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News and events for people interested in professional and quality translation
December Newsletter
New Year's Wishes and Resolutions
Eat healthier, learn something new, get fit - what's yours?
New Year's Resolutions are a great way to start the year, and here at TranslatorsVillage we are already thinking about ours and what we want to achieve in 2016.
We would like to invite all of our fantastic translators to be a part of our New Year's Wishes campaign. We want to hear what your plans are for next year, whether it's learning a new skill (or language?), visiting new cities or eating more green vegetables! Or perhaps instead of a New Year's Resolution you have a Wish, something you would like to see happen in the forthcoming year.
No matter what it is, we would love to hear from you. We will feature a selection of New Year's Wishes/Resolutions on our homepage at the end of the month and into the New Year, alongside the translator's information.
So if you would like to share your goals and be in the spotlight, get in touch with:
1) Your New Year's Wish/Resolution(s) in your native language
2) Your New Year's Wish/Resolution(s) translated into English
3) Your name and your native language
We're looking forward to hearing your goals and feeling inspired.
The TranslatorsVillage Team
1) Your New Year's Wish/Resolution(s) in your native language
2) Your New Year's Wish/Resolution(s) translated into English
3) Your name and your native language
We're looking forward to hearing your goals and feeling inspired.
The TranslatorsVillage Team
Guide to Buying Translation: Part 2
This is the second part of our information bulletin on how to buy translation. At TranslatorsVillage, we believe that is should be easy and simple so we have put together this guide to help shed some light on the process. Read about the key information you will need including costing and the information you will be required to provide to ensure the best quality translation.
5. What will I pay?
As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The rates of experienced professional translators will be higher than those that are less experienced or do it as a hobby or as a favour. If you get a friend or colleague to translate because they know a bit of the language you risk misunderstandings that may lead to financial disadvantage or even to creating offence. In the unlikely event a professional translator makes a serious error they will have Professional Indemnity Insurance to claim against.
As with all professionals the rates charged by translators vary considerably. Rates also vary between languages. For some more common languages (Italian, Polish, Spanish), there are more translators so there is greater competition and rates may be lower than for more complex or less widely spoken languages (Arabic, Danish, Swedish).
6. Asking for a quote.
When asking for a quote you should provide the following information and don’t forget to ask relevant questions to help you make the most informed decision:
(Example)
- Text to be translated: Formal report on important developments in the solar energy industry in United Arab Emirates
- Source language (from): Arabic
- Target language (to): English (UK)
- Volume: 7,375 words
- Required date: 28th December
- Required delivery format: MS Word
- Other information: Translator can liaise with our Technical Manager re industry specific terminology, etc.
This information will be required by any translation company before any provisional quote can be provided. Even then, if the actual document received for translation is different there may be changes to the cost.
7. How is a text translated?
A qualified and experienced translator will read the entire text initially to understand
- What it is about?
- What audience it is meant for?
- What is its purpose?
- What are its tone and register?
They need to do this in order to help them ensure their translation contains the same message and meaning as the original. Translators aim to ensure that their translation has the same effect on the foreign reader as the English version would have on a native English speaking reader.
In order to retain in their translated version the same meaning as in the original they clearly need to change the words but they may also need to alter some phrases, word order, verb tenses or structures.
One effect of this is that they may use more or fewer words than the original. This can have consequences especially for websites, marketing materials etc. where the text needs to fit within the overall design and space allocation.If you are designing a website or some webpages that are intended to be translated it is a good idea to allocate a little more space for text than the English version takes – just in case…
Some translators use translation software packages on their computer to help with translations. These packages produce suggested translations for a text, based on actual translations completed and checked previously.
The translators use what the translation software package provides as a guide but then reviews it in detail and revises or re-writes passages that are not correct or that could be better expressed. No professional translator will just send you a translation done using their software. They use it to get suggestions and save some time as the software often incorporates dictionaries of specialist terminology, allowing them to choose the appropriate term rather than look it up separately. They will then produce their own translation and re-read and review it until they are happy with the final result.
Even using available software translation can be a slow process and there is a limit to the volume of translation that can be completed to a high level or accuracy in a normal working day. Depending on the subject and complexity of the text and its format and structure professional translators can deliver anywhere between 2,000 and 4,000 words per day of high quality translation.
In our next and final instalment of our guide to buying translation, we will be looking at cultural difference and localization – a crucial part to consider when choosing a high-quality translation.
Until then!
