How to get quality translations

What Steps Should You Follow to Get a Successful Translation?

Posted On August 7, 2019By TranspanishIn Spanish Translation, Translation Buyers, Translations/  No Comments

Feeling overwhelmed by the translation process? Don’t know how or where to start?

One of Transpanish’s priorities is to educate customers so that they get the best translation service without any unpleasant surprises that could jeopardize their project.

That’s why we’ve come up with the following tips to help you make the right decisions for getting a successful translation.

Planning ahead matters

Plan your translation schedule in advance. A professional translator usually translates around 2,000 words per day. A translation agency can double that number and can also translate higher volumes, but translating large volumes of content in a short amount of time may cost more than you might expect. Bear this in mind when considering the text that you’re going to get translated and when establishing deadlines.

Ask yourself what goal you intend to reach with your translation. Supposing that you’re translating into Spanish, is there a specific region or country you’re looking to target? Or would you prefer a neutral Spanish translation that can be understood by all Spanish speakers?

Write for translation

If you haven’t written the source content yet, write it with translation in mind. Keep it simple and avoid idioms if possible. Write error-free copy and have it proofread before you send it for translation. You’re much more likely to get a quality translation if the original text is well written.

Provide reference material

Make sure to provide the translation agency or translator with all available reference material. This could include any past translations you were satisfied with and any glossary containing your company’s key terms, whether it’s bilingual or not. The more the translator understands your company’s tone the better.

Ever previously worked with a translation company and had it all go wrong? Be honest about it with the translation agency you’re hiring. Tell them about the problems you faced. If you have any examples of a bad translation that was done for you in the past, it might be a good idea to show them. This could even help a translation agency in choosing the right translator for your project.

Translation vendor selection

You might be wondering whether you should use a freelance translator or a translation agency. Maybe you’re even considering having your bilingual employee translate your documents.

But bear in mind that you pay for what you get.

Your Spanish-speaking employee, for example, might seem like a perfect option but it really takes much more than just speaking a language to translate documents accurately.

There are excellent freelance translators on the market but can they manage large-scale projects, and will you need to end up having to pay for another translator to proofread their work?

If you’re looking for a comprehensive service solution that can manage the entire process for you, you’re going to need a translation agency.

The standard will be higher as they have a quality assurance process that usually includes an expert proofreading. By the way, do remember to find out if a proofreading by a second translator or linguist is included in a translation service. Many companies offer different “quality levels” and they might even offer machine translation services at a cheap price. So remember to read the fine print of what is being offered and ask all the relevant questions.

Formatting

It’s important to format your document for translation. Are you getting a brochure translated? Bear in mind that some translations, such as translations from English to Spanish, end up having 15-30 percent more text than the original. This means that some arrangements, such as reducing font sizes, might need to be made to the final document.

If you’re translating a PDF, decide whether you’ll be doing the formatting on your end. If you request the translated document to be formatted, you’ll need to provide the source files (e.g. InDesign, PowerPoint) or the format will need to be recreated, which might result in a major expense.

Translating a large volume of content? Make the most of translation memories

If you’re translating high volumes of text with repetitions (sentences or segments repeated within one or more documents), it’s worth learning about translation memories.

A translation memory is essentially a database where the translation is stored as the translator works.

Let’s imagine that you’re translating six documents from English to Spanish with a total of 40,000 words, of which 10,000 are repetitions. If this is the first time the translator is working for you, the translator will start working with a computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool and create a translation memory for your project. As they translate, the sentences will be saved in the memory. When a new sentence is being worked on and the database finds a similar entry, the tool will show the sentence to the translator as a reference. This might be an exact match or what is called a fuzzy match (an under 99% match). Either way, the translator’s work will be made quicker and you’ll benefit from a time-efficient translation, not to mention consistency between your current and future documents.

Many agencies also offer discounts for repetitions and fuzzy matches so be sure to check if your translation quote reflects this discount.

Build a strong business relationship with your translation agency

If you find a translation vendor you trust, continue using their services.

This will help you get faster and more consistent translations and you may even benefit from special rates if you keep sending documents to translate on a monthly basis.

