Dos and Don’ts for Translators

Translators, and especially those who work on a freelance basis, need to pay attention to simple but important musts that ensure them a positive professional image and a constant flow of clients (and money, of course). Being polite, punctual and delivering accurate translations are just the ABCs that every freelance translator should follow. Let’s dig a little bit deeper and explore some Dos and Don’ts that translators should be well aware of.

Check your emails

It’s incredible how many important translation jobs you may lose just because you only check your emails twice a day or because you fail to reply to requests or quotes quickly. Clients or translation agencies that have trusted you for previous jobs will only be willing to work with you again if you reply to their requests efficiently and promptly. Thus, if you want to be on the top of their good translators list, you should make sure you reply to all their emails efficiently and promptly. It is also a good idea to share with them your Skype user name or WhatsApp number or other messaging application info so that they can get through to you at any time.

Proofread your cover letter carefully

Many translation jobs require language professionals to send a cover letter and C.V in order to get the job. Translators are expected to have excellent writing skills, even if they are writing in their second language. Thus, it is of utmost importance to pay special attention to grammar, vocabulary and spelling mistakes and double check the piece of writing before pressing the Send key.

Follow instructions

You should always make sure that you follow the client’s or the project manager’s instructions carefully. Needless to say, if you have a doubt or there is something you are not sure about, you should always ask for clarification.

Stick to deadlines!

Deadlines are meant to be met and you are expected to do so. Thus, if you have a (big) problem and you won’t be able to deliver your translation on time, you should contact your client immediately and in advance so that he is aware of the delay and can make any necessary arrangements.

Get help from other translators

Being a translator does not mean that you are a walking dictionary. In other words, you are not expected to know the translation of every single term. If you are unsure of what the best translation for a word is, don’t be afraid to ask! There are many forums and sites where you can get help from other translators.

Read and check before delivery

Whether it takes you a couple of minutes or a couple of hours, it is really worth it. Make sure you read and check your translation before you send it to the client. Does it sound like a translation or does it sound natural? Does it reflect the source text message?

Don’t forget to use the spell checker

It is obvious but, still, many translators skip this crucial step. The spell checker is a great tool that can help you avoid typos and, of course, spelling mistakes.

Don’t get distracted

Trying to concentrate on what you are doing is the best way to avoid silly mistakes. This is especially true when you are working at home. You should avoid checking emails, social sites or text messages when doing a translation.

Faulty Project Management

Did you accept to do a translation job? Do not turn it down later unless you have a major problem. Doing so leaves a very bad image to your client and he might never contact you again. If you do need to turn it down, communicate it ASAP so that your client can assign it to someone else immediately. Remember you’ve made a commitment and you need to stick to it.

Are you the right candidate?

When applying for a job, read very carefully what they are looking for. If the agency or client is looking for a Trados user and you do not know what Trados is, just do not apply for that translation job. It is a waste of time for you and the prospective client and you won’t get the job anyway. This may sound silly, but applying for jobs you are not suitable for will only increase your rejection rate, affect your self-esteem and make you waste valuable time.

Avoid lying

Referring to Trados again as an example, if you do not know how a software works do not jump to conclusions or say something like “I do not use Trados, I do not work with machine translations”. You will definitely give the image that you do not have enough information on the translation industry and technology used. You are better off saying that you do not use that software. There’s nothing wrong with that and you are just letting your potential client know that he needs to send you translations that do not require that software.

Don’t stay with a doubt!

Don’t be afraid of asking questions to your client. If you are unsure of a word or acronym, ask your client what they refer to even if you think there is a mistake in the source text. Unless he has provided you with a lexicon to use or to have for reference, there’s nothing wrong in asking for clarification. Needless to say, you should always do your research first to find info on the term you are not sure about.

 

Upcoming Translation Events in August

August will definitely be an interesting and busy month for translators. Look at all the translation related events that will take place everywhere in the world this month!

translation-events-august-2013

1st-3rd

14th Annual Regional Conference: “Opening Doors to the World Through Language

Organized by the Nebraska Association for Translators and Interpreters, Omaha, USA

3rd

5th Annual Mini-Conference of the Australian Institute for Interpreters and Translators

Queensland Multicultural Centre, Australia

5th-8th

Translation Process Research

Copenhagen Business School CRITT, Copenhagen, Denmark

6th-9th

Computer-Assisted Translation Course

Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California, USA

7th

[Online] Networking Event for Poetry and Literature Translators

9th-10th

International Workshop on Speech and Gaze in Translation

Copenhagen Business School CRITT, Copenhagen, Denmark

13th

[Online] Networking Event for Cinema, Film and TV Industry Translators

14th-27th

CETRA 2013

Centre for Translation Studies, Leuven, Belgium

15th

[Webinar] Translating for the Pharmaceutical Industry: Resources and Strategies

By American Translators Association

21st

[Online] Networking Event for Advertising and Public Relations Translators

24th-25th

V Brazilian Conference of Proz Translators –Internationalization-

Recife, Brazil

27th

[Online] Networking Event for Computer and Hardware Translators

27th-29th

Conference on Translation, FIT Asian Translator’s Forum

Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

29th

[Online] Networking Event for Computer Software Translators

29th-31st

Translate in Quebec City

Conference for Premium Market EN>FR and FR>EN Translators, Quebec, Canada

“Wasap” and “Wasapear”: New Additions to the Spanish Language

Languages are living creatures. They are not static; they grow, change and adapt to the current times thus adopting new words that express their speakers’ reality and discarding others that are not useful any longer. Over the last years, most of the changes that languages have experienced are influenced or triggered by the massive use of technology, the Internet and social networks and the impact they have on our every day life.

