Tag Archive for 'translation'

Facebook’s Newest Machine Translation Tool Falls Flat

Published on November 15, 2011 in English Language, News, Spanish Translation and Translation Buyers. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Just in case you need more proof that most machine translation tools don’t quite cut the mustard, the latest attempt by social media giant Facebook to incorporate machine translation (MT) into its platform fails miserably with most languages.

In an effort to help pages connect better with their fan base—often found scattered across the globe—Facebook recently introduced machine translation, powered by Bing. With just one click, users can get an automatic translation of status updates and comments. Facebook plans to roll out this feature to all profiles (not just pages) in the near future.

There’s just one problem: most of the translations are unintelligible. Posts on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are rife with slang, and Bing’s machine translation tool simply isn’t up to task. An analysis of Bing’s performance by the site Lexiophiles shows that Bing only gets it right about 50% of the time, leaving users confused and, at worst, possibly misled by faulty translations. Interestingly, out of the ten languages tested, posts translated from Spanish to English fared worst of all, with less than 10% of the rendered text considered intelligible.

For greater accuracy, Facebook will also be implementing a feature that allows bilingual users to offer an alternative translation. If other users endorse the accuracy of the crowdsourced translation, it will take the place of Bing’s original translation the next time the “Translate” option is clicked. Page administrators will be able to manage crowdsourced translations through a “manage translations” link below the posts on pages they control.

One of the great arguments in favor of MT has always been that it can at least offer users a gist of the conversation when no other means of translation is available. It seems that, at least for now, Bing’s tool doesn’t even offer that to Facebook’s users.

Should Translators Work for Free?

Published on August 26, 2011 in Spanish Translation and Tips for Translators. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Everyone knows you can’t get something for nothing…or can you? These days, it seems that many big name Internet properties, particularly those involved in social media, are trying their darnedest to get users to contribute their knowledge and expertise with no promise of remuneration, a practice commonly referred to as crowdsourcing. But as a professional translator, should you offer your services for free? Are there situations where it’s worthwhile to work without expectation of payment?

Translators devote significant amounts of time and effort to research terms, compile glossaries, and craft the language of their translations, and most are adamant about being paid a fair wage for what they do. Many translation professionals see crowdsourcing and the like as exploitation, preferring to work on personal projects or other endeavors if they have extra time on their hands.

Although not alone in the hunt for unpaid volunteers, the social network LinkedIn really managed to ruffle a few feathers two years ago when it asked members who are professional translators if they’d be willing to translate the site “for fun” or in exchange for nothing more than a profile badge. This move generated a great deal of controversy, with members noting that such requests devalue the translation profession—a vocation that already struggles for recognition.

Others argue that if one is keen on working for free, it’s best to do so for a non-profit. Translating for a non-profit organization can help translation students or recently graduated translators gain experience and build their resumes, all while working for a good cause. Many seasoned translators volunteer their time or charge a reduced rate as a means of giving something back to the community.

There are, however, certain instances in which it may be beneficial for linguists to donate their time and skill to profit-making ventures. For newly minted translators looking to build a name for themselves and get their foot in the door, collaborating with large websites may prove worthwhile.

For example, in May 2010, TermWiki was launched. The site encourages users to contribute translations with the goal of “collecting every single term in every single language, to be made freely available to the world.” In addition, the site’s “My Glossary” feature allows users to build glossaries for sharing with friends and colleagues.

The advantage for translators looking to gain a bit of name recognition is that TermWiki links the users’ names, the companies they represent, and their professional details to each entry submitted to the site. The company promises exposure to participating users as their contributions rise to the top in the search engines.

For experienced translators with limited free time, these types of projects are not terribly sensible from a business standpoint. Whether one enjoys participating on a personal level is another matter altogether; however, it’s wise for professionals of any stripe to think twice before offering their services free of charge.

Translated Literature Reveals Cultural Similarities

Published on August 14, 2010 in English Language, Languages, Tips for Translators and Translation Buyers. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Americans notoriously read very little in the way of foreign literature. With translations representing a paltry 3 to 5 percent of books being published annually in the United States, authors and translators alike are crying out for more fiction to be translated. Intellectuals argue that exposure to writing by foreign authors will help us to bridge gaps of understanding and bring us out of our cocoon of cultural isolation.

After reading a collection of short stories by various European authors, writer and translator Tim Parks observes that he is “struck by how familiar these voices are, how reassuringly similar in outlook to one another and ourselves.” The elements of humor and narrative forms found within the collection only serve to underscore the similarities. “Across the globe, the literary frame of mind is growing more homogeneous,” Parks writes.

There’s no doubt that translated foreign literature deserves a spot in the bookcase, but perhaps we should shelve the idea of greater cultural awareness through these works.

Read more about the topic here on The New York Review of Books.

