Desktop Publishing and Translation

While the content of a translation is always of utmost importance, the presentation of that content should not be underestimated. Even the best translation can flop if it is presented in an unprofessional manner. Desktop publishing (DTP) ensures that a translation delivers visual impact, with a design that complements and enhances the written word. Using sophisticated programs such as QuarkXPress, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign and PageMaker, a completed translation can be inserted into any number of file types, which may or may not include graphics, for use in presentations, advertising, web layouts, etc. The desktop publishing phase is not usually handled by the translator; instead, it is assigned to a team member with specific desktop publishing and design experience.

Documents translated from English to Spanish often contain up to 20% more words – a concept known as text expansion – as it often takes more words to express the same idea in Spanish. Text expansion may result in a visually-crowded document that is difficult to read, since an increased number of words must fit in the same design. To prevent higher formatting costs down the road, documents should be designed with adequate white space to accommodate text expansion.

Designers must be sensitive to the fact that the Spanish language includes characters and punctuation not found in English. The desktop publisher will ensure that special characters appearing in the Spanish translation such as á, é, í, ó, ú, ü and ñ are preserved in the final product. Special attention should also be paid to the uniquely Spanish inverted question and exclamation marks (¿ and ¡) as well as angular quotes (« and »). Desktop publishers should carefully select digital typefaces, as some fonts do not contain these characters. It is also worthwhile to experiment with different fonts in order to choose one where the accent marks do not appear to merge into the accented letters.

Lastly, a crucial element of desktop publishing is a visual assessment of each project to make sure it is acceptable from a cultural perspective. The use of certain images or colors may be perceived as offensive in some cultures and must be adapted for the local market.

Spanish Speakers in U.S. Exposed to Dangerous Pharmacy Errors

Apparently, speaking Spanish in the United States can be hazardous to one’s health. According to a recent study to be published in the journal Pediatrics, Spanish speakers are exposed to an unacceptable number of grave translation errors in the instructions provided with prescription medications. Pharmacists’ computers frequently deliver “Spanglish” translations, which ultimately pose a threat to patients’ health, as they are open to misinterpretation and therefore possible overdose. Overloaded pharmacists who are lacking Spanish-language skills simply do not have the time or ability to review the prescription labels for errors.

The best way that non-English speaking patients can protect themselves from misunderstandings when dealing with medical professionals is to request an interpreter or translator with expertise in the medical field in order to receive instructions and other vital information in their native tongue. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry should push for the hiring of more bilingual pharmacists and the development of more advanced pharmacy prescription software that produces clearer translations when the use of automatic translation is unavoidable.

Click here for more information on this story from HealthDay.com.

Visit our Pharmaceutical Glossary for English and Spanish terms and our Pharmaceutical Abbreviations section for English and Spanish Meaning of Latin Abbreviations in the Pharmacy Industry.

The Machine Translation Debate

Although computer scientists have toiled for decades to produce machine translation comparable to that rendered by humans, they have yet to succeed. In critical moments when human translation or interpretation is simply not an option due to logistical constraints (e.g. rescue efforts during the recent earthquake in Haiti), machine translation can be a literal lifesaver; however, in cases where style, originality, or real-world context count for something, call upon a human translator to deliver the best results.

Previously, computer scientists attempted to “teach” the computer the linguistic rules of two languages in the hopes that the computer would piece together something intelligible in the target language. These days, the newest machine translation technology available through Google Translate takes a different approach. Using powerful search techniques and Google’s vast library of books, Google Translate turns in a reasonable performance based on matches found among thousands of documents produced for organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union by human translators.

While machine translation does serve a purpose now and again, the current technology’s formulaic approach depends upon the works that skilled human translators have already created. In the case of truly original works with zero precedent to be found online, computers fail to render the nuanced translations created by humans every time.

Read more about the machine translation debate in this article by The New York Times.

Read our articles:
Google Translate and the Struggle for Accurate Machine Translations
Google Strikes Deal to Translate European Patents
Machine Translation vs. Human Translation: Pay Less, Get Less
When Never to Use Google Translate

Language Barrier Just One of the Challenges of Caring for Immigrant Patients

While the language barrier may be the most obvious obstacle to treating immigrant patients, cultural differences, financial hurdles, and an enormous disparity in terms of life experiences are often just as much a challenge to doctors.

Dr. Danielle Ofri, a physician at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, encourages health care providers to take the time to connect with their patients on a more personal level. Patients from varied backgrounds are often eager and willing to share information with their doctors about their particular culture, a gesture that may help to bridge the gap.

