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 their native language.

Nonetheless, 44% of survey respondents sensed that they were “missing something interesting online” since a number of websites display information in a language they don’t comprehend.

Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, wrote, “If we are serious about making every European digital, we need to make sure that they can understand the web content they want. We are developing new technologies that can help people that cannot understand a foreign language.”

At the present time, the European Commission is funding 67 million euros’ worth of research projects to enhance translation techniques for online content, including the site iTranslate4, which generates machine translations of several European languages.

For more information on this topic, read this article on the news site Deutsche Welle.

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 in German, French and English, the patent authority’s three official languages. The EPO site’s users may then obtain an instant translation of the patent documentation into languages such as Russian, Japanese or Spanish. It’s important to note that these translations are being made available purely for research and information purposes; they are in no way meant to substitute for official patent translations done by professional translators, as mandated by law.

The EPO will grant Google access to all previously translated patents, which amount to some 1.5 million documents in addition to 50,000 new patents per year.

Officials at the patent office expect the project to be finalized by 2014.

For more information, visit EPO.org.

Also read:
The machine translation debate

Google Translate and the Struggle for Accurate Machine Translations

Prescription Medication Labels and Translation: Meeting the Needs of Non-English Speakers

A bill is currently being deliberated in the California State Senate that would require pharmacies to take “the needs of patients with limited English proficiency” into consideration when labeling prescription medications. Medication errors, a leading cause of medical accidents, may be reduced when patients have improved understanding of how to take prescription drugs.

With approximately 18% of the U.S. population over the age of five speaking a language other than English (according to 2000 U.S. census figures), professional translators have a duty to aid health care providers to ensure accurate and useful translations of not only prescription drug labels, but instructional and educational materials as well.

Five main issues continually plague the accuracy of health care translations and jeopardize the health care provider’s ability to communicate effectively with the patient.

(1) Literacy and educational levels: Health care texts presented for translation are often written in a sophisticated manner that can be easily misunderstood by the target audience.

(2) Imprecise writing: Typographical errors, incorrect punctuation and/or poor word choice in the source document may lead to unintentional changes to the meaning of the original text.

(3) Inappropriate use of color: Various cultural groups assign different meanings to the same color. For example, while red signals danger to many English speakers, other cultural groups such as the Chinese view red as a symbol of luck or happiness.

(4) Representation of numbers and dates: The formatting of dates, weights and other numerical information may lead to confusion, as different language groups write this information in different ways.

(5) Cultural and religious sensitivities: The use of certain anatomical terms may be considered offensive to some cultural groups.

In order to combat these problems, it is important for translators to develop systems including style guides or glossaries, built in collaboration with various clients. In addition to factoring in style decisions, translators should also consider the level of education of the target audience, the location of the target population, formal or informal tone, idiosyncratic titles, capitalization, and translation for the web. Glossaries should be thought of as living documents that grow and change over time. They ensure the consistent use of terminology from document to document while accounting for client preferences.

Welsh language influence on English

From arctic birds to nicknames, the influence of Wales on the English language has been underestimated, says a Celtic Studies expert.

Compilers of the new online version of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) say penguin, Taffy and cariad are examples of Welsh words adopted by English.

Poet Dylan Thomas is also responsible for 635 entries, they said.

Prof John Koch of the University of Wales said: “The two languages have lived side-by-side for 1,500 years.”

The OED, first published in 1884, this week relaunched itself online.

It claims to be the only English dictionary that tries to trace the first known use of every sense of every word in the English language.

And to prove the point its compilers have pointed to the number of entries that originated from Welsh.

The earliest recorded use of ‘penguin’ can be traced back to Wales, they said.

Apparently in spite of the fact that most penguins have black heads, the OED’s compilers said Welsh coined the term from pen meaning head and gwyn meaning white.

OED quotes the first written citation from 1577: “Infinite were the Numbers of the foule, wch the Welsh men name Pengwin & Maglanus tearmed them Geese.” [sic]

According to the OED the word ‘Taffy’, a nickname for a Welshman, has its roots in the pronunciation of Dafydd, it says.

‘Cariad’, a Welsh term of affection, is referenced as far back as the 13th century, from caru, meaning to love or woo.