Regular clients can ask for special favors that a one-time client may not, such as translating a few sentences at a regular rate without incurring a minimum fee.

As with any project, making educated decisions is the key for a successful translation.

Still have questions? Contact us for a free quote or advice.

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Hispandering

How US Politicians “Hispander” to the Latino Vote

Posted On June 4, 2019By TranspanishIn Latinos, Spanish Translation, Translation Buyers, Translations/  No Comments

The Hispanic population constitutes the largest minority group in the United States, if one counts the population as one ethnic group, and this is only forecast to increase. As such, the Spanish language is not only an increasingly important language in the US for the country’s corporate and cultural spheres but also its politics.

In fact, in the 2020 US elections, the Hispanic electorate (32 million) will overtake the African-American electorate (30 million) for the first time. In recognition of this community’s electoral importance, and in a bid to increase the size of their audience, many politicians try to court Hispanic votes through using the Spanish language in political materials and announcements. The problem? Well, some of them aren’t very good at it for a start.

There are many examples of mistranslations and a lack of cultural understanding, including everything from gender mistakes to direct translations that make little to no sense in Spanish. Amy Klobuchar, the senator of Minnesota, for example, referred to her mother on her website using the masculine rather than the feminine.

Even Julián Castro, the only Latino presidential candidate in the 2020 race so far, showed cultural misunderstanding by erroneously referring to the United States of America as “América” instead of “Estados Unidos”, with América being used in Spanish to refer to the entire continent. All these incidents and many more are subject to criticism and ridicule, likely being a result of using services like Google Translate.

Even when politicians do use Spanish correctly, they can still come across as pandering to the Hispanic population for their vote while ignoring them outside of the electioneering season, a phenomenon that’s come to be known as “hispandering”. Some politicians offer an unequal amount of content in Spanish to what they do in English, while other candidates have tried to pander to Hispanic voters on a cultural level. A famous example of this was when the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign published an article called 7 ways Hillary Clinton is just like your abuela, which prompted backlash with the hashtag #NotMyAbuela.

This isn’t to say that politicians shouldn’t have a go at other languages to try and expand their appeal. From Jackie Kennedy to George W. Bush, the political class in the US has long taken an interest in the Spanish language, and this interest should indeed be regarded as positive.

However, there is a difference between, on the one hand, expressing a genuine interest in a group, with a desire to show you are listening to them and value their language and culture, and, on the other hand, patronizing them by using their language as a token gesture. It all comes down to attitude.

There is an argument that, as most Hispanic Americans speak English, the aim of this hispandering is just to show that they respect their culture in an environment that can be very hostile to Hispanic Americans and the Spanish language. But even if that is all that is intended, this message would be made all the more powerful through using professional translations and experts and making genuine attempts to understand this group rather than pander to them in a tokenistic manner.

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Translations and Readability

How Should Translators Approach Content Too Complex for Its Intended Audience?

Posted On April 30, 2019By TranspanishIn Spanglish, Spanish Language, Spanish Translation, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers, Translations/  1 Comment

Language can be hard at the best of times, but paradoxically at the times when communication is the most important, all meaning can be lost in jargon for the average reader. This is a common phenomenon in fields like the civil service, finance and health care, all of which affect every person on the planet. However, they often involve highly complex terms and concepts that will leave many of those who rely upon these services scratching their heads, having a detrimental impact on their lives.

This problem is exacerbated by language issues, possibly caused by learning difficulties, a lower level of education or not being a native speaker of a language. This matter of needing to bear your audience in mind is a familiar issue for many translators, with this being a topic that affects all languages.

A recent study for the American College of Radiology analyzed 134 Spanish-language imaging-related patient education articles from Radiologyinfo.org and found that while most adults read at an eighth or ninth-grade reading level, and organizations like the American Medical Association advise materials to be at a maximum of a sixth-grade reading level, the average article was written at a 12th– grade reading level. This is common in other medical specialties.

This complexity has very real and potentially very dangerous consequences, depending on the audience. A lack of understanding of personal health materials is associated with an increase in both hospitalization length and frequency, an increased rate of complications and higher health care costs, made all the worse in the case of the aforementioned study by US Hispanics having the lowest health literacy among all racial groups in the USA, with even the AMA’s reading recommendations likely being out of reach of many.

