Having a thorough knowledge of two languages does not at all imply that a person can become a good translator. A career choice to become a translator requires indepth academic studies, most often a translation degree, and thorough knowledge of one or more specialized subject matters. Translators as well as customers should be familiar with the following terminology list as it relates to translation services. This list will apply to a translation Ottawa or translation Montreal or any other North American city and will provide the basic terms that are associated with the translation industry.
Source language – the language to be translated from
Target language – the language to be translated to
Source document – The written material or matter to be translated.
Translation: the interpreting of the meaning of a written text in a source language and the subsequent creation of an equivalent written text in the target language
Simultaneous Interpretation – the interpreter renders a verbal translation in the target language at the same time as the speaker speaks in the source language. This method is often used in international meetings and conferences.
Consecutive Interpretation – the interpreter renders a verbal translation after the speaker has finished.
Word / page count – basic method to calculate the cost of translation.
Certified translation – a certified translation creates a legal record and is often required by governmental organizations and institutions.
Proofreading – the process of detecting and correcting errors in written documents. In translation this includes a verification of terminology, grammar, spelling and punctuation by means of a comparison of the source document with the translated document.
The above mentioned terms relate to some important basic concepts in the translation industry. Once a buyer of translation understands these basic terms, it becomes much easier to follow the whole process.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Translation Companies – Your Source For Cross-Cultural Communication
The revolution in information technology has made it possible for businesses to globalize their operations, cutting across international boundaries. However, this is easier said than done since one of the biggest challenges of doing business in another country is overcoming the language and cultural barriers.
It is nearly impossible to start a business in a country where the primary language of communication is different from the business owner’s language. To successfully run a business abroad, the business must have access to the appropriate linguistic expertise to deal with the local customers and suppliers.
To begin with, a business will have to understand the nuances of the local regulatory bodies and government agencies of the foreign country. There is one easy way through which you can plan for expanding your business into unfamiliar markets. With the help of a translation company, whether that company is based in Texas or whether it is a translation business in Vancouver, it is possible to enter unfamiliar markets. Translation companies can help you understand the local market and the requirements of your clients as well as handle successful client communication.
In any global business where both the parties do not understand each others' languages, a translation company can facilitate communication between both parties. But it is essential that the original meaning of the source text is correctly communicated to the target audience. The final translated documents must incorporate the true meaning of the original document rather than simply translating word for word.
A translation agency must have the required experience and infrastructure to help you accomplish your business translation needs. Suppose you need service in Spanish translation then you need to look for a company that specializes in this language. One small mistake by the translator can cost you a lot of money and can even jeopardize the credibility of your company. So make sure you select your translation service carefully and check their translation quality and references. Finally, while selecting a translation agency, be it a Texas-based company or a translation service in Vancouver , always remember that the quality of the translated documents will directly affect your interaction with your customers and suppliers. Make your choise wisely.
It is nearly impossible to start a business in a country where the primary language of communication is different from the business owner’s language. To successfully run a business abroad, the business must have access to the appropriate linguistic expertise to deal with the local customers and suppliers.
To begin with, a business will have to understand the nuances of the local regulatory bodies and government agencies of the foreign country. There is one easy way through which you can plan for expanding your business into unfamiliar markets. With the help of a translation company, whether that company is based in Texas or whether it is a translation business in Vancouver, it is possible to enter unfamiliar markets. Translation companies can help you understand the local market and the requirements of your clients as well as handle successful client communication.
In any global business where both the parties do not understand each others' languages, a translation company can facilitate communication between both parties. But it is essential that the original meaning of the source text is correctly communicated to the target audience. The final translated documents must incorporate the true meaning of the original document rather than simply translating word for word.