Edmund Weiner, deputy editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said Dylan Thomas was one of the most cited authors in the OED Online.

“His rich use of language has resulted in being acknowledged as the source of words and phrases such as ‘moochin’, a difficult or disagreeable person.

“The term to ‘prodnose’, meaning to pry or be inquisitive, is taken from Quite Early One Morning.”

‘Before English’

Prof John Koch of the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth, said the influence of Welsh on the English language is surprising to many, but should not be.

“Before English was there, Welsh was there,” he said, “and you cannot say that about any other language that English has had contact with.

“The two languages have lived side-by-side for 1,500 years, so it shouldn’t be surprising.”

Prof Koch said that the English language behaved in many ways that could not be attributed to other Germanic languages and its contact with Welsh may be the reason.

“There has been an underestimation from the beginning of the Welsh component in English,” he said. “It probably isn’t massive like that of French or Latin. It’s more under the surface.”

Prof Koch said there were historical and political reasons behind the lack of credit given to the influence of Welsh.

He explained: “In the universities in which people studied the language most people who compiled the dictionaries in the first place did not know a lot about Wales, so it would not have been something they looked for.”

Prof Koch added that many proper names in England came from Wales and most of the names of major rivers in Britain are pre-English.

“That’s something that is well-known by experts but tends to be otherwise overlooked, but the influence of Welsh on English may yet come into its own as a subject.”

Source: BBC News

English words that derive from Welsh

  • Penguin – from pen and gwyn
  • Cwtch – to cuddle
  • Merchet – the Welsh word for daughter, merch, became an English term for a dowry
  • Cariad – commonly used by English speakers in Wales for sweetheart
  • Source: OED Online

Some History of the Welsh Language:

Welsh is a Celtic language, closely related to Cornish and Breton. The Welsh we speak today is directly descended from the language of the sixth century.
Until the mid-19th century, the majority of the Welsh population could speak Welsh – over 80%. Over the past centuries several factors have affected people’s usage of the language – these are some of the most prominent factors:
The 1536 and 1542 Acts of Union: The passing of the 1536 and 1542 Acts of Union made English the language of law and administration of Government. Although the Welsh language was not banned, it lost its status, and brought with it centuries of steady linguistic decline.
Translation of the Bible in 1588 by Bishop William Morgan: This was a great boost to the language because it ensured that Welsh was the language of religion and worship, and kept the language alive within communities.
18-19 Century Industrial Revolution: This caused the biggest collapse in Welsh speakers because of the huge influx of people into the industrial areas. Number of Welsh speakers fell to 50% of the population.

This decline continued through the Twentieth Century for several reasons:

• migration patterns from rural to urban areas in search of work
• inward migration of English speakers to rural areas
• increased availability of English-language news and entertainment media
• a general secularization of society, leading to a decline in chapel attendance, on which so many traditional Welsh-medium activities were centered.

Present:

The 2001 Census shows that 20.8% of the population of Wales said that they could speak Welsh. Analysis, maps and briefing papers for the 2001 Census can be found in the publications library of the Welsh Language Board site. The next Census will take place in 2011 and it is likely that the results will be announced during 2013.

Source: Welsh Language Board

Read How may people speak Welsh?

Transpanish Blog’s Newest Feature: “Did You Know?”

As American author and scholar William Lyon Phelps noted, “One of the secrets of life is to keep our intellectual curiosity acute.” So, in the interest of uncovering some engaging linguistic facts and promoting intellectual curiosity among our readership, here at the Transpanish blog we have decided to add a new feature titled “Did You Know?”

This new section of the blog will highlight interesting language and translation-related facts through a series of light, brief articles. With facts such as the current number of languages spoken in the world and information about the world’s oldest surviving language, you’re sure to learn something new each time you visit the Transpanish blog. Satisfy your curiosity and keep your eyes peeled for some interesting facts and tidbits from the world of linguistics and translation.

Translated Literature Reveals Cultural Similarities

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.

World Cup Attracts Multilingual Audiences

The FIFA World Cup – soccer’s premier sporting event – is coming to African soil for the first time in history. South Africa will play host to 32 national soccer teams and 350,000 foreign visitors during the month-long event, requiring that both linguistic and cultural barriers be bridged for the global cast of players, organizers and fans who will be in attendance.