So, what should medical translators do in these sorts of instances? Should a Spanish translation intended for those who have lower reading levels reflect the reality? Or should it mirror the complex language in the original source document? This question is ultimately one of a matter of document intention and audience. If a document has highly complex language and involves very technical terms for an expert audience, then simplifying the language may not only lead to a loss of content, but it could also be interpreted as offensive. However, it is both a writer and translator’s job to bear the audience in mind and the solution to this issue lies in a dialogue between the two.

If a translator is working on a Spanish translation for a clinic or health care institution and knows full well that the document is for public consumption and that the language is too complex, then the translator should raise this issue with the client. Then, they can work with them to put things into as plain language as possible while maintaining the message behind the document that is so crucial to the wellbeing of the audience. While a medical translator may know the “correct” translation of a technical term in such instances, it is worth considering a simplification or the use of dialect words (such as Spanglish terms among US Hispanics) if it conveys the message in a clearer manner. The goal of this translation is to speak to its audience and to do this successfully with a hospital document for the average patient, keeping the original complex language may actually hinder the goal.

While this is indeed a topic for hospitals and the writers of public medical documents to consider, as there is still clearly an issue with clarity in their original language, translators should avoid copying source document mistakes, confusing audiences and risking hazardous outcomes. To do this, a dialogue between hospitals and translators is key – both have to know their audience and content and help each other to do so, helping them to successfully provide documents from which patients can actually benefit.

Read more!
A Guide to Translating Health Care Materials into Spanish – First Part
A Guide to Translating Health Care Materials into Spanish – Second Part

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Translating Genericized Trademarks

Posted On March 21, 2019By TranspanishIn Languages, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers, Translations/  No Comments

Language is constantly changing and adapting to suit its environment. One noticeable example of this is in brand names for new technologies or products becoming used as a generic name for any similar product whether they were produced by the brand or not. From trampoline to cellophane, words that were once specific brand names have entered everyday language to refer to general products, a process that continues today with the likes of the term photoshopping and googling. However, the introduction of these terms is not universal to all languages and can provide potential problems for translators, not to mention lawyers and marketers. This article highlights several notable examples of brand names that have been generalized and how to approach translating these so-called genericized trademarks.

Notable Generic Trademarks

Dig a little into the subject and there’s a surprisingly large number of words that have made their way into common use that were once brand names. These include Velcro, which is trademarked by Velcro Companies and refers to, instead, the “hook-and-loop fastener” system – a term that is almost never used in common speech to refer to the system.

Similar examples include:

  • A Zimmer frame to refer to a walking frame (with the Zimmer frame specifically belonging to Zimmer Holdings).
  • A Taser to refer to an electroshock weapon instead of one created by Taser International. It is, in fact, an acronym for a fictional weapon: Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle. This has created the verbs ‘to tase’ and ‘to taser’.
  • A Hoover to refer to a vacuum cleaner instead of one created by Hoover Company. This has also become a verb synonymous with ‘to vacuum’.
  • Rizla instead of tobacco rolling papers, with Imperial Brands’ Rizla papers being the world’s most successful rolling paper brand.
  • Coke can be often used to refer to all Cola in the UK, not just Coca Cola, while in some parts of the southern US, Coke is the generic term for all soda.
  • PowerPoint to refer to all slide shows or presentation programs, instead of exclusively the slide show presentation program developed by Microsoft.
  • A Zeppelin to refer to rigid airships (with Luftschiffbau Zeppelin being a leading German airship company founded by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin).
  • Photoshop to refer to all photo manipulation instead of the program by Adobe. It is commonly used as a verb ‘to photoshop’ or ‘to shop’ to mean digital photographic manipulation.

Potential Problems for Translators

For understandable reasons, companies often fight hard to prevent their brand from becoming a generic term. The Velcro legal team has even created a music video complaining about the use of the generic term Velcro. Some companies have been more successful in the prevention of their brands becoming generic terms, such as Nintendo who spread the use of “video game console” instead of a “Nintendo”, which now sounds antiquated and out of touch.

