It belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of languages of the Indo-European family, which we spoke of HERE.
It is mainly spoken in the Punjab region (between India and Pakistan) and, globally, there are some 100 million speakers of this language.
It derives from dialects such as Hindi and it basically employs the Gurmukhi alphabet for writing, which [...]
Author Archive
The Punjabi Language
Friday, December 18th, 2009When Translation and SEO Collide
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009Working as a translator (or at least a good one) implies exercising a high level of attention to detail, the kind of nit-pickiness that will drive your friends mad but which will elate your clients. Translators need to have a strong command of both their source and their target languages to be able to do [...]
Is “usted” Really Always the Best Option?
Saturday, December 12th, 2009I’ve noticed lots of confusion regarding this matter: many people are under the impression that it’s correct to use “usted” at all times, in all cases.
I’m afraid that that’s not correct, however: not always, not in all cases. It depends on the objective to be accomplished.
According to the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española (http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=usted):
“Usted” [...]
Why Multilingualism Counts for So Much
Friday, December 11th, 2009As a translator and as someone that is surrounded by multilingual individuals on a daily basis at work, I’d have to say that I find the process and the effort of grappling with various languages to be enormously rewarding. As somebody that grew up in a multilingual home I am convinced it is something that [...]
The Persian Language
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009It belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family, which we spoke about HERE.
More than 60 million people are native speakers of this language, and they are distributed across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Oman, the Arab Emirates and India, as well as members of the Persian diaspora.
The ISO and the Academy of Persian [...]
More Automatic Translation Gadget News
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009As a translator, it is with a fair share of trepidation and chagrin that I “celebrate” news (such as the topic of today’s post) relating to new gadgets that facilitate–or usurp!–the job of the translator or interpreter. Nonetheless, the gadget we’re going to be looking at here is just too nifty to disregard, and, thankfully, [...]
Thanksgiving
Friday, November 27th, 2009Thanksgiving has yet again befallen us, and all around the US (and in the many parts of the world where American expats and Americanophiles happen to be tucked away) folks are likely enduring the several hours of fasting to make space for the turkey, gravy and stuffing bedecked eat-a-thon that descends right about nightfall.
Despite the [...]
The Pashto Language
Friday, November 13th, 2009Spoken by the Khan’s or Pashtuns (inhabiting Afghanistan and the west of Pakistan) as well as by groups in India, it is one of the official languages of Afghanistan, along with Dari.
With regards to the linguistic history of Pashto, it comes from the Indo-European language of families, discussed HERE, and more specifically forms part of [...]
Boosting Business with Website Translation
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009Business leaders in today’s global economic context are feeling pretty beleaguered by all the goings on (or lack thereof) of the present, and many are struggling to come up with ways to inject new life into their operations. A small bit of token advice for such distraught global businesspersons: let website translation be a motor [...]
Dari
Friday, November 6th, 2009An apocope of “courtly Persian,” fārsi-ye dari is, along with Pashto, one of the principal Persian languages spoken contemporarily in Afghanistan (especially in the capital and the southern and western regions).
This language is also known as “Persian,” “Persawan,” or “Afghan Persian.”
Over half the population are native speakers of this language, and it is the principal [...]
The Importance of Plain Language
Thursday, November 5th, 2009Are you tired of not understanding the texts you read or speeches you listen to? If so, you are most certainly not alone: there are scores of frustrated readers and listeners out there that know they have a fairly decent linguistic level, yet find it simply impossible to understand a lot of what passes today [...]
Further Thoughts on Localization
Thursday, October 29th, 2009Were you perhaps under the impression that localization meant customizing your message (website, documentation, sales material, etc.) to a foreign language-speaking market abroad? Well, despite the fact that this assumption is generally applicable, it is not entirely true.
The reality is that in countries with high levels of diversity, localization may imply adapting your message for [...]
Last Minute Changes During Translation Projects
Friday, October 23rd, 2009Everybody knows that the rhythm of today’s business world means that business leaders often need to send off documentation for translation that will undergo subsequent changes or revisions.
Will these people receive translations of documentation that is already obsolete within their company?
Not at all—our system of fluid communication with clients and the flexibility of our work [...]
Internationalization First, Localization Second
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009In the present day and age, a large volume of translation projects are requested by customers that are intent on localizing their products, sales pitches, marketing materials, etc. There is a tremendous need to break into new markets, and that means that localization is a primary concern for tranlsation agencies.
Of course, localization can be a [...]
How Much Do Translations Cost?
Friday, October 16th, 2009The price of a translation cannot be estimated based on such imprecise factors as the number of pages in the project, as some pages may be full of and others practically devoid of text.
To calculate the price exactly, it’s necessary to consider number of source document words and the complexity of the subject matter, as [...]
Good Results Demand Better Communication
Thursday, October 15th, 2009The more translation projects I have been involved with, the more I realize that communication is a fundamental aspect of translation–not only on the translator’s behalf, but that of the client as well!
Indeed, let this serve as notice to all present and future translation buyers (particularly regarding voluminous, complicated documents): have a member of your [...]
What’s the Minimum Number of Translators Involved in Each Translation Project?
Friday, October 9th, 2009Some clients may not be aware of it, but each translation project—no matter how small—involves the work of various translation professionals.
The “translator” is the professional that works with the source text on the first round, applying a determined work methodology learnt during University studies. In case of a very large project, several translators will partake.
Subsequently, [...]
Why Human Translators Still Have a Job
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009Humans and machines don’t always get along: the former are often envious of the latter’s ability to perform tasks with greater efficiency, consistency, and more precise results. The antagonistic sentiments which many people have harbored for machines stretch back many years, and in particular any time machines or technology in general have displaced human workers, [...]
Translation Buyer Consideration
Friday, October 2nd, 2009Some translation agencies try to find sly methods for making their customers pay more for the services being offered. The ploys can be incredibly simple, or sometimes they can be sublimely complicated.
One thing which translation buyers should keep an eye out for when choosing which provider to go with is how the price tally is [...]