Dr. Ofri also estimates that a significant percentage of immigrant patients are uninsured, a fact that complicates treatment even further, although some states such as New York mandate that hospitals offer financial assistance to all patients, whether they are in the U.S. legally or not.

Many U.S. citizens feel that illegal immigrants are a drain on the already struggling American health care system; however, Dr. Ofri feels a duty to look past the patient’s immigration status when treating, particularly in light of some of the injustices and burdens that many of her patients have suffered.

Click here to read more about this topic at NYTimes.com.

Google Adds Dictionary to its offerings

Google adds another language tool to its arsenal with the introduction of Google Dictionary. Google’s new dictionary offers up results in close to 30 languages, including the major Western European languages, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, and Hindi.  Notable exceptions from the line-up include Japanese and Persian (Farsi), though surely Google will work to support these languages at some point in the future.

Dictionary results in English show the main definition with pronunciation, synonyms, related phrases, and “web definitions” pulled from various sources throughout the Internet.  Users can also star words for future reference.  Google Dictionary features a minimalist design that makes it ideal for mobile devices and those with slow Internet connections.  The absence of ads makes for a simple, distraction-free user experience.

Both monolingual and bilingual, bidirectional dictionaries are available.  While the results provided by the English dictionary and the Spanish<>English dictionary were fairly comprehensive, the monolingual Spanish dictionary only returned a few sketchy web definitions.  Many users would probably be better off sticking with an academic dictionary such as the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española for Spanish definitions.

Indeed, while Google’s new dictionary feature will be useful to some, it won’t be a solution that meets everyone’s needs.  Alex Zudin is the owner of Paragon Software, which works closely with Merriam-Webster, Oxford and other renowned keepers of language to build applications based on their data.  Zudin says that Google could provide a service in the low-level consumer market, but higher-ed students and professionals would still buy the unabridged versions.” [1]

Google previously returned links to web definitions by entering “define:” plus a search term; however, Google Dictionary offers a more elegant solution with extra features.  In addition, many users were unaware of this search trick, even though it existed for some time.

Google Dictionary is a natural complement to the company’s other language tools.  The dictionary joins Google Translate, Google Translator Toolkit (which includes a basic translation memory (TM) tool and offers the ability to share glossaries), and a newly integrated search feature called Google Translated Search that makes it easier to search for results written in other languages. 

[1]Los Angeles Times, Google quietly rolls out Dictionary

The Differences between Translators and Interpreters

At the most basic level, the difference between a translator and an interpreter is simple: one works with the written word while the other deals with spoken language; however, while each is well-versed in both a source and a target language, a good translator does not necessarily make for a good interpreter and vice versa.  Vast differences exist among the skill sets, training, and talents required for each job.

The following are key skills for a translator:  1) the capacity to understand the source language and the cultural nuances of the country where the material originated; and 2) the ability to render the text clearly, accurately and naturally into the target language.  Though many translators work under the pressure of tight deadlines, time is often not as critical a factor in translation as it is in interpretation.  In addition, translators have the advantage of working with reference materials and other resources at hand.  While solid linguistic and cultural knowledge are of utmost importance, a translator’s most critical skill is the ability to write well in the target language. 

A translator’s linguistic counterpart, an interpreter, must possess the following skills: 1) the ability to render the speaker’s message on the fly, without the aid of dictionaries or other reference materials; 2) excellent listening abilities, particularly for simultaneous interpreting; and 3) exceptional public speaking skills, including the capacity to instantly convert idiomatic expressions, colloquial language and other culture-specific references into analogous statements  in the target language.  An interpreter must come up with linguistic solutions on the spot; therefore, the pressure of interpreting can be rather intense.

Since a translator generally has time to revise and reconsider the text before delivering it to the client, a high degree of accuracy is expected.  In contrast, an interpreter may be held to a different standard of accuracy than a translator.  While an interpreter aims for complete accuracy at all times, details of the source speech may be omitted when converted into the target language.

Although translators and interpreters utilize differing approaches for communicating ideas, they both serve as a linguistic bridge that unifies people of varying backgrounds and promotes international understanding.

Demystifying Internationalization and Localization

Internationalization and localization are two buzzwords that are often bandied about with respect to translations and global commerce.  Internationalization and localization are actually two complementary phases of globalization, a critical process for companies with an international presence.  While these terms can apply to a pure text translation, they are most often used in reference to software development, web sites, and video games, where the user interface and images must be considered in addition to text.

