Wherever you are, whatever you may be doing for the next week, I wish you all happiness, warmth, health, food, family, and safety. Thank you for stopping by and reading this and any of the other posts. See you soon!
I first came across this sign a few months ago, but I feel it’s important to complement justinb’s post to emphasize that ANYONE interested in translation, especially those looking to run an agency, really soak in what happened here. For those of us who have no knowledge of Welsh, we brush it off and turn left (provided that we are not a heavy goods vehicle). However, a Welsh-speaking truck driver with no knowledge of English is pretty much stuck. The sign in Welsh reads, “I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated.” At least that’s what they tell me.
As professional translators and people interested in someday running our own agency, this tells us a few things:
First, have more than one person who understands the target language look at what is being sent along, especially if it is being used for publication in a place where many, many people can see it.
Second, if a translator you normally work with sends you a translation with no additional comment, confirm that it is a translation and not an automatic message or something that they otherwise sent without thinking.
Third, if you’re generally working with one specific language pair (here, Welsh-English), make sure that your emails are correctly in both, in case someone is looking to contact you from either end.
Last, learn from your mistakes or those of others…mistakes like these can only be prevented by thorough attention to detail from every party involved.
There are dozens and dozens of errors like this out there…don’t have me add yours to the list later…
Trusted Translations, the leading provider of Spanish language translations in the United States market, has recently announced its commitment to “go green” by implementing new policies that will reduce the use of paper by using methods of electronic delivery of invoices and projects as well as brochures and other materials related to marketing campaigns. The company’s goal is to reduce paper use by 90% over the next two years.
These policies will affect not only the internal corporate culture of Trusted Translations, but will also be extended to the company’s 10,000 translators in order to attain a tangible effect on the environment.
In addition to these new policies, Trusted Translations has also undertaken an initiative to spread this environmentally-conscious message amongst the Hispanic community in the United States, the country’s largest minority group. The company will pair with non-profit organizations in order to promote environmental awareness and conservation strategies by translating this message into Spanish.
As Trusted Translations is one of the first translations companies to adopt a “green” policy, this constitutes a major step in terms of environmentally-friendly practices for the translation industry.
In the specific case of translation, localization refers to how a language is adapted to a specific country or culture so that the target audience understands the text on a native level. Not only are the words themselves localized, accounting for spelling differences and disparities in word usage, but aspects such as date and number formats, currencies, measurement systems, phone numbers, images, etc. are also adapted to the target country or audience so that the text fits in perfectly with the culture.
Localization is a fundamental service for businesses looking to expand globally. Not only will these businesses need to have their material translated into several different languages, but they will also need to have their material localized if a product or service is to be used in a specific region. This is often times included in the translation process, although clients will need to specifically indicate that they are requesting this service as well as the flavor for the target language(s). For example, if a company in Spain wishes to translate their material for English-speaking markets, they will need to consider which flavor of English they will use. If their product or service will mainly be used within Europe, it is likely that they will use the U.K. flavor of English due to the number of these English speakers within the region.
One of the main advantages of this service is the personalized attention to your clients, as you are able to communicate with them in a language they understand.
Most translators have heard of the new online machine translation option called “Google Translate”. While many would argue that machine translations have several issues regarding accuracy and the inability to understand the text like humans do, this has become a widely popular tool, so much so that YouTube recently announced the launch of a Translate option for captioned videos.
This feature provides real-time translations of video captions with a variety of language options, all powered by Google Translate. While YouTube readily admits that machine translations have flaws, they hope to make their videos more accessible to a broader audience.
Here are the instructions from YouTube’s blog: “To get a translation for your preferred language, move the mouse over the bottom-right arrow, and then over the small triangle next to the CC (or subtitle) icon, to see the captions menu. Click on the “Translate…” button and then you will be given a choice of many different languages.”
Take a look at how this works with the link below.
So what do you think? Will the widespread use of machine translations, particularly Google Translate, cause a stir amongst more traditional translators? Or is this just another way to help tackle the language barriers?
The news these days is full of market reports, minute-by-minute updates on the stock market and countless stories of small businesses being driven into bankruptcy. There is a general sense of tension especially for small business owners, and rightly so! So, what does this mean for the translation industry and how will it be affected?
Glancing at any timeline of the financial crisis is proof alone that all of our markets are interwoven, and what happens in one market will affect others on a global scale. As the translation industry largely depends on these global connections, to what extent will our services be affected? Across the globe, many freelance translators have been forced to find other sources of income and countless translation agencies have closed up shop as a result of the recession. While the demand for translations is undeniable, the resources to pay for them are now limited. Clients are struggling with their payments to the agencies, and in turn, payments to freelancers are delayed. As a result, more agencies have begun to enforce more rigid policies for clients regarding payment options, since the word “credit” nowadays is enough to strike fear into small business owners worldwide. However, many clients cannot afford to pay up-front and thus turn to the competition. Some agencies have increased their prices to compensate for overall losses, which places translation services out of the reach of many potential clients. On the flip side, other agencies have decreased their prices in an attempt to attract new clients. For many, the volume of work has slowed down, increasing competition for projects and thus driving down the prices of translation services.
So how will translation agencies and freelancers pull through this crisis? There is no easy solution to the problem, and much of the success of one business over another will be determined by their responses to the crisis and the whether or not the international relief packages will actually trickle down to small business owners.
Many times clients will request what is called a back translation which is essentially a way to verify the
accuracy of a translation. The most common areas for back translations are science and medicine, whether they are medical forms, informed consent forms, research study protocols, etc. For instance, let’s say a client submitted a document in Spanish for translation into English. A back translation would involve using the translated text in English as the source document and translating it back into Spanish. The client would then compare the original Spanish text with the translated Spanish to make sure the English text was a correct translation of the original. For medical and science translations, it is especially important that all information is accurately represented in both languages.
