Category: Translation Services

4 Typical Translation Service Misconceptions

Misconception 1: If you are able to speak a 2nd language you have the capability for being a translator

Experience has shown that this is not the case at all. In fact, not all speakers of many languages have the qualities to be an effective translator. Translation work is a specific skill with its own set of rules and conventions which not all multilingual people possess.

To begin with, a NAATI Translator needs to be meticulous and pay attention to every detail however small. Perfect writing skills come next which includes perfect use of punctuation and grammar. A translator needs to be in possession of exceptional language knowledge in the language that is being translated (the source language) and the language that this language is being translated into (the target language).

Misconception 2: If you are able to interpret you can translate

There is an important difference between an interpreter and a translator and that is that translators work with a language that has been written, but an interpreter plays the role of an intermediary coming between a minimum of two people who are taking part in verbal communication. The role of an interpreter requires exceptional oral skills, a quick reaction time and the ability to focus quickly on speakers, subjects and situations.

Misconception 3: It is not necessary for a translator to have an understanding of what they are focused on translating

To successfully translate a document, the translator has to possess the ability to perform a translation of a document into the required target language. It is crucial to understand every word in the text and have an understanding of the topic in question, so that an accurate meaning is included in the translation. An understanding of different writing styles is important too so that the text is reproduced in the required style for its purpose.

Misconception 4: You get well paid as a translator

There is no doubt that money can be earned as a translator but it does not translate into amounts that will give you access to millionaire status. Translators do work long hours and have to be on call to perform a translation while deadlines are important too.

Cheap Translation can be Costly

Translation services used by businesses are more commonplace now than they have ever been. This doesn’t mean their quality is better.  Errors are made by translators and if not corrected can do damage to the image of the company that the translation was completed. This really boils down to the fact that you should not undermine the impact of a translation and you should ensure you hire a NAATI translator and a proofreader too so that your reputation of being a quality company with quality products is upheld. A small mistake made by a cheap translator can lead to all sorts of negative side effects which could even lead to legal action being taken.

Many companies these days have a multi-lingual workforce by default, not by design and sometimes they add translation duties to a job description even though the person may not be qualified to undertake translation work. This is where a cheap translation may prove costly and should be avoided at all costs by a business that is serious about promoting its image and products to the world and should be seeking out certified translation services.

The fact of the matter is that if someone believes they have the ability to speak several languages this does not mean the person is qualified to translate in a professional, precise manner.  Translation requires talent and professionals translators constantly aim for perfection. Translating words one by one does not usually result in a satisfactory translation as a good translation requires taking into account the linguistic and cultural conventions of the language, culture, and country in question.

A costly but interesting translation blunder was when an HSBC bank tagline was “Assume Nothing” which was mistakenly translated into a number of languages as “Do Nothing!” To repair the costly damage done, the bank had to pay out $10 million in a new campaign that advertised the company in a good light.

A second historically more important mistranslated incident was when the patron saint for translators St. Jerome translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Latin. He misread the word “karan” as “keren.” This may seemingly be a small mistake and no doubt appeared to be to St. Jerome, but Moses ended up having “horns” over his head instead of the “radiance” he was supposed to have had. This sad mistake ended up with sculptures and even paintings of Moses depicting him with horns, which certainly did not portray him in a favorable light.

In France, the toothpaste company, Colgate, made an attempt to market a new brand of toothpaste which was named Cue. They had done so little research into this word that once out on the market the name was linked to a French porn magazine that also carried that name.

These examples and thousands of others stress the importance of paying for a professional translation service that knows the language to be translated so well that costly mistakes will never be made.

Local Language Translation is one of the Keys to Global Economic Growth

International marketing is the key to success for many companies based around the world but success in this area depends on whether potential marketing materials are in a language that international buyers really understand. A business can build its language capabilities by using professional translation services to translate important product information into the local languages of potential customers. No one can make the assumption that English can be understood by all and if they do they will certainly lose business to their competitors who have used effective document translation services to translate important product information and marketing information into local languages.

The United States possesses, at 26 percent, the largest online market. This will inevitably drop as more companies market their products online by using as many local languages as possible. Most internet users have emphasized through their consumer behavior that they respond more favorably to product and marketing information in their own languages. Most people would not choose to learn another language just so they have more access to global goods and services. They expect to be presented with the facts in their local language which offers them the best chance of making the right choices when wielding their purchasing power.

Common Sense Advisory (CSA) has revealed evidence that the potential future markets are in places like Russia, Vietnam, India, and Brazil whose economies are accelerating at a faster pace than those in the English-speaking world. These potential buyers are more responsive to marketing in their local languages than unfamiliar languages such as English, so important marketing materials need to be translated by professional translation services so that the language used is not only correct but culturally appropriate too.

Australian companies seeking out global markets need a NAATI translator to ensure that the translation for the local language is professional and correct as it is considered to be the standard for the best document translation service available in Australia.