Our Guide to Buying Translation: Part 1
When you need a document, text, communication or article to be translated it can be difficult to know how to get it done. Many non-linguists will consider that anyone with a minimal knowledge of the two languages involved (translations go from the Source to the Target language) should be able to translate anything with the help of a dictionary. Unfortunately that isn't the case. That is the equivalent of saying if someone knows how to drive a car they will be competent to repair the brakes as well.
A competent linguist may well be able to provide the “gist” of a text but how confident would you be that they had not left out any vital detail or been truly faithful to the original? Understanding the general message is a long way from recreating the full meaning, tone, register and intended impact of the original text.
A few things about translating.
1. All linguists are NOT translators
Translation is a very particular skill that excellent linguists can learn and develop. You have to be an excellent linguist to translate well – but not all excellent linguists are translators.
People who are truly bilingual from birth or learn another language through school, college, university must still train specifically to be able to translate. It is never sufficient to just know the languages well, you must know all the pitfalls, techniques and skills of translation.
Even those who teach languages are not necessarily good translators unless they have undertaken appropriate training.
If you need something translated you should ensure the translator has qualifications and experience.
Ideally they will have a qualification such as an MA in Translation or a Diploma in Translation from the CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists). They should also be able to demonstrate experience of translating for professional purposes, that is, translating documents, texts, websites etc. that are published or in the public domain or are used by professionals in their particular disciplines.
2. Translators should only translate INTO their native language.
This is true. However good your “second” or other learned languages are you will only ever have sufficient mastery of your own language to deliver the highest quality translation. So, with the possible exception of some bilingual individuals, translations should be done by someone whose native language is the Target language – the language INTO WHICH the translation must be put.
3. Translators should be experts in the subject matter.
Most professional translators will specialise in a particular field or subject area, such as legal, technical, health, engineering, finance, etc. They will have gained experience within a particular field through a previous career or by focusing on that area during their translation studies. A good, professional translator will want to see a text before agreeing to translate it, to ensure they are competent to handle the subject matter. If they feel they are not sufficiently competent to do a job well they should decline it.
This is where using a good Language Service Provider or Translation Agency is valuable. They retain data on the particular subject matter of all their translators plus information on the quality and reliability of their work.
4. Online translation software is good enough.
For getting the “gist” of a text then yes, some free online translation programmes are quite useful. But it will still be many years before they are good enough – especially the free ones – to have sufficient confidence in them to have the translation they provide published or used as the basis for any important decisions or actions.
As no two languages are completely alike in terms of their grammar or lexicon (range of words) translation is never just a case of exchanging one word with another. Word order and syntax are also different for every language.
A “literal” translation is one in which the words of the Source language are put into Target language using the words that seem to be the closest, without considering how the two languages are structured. Quite simply it means that a literal translation of the basic Spanish greeting of “Buenos días” is “good days” whereas a faithful translation is “Hello” or even “Good morning”. “Good days” is a word for word translation and gives some indication of what the “message” is, but it is not a form of greeting anyone would use in English.
If you read a text that sounds peculiar due to word order or strange phrases it may have been translated literally.
Look out for our second part to our Guide to Buying Translation coming soon...
Some Advice and Guidance for Exporting
Exporting is fantastic, but it can seem like a lengthy and daunting process. At TranslatorsVillage, we strive to make life as easy as possible and we believe that languages should not be a barrier when breaking into foreign markets. This is why we have put together a brief guide for buying translation services...
When you need a document, text, communication or article to be translated it can be difficult to know how to get it done. Many non-linguists will consider that anyone with a minimal knowledge of the two languages involved (translations go from the Source to the Target language) should be able to translate anything with the help of a dictionary. Unfortunately that isn't the case. That is the equivalent of saying if someone knows how to drive a car they will be competent to repair the brakes as well.
A competent linguist may well be able to provide the "gist" of a text but how confident would you be that they had not left out any vital detail or been truly faithful to the original? Understanding the general message is a long way from recreating the full meaning, tone, register and intended impact of the original text.
A few things about translating you might find useful:
1. All linguists are NOT translators
2. Translators should only translate INTO their native language
3. Translators should be experts in the subject matter
4. Online translation software is good but not for everything
We are happy to share with you few things about translating you might find useful.
1. How is a text translated
2. How to know the translation is good quality
3. How to deal with "cultural" issues
4. What to ask for when asking for a quote.
5. What is website localisation
6. When to pay for translation
At TranslatorsVillage we know about language and translation and we are always available to provide informal advice about effective communication in English - or any other language.
