Esteemed linguist John McWhorter has published an article on the coming century in language evolution. Working on the idea that 90% of the world’s 6,000 languages will not survive to be in use in 2109, Mr. McWhorter then tells us why that’s not such a bad thing for him.
The basis for his argument is that [...]
Archive for the ‘Localization’ Category
World Affairs Article: Let Languages Die
Friday, January 8th, 2010Translator Training
Friday, November 27th, 2009This concept is extremely important. I am not just talking about the education that a translator receives in their studies, but also about culture in general, which is even more important when a translator is specialized in a certain field or fields.
A translator’s training consists in their ability to master their mother tongue: writing, spelling, [...]
The Importance of Language on Websites
Friday, November 13th, 2009As I was searching for something on the Internet, I came across a very interesting point that brings up a topic of great importance for us today.
“If I can’t read it, I’m not buying it”. This is something often heard from people who are trying to make purchases online.
A lot of companies have doubts and [...]
Subtitling or Dubbing for Multimedia Translations
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009With the ever-increasing presence and importance of online video content, companies looking to enhance their presentations and appearance need to make important decisions regarding how this video content will be communicated in other languages.
There are two choices for how the translated text will be expressed in an online video, which applies to all video content: [...]
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 [...]
Translations for India
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009India’s market is one of the largest in the world, with over 1 billion people and a growing economy. However, given the scope of its population and its millennia-long history, the demographics cannot be categorized clearly and easily, which is also true for its neighbor China.
First, the Constitution establishes that all federal government business, including [...]
Language Map of Europe
Friday, October 23rd, 2009The map of Europe posted above is an excellent example of why localization is so important. Translators and companies who are looking for translations should not use this as a hard-and-fast, exact representation of where the dividing lines are drawn for the languages of Europe. Instead, take a moment to consider what it is really [...]
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 [...]
When Translations Get Tricky
Monday, September 14th, 2009It’s common in the translation field to come across projects that evince enormous intercultural differences, obliging the translator to come up with some sort of ingenious solution to the issue. On the one hand, translators can try to tweak the message of the text to render an appropriate final result, but this is usually frowned [...]
Pronouncing “c” and “z” in Spanish
Friday, September 11th, 2009“Seseo” consists of pronouncing the letters “c” (before “e” and “i”) and “z” with the sound normally associated with the letter “s”. If someone speaks with seseo, they would say “serésa” for “cereza” (cherry), “sierto” for “cierto” (true), and “sapáto” for “zapato” (shoe).
Seseo is used generally throughout Latin America and in the Caray Islands and [...]
U.S. Government Looking for More Translators
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009As reported by the Washington Times, there is a worrisome shortage of translators in some languages that are crucial in the operations in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries of the region. The Director of the CIA, Leon E. Panetta, said that they are looking to double their staff of translators and linguistic workers for languages [...]
A Matter of Preference
Thursday, August 27th, 2009As professional translators, we have to offer localized services depending on the public we’re dealing with.
That’s why as native speakers of a given country or another, we need to have resources for obtaining the appropriate terminology that is used in a specific country with a specific dialect.
In that sense, here are a few links for [...]
Diplomatic Translation Gaffe
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009Recently, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was kind enough to give us the latest example of how poor quality translations can leave an organization looking foolish. In this case, the organization in question was the United States government.
As reported on CNN’s website, Hillary presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with a “reset button” to symbolize [...]
Trusted Translations New Site
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009Trusted Translations, Inc. announced the launch of its new site.
The World Bank’s Language Policy
Monday, July 6th, 2009I never cease to discover new facts about the world that stun me to silence. Rebecca Harris at Foreign Policy recently published an article addressing problems that community groups in Yemen are having in receiving a translated version of the World Bank’s conditions on a grant they were given. When confronted, the official response from [...]
How to Kill a Language
Friday, May 15th, 2009In language, few things are as interesting and intriguing as the capacity for innovation and creativity that serve as the basis of a “living language.” Without these properties, languages become paralyzed and inevitably embark upon the path to their linguistic demise. Nonetheless, in many languages there is a minority of native speakers that [...]
Changing Chinese Names
Thursday, May 7th, 2009As I have brought up on this site before, one of the things I most appreciate about the English language is the amount of creativity speakers have due to the lack of a regulating body. Another issue that has never ceased to amaze me is the fact that other countries do not allow you to [...]
UAE Translating their Laws to English
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009In an effort to make its relationship with non-Arabic countries more transparent and friendly, the United Arab Emirates (officially consolidated as a nation in 1971) is working on translating all of the laws it has passed into English. Access to this work will be essential to encouraging companies to invest in the territory and make [...]
Cogency: Am I Making Myself Understood?
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009The ability to formulate an argument (written or spoken) that logically sustains itself is not perceived the same way in every part of the world, a fact which makes the work of a translator quite peculiar in certain instances. In fact, the intersection of language and culture yields some incredibly interesting dilemmas, with regards to [...]
Obama and the Grammar Police
Friday, February 27th, 2009While President Obama has long been lauded for his eloquent speech (see my post “Obama and Power of Words”), as well as his intellect and professionalism, he has also been slammed for his grammar. Obama’s most widely criticized “mistake” is doubtlessly his “misuse” of pronouns.
Like so many American English speakers, myself included, Obama often uses [...]