A translation agency must have the required experience and infrastructure to help you accomplish your business translation needs. Suppose you need service in Spanish translation then you need to look for a company that specializes in this language. One small mistake by the translator can cost you a lot of money and can even jeopardize the credibility of your company. So make sure you select your translation service carefully and check their translation quality and references. Finally, while selecting a translation agency, be it a Texas-based company or a translation service in Vancouver , always remember that the quality of the translated documents will directly affect your interaction with your customers and suppliers. Make your choise wisely.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Professional Services In Spanish Translation
In today’s economy, translators and interpreters are very much in demand due to the globalization of businesses and the interaction of different cultures of different countries. In fact, globalization and cultural integration have brought the whole world together , in many ways turning it into a small village. The need for professional translation has thus increased significantly and translation services are inundated with work, whether it's a translation service in Montreal or any translation company dealing in Spanish translation, French translation, Arabic translation, Italian translation or a myriad of other languages It is important to remember that organizations looking towards globalization cannot afford to take shortcuts when it comes to translation services.
Translation is a passion for people who love languages. It opens doors to a whole lot of opportunities in addition to the thrill of meeting new people. But professional translation services are much different than regular casual translation . One cannot just simply translate a text word for word and hope to get good results. It is extremely important to prevent grammatical and vocabulary errors in professional translations, otherwise an organization may run the risk of getting into awkward situations in business dealings.
Many amateurs use the services of the Google Translator, but that is at best a stopgap measure. It can give you an idea about the topic but it would be embarrassing for a professional organization to use the Google translator tool in a professional context. Corporate customers definitely need a professional translation company to handle their translation tasks to ensure credibility for their business communication.
If you want a high-quality translation Montreal company, the most important thing to take into consideration is their experience. Translation and interpretation are high-level linguistic services, and it is essential to check the background of a translation company before selecting your language service provider.
On a much simpler and more personal level, this humorous story will illustrate to you the importance of correct language translation services. A man wanted to get his arm tattooed with something unusual. He decided that he would go for something in Chinese as he thought the script would look quite cool on his biceps. Searching on Google for anything in the Chinese language, he chose the first Chinese letters which popped up on the search. A printout helped the tattoo artist to re-create the exact image on this customer’s arms. The man was very impressed with his tattoo which he displayed proudly to everyone he could. Everything was great until one day at the airport, he was asked a rather shocking question . A curious Chinese tourist walked up to him and wondered out loud why he had ‘toilet’ written over his biceps.
Whether you need a service in Spanish translation or Russian or any other language, always remember not to take any shortcuts in professional translation.
Correct translations are just as important in a corporate setting as in a tattoo parlour.
Translation is a passion for people who love languages. It opens doors to a whole lot of opportunities in addition to the thrill of meeting new people. But professional translation services are much different than regular casual translation . One cannot just simply translate a text word for word and hope to get good results. It is extremely important to prevent grammatical and vocabulary errors in professional translations, otherwise an organization may run the risk of getting into awkward situations in business dealings.
Many amateurs use the services of the Google Translator, but that is at best a stopgap measure. It can give you an idea about the topic but it would be embarrassing for a professional organization to use the Google translator tool in a professional context. Corporate customers definitely need a professional translation company to handle their translation tasks to ensure credibility for their business communication.
If you want a high-quality translation Montreal company, the most important thing to take into consideration is their experience. Translation and interpretation are high-level linguistic services, and it is essential to check the background of a translation company before selecting your language service provider.
On a much simpler and more personal level, this humorous story will illustrate to you the importance of correct language translation services. A man wanted to get his arm tattooed with something unusual. He decided that he would go for something in Chinese as he thought the script would look quite cool on his biceps. Searching on Google for anything in the Chinese language, he chose the first Chinese letters which popped up on the search. A printout helped the tattoo artist to re-create the exact image on this customer’s arms. The man was very impressed with his tattoo which he displayed proudly to everyone he could. Everything was great until one day at the airport, he was asked a rather shocking question . A curious Chinese tourist walked up to him and wondered out loud why he had ‘toilet’ written over his biceps.
Whether you need a service in Spanish translation or Russian or any other language, always remember not to take any shortcuts in professional translation.
Correct translations are just as important in a corporate setting as in a tattoo parlour.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Characteristics of Good Translation
Translation is the process by which written information in a source language is converted into a target language with the purpose of making the content understandable for the target audience in a foreign language. Translation is a passionate challenge for people who love languages; in addition, these individuals also require specific skills, education and training to be able to become professional translators.