With this in mind, some brands may become incorporated as genericized trademarks in some languages while others may not. There is also the issue of culture and which products have been marketed more successfully in an area. For example, the generic untrademarked term “ramen” is used in the US to refer to instant noodles, while this is often referred to using the genericized trademark “Pot Noodle” in the UK, so even in the same language complications can arise as to what is being referenced. These issues can complicate translations for translators who are unaware of what is actually meant by the trademark, leading to possible misunderstandings and mistranslations. For instance, in Mongolia, the term “Canon” is used to refer to photocopying, named after the brand, but if this term were to be translated literally into English due to an insufficient level of cultural knowledge on the part of the translator, there could be problems in regard to whether they are specifically referring to the brand.

How to Translate Genericized Trademarks

As with most translation issues, there are a few strategies that can be used depending on the translator’s aim. If the cultural context is important or perhaps if there is no equivalent term in the target language, an explanation may be necessary. However, often times these terms are just used without people being aware that they are referring to a specific brand. In these instances, the brand name becomes a synonym rather than a new term, so Hoover – now essentially a synonym for vacuum cleaner in English – should be substituted with the non-trademark name vacuum cleaner when translating into another language.

In short, generic trademarks are an issue to be aware of when translating and care should be taken considering both the context and the intention of the piece. When possible, for clarity’s sake, translators may want to consider avoiding their use unless it sounds unnatural to do so.

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Translation Industry Events. November, December 2018

Translation Events – November and December 2018

Posted On October 30, 2018By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers, Translations/ 4 No Comments

November 13-15

tcworld 2018 – tekom. Stuttgart, Germany

November 15-16

Translating and the Computer 40 (TC40). AsLing. London, UK

November 16-17

Discuss Interpreting (ISIT). Arcueil, France

November 15

TAPICC: Translation API Class and Cases. The International Multilingual User Group (IMUG). San Jose, California, USA

Noviembre 16-18

5.º Congreso Internacional de Correctores de Textos en Español. Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

November 17-18

PROFT 2018. 7th Translation, Interpretation, and Accessibility Symposium. São Paulo, Brazil 

November 16-18

EXPOLINGUA Berlin. CWE GmbH. Berlin, Germany

November 17-18

Canary Translators Conference. The Biz Muses. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

November 19-20

TAC Conference 2018. Translators Association of China, Beijing, China

November 21-23

Nordic Translation Industry Forum. Anne-Marie Colliander Lind, Cecilia Enbäck. Oslo, Norway

November 22-23

Tools and Methods for Corpus-Based Translation Science. TransBank. Innsbruck, Austria

November 28-30

Translation and Cultural Sustainability: Foundations, Fundamentals and Applications. University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

November 29-30

Cologne Conference on Translation, Interpreting and Technical Documentation. TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences. Cologne, Germany

December 5-7

XI Simposio Internacional sobre la Traducción, la Terminología y la Interpretación Cuba-Québec. Varadero, Cuba

December 6-7

ND Focus – Elia’s focus on Sales & Marketing. Elia (European Language Industry Association). Malaga, Spain

December 8-10

Sanskrit and Other Indian Languages – Technology JNU, Bhartiya Bhasha Manch. New Delhi, India

 

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Translation Facts

Ten Translation Facts for International Translation Day

Posted On September 28, 2018By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers, Translations/  1 Comment

30 September is International Translation Day, held on the feast day of the patron saint of translation St. Jerome. Getting into the spirit of things, this article celebrates International Translation Day by exploring some of the most intriguing translation tidbits.

  1. The Patron Saint of Translation Made a Monumental Error

From 382, St. Jerome spent 23 years of his life translating the Bible into Latin. Proficient in Greek and Latin, St. Jerome moved to Jerusalem and developed his grasp of Hebrew to translate the Bible from the original Hebrew source. However, even saints make mistakes, with St. Jerome mistakenly translating the Hebrew for radiance as horns, leading to many images of Moses subsequently showing him with horns.

