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Four Things Great Writers Can Teach Us About Business Translations
Different people have different opinions about translation. Some believe in translations that stay faithful to the original while others prefer translations that make more sense in the destination language. As such, the choice is between fidelity and transparency. However, there are many other views about translation as well, as evidenced by the large number of…
Read MoreWould You Buy These Mistranslated Products?
When you provide translation services, you’re performing a juggling act because there are many things that you have to take into consideration. Not only are you trying to accurately convey what people have written in one language in another language, you’re also trying to make sure that you take the idioms, grammar and cultural practices of…
Read MoreBusiness Translation Services: Explaining American Thanksgiving
American Thanksgiving is a holiday like no other. While many countries have a festival of thanks during the year, only the United States has a national day called “Thanksgiving.” In fact, Americans celebrate for four days in November, from Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) through Sunday. (Canada also has a Thanksgiving Day in October, but it is optional…
Read MoreA History of Translation Services: The Treaty of Kadesh
One of the most famous translations in the history of translation services occurred around 1259 B.C. and was called the Treaty of Kadesh. It was signed by the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II and the Hittite King Hattusili III. Unfortunately, the treaty didn’t lead to peace between the two nations right away but it is still…
Read MoreFour “false friends” you never want to mix up in translation.
Providing translation services is a delicate affair because so many languages come from the same root but they have developed differently along the way. In the beginning, when one language started to split into two, a word may have meant the same thing in both the resultant languages. However, after the passage of many years,…
Read MoreThe Importance of Inversions, Context and Borrowing in Translation Services
Have you ever tried to translate something for someone? If so, you might have found that the translation comes out awkward -sounding at the first try. Initially, our brain always goes for a word-for-word translation but since languages have different grammars and idioms, this usually results in something broken-sounding. Some phrases might come out accurate…
Read MoreTranslation Services “Par Excellence” for the Changing “Status Quo”
Sometimes, when providing translation services, it seems like a better idea to use the phrase exactly as it is in the source language. As a result of this, many phrases from other languages have made their way over into English. Sometimes, we get so used to using them that we don’t even realize that they’re…
Read MorePulitzer Prize-Winner Jhumpa Lahiri, ESL and Translation Services from English into English
When you’re walking around in New York City, you’re likely to hear many different languages, from English and Spanish to French, Chinese and Hindi. Some of the people speaking these languages are tourists from different countries. They come to New York to visit the Statute of Liberty and the Empire State building. Others are immigrants…
Read More“Déjà vu,” “Zeitgeist” and “Chutzpah”: How Translation Services Convey Shades of Meaning In-Between Words
There are certain languages that borrow freely from other languages. English, for example, has many words which originated in other languages. “Pajamas” comes from the Hindi word “pyjama” meaning a loose pair of drawstring pants. “Déjà vu” is a phrase obviously borrowed from the French. We also use words such as “zeitgeist” which comes from…
Read MoreMasculine and Feminine Energy: Translation Services that Understand Gendering in Different Languages
Different languages have different rules. Whereas in English, non-living things are referred to as “it,” in languages such as French, they are referred to as “he” or “she” (“il” and “elle”). To someone who speaks English, it sounds odd to refer to a book as “he” but in French, this is de rigueur. A book…
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