‘Translation Tips’ Archives
Measurement Conversion
Unlike the United States, most of the world uses the metric system, but that is not the only reason why measurements may need to be converted in translation. Regional formats vary from country to country and product sizes also vary from country to country. As mentioned in the article "Size matters in global product marketing," IKEA in the [...]
Translating Intent
Sometimes intent is not easy to translate. As illustrated in the example below, a completely innocent statement in one language may appear incredibly rude in another. Years ago, in Chile, I was walking around a city on a warm day with a close American friend and colleague. As we walked up a hill, in business attire, my colleague began to [...]
Typing in Another Language
Using your QWERTY English keyboard, would you like to type Spanish characters, Japanese characters, or another language? No, this does not refer to the process of inserting special characters from a list with your mouse. This refers to changing the input language for your computer without changing the operating system. Check out these links for [...]
Cultural Perception of Gender May Influence Localization
Sometimes cultural perception of gender relations may influence how marketing and advertising is localized for other markets. See several examples in the article "Some international ads are perceived as sexist due to different cultural norms," by Globalization Group vice president Adam Wooten. Examples include a TV commercial that seemed harmless [...]
Cheap Translation Kills
Not all mistranslations mean the difference between life and death, but some do. Some cheap translations can actually kill. See the following examples from the article, "'Airline pulp' and bad translations that can crash a plane," by Globalization Group vice president Adam Wooten. ...a 2008 helicopter crash in France... was suspected to be the [...]
Mistranslation as a Virtue?
Mistranslation can cause physical or financial harm, as illustrated by many anecdotes on this blog. However, we must admit that mistranslation will - in extremely rare instances - be perceived as a virtue by some. For example, some U.S. restaurant patrons like to see poorly translated menus in ethnic restaurants because they then assume the [...]
Preventing Mistranslation is Easier than Retracting Translation Blunders
Benjamin Franklin said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This is true in translation. As illustrated when a magazine ironically added Google mistranslations to an article about translation quality in bold, red print, it is easier to prevent mistranslations than it is to retract mistranslations and fully recover from [...]
Interpreters Can Give Advantage in Negotiations or Q&A
Even if you speak the language, interpreters can be an advantage in negotiations or question and answer sessions. As illustrated in the following example from the article "Downplaying linguistic ability can sometimes be to your advantage in business," interpreters can afford you a few extra seconds, seconds that can be incredibly valuable when [...]
Why Crowdsource Translation?
If translation crowdsourcing is not free and it carries additional risks, why should companies fit to crowdsource actually proceed? For the answer and additional details on translation crowdsourcing, read Adam Wooten's column, "Can Companies Obtain Free Professional Services through Crowdsourcing?" “Free was not the point. Time was,” [...]
Do Not Assume Everyone Understands Basic Principles of Translation
"...just because someone in a company understands how to avoid the risks of producing bad translation does not mean everyone in a company does. Someone else — someone whose job description is not even supposed to include translation — may not know it is inappropriate to run your marketing collateral through a free online translator. Even the [...]