  1. One Translation Error Left a Man Paralyzed and Cost $71 million

In 1980, Cuban-American baseball star Willie Ramirez was rushed to hospital after having severe headaches and slipping in and out of consciousness, with worried family members believing he may have food poisoning. Due to a staff mistranslation, the hospital believed that the Cuban Spanish term intoxicado meant intoxicated and treated Ramirez for a drug overdose, while overlooking a haemmorage that left him paralyzed and the hospital then having to settle a lawsuit for $71 million. You can read more information about this incident here.

  1. The Jehovah’s Witness Website Is Available in More Languages than the Bible

While the Bible is indeed the most translated book in the world, available in more than 500 languages, this Jehovah’s Witness website is available in more than 600, including Congolese sign language and several dialects of Swahili and Thai. Harry Potter, in contrast, is available in just over 70.

  1. Google Translate Reads Mystery Novels to Learn

While there have been attempts to develop machine translation since the 1940s, machines are still a way off from being able to replace humans. Google Translate is probably the best-known machine translation tool with often funny and frustrating results. The software learns by reading vast amounts of translated materials and finding patterns. This material includes UN and EU documents and also large amounts of mystery novels.

  1. There’s a Good Reason Why Google Is So Fond of Mystery

The most translated author of all time is Agatha Christie, not surprising when you remember that the English writer behind Poirot and Miss Marple is also the best-selling author of all time. Following Christie is the French science-fiction pioneer Jules Verne and then the great bard William Shakespeare.

  1. The Leading Target Language on UNESCO’s Database for Book Translations Is German

On UNESCO’s Index Translatorium book translation database, out of 7,000 languages, German is the leading target language, followed by French, Japanese, Spanish, and English. In regard to source translation languages, English is the world leader, followed by French, German, Russian, and Italian.

  1. As the World Gets Smaller, the Translation Industry is Growing

Recent estimates show that the translation industry is estimated to be worth $40 billion with around 330,000 translators working around the world. It is predicted to grow to $45 billion in value by 2020.

  1. The First President of Tanzania Translated Shakespeare into Swahili

While many writers like Javier Marías, Haruki Murakami and Vladimir Nabokov have translated English works into their own languages, surprisingly, the controversial Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere has also done so, translating Shakespeare’s works into Swahili.

  1. Translation Is Thousands of Years Old

The first known translation is of the Sumerian epic The Epic of Gilgamesh, dating back to around 2100 BCE. As language itself is much older than writing, by about 195,000 years, it is likely that interpreting also long predates translation.

  1. A Mistranslation Caused Widespread Panic About Nuclear War

In 1956, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev told Western dignitaries at a conference “We will bury you”. This was taken to mean that the USSR intended to destroy the West, leading to a diplomatic crisis in the height of the Cold War. It’s events like this that show the importance of cultural context in translation. Khrushchev was actually making a Marxist reference to the saying “The proletariat is the undertaker of capitalism”, which his interpreter assumed the dignitaries would get. They didn’t.

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Translation Industry Events

Translation Industry Events – September 2018

Posted On August 23, 2018By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers, Translations/ 3 No Comments

September 3-7

3rd International Translation Technology Summer School. KU Leuven. Antwerp, Belgium

September 3-8

MT Marathon 2018. Institute of Formal and Applied Linguistics, Charles University. Prague, Czech Republic

September 4-7

Content Marketing World. Content Marketing Institute. Cleveland, Ohio, USA

September 10-12

42nd Internationalization & Unicode Conference (IUC42) Object Management Group. Santa Clara, California, USA

September 12

Global Ready Bootcamp – San Francisco. Smartling. San Francisco, California, USA

September 13-14

ND Focus – Elia’s focus on Project Management. Elia (European Language Industry Association). Porto, Portugal

September 15

SLAM! Scandinavian Language Association. Malmö, Sweden

September 17-18

XTM LIVE. XTM International. Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Global Ready Bootcamp – New York City. Smartling. New York City, NY, USA

September 20-22

ATC Language Industry Summit 2018. Association of Translation Companies. Cardiff, UK

September 20

The Language Services Industry Today. The International Multilingual User Group (IMUG). San Jose, California, USA

September 24-26

National Identity in Translation. Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, University of Rzeszów. Lviv, Ukraine

