SH3 technical translations

Back in Business…Signs of Emerging Economic Recovery

Jackie — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:38:28 +0000

I went to a planning meeting of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, AEM, a few weeks ago. Twenty customer support managers attended, representing agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers, and suppliers — from Fortune 500 to companies with fewer than 100 employees.

To start off the meeting, each attendee answered the question, “what is your biggest challenge now?” Without exception, the response was “trying to keep up with increasing demand.”

Business is up–way up–and now that companies are writing orders again, managers are working overtime to provide service, training, parts and warranty support for their customers. And they are once again hiring qualified personnel. The hiring freeze is over.

In the last few months, Caterpillar and John Deere have both reported record years. Cerner, a Kansas City company in the healthcare field, just announced they hired 1700 people in 2011. In our own business of professional translation services, we have noticed a significant increase in demand.

Maybe the recession really is over after all.

What kind of Spanish do I need?

Jackie — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:40:05 +0000

By Tanya Bredow, SH3 Account Coordinator

Spanish is the native language of over 300 million people in more than 20 countries. While there are some differences in the spoken language, variations are much less apparent in written Spanish.

In most cases, a “universal” Spanish translation would be acceptable worldwide. Crafting a single, technically- and grammatically-correct translation will save you the cost and effort of maintaining and updating multiple Spanish versions of your document. A few things should be considered when making the decision whether or not to use a single Spanish translation.

First, the content of your document is a major factor in whether or not this is the best approach for you. Universal Spanish works very well for most technical material, while some consumer advertising and promotional materials may need to be localized specifically for the country and culture depending upon the product and audience.

Next, where is your audience? If your only customer is inSpain, you may want to specifically target that country. But if you are trying to reach Spanish-speaking customers in various areas of the world, then it may be best to consider using a more generic Spanish translation.

Your budget can impact this decision as well. For each version translated there may be additional publishing costs as well as the time and effort involved to coordinate and update multiple language versions. Why add the extra expense unless it is absolutely necessary?

Sharing all available information with your professional translation service will allow them to recommend the best course of action for your project.

Survey reveals e-mail goofs by marketing execs

Jackie — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:15:03 +0000

Some things should never be put in an e-mail. Because of its convenience, it is inevitable that e-mail messages will be sent to the wrong audience. Three-fourths of 250 advertising and marketing executives polled in a 2009 Creative Group survey admitted having made at least one major e-mail mistake. Some of the more embarrassing ones:

A revealing photo accidentally shared with the whole office instead of a few close friends
Confidential salary data sent to the entire company
A job offer sent to the wrong candidate
Nasty comments about a boss sent to the same boss
Calling a c0-worker an “idiot” and sending it to the entire company.

As CareerBuilder.com advises, “The first rule of them when it comes to e-mail: Never say anything you don’t want broadcast to the world.”

Specialization in scientific and biomedical translation

Tanya — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:28:43 +0000

To a typical American audience, it may seem that any professional translator could provide translation of almost any topic. But that is not the case. Medical research, chemical abstracts and scientific treatises are uniquely complex and therefore difficult to translate. These documents contain wording which a novice translator will find challenging, even with the help of the best technical dictionary.

Translators working in this field must have the experience and qualifications necessary to provide accurate translation of the specific subject matter. For instance, translating pharmaceutical research requires an understanding of medicine or chemistry, a wealth of scientific knowledge and extensive experience, plus a command of the nomenclature and writing style of the industry.

Conversely, subject matter expertise alone, even when combined with language fluency, does not qualify one to provide translations. Do not be fooled into thinking that medical or scientific professionals make good translators. In the words of Maria Cornelito, an accomplished biomedical translator, “If you’re sick, see a doctor. If you need a translation, see a translator.”

Toasting in Other Countries

Jackie — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:46:29 +0000

At important celebrations it’s fun to honor someone with a toast, followed by a glass of champagne or other liquid refreshment. It is believed that this custom became known as “toasting” in the 17th century, when drinks were often flavored with spiced toast on special occasions.

In the U.S. we might say “Cheers” or “Here’s to you.” In Spanish-speaking countries, a favorite toast is “Salud!” In Italy, it’s “Alla salute!”

In many countries, it’s customary to offer wishes for good health. Germans say “Prost!” or “Zum Wohl.” In the North of Belgium, where Flemish is spoken, “Gezondheid” is traditional. In France, it’s “Santé.” A popular Russian toast is “Будем здоровы!” (Budem zdorovy ). These toasts all share the same sentiment — “to your health.”

Toasting rituals also vary from country to country. Argentineans touch glasses while saying “chin-chin!” Italians follow a similar practice with the words “cin cin!” In China, the person toasting addresses each guest individually with a lengthy series of warm wishes, keeping the glasses touching throughout the toasts, and then tossing back the entire glass at once.

What’s this got to do with technical translation? Not much, but it’s fun to learn about different customs around the world. And the next time you’re celebrating, you can impress your friends and family with one of these. Alla salute!