When Never to Use Google Translate
While Google Translate and similar machine translation tools do offer a means for readers to achieve a basic understanding of a text, computers fail to render the nuanced, culturally correct translations created by humans. Machine translation frequently proves useful to decipher blogs, Facebook posts or tweets in a foreign language, but this technology falls short […]
Lunfardo: Money Talk
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 […]
Language an Obstacle for Internet Users in European Union
A recent study conducted by Eurobarometer, the European Commission’s survey research program, found that more than 50% of Internet users in the European Union (EU) sometimes access the web using a language other than their mother tongue. In addition, the study revealed that 90% of EU Internet users show a preference for websites featured in […]
Lunfardo: What Does “Guita” Mean?
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 […]
Résumé Writing Tips for Translators
As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) offers prospective employers a glimpse at your professional qualifications and background, and it’s important to present yourself in the best possible light while remaining truthful about your accomplishments. A well-written résumé can catapult […]
2010 U.S. Census Data Reveals Continued Growth of Hispanic Population
According to the latest demographic information culled from the 2010 U.S. Census, the Latino population now totals 16.3% of the nation’s inhabitants. The Hispanic population increased 43% over the last ten years, growing from 35.3 million to 50.5 million. Demographers also reported that 56% of the country’s total population expansion in the last decade can […]
Tips for Spanish Translation Buyers
When securing the services of a translation agency for an English to Spanish translation, buyers should keep in mind the following points: Text Expansion When a document is translated from English to Spanish, the resulting translation often contains up to 20% more words than the source text. This phenomenon, known as text expansion, occurs because […]
Google Strikes Deal to Translate European Patents
Last week Google announced an agreement with the European Patent Office (EPO) to translate approximately 50 million patents using the search giant’s Internet-based translation tool, Google Translate. Google and authorities at the EPO will collaborate to translate patents into 32 different languages. Patent researchers, scientists and others will be able to conduct searches for patents […]
Tips for Translators: Using Twitter
Social networking site Twitter can be a valuable tool for those in the translation industry. The service offers a means for translators to get in direct contact with potential clients all over the globe; in addition, Twitter provides an excellent opportunity to network with other translators. Read on for some useful Twitter tips for translators: […]
Portuñol: A Blend of Spanish and Portuguese
Portuñol or portunhol – a dialect based on code-switching between Spanish and Portuguese – has resulted from prolonged contact between the inhabitants of border areas. Emerging over time as a sort of lingua franca for those living in immigrant communities or in trade zones where speakers lacked fluency in the other group’s language, portuñol can […]