September 25-26

International Translation Day 2018. ProZ. Online

September 25-27

Technical Communication UK. Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC). Daventry, Northamptonshire, UK

September 26-28

eLearning Africa 2018. ICWE GmbH, Rwanda Convention Bureau. Rwanda

September 26-27

NORDIC TechKomm 2018. tcworld. Copenhagen, Denmark

September 27-28

International Migration and Communication Congress. Translation Studies Department, Sakarya University. Sakarya, Turkey

September 28-29

Fit-For-Market Translator and Interpreter Training in a Digital Age. Centre for Interpreter and Translator Training of the BME. Budapest, Hungary

September 29-30

IAPTI 2018. International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters. Valencia, Spain

 

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Talented Translators

Strategies to Retain Talented Translators

Posted On June 19, 2018By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers, Translations/ 1 No Comments

In a previous post, we mentioned what freelance translators should do to keep their translation clients happy, but what about the translators’ expectations?

As organizations become increasingly reliant on contractors and freelancers, they need to consider how to attract and retain them. Many clients think that because their translation projects are only temporary, there isn’t much point bothering to retain a translator. But if you’ve decided to collaborate with a translator on a contractual basis, remember that it needs to be a harmonious relationship. Making sure that you get your message across clearly and accurately is essential for both the client and the translator.

Below are some crucial points that you should bear in mind to keep your freelance translator or contractor happy.

Communicate clearly

If you work with a translator remotely, you’ll want to make sure that you communicate your needs and expectations clearly from the start. This will prevent confusion and save you time. Remember that freelance translators or contractors are not part of your organization and need relevant information to deliver a quality translation.

The clearer your instructions, the more likely the translator will continue accepting jobs from you.  They will also feel like a part of your team and will be motivated to give you their best.

Be responsive

In communication, responsiveness is essential. Many issues can arise in a translation project: a term may need clarification, there may be parts missing, documents may not open correctly, and so on. Efficient translators like to work with companies that respond to their queries and address issues in a timely fashion. That email you are not answering might cause delays in your translation or in other projects of the translator.

Quality checks and revisions should be done by native speakers

There’s nothing more annoying for a translator than receiving corrections full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. If you have someone from your company review the delivered translation, make sure that the person proofreading it is both an expert in the subject matter and a native speaker of the target language (the translation language). It will be a waste of time for both you and the translator if the documents keep coming and going with bad corrections and the translator constantly explaining why the translation is correct.

Provide feedback

Feedback is a crucial part of the translation process. Honest reviews can provide a way to identify weaknesses and strengths which will, in return, make future projects run more smoothly. In addition, with your feedback and corrections, glossaries can be improved, and the translator can find the right tone for your message. If you’re looking for a long-term relationship with a translator, you shouldn’t keep your thoughts on the translation to yourself. That being said, feedback should be fair. If you only point out what’s wrong or provide harsh feedback, it might lead to negative results. The translator might think that they aren’t suitable for the job or lose confidence in what they’re doing. Moreover, in the case of translation agencies, if a project manager reads negative feedback, they may decide to hire another translator, making it a bad decision for your project.

Be patient and respect deadlines

Meeting deadlines is a cornerstone of a successful translator. Once your translation project scope has been analyzed properly, the translator will provide you with a quote with basic information, including the deadline. If you have a strict deadline, you must be crystal clear about the date and time you need the translation back. Be aware that while translators have to respect deadlines, so do you. If it’s 10.15 AM and the translation needs to be delivered by 11 AM, refrain from contacting the translator asking whether the translation is ready yet. Those 45 minutes could be crucial for the translator. They could be doing the final check of the translation or polishing the text before delivery. If you insist on asking “is it ready yet?”, you could be distracting them and cause mistakes.

Pay on time

Just like a traditional employee, freelance translators and contractors need to receive their money on schedule. Late payments will not only make translators unhappy but can also give you a bad reputation. If you’re having unexpected problems and need to delay a payment, be up-front about the reasons and communicate them to the translator. Most will understand, especially so if this isn’t something that happens frequently. The same as deadlines, payment terms should be agreed upon before beginning a project.

