Translating spoken and written words is a matter of interpretation. A native speaker of the language into which your speech or documents are to be translated will know all of the subtle nuances and idiomatic phrases that may be necessary to make your message completely understood.
A trained native translator will know the proper grammar for the translated document or product descriptions. Specialists translators will be familiar with technical terms, advertising or legal requirements.
Documents to be translated include:
- Advertising for products and services
- Speeches
- Legal documents involving contracts
- Professional scientific papers
- Business reports
- Emails and written correspondence
In some cases, important medical or legal information needs to be translated by people in those fields. Explaining scientific papers in a foreign language requires a translator knowledgeable about the subject and how it is to be presented in that language.
Legal documents
This is a global economy and an English-speaking company may be doing business in a foreign country that uses a different alphabet or script. Documents involving sales contracts are usually written in both languages. A native speaker familiar with a foreign language such as Japanese as well as English should carefully read and interpret the documents for companies conducting business in those languages.
Punctuation marks in languages using the same Roman/Phoenician alphabet as English are extremely important. Documents should be reviewed by an interpreter with editing skills to make sure all punctuation marks and accent marks are used correctly. Spanish uses a reverse question mark at the beginning of a question ending it with the more familiar mark. French uses the acute accent to denote the past tense in some words. These marks must be used correctly.
Advertising
Translating English language ads into foreign languages is a job for a skilled interpreter who understands idioms and slang in his or her native language. Many English language slogans and product names cannot always be translated literally into foreign languages.
- Apple’s iPhone is sold throughout the world but Siri, the phone’s assistant, means different things that are not complementary in other languages.
- Lumia, Nokia’s smartphone, is slang for prostitute in Spanish.
- Schweppes Tonic Water translates to “toilet water” in Italy.
- The slogan “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” translates in China as “bringing your ancestors back from the dead.”
- General Motors wanted to assure its Belgian customers that every car had a high-quality “Body by Fisher”. This unfortunately translated to every car coming with a corpse from the GM division.
- Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “finger-licking good” translates to “lick your fingers off” in China. Conversely, Burger King is international and a PooPoo Smoothie is popular in China where it would not work in an English-speaking country.
- HSBC, the international banking company with the tagline “Assume Nothing”, had to change it since the words meant “do nothing” in several foreign languages.
The list of “lost in translation” ads, slogans and taglines is long, humorous and often off-color. It also illustrates the need for better research and translations on the part of the advertisers.
Terminologies and ambiguities can plague any business when it comes to translations. Many computer programs that translate are outdated and they don’t have the knowledge of an individual familiar with the customs of a foreign country. A professional personal translator will give you the best quality assurance in translating your documents and conversations into another language.
Interpreting and Translation Blog 