Demand for website localization, translation, editing and voice-over projects has increased exponentially in advance of the international sporting event. Written translations for the World Cup are mandatory for each of the 11 official languages of South Africa, in addition to the languages of the participating teams. In an effort to reach as many fans as possible, the World Cup website has been translated into Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Organizers predict that 450 to 500 million viewers from around the globe will tune in to this year’s World Cup.

For more information, see this article at Global Watchtower.

Recent Translation and Language News

Here are some of the top language-related stories from the last month:

1. The recently elected president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, sports an animal last name. Could the warm and fuzzy appeal of her name have helped her to get elected?

2. As part of the state’s new comprehensive immigration reform, Arizona now requires that any teacher instructing students in the English language speak without a heavy accent.

3. Renowned scientist Stephen Hawking ponders what sort of language humans would require to communicate effectively with extraterrestrials should they one day make contact with our planet.

4. Bad translations are the order of the day. A recent diplomatic visit to Washington D.C. by Mexican President Felipe Calderón was marred due to lackluster interpretation of his comments by a substitute interpreter.

5. The Eurovision Song Contest is perennially plagued with bad English translations, and this year was no exception.

6. Icelandic-English translators can barely keep pace with the flood of financial documents resulting from Iceland’s economic collapse.

For more information, visit this article at The World.

The Importance of Translating Foreign Texts

The reluctance of publishers in the English-speaking world to translate works from other languages truly boggles the mind. At a point in the world’s history in which we are more connected than ever before, America and the rest of the Anglophone world remain remarkably isolated from the literary contributions of other languages and cultures. The statistics are rather eye-opening: Just two to three percent of books published every year in the U.S. and Britain are translations, in comparison to close to 35 percent in Western Europe and Latin America.

Ignoring a bulk of the world’s literature represents a problem on several fronts. Aside from the fact that English speakers lose out on the obvious advantages gained by an understanding of different worldviews and perspectives found in foreign literature, as it turns out, a refusal on the part of publishers to translate books from other languages into English also does a disservice to non-English speakers the world over. “English often serves as the linguistic bridge for the translation of a book into a number of Asian and African languages.”  Lastly, a paucity of translated works means that the exchange of information and ideas that is cherished by free, democratic societies ultimately suffers.

Click here for more information on this story from Foreign Policy.

Transcreation: Specialized Translation for Marketing

The translation of marketing and promotional materials presents unique challenges, not only from a language standpoint but from a cultural one as well. Translations of advertising copy must strive for something beyond technical accuracy; just like the carefully-crafted original text, the translation of a marketing message must be both engaging and culturally relevant to the target audience. The incorporation of specialists in transcreation and cultural adaptation to the linguistic team ensures that marketing messages are accurately conveyed without sacrificing creativity or consistency.

Transcreation services focus on adaptation of a text rather than a strict translation, guaranteeing that – by remaining faithful to the original and reflecting the local preferences and culture of the target audience – the message achieves the greatest impact in every market. Transcreation entails a host of services including translation, copywriting, and localization, bringing together the creativity and contributions of professionals whose principal interests and activities center on content adaptation.

“The goal of transcreation isn’t to say the same thing in another language. Indeed, it is often not possible to say exactly the same thing in another language. The aim of the game with transcreation is to get the same reaction in each language, something that translation in itself won’t be able to achieve.” [1]

The translation of copy for the marketing world differs significantly from other types of translations such as technical translations, which leave little room for creativity, and some training in copywriting is recommended. Translators with a flair for creative writing tend to produce the best results with advertising, marketing, and media texts and are best suited to work as transcreators.

Transcreation demands an intimate understanding of the source language, continuous exposure to the local media in the target market, as well as a high degree of familiarity with the target audience. A specialist in transcreation will be able to evaluate why the advertising message works for the original group, and he or she will produce materials that are culturally adapted and tailor-made for the target audience. Ideally, translators, transcreators, and those responsible for content adaptation should engage the client in a dialogue about the brand and its intended message to consumers to maintain consistency and meaning for the target audience.

[1] Bad Language, Translation vs. Transcreation