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 writers who have something or the other to say about this art.  Here are a few quotes that might help elucidate exactly what one should look for when getting translation services:

1. “Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country. The translator is my most important ally. He introduces me to the world.”—Italo Calvino. Given that Calvino writes in Italian, it’s quite possible that English-speaking audiences might never even have heard of him if it weren’t for translation services. As a business, you can also feel free to move beyond the borders of your country. Take your product abroad and use translation services to introduce it to people who speak different languages.
2. “Poetry is what gets lost in translation.”—Robert Frost. This seems, at first glance, to be a negative quote about translation.  It talks about something that translation can’t do i.e., translate poetry.  Even when you’re translating slogans for a business, you often run up against this problem.  There are no effective French translations for Nike’s “Just do it” which is why the brand chose to leave the slogan in English. Sometimes, no translation is the best translation.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to translate something. Often, you can come up with something adequate or even better in the destination language, even if it might not mean the same thing.
3. “The original is unfaithful to the translation.”—Jorge Luis Borges. Sometimes, we spend so much time worrying about whether we’ve done a faithful translation that we forget that we’re dealing with two separate languages.  A phrase from one language may never mean something exactly the same in a different language.  This doesn’t mean that the translator has done a poor job.  Rather than thinking of the translation as being unfaithful, you can think of the original as being unfaithful to the translation!
4. “I read the Bible to myself; I’ll take any translation, any edition, and read it aloud, just to hear the language, hear the rhythm, and remind myself how beautiful English is.”—Maya Angelou. These words show that a work can be beautiful even after it has been translated.  Maya Angelou talks about the Bible. But have you ever read Madame Bovary by Flaubert in English? It’s still a masterpiece. Even Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey have survived their myriad translations and are still regarded as classics.  As long as your business translation reads well in the destination language and doesn’t come across as stilted, it will achieve its purpose.

Contact us for more great quotes about translation services.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-08-03T14:01:31.883Z):

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 for Atlantic provinces.)

Explaining the implications of Thanksgiving to non-American clients can be complicated. It’s easy to describe its origins, the story of the Pilgrims and the generosity of the American Indians, as well as the concept of gratitude for abundance and a bountiful harvest.

After that, it get more challenging.

What should clients from other countries understand about Thanksgiving?

• For most people, it is four days of no work. It’s one of the few times during the year when there are no deadlines. Projects are put on hold, office emails slow to a trickle or stop altogether, and the likelihood of reaching an American during this time is slim.
• While early celebrations primarily gave thanks to God, Thanksgiving has become a secular holiday for most people. There may be a prayer before dinner, but religion does not play a major role any longer.
• People intentionally overeat. Dinner has a standard menu, including eating a turkey. Each family has its own favorite foods, but common dishes include mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, at least one vegetable dish, and cranberry sauce. The traditional dessert is pumpkin pie.
• For many Americans, especially the males, watching football occupies much of the weekend. Football games begin on Thanksgiving afternoon, and continue through Sunday.
• Christmas shopping officially starts during this weekend. Stores continue to creep up on opening times; in 2014, some stores will open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Part of the weekend shopping includes big sales and markdowns to lure customers.
• In recent years, many businesses experience a slowdown for the entire week of Thanksgiving, even into the early days of the following week. Employees take time for family travel or extended vacations.
• The New York Stock Exchange is closed on Thanksgiving Day. It also closes early the following day, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

In today’s world of instant communication and global economy, it can be puzzling to try and understand why the United States would “shut down” for four days. Especially since the US is well known for its strong work ethic. There may not be a sensible rationale, but at least clients can be prepared, and mark their calendars.

If you’d like more information on understanding holidays, customs around the world, and how they can affect your business,today, count on Keylingo Translation to be your expert. Contact us today.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-08-03T14:01:11.709Z):

Translation services are meant to help people understand a piece of writing.  So the translator acts as a go-between, conveying what the writer wants to say to the audience.  S/he is a messenger, taking the message from the writer to the audience.

However, if you’ve ever had anyone convey a message for you, then you probably know that messages can change in the process of being transmitted.  It’s like a game of Chinese whispers where the phrase that comes out at the end is quite different from the one that started the process.

When it comes to translation services, things don’t have to be quite that bad because there’s just one translator.  And if they are doing a good job, they’ll know that it’s important to understand both, the writer and the audience, in order to accurately convey what needs to be conveyed.

Understanding the Writer

There are many reasons why it’s important to understand the writer.  Words are slippery things which can mean one thing or the other, depending on the context in which they are used.  When you’re translating Ancient Greek, the word “logos” can be translated as “language” or “thought.”  When you’re translating English, the word “date” can refer to a dried fruit or an outing involving two people looking to get romantically involved.  So it’s important for the translator to understand where exactly the writer is coming from.  This will help them to decipher the writer’s true meaning.

The examples used here are simple ones but when it comes to more complex forms of writing, like technical or medical text, it may be necessary to read more of what the writer has written in order to get an understanding of their thought and style.  Even if the material being translated is promotional or marketing-oriented, it can be dependent on slang or inside jokes that the translator is unaware of.  So it’s important to clarify these before providing translation services.

Understanding the Audience

This is the other important part of providing translation services.  Eventually, everyone writes and translates for an audience.  The aim is to reach that audience and make them understand what is being said.  You want the audience to respond positively to the message imbedded in the writing.  So you need to avoid slipups which can happen if the audience places a different connotation on the words being used in translation.

What is the audience like?  Where do they come from?  What age group do they belong to?  What’s important to them?  And do they use a standard form of the destination language or something slightly different?  Accuracy in word usage is very important if you want the audience to respond to the translation.

Contact us for more information about providing the best possible translation services.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-08-03T14:00:55.652Z):