To become a good translator, you need to have superior knowledge of at least two languages to be able to do justice to the translation work. Most translators have extensive academic training in languages and specific subject matters. The linguistic quality is the quintessential aspect of any translation project, and it is very important that the essence of the original be conveyed accurately and stylistically appropriately in the target language.
Often, there is a risk that the message gets altered while translating from a source language to a target language. If you are a Toronto translation company and need to do a translation from English into Japanese, you need to ensure that the translator has the diligence to take the cultural context into consideration. The value systems and cultural aspects of every country are different and this needs to be kept in mind during the translation.
A foreign-language translation needs to accurately express information in the target language. Word for word translations are undesirable as they sound stilted and often result in lost meaning in the foreign language. The best translation is one where we do not realize that it is a translation because it sounds so much like it has been written in the target language in the first place. Linguistic experts need to be able to translate so competently that the translated text sounds natural in the target language.
Also, any translation company offering professional translation services should be able to handle both corporate and institutional assignments. The translation services should be cost-effective as well, whether we are dealing with a Tokyo based company or a Toronto translation company. Their expertise should cover a wide variety of disciplines, such as business, engineering, information technology, medicine, law, or social sciences.
In addition to linguistic competence, subject matter expertise and in-depth knowledge of industry-specific terminology are crucial to attaining outstanding translation quality.
To become a good translator, you need to have superior knowledge of at least two languages to be able to do justice to the translation work. Most translators have extensive academic training in languages and specific subject matters. The linguistic quality is the quintessential aspect of any translation project, and it is very important that the essence of the original be conveyed accurately and stylistically appropriately in the target language.
Often, there is a risk that the message gets altered while translating from a source language to a target language. If you are a Toronto translation company and need to do a translation from English into Japanese, you need to ensure that the translator has the diligence to take the cultural context into consideration. The value systems and cultural aspects of every country are different and this needs to be kept in mind during the translation.
A foreign-language translation needs to accurately express information in the target language. Word for word translations are undesirable as they sound stilted and often result in lost meaning in the foreign language. The best translation is one where we do not realize that it is a translation because it sounds so much like it has been written in the target language in the first place. Linguistic experts need to be able to translate so competently that the translated text sounds natural in the target language.
Also, any translation company offering professional translation services should be able to handle both corporate and institutional assignments. The translation services should be cost-effective as well, whether we are dealing with a Tokyo based company or a Toronto translation company. Their expertise should cover a wide variety of disciplines, such as business, engineering, information technology, medicine, law, or social sciences.
In addition to linguistic competence, subject matter expertise and in-depth knowledge of industry-specific terminology are crucial to attaining outstanding translation quality.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Role of Translation in Cross-cultural Communication
Translators are professionals who are responsible for facilitating cross-cultural communication, between people and communities who speak in different languages. They convert one language into another and ensure that in this process, the meaning and the ethos of the original is transferred into the translated work without any change.
There is a growing demand for quality translation services due to the increasing globalization of the world economy, growth in international trade, exchange of socio-cultural trends and of course, the explosive spread of the electronic media and the Internet. If you are a Regina Translation service dealing in both corporate and institutional assignments, you need to be able to convert Russian into English, efficiently and accurately, for Canadian businesses which do not have in-house translation facilities for the Russian language.
Translators need to be proficient in at least two languages – a source language and a target language. The translator should have native-speaker knowledge of the target language in order to provide the best possible translation quality. They should be experts on the subject matter in which they work in order to accurately transfer the specialized information from one language into the other. In addition, they must be sensitive to the cultures associated with their languages of expertise.
Translators work with the written word but these language specialists do more than simply translate words—they convey ideas between languages accurately and appropriately. They must have excellent writing skills and analytical ability. Translation services, be it a Texas-based company or a Regina-based translation service, thus play a vital role in cross-cultural communication by converting crucial information from the source language into the target language.