Back translations can also be a helpful tool for freelance translators, especially when wanting to ensure absolute quality of a translation. Although it implies an extra cost, it is worth it to know that the document you translated represents the original text to the highest degree.
Today, clients commonly deliver files in PDF format for a price quote for translation, edition and proofreading services.
This format, which is very practical for sending a file through the Internet, cannot be edited, and thus, when the translation, edition and proofreading services are purchased, it would be helpful if the client would send the original document in an editable format, whether in Word, Excel, InDesign, Quark, Publisher, etc. so that the translator can easily work with the same format of the original document, without having to read the PDF with some conversion program.
If this original editable document is not sent, graphic design services have to put in an extra effort to recreate the file, which will likely be reflected in the translation costs billed to the client.
Therefore, in order to reduce costs for the client for graphic design services and in order to facilitate the translation process, ideally the client would send the freelance translator or translation agency the original editable documents for translation, edition, etc.
Today, national markets are just not enough when it comes time to market businesses’ products and services. Although a company may be successful on a national level, the competition is already massively prepared to compete abroad and thus increase their chances of attracting new clients.
As a consequence, in order for a business to reach new markets, it is necessary to have one new essential characteristic: polyglotism. Within the framework of this new essential requirement for companies is the need for translation and interpretation services which are fundamental in order to compete within the same national market in order to provide a full service offering.
Trusted Translations, Inc. announced the launch of Spanish Post Production, a division of the leader in Spanish Translation, dedicated to offering transcription, subtitling, dubbing and Voice Over Services into Spanish.
Here is the Press Release at our Corporate Site:
Spanish Translation Leader Launches Spanish Post Production Division
How many times have we heard one of our clients say that? Though this simple phrase may be the first step towards a profitable and lasting working relationship, as professionals, we need to gather much more information from the client in order to properly do our jobs and ultimately provide the client with the highest quality product.
So, let’s go over some of the key questions:
1. Does the translation require certification?
If the translation requires certification, this will be itemized as a separate service with an additional charge, since a translator who is duly certified will translate and certify the document with the corresponding expenses.
2. Is the document a rush translation?
In order to provide quality translations, a minimum amount of time is required, considering the hustle and bustle of the business world today. However, many times the client may need the translation outside of working hours or over the weekend, which also may be added as an extra expense to the bill.
3. Does the file have any special formatting issues?
When the original document is sent in a special format (other than Word or Excel), or is a Website, the translation may require Desktop Publishing (DTP) or IT services to maintain the original format. Even when the original document is in Word or Excel, Desktop Publishing may still be required in order to preserve the image formats, business logos, numbering, bullets, etc.
4. Does the client have a glossary with their language preferences based on previous translations?
When a client frequently requires translations for recurrent subjects, they may have a glossary prepared for their language preferences, such as the translation of their logo, key words for business policies, etc. This glossary will be extremely useful so that all translations from the company maintain the same linguistic style.
5. Should the translation take into account any special cultural considerations?
Some clients may have translation preferences regarding the measurement system for a specific country, regardless of the target language for the translation. For example, a client may require a translation from English to Spanish but would like for the translated text to have the measurement system of the country where the document originated.
6. Is the language into which the document will be translated considered a “rare” language?
When a language is not spoken by a significant population, there are fewer translators available, which may be reflected in the delivery time and costs.
7. Does the document have reference material?
It is always helpful for the translators to have reference material while they work, or even previous translations in order to have a better idea of the company, its products and the business image that this company projects.
When it comes time to translate a document, finding the right service provider can be tricky. So how do you find the right translation agency to fit your needs? We have compiled a list of points to consider when preparing your document for translation, aimed at helping you to better understand the service you require. So here it is….Quick Guide for the Translation Buyer Part 1:
1. What kind of document do you need to translate? Is it legal? Scientific? Financial?
Some translators or translation agencies only work with specific content, and legal documents, for example, many times need to be translated by a certified translator, which may narrow down your search.
2. Which language(s) does your document need to be translated into?
There are many agencies that only work with a handful of languages or a particular flavor of a language. For example, if your document needs to be translated into English for use in the United States, you may want to consider finding a translator/agency that is specialized in that particular flavor of English.
3. Where will your document be used and who is the target audience?
It is important to think about your target audience so as to help the translator convey the proper tone and writing style for the document. A document to be used in court has a different style than a document used on the internet for marketing purposes, so communicating these needs is essential for facilitating the translation process and ensuring the highest quality of your document.
4. Does your document require any special services such as formatting or certification?
Evaluating this aspect will greatly narrow down your options, as many agencies and translators do not provide these services. Larger agencies are equipped to handle an array of formats and have a team of desktop publishers on staff who are prepared to work with complex document formats. Many agencies also have the resources available to certify your document. A simple internet search of agencies will help you find a one-stop solution for your translation needs.
Stay tuned in for more helpful tips for the translation buyer. In the meantime, if you are interested in finding out more about the translation services offered by Trusted Translations, click on the following link: http://www.trustedtranslations.com/services.asp
Welcome to the official Trusted Translations blog! In this blog, you will find tips, advice, and all kinds of information both for translators and translation buyers regarding localization services and business, education, entertainment, financial, government, legal, manufacturing, and technical translations, including user manuals and website translation, as written by translators, project managers, DTP specialists, localization and globalization experts, and all those involved in the exciting field of professional translation. We invite you to learn more about the many different facets of this field and keep informed of the latest news and updates about Trusted Translations.