Just contact us if you have are interested in getting our answers to the above questions or for any further guidance.
November 2015 Newsletter
November 2015 Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter, after what we planned
as our networking month, could not contain better stories and adventures. Great
experiences, great lessons to learn, great way to do things differently and
getting excellent feedback from all people. What an amazing learning experience.
International
Translators Day
The starting point of our adventure. We
decided to celebrate with your yearly
“Language Awareness Flashmob”. Not many attendants, which shows that we
need to improve our organisational skills in this area, but such a precious feedback,
that we are already planning 2016!
In 7 years in Leeds, the
piano in the picture, at the Leeds Train Station, is the first message (after
short term messages for the Tour de France) we have seen. We have to admit that
the translation may not be the best quality I have seen, but at least it is a
start!
We've always said that
languages and music were closely related. Here we go!
Leeds Business Week
What did I like most from
the opening day? Hearing debates on issues that most concern us all, from
different angles. We liked the message of Making Noise that reminded me the
film shown at the Leeds International Film Festival twice: Sound of Noise. All is connected.
Seven years in Leeds now, a
city that fascinates me, I can only endorse what was said by the panel: Leeds
is diverse, but most important it is agile: the mix of the can do mentality and
the passion for everything undertaken is a real gift with a great potential.
We were asked what we can do
individually to help to improve areas we all know need extra support one way or
another. I think we all can help with what they are best at, connectivity,
education, mentoring. We can help to improve global communication. Making noise
in the global arena. Leeds has many things to export and that will help to have
a better Leeds.
And we have thousands of
more experiences to tell about this amazing week. Thanks again to Yorkshire
Mafia and to all participants for sharing their ideas (and some pictures) with
us. We wrote a short summary in our blog, but much more coming soon.
______________________________________________________________
Thomas Friedman, in The
World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, wrote, "The
world has been flattened ... global collaboration and competition – between
individuals and individuals, companies and individuals, companies and
companies, and companies and customers...have been made cheaper, easier, more
friction-free, and more productive for more people from more corners of the
earth than at any time in the history of the world."
As companies have gained
increased access to new potential customers around the world, the need for
support has increased.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Growing our digital presence internationally
MundoSpanish, an online platform that provides an
excellent service to all companies that are in contact with Spain one way or
another. Great model to help the digital arena to expand with
the traditional touch of person to person approach. Congratulation to the prize
they collected on Wednesday; well deserved. We don’t realiae how important it is to people to know
about us, but not as a company, but as individuals. Thanks MundoSpanish for
helping with this effort. In exchange we helped with the English version.
Being digital is great, it is easily
accessible, immediate and visible to everyone, great advantages difficult to
benefit from if not handled properly. Our online presence provide all of those
and we provide the human side of it, incorporating online models of interaction
into your processes with offline support.
Welcome
to Globalization. Communicate effectively with culturally diverse people. Which language is right for you?
Keep up to date with TranslatorsVillage news on our other social media platforms:
_________________________________________________________________________________Translators, please, don’t forget to update your availability, so clients might benefit from your presence at TranslatorsVillage.
2015 Flashmob - How did it go?
The 2015 Language Awareness Flashmob at Leeds Railway Station
This year was the first time that I had actively taken part in celebrating International Translation Day, and what a way to do it! The whole event, right from planning and organising through to actually doing it was a joy and I had so much fun.
What we may have lacked in quantity, we more than made up for in quality as our “flashmobbers” were enthusiastic, patient and resilient when interacting with the busy Leeds commuters. As a student of Portuguese, I thought it would be a great opportunity to practice my speaking skills during the flashmob by asking people if they knew where the University was. The first couple of people I asked didn’t have a clue as to what I was saying and shrugged apologetically. However, my third unknowing participant responded in a lovely Brazilian accent! He proceeded to walk me out of the station and show me the road I needed to take to get to university whilst explaining that was from Chile and his wife was Brazilian. I thought to myself, what were the odds of actually asking someone that speaks Portuguese at the Leeds Railway Station? Just goes to show how multilingual Leeds is!
I proceeded to do a lap of the station (since I couldn't just follow the helpful Chilean man back inside when he had gone to such lengths to show me where to go) and I thought I would ask just once more. Outside the Queen’s hotel were two men waiting for a taxi. It turned out that they were two Scots who were visiting Leeds and suggested I ask the hotel’s Doorman, as they didn't know the area at all. The Doorman was brilliant; overly helpful with giving me very thorough directions and he even tried to learn a bit of Portuguese!