There is a growing demand for quality translation services due to the increasing globalization of the world economy, growth in international trade, exchange of socio-cultural trends and of course, the explosive spread of the electronic media and the Internet. If you are a Regina Translation service dealing in both corporate and institutional assignments, you need to be able to convert Russian into English, efficiently and accurately, for Canadian businesses which do not have in-house translation facilities for the Russian language.
Translators need to be proficient in at least two languages – a source language and a target language. The translator should have native-speaker knowledge of the target language in order to provide the best possible translation quality. They should be experts on the subject matter in which they work in order to accurately transfer the specialized information from one language into the other. In addition, they must be sensitive to the cultures associated with their languages of expertise.
Translators work with the written word but these language specialists do more than simply translate words—they convey ideas between languages accurately and appropriately. They must have excellent writing skills and analytical ability. Translation services, be it a Texas-based company or a Regina-based translation service, thus play a vital role in cross-cultural communication by converting crucial information from the source language into the target language.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
High Demand for Language Translation for Business
The demand for language translation has grown exponentially in the past few years with an increasing number of companies setting up operations in foreign countries for global business. While some companies expand their network in foreign countries in a bid to attract potential customers from new markets, others prefer to outsource their work to countries offering quality work at lower costs. Apart from this, some companies also set up offshore centers of operations in countries such as India and China and the South-East Asian countries since these countries offer lower labor costs and friendly business environment.
However, the biggest obstacle in doing global business is the difference in the language or lack of a common language. For example, for a company based in the United States or Canada, opening a branch in China would require many documents to be translated from English to Chinese and vice versa for smooth business operations. Such a company would have to seriously think about the Chinese clients who are not conversant in the English language and want all the documentation in their own native language.
Competent and reliable language translation services have helped companies overcome the language barrier while doing business in foreign countries. For example, if you are a company based on the west coast of Canada and would like to do business in Asia, you will be looking for high quality translation services in Vancouver, or any other reliable Canadian-based translation company that provides accurate translation services for important documents. You will probably be dealing with a lot of technical and legal documents, manuals and policies, advertising and publicity materials and even websites that will need to be translated to ensure smooth business operations.
When looking for a translation agency in Vancouver or any other city, you need to make sure that the language experts are not only qualified in the languages involved in your translation project, but they must also be familiar with the specialized subject matter of your content.
However, the biggest obstacle in doing global business is the difference in the language or lack of a common language. For example, for a company based in the United States or Canada, opening a branch in China would require many documents to be translated from English to Chinese and vice versa for smooth business operations. Such a company would have to seriously think about the Chinese clients who are not conversant in the English language and want all the documentation in their own native language.
Competent and reliable language translation services have helped companies overcome the language barrier while doing business in foreign countries. For example, if you are a company based on the west coast of Canada and would like to do business in Asia, you will be looking for high quality translation services in Vancouver, or any other reliable Canadian-based translation company that provides accurate translation services for important documents. You will probably be dealing with a lot of technical and legal documents, manuals and policies, advertising and publicity materials and even websites that will need to be translated to ensure smooth business operations.
When looking for a translation agency in Vancouver or any other city, you need to make sure that the language experts are not only qualified in the languages involved in your translation project, but they must also be familiar with the specialized subject matter of your content.
Friday, July 17, 2009
10 Questions That Determine How Reliable A Translation Agency Is
Once you have decided on the translation agency you want to deal with, you need to double-check the ability of the agency to be on the safe side. When you choose a translation company the reputation of your company is at stake. As you may not know the target language, you need to be sure that the agency for translation in Ottawa or New York or any other big city is reputable you can trust its quality and timely delivery of work.
Say for instance, if you are selecting an agency for translation with Ottawa being your headquarters, make sure you pick a translation service that is based out of Canada, and ask the agency to answer some of your questions clearly. This would help you gain a better understanding of the capabilities of the agency. The questions may include:
1. How does the company charge?
2. Are the charges based on per source word or per target word?
3. Is the price quote provided by the translation agency final?
4. Are all their translators qualified?
5. What is their procedure for hiring translators?
6. If your deadline is missed how are they going to handle the situation?
7. Does the price include proof-reading by another translator?
8. If you need technical translation, do the translators have the experience in the subject matter?
9. In what format will the final translation copies be delivered to you?
Once you have the answers of these above questions and are satisfied with the reputation of the translation agency, you can deal with that company without any second thoughts.
