Posts Tagged ‘Translation’

Debenhams lures tourists with Translation Signs

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

It seems that Debenhams is leading the way for other UK businesses by starting to use signs written in multiple languages in their stores.
The UK company has made the move as a way of reaching out to its customers in the UK who might not be able to speak the English language. By using signs that have been translated into other languages the UK company is trying to win over more business from customers such as tourists and non-native speakers.
The UK has a diverse selection of residents and visitors who all speak different languages so it therefore makes sense that the company should try to capitalise on this and include them in its business plan.
Debenhams is trailing the translation of its usual store signs in its London stores and it has begun to place signs in multiple languages around the shop floor. When you think that over 300 languages are spoken in the UK it makes you wonder why this sort of retail translation has not been done more often.
However this move by Debenhams has not gone without criticism as some have pointed out that it has not gone unnoticed that the UK company has only used translations for the richer nations. These customers would appear to have more spending power on face value but the company has been criticised for its cynical view of the translation of its store signs into the language of a customer who it would expect to spend more in store.
Since the recession the UK has seen more foreign shoppers come over to take advantage of the good deals and as such the UK is getting a lot of business from tourists who are coming over to merely shop in the UK.

Tags: languages, tourist, Translation, uk
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

Translation Gets China Airlines In Trouble

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

The importance of translation and translators is one of the keys to success when running a global business. In order to get a corporate message across and to also show respect for other culture in which companies are trading respect needs to be shown for the languages that are used. In order to do this a company should employ experienced and good translators to make sure that the translation service that they use reflects the professionalism of the business.
A very recent example of how this professionalism towards translation was not applied has been seen in China. A translator for the Chinese airline, China Airlines, made an embarrassing error on one of the inflight maps. A passenger on a recent flight noticed that the translation of a county in Taiwan had been translated incorrectly. The Taiwanese passenger took offence to the bad translation and he promptly complained to the Chinese airline. There was some negative media exposure of the incident and the tourist board for the Taiwan county in question (Chia-i) complained directly to China Airlines.
This was obviously a very embarrassing incident for the Chinese company and one that could have been easily avoided. However it does point to the wider issue that many companies do not hold enough importance on the translation service or the skills of the translator that they use. Very often the work goes to the lowest bidding translator and very often this can affect the quality of the translation and as such a bad translation can make a company appear unprofessional.
Translation needs to be taken seriously if a company has a serious global business strategy. Nothing will give a worst first impression than a bad translation when you are trying to win new clients. It is therefore good business sense to make sure you have a good translator on your team.

Tags: china, chinese, Translation
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

Literature Translation

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

When you think of the job of a translator it might seem like a fairly straight forward principle. In order for the translator to get a correct translation all that they need do is replace single words for their equivalent meanings in the new language.
Well in its purest form this is exactly what translation is; but what happens when a translator does not want to translate a factual piece but instead is looking to translate a piece of literature for example? This is when things have the potential to become very challenging for the translator.
Literature has all sorts of linguistical nuances and these are sometimes tricky for a translator to get across in an entirely different language. Doing this kind of translation requires a much more skilled translator who can pick up on the feeling and inner message of a piece of literature so that the piece of literature remains its integrity and the author’s original message.
If a translator was to purely replace the individual words the piece could become far too robotic and cold. The literature would soon start to lose its feeling and would not translate well at all. If the translator is not careful what was once a piece of interesting and thought provoking literature might end up becoming flat and lifeless once the translation is complete.
Instead when a translator is working on a literature piece they need to get a good understanding of the message that the author is trying to convey and as a result they should then be able to use their language skills to get this message across in the translation. This might mean that that they use words very differently to the original but the most important thing is that the literature still retains its original message.

Tags: language, literature, Translation, translator
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

Legal Translators

Friday, April 1st, 2011

The translation of text in the field of law is termed as legal translation. Legal translation is not considered to be a simple job since it involves culture dependent subjects. Legal translations should only be performed by specialized professionals. Any mistakes or mistranslation can lead to lawsuits and you can even end up losing your money. Hence a translator must be very careful while translating texts and must keep a few points in mind while doing it.

Firstly, the legal structure of the source text is formed in a manner that suits the culture and this is mirrored in the legal translations and legal language. Most of the legal translations, writings or contracts try to clearly build the rights and duties of particular individuals. The translator has to keep in mind to translate the text with the same functions as those present in the source language. A translator who is translating legal texts must refer to law dictionaries once before starting to translate text. Also one must keep in mind to consult dictionaries of high quality and not the cheap ones.

When looking for a translators, one must keep in mind to look out for the one who is most qualified and has the relevance experience since the slightest mistake can lead to major consequences. The process of legal translation requires the presence of specific knowledge and the right kind of awareness for this type of work without any uncertainty or vagueness. Any delay or mistakes in the translations can lead to a huge amount of money loss, undue delay or confusion and chaos.

