06.30.08
The Truth About Machine Translations
For anyone who wants to get a quick and cost-effective translation, machine translation is the way to go. Machine translation is basically using the computer in translating human language. A lot of people have resolved in using this type of translation process because it is free and quite fast; however, people who have the intention of using translated documents for outbound purposes still go for translation companies. Machine translation can only provide gist translations with 70% accuracy. Anyone who totally depends on it will only receive inarticulate and sloppy translations. The technology is not yet fully developed to meet the various translation formats required by many companies.
Machine translations can only process common words and phrases, so it’s imperative for anyone who opts to use it to avoid complex words, sentences and phrases. Instead of using clichés, colloquial expressions and vernaculars, one should use the literal meaning of words. He should even avoid writing lengthy sentences that have more than twenty words. If a sentence contains too many ideas, it has to be broken down to one sentence per thought. Documents that will undergo machine translation must be thoroughly checked for incorrect spelling or grammar. If a word is spelled incorrectly, the computer might not recognize the word and eventually produce a document filled with translation errors.
In totality, machine translation can only be used for personal purposes; in knowing the general meaning of a word or phrase. Nothing can still replace the skill of professional translators. Businesses and companies should only entrust their critical and highly important documents in the hands of professional translators.
06.24.08
Pointers Before Translating a Website
Website translation is becoming more and more important to companies as online marketing is increasingly becoming brutally competitive. Companies, however, should first consider the following suggestions in order to find the right translation company that can meet their website’s specific needs.
Identify the market. A localized website means it can do business with people that speak a different language. Inevitably these people will contact the website to ask about its product or service. A company should get to know the language of its targeted market so it can properly adjust the email settings of its website.
Do they do testing? A website translation company should test its translated websites on browsers like Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox. The larger the website, the more extensive the testing should be. Linguistic tests must be done not only on the development server but on the host too.
Consider the animation. The content is not the only part of a website that needs to be translated. A good website translation company can edit the animation and images of a website to make it fun and understandable to its targeted audience.
The internet is a venue where a billion people from around the globe buy products or services everyday. And a company that translates its website is opening its business to all these possible buyers.
06.05.08
Tips & Techniques for Improving Translation
From translating medical documents to translating complex technical manuals, language translation can be a real challenge. With the right techniques, however, translating can be an educational and rewarding experience.
Be equipped with the right resources. Like a soldier going to battle, a translator should be armed with the right tools in order to be victorious. Bilingual dictionaries and thesaurus, including those found in the Internet, are primary translation tools. The Internet is full of references that can help a translator better understand the language he is translating.
Understand the Document. Translation is about translating meaning and not words. A translator should read the entire document first, then he should take some time to imbibe the message of what he read. This is a vital process because it refreshes and opens the linguistic mind of the translator.
Have the Vocabulary Checked. With virtually millions of available translated documents, Google can offer translators a way to double check the accuracy of their work. Translators can also use Google to know the jargons their document should use. For instance, a translator who is working on a medical document can check Google to know how schizophrenia is translated in Spanish.
05.16.08
3 Key Roles of Professional Translators
Imagine a world with hundreds of languages having no one in the entire population who can speak a second language. Communication? A sure dead air. Growth? Impossible to achieve. Culture? Stagnant and unshared. Professional translators will never let this happen.
With diverse cultures and languages worldwide, professional translators serve as instruments for three essential human functions: communication, development and culture promotion. How?
In Communication
It is a basic instinct of man to communicate. And to communicate only means that the original message will be clearly sent in its equivalent context to the target audience. The main role of translators is to send the message across without any form of distortion or emphasis. That’s why it is an imperative that only professional translators handle the sending process.
Also, maintaining and building good relationships is an essential to an individual’s healthy living. Communication is vital to maintaining and creating those relationships. But how can one build or sustain a sound relationship across the world if there’s lack of understanding to one another? With professional translators it is possible.
The main job of translators is simple – provide an effective means of communication. Efficient communication is not only to translate an original text by word-per-word basis. It’s delivering the genuine context of the message to the language that the target person understands.
This task of professional translators is not a piece of cake as it demands nothing less than accuracy. A single mistake in context translation can result to offensive message that can eventually lead to misunderstandings between people.
With full content management, skilled translators take care of every single detail of the translation process, no matter how big or small. Professional language translation services make the client feel confident that every word reads and sounds locally correct. Accurate content and context are key to quality communication.
In Growth and Development
Growth and development can be achieved through fair trading or exchange of knowledge and resources. In business, not only that it is essential to understand the culture of the target clients but to communicate efficiently using their local language. This is another key role of professional translators.
Universal growth of any business requires employing not less than professional translation services to convert a single message to almost all languages in the world. The more languages a single message can be translated, the higher the possibility to reach diverse people. It is only when there’s freedom in exchanging goods and skills that global progress can be attained. And nothing can aid in this better than professional translators.
Culture Sharing
In able to appreciate, promote or share culture across continents, it is important that to have an in-depth understanding of it. Again, with the help of skilled translators, it is feasible.
The best manifestation of this role of translators is seen on beauty pageants. Candidates can freely promote their culture to the international scene but the job of professional translators can’t be taken for granted. Without them, culture promotion will remain unshared and uncultivated. Events that encourage culture sharing are quite impossible, if not chaotic.
Translating is a complex task that demands expertise. It offers three indispensable functions that man constantly needs. With such great and crucial responsibility only professional translators have the ability to carry out the tasks.