Say for instance, if you are selecting an agency for translation with Ottawa being your headquarters, make sure you pick a translation service that is based out of Canada, and ask the agency to answer some of your questions clearly. This would help you gain a better understanding of the capabilities of the agency. The questions may include:
1. How does the company charge?
2. Are the charges based on per source word or per target word?
3. Is the price quote provided by the translation agency final?
4. Are all their translators qualified?
5. What is their procedure for hiring translators?
6. If your deadline is missed how are they going to handle the situation?
7. Does the price include proof-reading by another translator?
8. If you need technical translation, do the translators have the experience in the subject matter?
9. In what format will the final translation copies be delivered to you?
Once you have the answers of these above questions and are satisfied with the reputation of the translation agency, you can deal with that company without any second thoughts.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Three Best Ways To Find A Reputed Translation company
When you are searching for a translation company, the first thing that strikes you is “Where to find such a company?” There are three simple ways to find a good and reliable translation service agency.
First, search the local directory such as the Yellow Pages to locate a reputed translation company within your locality. Suppose you are based in Winnipeg and to look for Winnipeg Translation Company you can also search business directory for this particular area. Make a list of the companies you might be interested and contact them for quotations.
If you are not able to locate a good translation company in your area, use the Internet. By using the main search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN you can find hundreds of such companies.
One added advantage of using a search engine is that you can be more specific with your searches. For example, if you reside in Winnipeg then you can “translation Winnipeg” or “translation service Canada” to get specific search results. Similarly if you are in need of a specific language translation service you can search by typing “German translation service”.
But while searching for a reputed company using search engines you must keep in mind that search results are presented on two ways – paid listings and organic listings. Companies within organic listings are there for a reason and even search engines find them as important sites for translation services.
On the other hand translation companies found on paid listings are there as they need the business and are promoting themselves with ads. Consider both when making a choice for a translation company.
Lastly, you can find a translation service by asking references from colleagues, friends or family. This way you don’t have to research much about the company as a personal recommendation is always best.
The process you follow for locating a translation company is not important. What is most important thing is that the company you select should offer professional multi-language translation services with high level of quality and accuracy.
First, search the local directory such as the Yellow Pages to locate a reputed translation company within your locality. Suppose you are based in Winnipeg and to look for Winnipeg Translation Company you can also search business directory for this particular area. Make a list of the companies you might be interested and contact them for quotations.
If you are not able to locate a good translation company in your area, use the Internet. By using the main search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN you can find hundreds of such companies.
One added advantage of using a search engine is that you can be more specific with your searches. For example, if you reside in Winnipeg then you can “translation Winnipeg” or “translation service Canada” to get specific search results. Similarly if you are in need of a specific language translation service you can search by typing “German translation service”.
But while searching for a reputed company using search engines you must keep in mind that search results are presented on two ways – paid listings and organic listings. Companies within organic listings are there for a reason and even search engines find them as important sites for translation services.
On the other hand translation companies found on paid listings are there as they need the business and are promoting themselves with ads. Consider both when making a choice for a translation company.
Lastly, you can find a translation service by asking references from colleagues, friends or family. This way you don’t have to research much about the company as a personal recommendation is always best.
The process you follow for locating a translation company is not important. What is most important thing is that the company you select should offer professional multi-language translation services with high level of quality and accuracy.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Importance of Cultural Considerations in Translation
Translating involves the rendering of a source language text into the target language. And while doing so there are certain things that need to be maintained such as:
Thus it becomes important for a translator to understand the cultures of the source and the target languages first and then strive to translate, using culturally appropriate words or expressions.
