Five Factors for Choosing a Language Translation Company

There are many important factors to consider when choosing a language translation company for document translation.  Here are 5 of them:

Make sure that your vendor is using the latest translation memory/database enabling tools and that they are not charging you for repeat phrases or overcharging on fuzzy matches.  Many vendors discount the word rate, but then charge over and over again for the translation of the same string when future updates are required. Choose a vendor that hires professional translators who ..read more

Pepsi Slogan

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” came out as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”

Body Bags

Almost as good as the confusion among English speakers over the term Fanny Pack, is the humor raised by the German equivalent for knapsack. Companies often use or “borrow” words from other languages to give their product names a certain cachet. Sometimes their choices are a bit odd. German makers of knapsacks refer to them as “Body Bags“.

International Translation Day

International Translation Day is celebrated every year on 30 September, on the feast of Saint Jerome, who is considered the patron saint of translators. While Saint Jerome was an early Christian — in the fourth century he produced the first Latin translation of the Bible and wrote texts on the art of translation — today International Translation Day is decidedly secular and celebrated by translators and translator organizations around the world. The celebrations have been promoted by FIT (Fédération Internationale ..read more

Spanish Possession

Did you know that in English, we use the apostrophe “s” to show ownership or possession. In Spanish, the apostrophe “s” does not exist so instead they use the word “de”, meaning “of” to show possession. Example: English: My sister’s son is my nephew. Spanish: The son of my sister is my nephew.

Accurate Translation Critical in Healthcare Industry

A health care bill recently passed by Congress raises the question on the way language services are used in the health care industry. The need for accuracy in translation services in health care is extremely important, as the consequences of a poor translation can be fatal.

California became the first state to pass a law requiring that health insurance organizations provide interpretation and translation services to patients with limited English proficiency.  In some states there are also requirements on pharmacies to ..read more

Souvenir

Did you know that the word souvenir comes from the French word memory? A souvenir is a memento or keepsake a traveler brings home for the memories associated with it. How appropriately named!

From the Hispanic PR Blog…

“If you or your company haven’t thought about how to reach the Latino audience, now is a good time, especially with the release of the Census data in early 2011. According to recent reports, the buying power of Hispanics in the U.S. will reach $1.3 billion by 2014 – or twice as fast as the general market. An amazing convergence is happening in marketing today: the growth of the U.S. Hispanic population is coinciding with the growth of digital media. ..read more

Language Training

The government of Canada offers free language training in French and English to all incoming permanent adult residents.

How to Write Marketing Copy for Global Marketing

1. Use clear language.

Do not use slang, colloquialisms, or improper grammar. Catchy marketing phrases do not work across cultures and languages – sometimes they don’t even work in different countries with the same language. Electrolux was thrilled in the UK with the response to their slogan “It sucks”. They could not understand why it was not well received in the United States!

2. Drop local references or specific country places.

Unless you plan on changing the ..read more

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