The Future for the Translation Industry Could Never be Better

It’s not so much that the computer age has sped up our ability to do just about anything including translations but what is far more important is globalization. The computer age has meant that many aspects of life today, wherever it happens to be, can be viewed by the global community through the use of computers. This doesn’t mean languages are being lost – far from it! Most of the world’s languages are steadfastly holding their own and computer communication has had to live with this and adapt by providing translations of everything that is worth knowing.

Accredited individual NAATI translators used to take on small projects at home but today the growing demand for certified translation services has meant that bigger companies have invested in offering translation services to meet the growing demand.  It is not cool if you haven’t translated your company website into the languages of your targeted customers. If you fail to do this you lose out to a competitor who has tapped into translation services even the expertise of immigration translation services to get its website global by offering it in a number of languages.

The sky is the limit for the translation industry, even just in the translating and maintaining of websites in a multitude of languages. This is the aim of many company websites so that more customers are drawn to a product.  Voiceovers are another example where translation experts are in demand. Designing the text for a voiceover requires exceptional expertise when it comes to translating the message into other languages so the true meaning is not lost.  Video subtitling is turning into a big industry too when a product is demonstrated by use of video only one language is used but now there is a trend moving towards providing subtitles in many languages.

The translation industry doesn’t even have to worry about an economic downturn as this would translate into an upturn as businesses seek out more ways to attract potential customers far and wide where language is the ultimate persuasive tool.

Tourism Translation has Gone Global!

It would seem very surprising if tourist operators did not consider translating their publicity materials into other languages as tourism today is a truly globalized market. People don’t want to miss out on what the world has to offer so by hook or by crook they will get to those tourist destinations that intrigue them, whether it’s the orangutans of Borneo, Tahitian dances or a coral reef. Once they reach that destination, language could well be a barrier if key information has not been translated into any other languages commonly used by tourists who frequent that particular tourist attraction.

Tourism translations done for travel agencies, hotels , tour operators and other businesses who offer tours or services to tourists means that more potential customers are likely to be attracted to that destination because they believe communication will be easier. Websites today are one of the prime promotional tools and are of particular relevance to tourists if certified translation services have translated them into the most commonly used languages

Here are tips for translating tourist related information

1. Use Appropriate Language

Complicated language is not required in the tourism industry. Texts need to be translated into simple but eye catching language that showcases what is on offer. NAATI translators have the flair and understanding of tourism concepts.

2. Use persuasive marketing language

A good tourism translation will market the product so that it is attractive to the potential customer and it will persuade them to take up the offer. Immigration translators know how to use words effectively to capture an audience and do well translating tourist related literature.

3. Don’t forget your client

A focused tourism translation will translate a text that suits the audience as some cultures need to be targeted using a specific style and tone.

4. Don’t omit essential details

A tourism translation can be a challenge as some tourism products may require a price list. A good translation will include prices converted into the currencies of their expected currencies so that the customer can evaluate what they are getting for their money.

What Translation Services Should a Global Marketer Look for?

Business is getting ever more global, or at least the prospect of increasing a business’s potential market is tempting more and more businesses outside of their usual marketplace. This is fine when the new market understands the language used by that business, but usually, this is not the case and expansion involves translating all marketing material into both the language of the potential new customers as well as take into cultural differences, too.

This can be a challenge as most businesses are not well equipped to cope with translations, let alone adapt those translations to a specific, new cultural market. Most businesses that intend to expand overseas will use an experienced translation services provider to take on the task of translating their requirements. The question then for global marketers is what translation services they should be looking for.

Businesses in Australia should first make sure they use the services of   NAATI translator as they will provide a quality translation service. Your chosen NAATI translators may be able to help you create a global brand strategy. This should include your logo, fonts, tagline, etc, and ensure that they are consistent throughout your anticipated market region. Basically, you want to ensure that your business is recognized throughout the intended market. Not all translation services are set up to provide this sort of service and you will need to work with them to make sure you get the sort of brand uniformity you want. Your translation service provider in Australia should be able to help develop a style guide that serves as a reference point for all your international offices.

A good global translation service provider should be aware of the pitfalls of straight translations. When it comes to marketing, this often just doesn’t work. What is called transcreation is a creative adaptation of translation which takes into account cultural differences as well as local dialect and other nuances which a straight translation just doesn’t easily mesh with. The whole aim of your expansion drive is to be able to reach as many new potential customers as possible, but they have to know what you are trying to sell them as well as feel interested in your product, whatever it is.  A good NAATI translator immersed in the target culture you wish to sell to is a fundamental requirement for the budding global marketer.

Video marketing is very popular and can be very effective. If this is something that you have used with your original market and wish to use in your new international market of course it will have to be adapted to that market, which means that the translation service provider must be capable of providing a culturally and linguistically appropriate video which gets across the message you want to make.

A Certified Document Translation is Always Required for Documents

It doesn’t take much to realize that any official documents which need translating from one language to another need to be done by professional translation services. Official documents need the knowledge of a reputable certified document translation service. It is vital that any legal documents are translated precisely between the two languages, as any misunderstanding could spell disaster for the person who requires the documents to be translated.