Hiring a freelance translator or contractor can be a win-win situation as you avoid overhead costs like insurance, sick time, paid vacations and a fixed monthly salary. When you find the best talent that aligns with your business needs, you should do your best to retain them. If you think of your translators as part of your team and provide clear information, consistent work and pay fair rates on time, you will be able to count on highly skilled translators who will help you make your business flourish.

Contact us for a free translation quote.

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HR Translation

The Importance of Translation in the Workplace

Posted On October 19, 2017By TranspanishIn Translation Buyers, Translations/  No Comments

With 37 million native Spanish speakers in the US, the importance of translation in the workplace is increasing. This is becoming a significant part of business for certain industries such as construction, where over a quarter of the workforce is Hispanic, with 10% being in managerial roles.

Neglecting translation can lead to a lack of morale, safety issues and potential legal proceedings.

Documents to translate into Spanish

When a business looks at translating material into Spanish there are certain key documents that should be at the top of the list.

Employee Handbook

When a new employee joins a company, an employee handbook is a valuable resource for them. It tells them about the company procedures and policies, and gives them a go-to reference for when they need information. By translating this into Spanish, you are ensuring Spanish-speaking members of staff have all the necessary information.

Safety Manuals and Signs around the Workplace

Safety has to be paramount in any workplace. If a large part of your staff speaks English as a second language, then translating safety manuals and signs will protect both them and you. From safety manuals for machinery to simple ‘mind the step’ signs, there are many aspects that should be considered.

Several years ago, there was a serious gas leak at Tyson Foods when a Spanish-speaking employee misunderstood a warning label on a container. This could have been avoided if the company had invested in translation.

OSHA and Healthcare Forms

Failing to translate forms used to record injury and illness can lead to mistakes being made. If an employee does not understand the form and completes it incorrectly, legal and ethical implications can arise. This can be costly for companies if it leads to compensation payouts. OSHA estimates that $1 billion is paid per week in workers’ compensation.

Tax Forms

Only having an English version of tax forms can put Spanish speakers at a serious disadvantage. Filling in tax forms inaccurately due to misunderstanding can lead to them receiving less pay than they are entitled to, but could also result in accusations of tax fraud.

All Company Communication

Any business that has a significant proportion of Hispanics should look to translate all company communication, such as emails, memos and flyers. This will not only ensure that each and every employee is up-to-date with the content of this communication, but it will also make all employees feel included and valued.

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Celebrating the Fourth Fastest-Growing Industry in the United States!

Posted On October 1, 2017By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers, Translations/  No Comments

September 30 was International Translation Day – the day for translators and the translation industry as a whole to stand up and be celebrated! Translators are not always been seen as they work in the background of many industries. Yet it is thanks to them that many other industries prosper due to the ability to maximize their reach to different areas of the globe.

The history of International Translation Day

Originally a day to celebrate St Jerome, also known as the patron saint of translation. He was the man who translated the bible in to Latin. This was the beginning of the bible being translated into 636 languages, with the New Testament alone now available in 1442 languages.

Since 1953, St Jerome Day has been celebrated worldwide in order to raise awareness of the importance of translation. In 1991, the International Federation of Translation officially deemed the September 30 to be International Translation Day.

The translation industry in figures

International Translation Day calls for a look at the figures of the translation industry, which has continued to grow in times when other industries have suffered.

Reports from the Centre of Next Generation Localisation have named the translation and localization industry as the fourth fastest-growing industry in the Untied States. The industries using the widest variety of languages are software products, medical devices, automotive and pharmaceuticals.

According to the CNBC, the last seven years have seen a 24% increase in the number of operating translation companies, as well as a significant 50% jump in the number of people employed in the industry.

Technology has not replaced the need for translation

Despite speculation that technology and the advent free online translation tools could damage the translation industry, it is in fact technology that has seen the industry boom.

As the Internet has become ever present in life and in business over the past two decades, globalization has develop the increased need for translation worldwide.

Research results from the Common Sense Advisory, a translation industry think-tank, showed that “a full 63% of global brands recently reached more customers by increasing the number of languages on their websites”. Without translation agencies, this extended reach would not have been possible.

The translation industry – a facilitator of international reach and growth. That’s something to celebrate!

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