It is essential for a translator to understand the legal aspects and terminology of the legal system. It is also important for a translator to match the translations with the accurate language for the correct legal information and knowledge. A translator must understand the needs and demands that have to be taken care of while translating a text. Also, usually the translations must be kept very confidential and all the documents must be kept safely under strict privacy. By doing so, a translator will earn the trust of the customer.

Tags: legal, Translation, translators
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

Translating a Website

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

In the fast growing global economy, a company with a serious plan needs to have many versions of its website. A website in different languages such as Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish, etc is important.

If you want to translate your website, there are many options to choose from. As a surfer or visitor you come across websites in a foreign language and fail to understand it or at best words or phrases that make you wish the site is in your language. Most people who are doing business on the internet tend to use one language for their website or for marketing, which makes it difficult for them to reach a larger population. Since the world is full of people who speak different languages, one requires translating a website since business is something which is all about opportunities. There are many options. You can choose the (cheap) Google translator or many other online tools and translating softwares. Or you can use a professional translation company (not as cheap).

Some of the basic steps you need to follow while translating a website are:

1. Give your translator linguistic license. Don’t carry out a word for word literal translation. You will hit the mark with a natural, localized translation..
2. Make a translation glossary. A glossary will help you keep terminology uniform and controlled ensuring consistency in your website copy.
3. Hire a professional instead of using a software tool. This will save you from any errors and will provide you with better efficiency.
4. Get translation memory to keep a check on the already translated phrases and words. This will save you the burden to hire a translator every time you add a new product to your website.
5. Review your website more than just once to correct any mistakes that happened while translating it. You can even hire a professional to do this.

Tags: arabic speakers, language, Translation, translator, website
Posted in Web Translation | No Comments »

Translating the Local Language

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

One of the finer points of translation in the global market is that your translation may have little to no impact on a localized market. Solid professional translations are still a necessity and the norm when reaching the global market. Anyone conducting business electronically or otherwise must also consider the translation needs of certain local markets in the target language zone. The process of translation must be rigorous so that the finished translation is clear and easy to understand. Taking it to the next step is the consideration of the specific locale – or ‘street version’ – where some variant of the target language is in common use.

The professional translator can add value to that translation if they are able and willing to take their work the “street” level of the target language or dialect. Like the android depicted in the Star Wars films – C3PO – the translation service can translate up to “2 million languages, forms or dialects”. Of course, that is just hyperbole, but it should be analogous to the type of value-added translation by the extraordinary professional translator. This extra-step should also be sensitive to daily issues like those of currency, local history and even local festivals.

When a business engages a professional translation service, they may wish to make it clear if they want the straight book translation or the local street version. The business persons involved will be able to delineate the requirements of this job and any add-ons. A word of warning should include whether or not the translation service – even the translator’s work – will be turned over to another source and why. The service of the translation needs to be current so as to include any new meanings or developments in the local parlance. This is needed to avoid loss, embarrassment and other detractors to business. The simplest things cannot be overlooked – like how will the corporate logo and marketing colors be perceived? (For example, one may wish to avoid the color orange in certain Catholic zones.)

Tags: language, Translation
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

Professional Translation Services

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

In some areas of thinking, there is no way to create that perfectly translated document. This school of thought believes that all languages arose independently of each other. This means that they all have different forms and structures and other variations. While this may certainly be true, some hold that most all languages have evolved from the original “mother tongue” or mother tongues. With very little language training, some folks can discern the gist of a document written in a language not their own. This process breaks down, of course, when the target language is constructed with entirely different characters or alphabets. Also, there is the problem of multiple levels of meaning and attitudes in other languages.

Translation can be a compromise or a set of compromises to develop that equivalent document in the target language. Time and scope must be realistically assessed when converting the document into the target language. This becomes a more prevalent necessity in the new global business era. Other professional translation requirements are essential in civic arenas too. This includes immigration and naturalization of new citizens from foreign lands. Other civic issues might include but may not be limited to; decrees, certificates, finances, governmental paperwork, and legal or judicial matters. Venues such as periodicals, books, instructions, safety manuals, websites and so on also need accurate and professional translation.

It is essential to have at least one professional translator when conducting foreign business, diplomacy or other negotiations. Sometimes this is just a good precaution to prevent misunderstandings or even emotional issues. The littlest thing can cause a breakdown without the presence of your professional translator. Having this singular professional present can result in the mutual satisfaction, happiness and meeting of goals and objectives for all people. Free online translation services can be a temptation – but experience shows that such systems are poor at dealing with the multiple meanings of words and phrases. This is why it is also essential to pay for a good professional translation service.

