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.
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Increased Demand for Translation In Spanish
Persons and businesses that can supply a good translation in Spanish are having high demand. In the US there is as well an growing need for Spanish interpreters, particularly in the medical field where the supply has not kept up with the demand. Here are some statistics which explain the reasons for this growing demand:
• Spanish is now the third most widely used language in the world
• Around 30 million people in the US currently speak Spanish.
• By the year 2005, the number of Spanish-speaking Latinos in the U.S. reached 40 million
• Most Hispanic immigrants want to learn English, but find it difficult to do so.
Make sure that each text your company creates in Spanish; whether it is a document, packaging label, item information, etc. has the proper translation in Spanish.