A certified document translation of any documents which are official involves the use of language and terms that are bound to differ from country to country. This means the translator needs to do more than translate directly word for word between the two languages. He or she has to be familiar with the different terms used by the two countries using professional translation services.  The more idiomatic the language used, the more proficient the translator has to be.

The terms used and the way different legal systems work requires exceptional expertise when a NAATI translator is used. When translating documents it’s not just legal documents that are important but specialized translators are required in industries especially when it comes to product marketing materials it is important that translators experienced in providing document translation services also understand a business’s specific jargon so it can be incorporated more effectively into the translation.

Professional translation services are researchers as well as translators as they need to know how the language is used in a variety of different contexts so this means studying the language in its context so that the best translation is provided as the end product. A translation has an audience and a purpose so the language translation has to reflect this in terms of register or tone, phraseology, syntax, and terminology. The translator used by any professional translation service needs to have a vast amount of experience and knowledge of the pair languages to be able to perform a good document translation that meets the same requirements as translations done by a NAATI translator. It is important to set a standard or any sort of translation so that all documents translated between the two languages are perfect and fit the requirements for official translation.

Why Translators Should Go to Non/Translation Conferences

As a translator, or as a translation services provider in Australia, you are going to learn about as much at a non translation conference as at a conference specifically for translators. This is because at, say a NAATI translators’ conference you only meet translators, while at conferences specializing in the area you have chosen to specialize in you meet potential clients who are looking for new ways to market effectively.

perevodTranslation services in Australia are a burgeoning industry and a competitive one too. If your services are not known about you won’t get many translation jobs to do. This makes marketing your services to potential clients very important and there is no better place to do this than attending a conference for marketers. Marketers at a marketing conference are there to market their products. A translator attending a marketing conference is doing just that.

What can a non-translators conference do for you?

1.It can improve your level of expertise, so if you are a specialist marketing NAATI translator you will get to know about current tactics in marketing strategies and language used which you will need to translate appropriately between your pair languages. If you are a legal translator attending a legal conference will have its advantages.

2.Most conferences have social media links to Facebook and Twitter and this gives you the chance to connect with others and showcase your skills. You will be surprised that translation is a sought after skill and you showcasing your skills through social media contacts will open new job openings. It will also give you the chance to promote human translators as opposed to machine translations.

3.Once you have made some contacts at a conference you can go about educating them about what translators do and how important it is to have the best translation possible done of any marketing materials which gives a product status. Many businesses use tools like Google translate, not realizing that these poorer quality translators don’t provide a good translation.

4.Meeting new clients is always a side benefit when attending a conference, especially when it’s to do with your specialism. So often, clients don’t get to meet real people from their chosen certified translation service, as it’s all done online.

So Who Exactly Needs an Elvish Translator?

There are simply thousands of languages that are currently in use throughout the world most of which can be translated into any other language as translators over the centuries have found suitable words in the different languages which have the same meaning when used amongst the language speakers. It has taken in some cases hundreds of years to formulate the languages that are in use today as languages evolve and develop through the eras.

Most languages that are translated between each other are well known entities but recently one translation services company in Australia was confronted with an interesting proposition by email and that was to translate an English document into Elvish. The translator confronted with this proposition took it upon herself to respond in the normal way to any translation assignment but she knew that Elvish was a fictitious creation of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy based in a fictitious country called the Kingdom of Middle Earth. She realized that the request was done totally tongue in cheek, so she responded in exactly the same way.

In order to be able to conduct an appropriate translation she said that it would be necessary to book a return trip to Middle Earth to undertake research and viewing time of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which would make the translation cost $1,345,654 including accommodation, food and transport. She said that using a NAATI translator would guarantee the highest standard of English to Elvish translation. This is because Elvish is not her native language and she would have to undertake research to be able to translate the document from English to Elvish. She provided this breakdown to the person making the request but, surprise, surprise, she got no answer!

How a Freelance Translator can Take Advantage of a USP

The acronym “USP” means “Unique Selling Proposition’, which is the unique aspect of your service that makes you stand out from the rest. It is not necessarily based on how competitive you are but is more related to the type of service you offer. It’s often difficult to evaluate your USP if you are offering professional translation services. You have to think about how what you have to offer is so different from other translators. If you can set yourself apart from other translators in any way at all this gives you your USP. With this USP you are able to market your NAATI translator services in relation to it.

Some translators choose to select an area that few translators focus on such as mastering the language of certain technical products. This can open doors in that specialist area that other translators don’t know how to tackle because they lack the language expertise in that particular field. A person who has gained recognition as a NAATI translator can take on language translations that require the translation to be done only by a qualified NAATI translator. This excludes other professional translation services which do not have these credentials. A NAATI translator accreditation can be part of your USP too.

Identifying your USP can be difficult, as most professional translation services have standards to follow which makes it difficult for a freelance translator to better.

There are some general points outlined below about translation services that you can use when considering your USP.

1. Professional translation service offer high-quality translations on time;

2. Freelance translators have the edge over agencies and tend to offer high-quality, polished translations;

3. A few translators provide translations that are exceptional because they are able to specialize in some select areas which enables them to be true masters.

From these points, you can draw up what you think you should aim at for your USP.