Tags: document, language, professional, Translation
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

How Good is that Translation?

Monday, January 24th, 2011

Of course, all serious business persons want a good translation when dealing in the foreign markets. The idea of assigning grades to translated documents occurs – but then every person wants their translation to be an “A+” translation. All parties understand that the good professional translation will be very clear and easy to read and understand. Some points to look for and pitfalls in the translated document should be covered. Of course, some of these will be more general than others.

The jargon factor should be considered in the course of translation. An old sales associate used to gruffly demand “Cut out the jargon!” More natural – less scientific – words might be more pleasing to the English-speaking markets and customers. For scientific and medical documents this could include words that are more close to the Latin. These words might also be acceptable in documents composed of Latin based or Romance languages. The more scientific terms are often used for the scientific professionals in documents and other presentations. A formal technical paper given at a technical conference might be an example of this use.

Some translations are understandable but just slightly miss the natural target meaning. These might convey differences of meaning in administrative, social and challenge issues or even problems. Choosing the more natural feeling turn of phrase will help the translation read and sound more smoothly. Adjectives and other descriptors can get clunky when used in the translated document – be wary of that. Also avoid the repetition of pronouns in a single phrase or sentence – does the word “the” really need to appear twice? (It does in the last sentence!) Is the narrative style natural and rhetorical? The last statement is also a warning to avoid too many rhetorical questions! The translated message should have the same meaning and read and speak naturally as the original.

Tags: english, jargon, latin, technical, Translation
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

Global Business Translation

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Today’s expanding business world now covers the whole globe. There are literally thousands of spoken languages in the modern world – formed from 200+ base languages. Business and cultural practices vary just as widely and must also be addressed in this massive marketplace. Communication clarity in business is a necessity – not a luxury. Global expansion of the business therefore requires this same high-clarity in all languages and venues. Partnering with a reputable and professional translation service is good business sense when one takes on a new and foreign market. Before forming this “partnership” one must be satisfied with their ability to also make the clear language connection. The serious business persons on both sides of this aisle will act professionally and sign all non-compete and/or confidentiality affidavits.

It is more than helpful if this translation partner can provide native bilingual translators. Such professionals will know all the “ins-and-outs” of the target tongue and provide translations that provide verisimilitude with the original document or other communication. A high quality level translation will represent the business professionals with equally high quality. The translation business people will offer you a free quotation for their services. Inquire about speed of delivery and the meeting of timetables. Explore the existence and performance of their proofers and quality control. Again, confidential and reputable business practices must be employed.

The fields of business that translation services cover range widely. This means scientific and technical as well as medical and legal fields. The last – legal – means knowing about contract law and other legal matters. That requires certification – and that certification should be conferred by the courts. And, the translators serving in these fields must have knowledge and experience with them as well. Again, high-clarity combined with a smoothly reading translation is of necessity. Marketing the business message should mesh smoothly with the culture and the language, too. This includes modern electronic marketing from websites to other formats.

Tags: business, global, Translation
Posted in Translation | No Comments »

The Double Translation Method

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Literary research will show that Roger Ascham (b. 1515? d. 1568) was probably the first person to record the method of double translation in English. He was a published writer and scholar and is known to have tutored the future Queen Elizabeth. Ascham’s work “The Scholemaster “shows that he further developed this method based on the commentaries of Cicero (b. 106BC d. 43BC). The Great Orator basically referred to the use of the following tools; discernment, structure, knowledge of the language (spoken and written), judgment and the value of customary practices. However the structure of written and spoken languages today may have changed greatly. (Zen philosophy also describes discernment – or true discernment – to be a supremely challenging goal.) In this way, Cicero may have vaguely pointed to this method of translation.

Ascham, never having been a “Scholemaster” (schoolmaster) himself, was highly regarded for his theories of education. The field of education has plainly picked up on this method as an educational tool or process. It is a practice regarded as best for one-on-one education – perhaps on the basis of an assignment. Those who have been through language training will have had the experience of an instructor passing on a written piece to be translated by the student. Some instructors will describe the meaning and values of the thing to be translated – some do not. The language student will then translate the article to the best of their ability and submit that to the instructor. The less-than-perfect translation will be returned with the corrections. The student then “back-translates” the corrected copy and makes a comparison to the original article.

Potential drawbacks to the technique in its use in business have been pointed out. The argument against the method is based on “equivalence”. For a potential business example, a native speaker/translator – who understands the source language – translates some form into the target language. A native speaker/translator of the source language then translates it back into source language. Comparisons and corrections are then made – but this may not eliminate all the issues that can arise from the base method. More rigorous methods of double translation – like iterative translation have been developed to address problem scenarios in translation.

Tags: documents, language, Translation
Posted in Translation | No Comments »