The internationalization phase of globalization is integrated with the design process of a product.  The product is “neutralized” during internationalization, meaning that cultural references, language and country-specific information are removed.  Internationalization is a forward-thinking process that makes the product more easily customizable to the specific markets that the company is targeting.  According to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), “Internationalization significantly affects the ease of the product’s localization.  Retrofitting a linguistically- and culturally-centered deliverable for a global market is obviously much more difficult and time-consuming than designing a deliverable with the intent of presenting it globally.”

The second phase of globalization is localization.  In the localization step, the product is adapted for the unique needs of a specific market.  It is important to note that localization is much more than mere translation.  Localization of software, web sites, etc. involves an intimate knowledge of not just the language but also the culture of the company’s target market.  Usually, this level of understanding comes from someone with a native command of a language and culture.

Although text translation is an integral part of the process, localization goes deeper to address more complex issues and differences such as:

1)    local currencies

2)    weights and measures

3)    format for the date, time, addresses, etc.

4)    cultural preferences regarding color and aesthetics

5)    adaptation of graphics to remove potentially offensive or culturally-inappropriate symbols or images

As the Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA) notes, “All these changes aim to recognize local sensitivities and to enter the local market by merging into its needs and desires.”

Remember that in both the internationalization and localization phases, it is important that the product pass through a testing and quality assurance step to ensure that the end result meets the client’s needs and expectations.

International SEO Tips to Expand Your Site’s Reach

With companies looking to reach out to customers around the world, it’s important to understand how to optimize a web site for the international market. One of the best-known methods for improving international page rank and driving traffic to your site is through search engine optimization (SEO). Webmasters employ SEO techniques, which factor in the complexities of search engine algorithms and how people search using keywords, to improve “the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via ‘natural’ or unpaid…search results.” [1]

Keyword density is the single most crucial parameter used in search engine optimization. The majority of SEO experts suggest aiming for a keyword density of 1 to 3 percent in your site’s text. Search engines like Google frown upon the overuse of keywords – a practice known as keyword stuffing – and will penalize a site that engages in this practice.

Just as search engine optimization is of great importance to a website written in English, it’s equally important to consider SEO when optimizing your site for other languages such as Spanish, Chinese or German. Here are some steps you can take to improve your international SEO and ensure that your site ranks well with your target audience.

1- Never use direct translation to create keywords and page titles in your target language.  Direct translation is rarely a wise idea, but even less so in the case of keywords, which “have evolved directly to serve the everyday needs of the people of a particular country,” [2] according to multilingual search marketing guru Andy Atkins-Krüger. A direct translation of a keyword may yield the correct term, but what you’re looking for is the most popular term.

2- Remember that keyword translation may differ even within the same language, especially in languages as diverse as Spanish. For example, Spanish speakers in Latin America are likely to search for “computadora” while users in Spain will use the keyword “ordenador,” even though they’re both looking for “computer.”

3- When performing keyword research for your target country, use the search engine’s advanced search feature to restrict your query by specifying the international domain extension (for example, Argentina [.ar], Spain [.es] or Chile [.ch]).

4- The most sound approach to conducting international keyword research is to hire a native speaker of the target language, as only a native will be familiar with the critical nuances that make all the difference. Include the keywords yielded through your research in your page titles, descriptions, and tags, as well as advertising keywords and links.

5- Make sure your web host’s servers are located in your target country, and secure a domain name with the appropriate corresponding country extension. A site that meets these criteria will take a major hit in its ranking.

[1] Wikipedia, Search Engine Optimization
[2] Search Engine Watch, Translating Keywords Should Never EVER Happen

Internationalized Domain Names Officialy Approved

An Article from NY Times reports:

By the middle of next year, Internet surfers will be allowed to use Web addresses written completely in Chinese, Arabic, Korean and other languages using non-Latin alphabets, the organization overseeing Internet domain names announced Friday in a decision that could make the Web more accessible.

In an action billed as one of the biggest changes in the Web’s history, the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers — or Icann — voted Friday during its annual meeting, held in Seoul, to allow such scripts in Internet addresses.

The decision is a “historic move toward the internationalization of the Internet,” said Rod Beckstrom, Icann’s president and chief executive. “We just made the Internet much more accessible to millions of people in regions such as Asia, the Middle East and Russia.”

This change affects domain names — anything that comes after the dot, including .com, .cn or .jp. Domain names have been limited to 37 characters — 26 Latin letters, 10 digits and a hyphen. But starting next year, domain names can consist of characters in any language. In some Web addresses, non-Latin scripts are already used in the portion before the dot. Thus, Icann’s decision Friday makes it possible, for the first time, to write an entire Internet address in a non-Latin alphabet.

