As we have brought up in other posts, large translation projects need more care and attention in order to maintain consistency in the translation throughout the document(s). This coherence in terminology must be respected by all members of the work team.
The client can be the one who provides the list of terminology through the use [...]
Archive for the ‘Translation Services’ Category
Client Glossaries
Friday, January 15th, 2010When 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” [...]
Specialized Translation Agencies
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009I recently read an article about the new national certification given to medical interpreters of Spanish in the United States. I think this is actually quite important, especially for the people who are receiving medical services. Unfortunately, these people have a very low level of education.
In addition, they are looking to include languages besides Spanish [...]
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, [...]
Translator 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 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 [...]
Automatic Translation?
Friday, November 6th, 2009Automatic translations, better known as machine translations, have experienced something of a resurgence lately. Today, there have been numerous advances in the field of translation, including different programs used for translation. These advances, specifically the programs, have simplified the lives of translators and have shortened delivery times, which has enhanced both productivity and quality (consistency, [...]
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 [...]
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: [...]
What is Interpretation?
Friday, October 30th, 2009In my work as a translator, I often hear people, due to an understandable unfamiliarity, tell me that they once again needed an “oral translation”. I then deduce that the concept of “interpretation” is not well-known and that is why people who are not part of this small world of translation tend to be so [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Overcoming the Global Economic Crisis with Professional Translation
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009The present global economic scenario is looking pretty dire, and companies all over the planet are looking for clever new ways to maintain their customer base and expand it in new directions. The necessity to reach out into new markets is underscored by the fact that many traditionally solid markets (such as the United [...]
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 [...]