Demystifying Internationalization and Localization

Published on November 12, 2009 in English Language, Tips for Translators and Translation Buyers. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

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.” [2]

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.

[1] W3C, FAQ: Localization and Internationalization
[2] LISA, Answer Archives

International SEO Tips to Expand Your Site’s Reach

Published on November 4, 2009 in Languages, Spanish Translation, Tips for Translators and Translation Buyers. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

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

Crowdsourcing Translations: A Loss for Both Translators and Businesses

Published on October 28, 2009 in English Language, Tips for Translators and Translation Buyers. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

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.

LACMA learns to tweet en Español

Published on July 23, 2009 in News, Spanish Language and Spanish Translation. 3 Comments Tags: , , , .

Today, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art officially went bilingual on Twitter.

The museum launched a Twitter account, @enLACMA, that will provide Spanish-language tweets to online users. “We were looking for new ways for Spanish speakers to engage in the museum, and this is the next natural step,” said museum spokeswoman Allison Agsten.

LACMA’s tweets will be written in English for its original Twitter account, @LACMA, then will be translated into Spanish. The translation will be overseen by Marietta Torriente de León, a special-event planner at the museum, who also will monitor the account throughout the day. “Twitter is a conversation, so it’s critical that a staff member is there to respond,” Agsten said.

The museum said it tweets an average of three or four times a day and has been on Twitter since January.

So far, Culture Monster hasn’t found any other U.S. museums tweeting in Spanish. We talked to the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, which tweets only in English. MOLAA said most of its online followers are bilingual and prefer to receive communication in English.

Let us know if you come across any U.S. museums that have gone bilingual on Twitter. And while you’re at it, follow us on Twitter: @culturemonster.

– David Ng

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/07/lacma-learns-to-tweet-en-espa%C3%B1ol.html

Translators Wanted at LinkedIn. The Pay? $0 an Hour.

Published on July 3, 2009 in Spanish Translation, Tips for Translators and Translation Buyers. 2 Comments Tags: , , , .

About half of the 42 million members of LinkedIn, the online professional networking Web site, are outside the United States, and to further expand internationally, the company hopes to be translated into more than its current four languages — English, Spanish, French and German. But when LinkedIn asked thousands of its translator members to complete a survey this month that asked whether they would consider volunteering to translate the site into other languages, many said “nyet.”

Chris Irwin, who lives outside London, was irked by the third multiple-choice question, which asked what “incentive” translators would prefer, with five nonmonetary choices including an upgraded LinkedIn account and none (“because it’s fun”). Mr. Irwin checked a sixth choice, “Other,” typing in that he would prefer cash. In a phone interview, Mr. Irwin said he was surprised that LinkedIn “would have the effrontery to ask for a professional service for free.”

Another translator, Matthew Bennett, who is based in Murcia in Spain, started a group on LinkedIn for those annoyed by the survey, and it swelled to about 300.

Some translators are upset because LinkedIn showed “an enormous amount of disrespect towards them and their work from a networking site for professionals where ‘relationships matter,’ ” wrote Mr. Bennett on his personal blog, referring to one of LinkedIn’s marketing slogans.

But LinkedIn insists that the interpreters are, well, misinterpreting.

Nico Posner, the LinkedIn product manager who circulated the survey, declined to be interviewed but in a post to Mr. Bennett’s group wrote that the survey was not asking translators to volunteer per se. He said he was trying to find out whether they would consider “crowd sourcing,” borrowing the term applied to companies like Wikipedia that rely on volunteers’ collective wisdom.

“While I realize that many professionals in the translation and localization field will not be interested in participating in a crowd sourcing opportunity on LinkedIn,” Mr. Posner wrote, others “would welcome an opportunity to volunteer some of their time and skills towards translating the LinkedIn site and highlight their professional work on their LinkedIn profile, not only for pride and glory, but hopefully to land more paid work.”

In a post on LinkedIn’s company blog, Mr. Posner added that thousands of respondents said they would volunteer, especially if credited on the site.

“I didn’t feel cheapened or exploited at all when they asked,” said Erika Baker, of North Somerset, England. “I just thought, ‘Wow what an opportunity.’ ” A translator for more than 15 years, Ms. Baker said that she had rarely been credited as she would be on the LinkedIn project and that she was certain it would bring in paying work.

“These are new ways of marketing, and the Internet is really the way to go,” Ms. Baker said.

Recently a group of illustrators took umbrage when Google asked them to provide free artwork to feature on its Chrome browser; Google countered that it was offering free exposure and that dozens of other artists had signed on.

In 2007, Facebook asked volunteers to offer translations of the standard explanatory language throughout the site into more than 20 languages, with translators voting among themselves for preferred verbiage. Some faulted the company, saying it was shortchanging translators.

But Nataly Kelly, a former Spanish translator who is an analyst at Common Sense Advisory, a research firm that studies how companies translate, said that Facebook’s critics had missed the big picture.

