalls of overly faithful translations, which can hinder comprehension. Overall, the consensus leans towards the idea that the translation prioritizes clarity without sacrificing essential meaning.
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TL;DR Summary: Why were the two terms "visible light interference" and "the non-visible spectrum" omitted from the translation?

I am doing a contrastive study of a Chinese sci-fi novel and its English translation.

The following is a more faithful translation of the original:
The initial considerations were purely technical. Unlike traditional astronomy, radio astronomy didn’t have as many demands on atmospheric quality and visible light interference, but required minimal electromagnetic interference on the non-visible spectrum.

The actual English translation is as follows:
The initial considerations were purely technical. Unlike traditional astronomy, radio astronomy didn’t have as many demands on atmospheric quality, but required minimal electromagnetic interference.

Could anyone please tell me why the translator omitted the terms "visible light interference" and "the non-visible spectrum"?
 
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Personal choice by the translator, I should think.
 
Thanks!

The following is an explanation I found:
The translator has omitted "visible light interference" and "non-visible light bands" from translation, as the wavelengths of visible light are several orders of magnitude different from those used in radio astronomical observations, and have almost no impact on the latter. Moreover, "non-visible light bands" has a too broad a scope, being too general, and omitting it has no impact on the relevant scientific descriptions.

Do you think it makes sense?
 
louislaolu said:
The following is an explanation I found:
The translator has omitted "visible light interference" and "non-visible light bands" from translation, as the wavelengths of visible light are several orders of magnitude different from those used in radio astronomical observations, and have almost no impact on the latter. Moreover, "non-visible light bands" has a too broad a scope, being too general, and omitting it has no impact on the relevant scientific descriptions.
I think the translation is far easier to understand than the "more faithful" translation. At least for someone with a little understanding of the problems of optical and radio astronomy. The bane of (terrestrial) optical astronomy is air turbulence (leading to the "sparkling" of stars and blurred photographic images), whereas in radio astronomy a severe problem is interference from all sorts of electrical devices.

I have no idea of the correct technical terms in Chinese. They may circumscribe something imported from another language. A too "faithful" translation can turn out to be barely intelligible.
louislaolu said:
Do you think it makes sense?
Yes.
 
WernerQH said:
I think the translation is far easier to understand than the "more faithful" translation. At least for someone with a little understanding of the problems of optical and radio astronomy. The bane of (terrestrial) optical astronomy is air turbulence (leading to the "sparkling" of stars and blurred photographic images), whereas in radio astronomy a severe problem is interference from all sorts of electrical devices.

I have no idea of the correct technical terms in Chinese. They may circumscribe something imported from another language. A too "faithful" translation can turn out to be barely intelligible.

Yes.
Thank you for the very useful reply!
 
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