As I piece together the footage to create a short video, I witness over and over again the receptiveness and tolerance of Leeds commuters and general public, and I am inspired by how multilingual the Leeds community is. I was also encouraged by the universal desire to help and to engage with one another, regardless of any ‘language barriers’ and I think fellow flashmobber Juan hit the nail on the head when he said “languages are to unite, not to separate”.
The final video will be published very soon. In the meantime, if you haven’t seen it yet, watch the teaser video here.
TranslatorsVillage on ProZ.com and some fun in Madrid!
Hey there!!
Just a quick update to let you know that we now have a profile page on ProZ.com!
Which means you can now all say how great we are as a translation agency!!
And, better still, we can tell the world how great YOU are too!! So have a click over to our new profile (it is still under construction, so bear with us) and ask us for a review, and while you are there, and if you think we are as great as we think you are, leave us a Blue Board post.
To celebrate that we are now part of the ProZ.com community, we have decided to go to a PowWow event on the 30th of June at 19:00 at Matadero Madrid.
Three members of staff will be there and we will give a very short, 5 minute, talk about how cool it is to work for a translation agency in the cloud.
If you want to sign up, you can hop over to http://www.proz.com/powwow/5645
And then go and tweet or Facebook all about it using the hashtag
#MadridPowWow
I hope to see some of you there and put faces to the names behind the emails!
Just a quick update to let you know that we now have a profile page on ProZ.com!
Which means you can now all say how great we are as a translation agency!!
And, better still, we can tell the world how great YOU are too!! So have a click over to our new profile (it is still under construction, so bear with us) and ask us for a review, and while you are there, and if you think we are as great as we think you are, leave us a Blue Board post.
To celebrate that we are now part of the ProZ.com community, we have decided to go to a PowWow event on the 30th of June at 19:00 at Matadero Madrid.
If you want to sign up, you can hop over to http://www.proz.com/powwow/5645
And then go and tweet or Facebook all about it using the hashtag
#MadridPowWow
I hope to see some of you there and put faces to the names behind the emails!
Summer is here
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The truth about languages and exporting
Well, suppose your business is in Newcastle and you identify a potential new client in Southampton. Would you expect them to travel to you so you could sell to them? After all, the road from Southampton to Newcastle goes in both directions, they could just as easily come to you as you could go to them. But that’s unlikely. You would travel to them – or at the very least you might suggest an initial meeting at a half-way point, perhaps Nottingham. You would show them you are serious about selling to them, you would put yourself out a bit, you would go to them, or at least meet them half way. And, you would not think twice about doing so. It’s obvious that if you want to sell, you will “accommodate” your potential new client to show commitment, respect and consideration. In short, to make it easy for them to buy from you.
So it is with languages. You prospective client in Italy or Holland or Chile may well speak English so you could expect them to accommodate you and speak in English, just as you could ask them to come from Southampton to Newcastle to meet you. But what message does that send them? “If you put yourself out for us, we may decide to sell to you…” Probably not the ideal start to a fruitful commercial relationship.
So, why would you not show the same level of commitment to a foreign client as one from Southampton? Because languages add costs? Because translating slows communication down? Because everyone else speaks English and they know we Brits are bad at languages? These are not answers, just excuses. Why not see the minimal COST of translation as an INVESTMENT that will bring excellent returns. Why not see that communicating in the client’s language demonstrates COMMITMENT, RESPECT, CONSIDERATION?
How many of us have a truly totally unique product or service? Very few, I suspect. So, how do we differentiate ourselves from our competitors? In the export market the single best differentiation is to be the supplier that accommodates clients by using their language. If I had to choose between two similar products but one had instructions in English and the other didn’t… well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?
So, treat potential export clients like clients from Southampton. Go to them, at least part of the way. Once you’ve established a good working relationship with them by investing in travel to Southampton (or Nottingham) or a bit of translation, you will find they will be more than happy to meet you half way, or even come to Newcastle, or speak English.
Many years ago my business in Spain grew from 2% to 15% market share in 4 years. I told my boss in London it was because I was the world’s best salesman. Sadly that wasn’t true. It was because although there were many competitors with almost identical products I spoke to clients in Spanish and my competitors didn’t. Simples! I hope my old boss doesn’t read this…
Graham Webb
TranslatorsVillage: helping business to grow internationally
Great initiative to help business to grow globally and great presentation we want to share with you.
https://drive.google.com/a/translatorsvillage.com/file/d/0ByvajZoCdsJlejRaNXZCbW92UTA/view?usp=sharing
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