Initially, the new naming system will affect only Web addresses with “country codes,” the designators at the end of an address name, like .kr (for Korea) or .ru (for Russia). But eventually, it will be expanded to all types of Internet address names, Icann said.

Some security experts have warned that allowing internationalized domain names in languages like Arabic, Russian and Chinese could make it more difficult to fight cyberattacks, including malicious redirects and hacking. But Icann said it was ready for the challenge.

“I do not believe that there would be any appreciable difference,” Mr. Beckstrom said in an interview. “Yes, maybe some additional potential but at the same time, some new security benefits may come too. If you look at the global set of cybersecurity issues, I don’t see this as any significant new threat if you look at it on an isolated basis.”

The decision, reached after years of testing and debate, clears the way for Icann to begin accepting applications for non-Latin domain names Nov. 16. People will start seeing them in use around mid-2010, particularly in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts in which demand for the new “internationalized” domain name system has been among the strongest, Icann officials say.

Internet addresses in non-Latin scripts could lead to a sharp increase in the number of global Internet users, eventually allowing people around the globe to navigate much of the online world using their native language scripts, they said.

This is a boon especially for users who find it cumbersome to type in Latin characters to access Web pages. Of the 1.6 billion Internet users worldwide, more than half use languages that have scripts that are not based on the Latin alphabet.

Hong Jong-gil, an Internet industry analyst at Korea Investment and Securities in Seoul, said the new names would help children and old people who had not learned the Latin alphabet. But he did not foresee any major increase in the number of Internet users because Internet penetration has less to do with whether one has to type in English-alphabet domain names and more to do with “whether you can afford a PC and your community has broadband access.”

Agencies that help companies and individuals get Internet domains welcomed the Icann decision, noting it would be good for their own businesses.

“This is great news for us. This opens a new demand for domain names,” said Yang Eun-hee, an official at Gabia.com, an Internet domain agency. “There will be a rush among businesses to get new local-language Web addresses to protect their brand names. These days, a big company typically has dozens or hundreds of domains for their products, and it will be quite a cost to get all the new names.”

Observers agree that the change could make a difference for many businesses. “A lot of companies will end up having double domains — the existing one in English and a new one in the local script,“ said Choi Kyoung-jin, an analyst at Shinhan Investment. “A Korean domain name may be useful for Koreans but it’s not for foreign customers.”

Users who do not use the Latin alphabet can now reach Web sites by asking search engines to provide their links.

But a change in the domain name policy has become inevitable, Internet industry officials said. For example, there are so many .com Web addresses that it has become next to impossible to find an English word or an intelligible combination of two English words not already in use, they said.

“Today’s decision opens up a whole new Internet territory,” Ms. Yang said. “The Internet will become more multi-lingual than before.”

Crowdsourcing Translations: A Loss for Both Translators and Businesses

The use of crowdsourcing to harness the power of the masses to translate web content has become all the rage at behemoth social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  In an attempt to make these sites accessible to a broader user base, the sites are asking users, rather than professional translators, to collaborate on the translation of site content.  Though it’s a noble goal to expand the reach of sites like Facebook to an international audience, turning to crowdsourcing for translations hurts translators and businesses alike.

LinkedIn, a social network that aims to promote and support professionals, recently polled those members who are professional translators in order to gauge their potential interest in translating the site “for fun” or in exchange for nothing more than a profile badge.  The site generated a great deal of controversy and managed to offend quite a few members, since LinkedIn was clearly looking for something for nothing.  What LinkedIn failed to realize is that asking translators to work for free further devalues a profession that already struggles for recognition.  In fact, many translators deleted their LinkedIn profiles following the incident, as they felt that their professional needs were no longer in line with the site’s priorities.

While the idea of tapping into the collective wisdom of a community has its merits – after all, translators reach out to each other all the time to debate issues in translation, terminology, etc. – websites must acknowledge that their image, content and reputation are at stake when they turn to anyone other than a professional to translate their content.  Interestingly enough, after receiving numerous user complaints about the quality of localized translations, Facebook did turn to professional translators to edit flubbed translations and improve the consistency of translated terms across the site.  Indeed, if websites insist on employing crowdsourcing to cut costs, they must acknowledge that at a bare minimum, professionals should be involved to provide quality control to avoid alienating their user base through poorly rendered content.

At the end of the day, there’s really no substitute for a professional; perhaps crowdsourcing will demonstrate that to companies the hard way.