English Words that Take on Alter Egos in Spanish
As a non-native speaker of Spanish, it’s a given that certain words will occasionally throw me for a loop during the course of a conversation. What I don’t generally expect is that those words will be from my own language! A number of words such as chequear (to check) and frizar (to freeze) have passed […]
The Meaning of ‘Piola’
Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets ofBuenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language inArgentina (especially in and aroundBuenos Aires) andUruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a defining characteristic of the Rioplatense […]
The Ethics of Translation
Just as professionals such as doctors and lawyers occasionally grapple with ethics, translators and interpreters will likely face a range of ethical dilemmas in the practice of their profession. Certain countries have established codes of conduct that set out guidelines for issues such as quality standards, impartiality, and confidentiality; however, the truly difficult decisions arise […]
Notes on Back-translation
What is back-translation? The process of back-translation consists of translating a previously translated text back into the original language. Ideally, a back-translation should be performed by an independent translator who did not participate in the original translation. The back-translation may then be compared to the original text to check the accuracy of the initial translation. […]
Latinos Spend More Time on Social Media than Other Groups
According to a market research study conducted by BIGinsight in February 2012, U.S. Hispanics spend significantly more time on social media than the average American Internet user. On any given day, 26.8% of Latino users are active on social media sites for upwards of six hours, while just 8.5% of all Internet users spend that […]
Is Spanish a Sexist Language?
It seems that political correctness knows no bounds. With feminist groups and a handful of linguistic scholars leading the charge, so-called “inclusive language” has slowly crept into Spanish in the last few years. In other words, what once passed for perfectly acceptable and grammatically correct Spanish is now labeled machista or sexist, with some academics […]
Lunfardo: The Meaning of ‘Curda’
Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language in Argentina (especially in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a defining […]
The Absence of Certified Translators in the U.S. and Implications for Translation Buyers
Unlike most European and Latin American countries, licensure or certification for translators does not exist within the United States, neither at the federal nor the state level. In the case of interpreters, a program does exist to certify individuals so that they may work within the federal court system; however, interpreters in other fields are […]
Should Translation Apps Be Used by Emergency Personnel?
Every second counts in an emergency. In everyday life, a language barrier can produce frustrating or even comical results, but in critical situations, first responders can’t rely on pantomime or guessing games to determine crucial information about non-English speaking patients’ status or medical history. Doctors at clinics and hospitals frequently use staff medical interpreters, telephone […]
The Importance of Quality Translations to the Pharmaceutical Industry
In a global economy dominated by the English language—the world’s current lingua franca—obstacles to the clear communication of scientific information abound. With an increasing amount of clinical research and pharmaceutical manufacturing taking place around the world in numerous languages, quality Medical translation services can break down these barriers, expediting the process to bring a drug […]