For example if we take the words “Lamb of God” from the Bible (which means “innocence” in the context of sacrifice) and translate them into the Inuit language, we find that the word “Lamb” does not exist in this language. Thus, taking the cultural aspect into consideration, “Lamb of God” can be closely translated as “Seal of God” as the word “seal” is a symbol of innocence among northern indigenous people.
Thus a translation professional working in Ottawa or in a Translation Winnipeg-based company needs to know the cultural peculiarities of their audiences in both languages. They must also consider the geographic variants of the target language, for example European French and Canadian French. In depth cultural knowledge of both cultures is a key ingredient for any translation professional.
- Retention of the meaning of the source language text in the translated text.
- The structure of the main language must be preserved as closely as possible.
- The culture of the target language also need to be taken into account.
Thus it becomes important for a translator to understand the cultures of the source and the target languages first and then strive to translate, using culturally appropriate words or expressions.
For example if we take the words “Lamb of God” from the Bible (which means “innocence” in the context of sacrifice) and translate them into the Inuit language, we find that the word “Lamb” does not exist in this language. Thus, taking the cultural aspect into consideration, “Lamb of God” can be closely translated as “Seal of God” as the word “seal” is a symbol of innocence among northern indigenous people.
Thus a translation professional working in Ottawa or in a Translation Winnipeg-based company needs to know the cultural peculiarities of their audiences in both languages. They must also consider the geographic variants of the target language, for example European French and Canadian French. In depth cultural knowledge of both cultures is a key ingredient for any translation professional.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Break the Language Barrier with Professional Translation Services
Language barriers are among the biggest problems in today’s global marketplace. In other words when you plan to expand your business worldwide, you will often have to face problems communicating in a foreign language.
And it is not feasible to learn new languages every time you venture into a new market or to put your employees through a new language training program to handle new foreign customers. Well, if it is just about learning one new language, perhaps it can be managed with a language trainer. Even then, a better option is to hire a professional translator to help with communication.
But what happens when your business interests have spread to half a dozen or more different countries, and several of them have different languages as the main medium of communication? Needless to say, it is simply not feasible to learn so many different languages.
In such situations, translation services come as handy tools to help you communicate. Suppose you are based in Canada and need to do business in Russia, for example, you can look for reputable translation Ottawa or Toronto company to handle all the translation work for you. The translation service based in Ottawa will provide professional translators who have a good knowledge and fluency in the Russian language.
Language is a very subjective topic with new words, phrases, and concepts emerging on an ongoing basis. Basic things like grammar and punctuation in a foreign language are complex within themselves. A translator must be able to translate a document without changing or modifying the meaning of the original copy. In other words, he or she must be able to deliver a translation that is absolutely true to the original.
Remember, inaccurate translations can cost your company a lot of money and will also seriously affect your company’s image, thus hampering the growth of your business. But with the help of a professional translation service you can ensure that all your translation related requirements will be handled with accuracy, timeliness, and quality.
And it is not feasible to learn new languages every time you venture into a new market or to put your employees through a new language training program to handle new foreign customers. Well, if it is just about learning one new language, perhaps it can be managed with a language trainer. Even then, a better option is to hire a professional translator to help with communication.
But what happens when your business interests have spread to half a dozen or more different countries, and several of them have different languages as the main medium of communication? Needless to say, it is simply not feasible to learn so many different languages.
In such situations, translation services come as handy tools to help you communicate. Suppose you are based in Canada and need to do business in Russia, for example, you can look for reputable translation Ottawa or Toronto company to handle all the translation work for you. The translation service based in Ottawa will provide professional translators who have a good knowledge and fluency in the Russian language.
Language is a very subjective topic with new words, phrases, and concepts emerging on an ongoing basis. Basic things like grammar and punctuation in a foreign language are complex within themselves. A translator must be able to translate a document without changing or modifying the meaning of the original copy. In other words, he or she must be able to deliver a translation that is absolutely true to the original.
Remember, inaccurate translations can cost your company a lot of money and will also seriously affect your company’s image, thus hampering the growth of your business. But with the help of a professional translation service you can ensure that all your translation related requirements will be handled with accuracy, timeliness, and quality.
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