“It would have been far cheaper for Facebook to pay translators 10 cents a word to translate material than to build a community and pay engineers to set up all this infrastructure,” said Ms. Kelly, who volunteered on the Facebook project herself, casting a vote on such head-scratchers as what to call the Facebook profile “wall,” since in Spanish there are different words for interior and exterior walls.

Web sites may expand using volunteer translators, but they often also pay for work, not only in editing and proofreading the volunteers’ efforts, but also in translating content that requires less local flavor and more legal precision, like privacy policies, Ms. Kelly said.

But Ms. Kelly is sympathetic to translators, who “are often taken advantage of and paid late if at all,” and said LinkedIn had acted undiplomatically.

“It might have been more appropriate for LinkedIn to make it very clear what kind of process this was, and the fact that they employ full-time translators, to appease the fears of translators,” Ms. Kelly said. “That would have prevented a lot of the backlash.”

By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/technology/start-ups/29linkedin.html?ref=business

Spanish-English Translations: Business Errors to Avoid

Published on April 16, 2009 in Tips for Translators. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Transpanish’s April 1st post focused on things that novices to the craft of English-Spanish translations should avoid.  This weeks post will focus on the business side of freelance translating.  Novice Spanish translators may be eager to please their first few clients, and that makes sense.  But beware of being so eager to please that you end up exhausted with very little return or making mistakes that could potentially turn clients off from being repeat buyers.

To avoid this, keep the following in mind:

1. This is a business!  As a freelance translator, you are first and foremost a business person.  Your translation services are what you sell, but you also need sound business practices to survive and thrive.  Consider taking a course in running a freelance business at your local college or adult education center.

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate with your translation buyers.  Don’t stalk them and update them on every miniscule bit of progress you make, but do keep in touch with them.  Ask them clarifying questions and remind them that their answers help you provide them with a superlative end product.  If it’s a large project and the deadline is far off, don’t just disappear.  It’s good relationship building to check in occasionally, even if it’s just to say that you’re making progress.

3. Be realistic about what you can complete.  Don’t jump at the chance to take on a project if the terms seem unrealistic.  If the buyer wants 10,000 words translated in a day, be honest that this is not realistic.  Rather than taking on a project that’s too large and then renegotiating the terms after, only agree to projects you know you can accomplish.  As you start out, you may have a learning curve about your output which could cause some sleepless nights but as you go you should start determining what you can really do.

4. Get the project terms in writing.  How many rewrites and adjustments are you willing to make before tacking on extra fees?  Do both you and the buyer understand the terms of payment?  Sort this out beforehand and set the terms down in writing before starting a Spanish translation project.

These four tips should get you started as you think about how to manage your freelance translation business and apply whether you freelance after a day job or want to translate full time.  Being prepared will have the dual benefit of protecting yourself and keeping translation buyers happy.

Finding Translation Work Close to Home

Published on January 7, 2009 in Spanish Translation and Tips for Translators. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

English to Spanish translators who live in urban areas or even rural areas with many Spanish speakers can find translation work close to home.  It’s just a matter of knowing where to look and knowing how to sell your Spanish translation services.  Mining your local resources to find new clients who need documents translated from English to Spanish can help you land a variety of translation assignments.

Below is a list of ideas and resources for you to get started:

1. Local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Association:

Reach out to potential clients by attending meetings, networking functions, or putting an advertisement for your services in their newsletter. 

2. Local Translation Agencies:

Most cities have a number of translation agencies that work with freelance translators, and in many U.S. cities, there is a high demand for English to Spanish as a language pair.  Some nonprofits also have a for-profit branch in which they employ freelancers to do translation work.

3. Nonprofits:

While a nonprofit may not have a big budget and many projects for you to work on, this is an extremely close-knit community.  A nonprofit focusing on education may only need you for a one-time English to Spanish translation of a letter to parents, but you can be sure that this agency has close connections to agencies providing other services with similar translation needs. 

4. State and city government departments:

State and city agencies have to comply with laws regarding dissemination of information regardless of native language, and approaching these places may yield some English to Spanish translation work.

5.  Networking with Acquaintances, Friends, and Family:

  Even at social events, you know full well that the subject often turns to work, and the business card exchange isn’t far behind.  This tactic may not bear immediate fruit, but you never know when the business card you gave to someone at a cocktail party last year will find its way into the hands of a small business owner who wants to market his services to Spanish speakers.

These five resources are only a start, but as an English to Spanish translator, you understand the importance of marketing your services in creative ways.  Keep in mind that some of the translation work you find might be outside of your specialty area. If you have a medical terminology background but not a legal one, you can’t provide the highest quality translation for a law office.  But that lawyer you turned down may appreciate your honesty and refer you to a doctor he knows needs English to Spanish translations.    

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