Spanish is not different from any other language and is also in constant change. In fact, two new words have been recently added to it: “wasap” and “wasapear”, the noun that refers to the free message sent via mobile phone from the application WhatsApp and its derived verb to refer to the action of exchanging messages via WhatsApp.

According to Fundéu, it is also correct to write “guasap” and “guasapear” although it is more appropriate to use the “w” versions of the words in order to respect their commercial origin.

Thus, “wasap” and “wasapear” have been added to the Spanish dictionary together with “tuitear”, in reference to the action of sending messages via Twitter and “tuit” to speak about the message sent through Twitter.

When a Bad Translation Affects Legal Rights

Unless you are in the legal department, you study International Law or you are a fan of American police TV series, the Miranda Rights mean nothing to you. However, if you have ever watched any chapter of Law & Order or CSI Miami and you have seen the scene in which the bad guy is being arrested, you have probably noticed that the detective or police officer always informs the detainee about his right to remain silent and to consult a lawyer. Those are the Miranda Rights.

In previous posts we have already discussed the importance it has for accused people facing a trial who do not speak the country’s language to be able to understand what they are accused of, their rights, their punishment and what is going on in the courtroom. This issue has reached the press once again as a bad Miranda translation led to overturn the conviction of an Oregon man accused of trafficking marijuana and weapons.

According to the news, the man had his Miranda rights improperly translated into Spanish. According to court documents, the detective doing the translation was a native Spanish speaker but, as it has been mentioned before, being fluent in a language does not mean that you are a good translator.

As the detective was reciting the Miranda rights to the Oregon man, he flubbed the part of the warning that states the suspect is entitled to a court-appointed lawyer. He used the Spanish version of the word “free” that means “freedom of action” (“libre”) instead of “at no cost” (“gratis”).

The Court stated that, even though the accused man was read both the English and the Spanish versions of the Miranda rights, he was not informed which one prevailed. In addition, they mentioned that the mistake meant that it was not clear whether the Government would provide him with a lawyer if he wanted to consult with one and he had no money to do so.

How to Keep Up With a Foreign Language

If this article has caught your attention, there are great chances that you love learning new languages and that, in fact, you can speak and write in a couple of foreign languages quite fluently. But, unless you live in a multilingual city in which you need to be constantly putting your language skills to the test, it’s really easy to lose fluency and forget vocabulary or expressions.

It is true that traveling is an excellent way of keeping up with a foreign language but it can be an expensive hobby and, besides, you can’t spend your whole life jumping from one place to the other.

Fortunately, there are many interesting and funny ways that can help you maintain (or even improve) your foreign language skills.

Pen-palling:

You may think that writing letters is old fashioned or boring, but it is a wonderful way of meeting new friends and making sure you don’t forget how to write in a language that is not your mother tongue. Besides, finding a letter amongst piles of bills and unwanted advertisements in the mailbox is really nice. Many a time, you combine writing letters to sending emails or sharing things in Facebook and other social networks and, needless to say, you can find your friend for a lifetime!

Join a Conversation Group:

Look around for groups in your area in which people with similar interests gather together to share their experiences. They are usually organized by native speakers that work as coordinators and ensure everybody in the group participates. These groups can deal with different subjects although it is more frequent to find those related to politics, literature or traveling. You can also find groups in language websites or in boards at your language school.

Take Advantage of Tech Gadgets

If you love having your tech gadgets at hand at all times, you can definitely use that love to your advantage. All of them can be set to a language of your choice so that you can practice it while checking your emails, your social sites and so on.

International Sign-Up

This is a great way of keeping up with any language you don’t want to forget. There are many pages that send you regular emails or articles in a foreign language. You can learn new words or see how an expression is used in the real world.

Enjoy the Movies

If you are a movie-guy, you can take advantage of your passion and watch movies in their original language or set the subtitles to the language you want to keep up with. If you have the chance of attending a theater play in a language that is not your mother tongue, don’t miss it! It’s an excellent way of putting your listening comprehension skills to the test while enjoying a cultural event.

Dine Out!

If you like dining out, why don’t you try to improve your gourmet tastes while improving your language skills? Eating at a German, Swedish, Italian or Japanese restaurant will probably give you the chance of interacting with native speaking waiters and guests, reading foods you don’t eat often in the menu and so on.

Who is your Ideal Translation Client?

If you have been in the freelance translation business for a while, there are great chances that you have dealt with different clients. Some may have been easy to work with while others have probably made you seriously consider going back to your office work. Have you met your ideal translation client so far? And, what is even a more interesting question: Is there an ideal translation client?

image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You can ask these questions to any freelance translator and you will probably receive as many answers as professionals you include in your survey. However, there are some characteristics that all ideal translation clients probably share:

The translation client that every freelance translator probably wants to work with is the one that offers you translation jobs that are within your main areas of expertise or topics that are interesting reading about.

These ideal clients also have a deep understanding of what translating a text implies. They know that being bilingual is not enough; that it takes knowing the target language in depth, and that it is not done word by word. Ideal clients know that translating a text properly is a detailed work, that implies reading the original document in order to make sure it is well understood and then finding the right words to convey the exact message that the author intended. Thus, they are confident in the translator’s job and they trust that any change done in the wording or structure of a sentence is not a translator’s tantrum but something done for the sake of the translated document.

When ideal clients offer translators a project, they know that their translation is just one of many the translator is responsible for. Therefore, they don’t expect it to be ready in unrealistic times. Instead, they expect to receive a high-quality translation. They understand that, at times, unexpected delays may occur and they are flexible enough to give the freelance translator some more time to finish the job.

An ideal translation client understands that translators need to be well paid for their job and on time. They put a lot of effort in it and need to be compensated accordingly. The ideal client is convinced that this is the only way of ensuring the quality of the translated text and that the translator trains himself in any skill he considers important or necessary and updates the software and hardware he works with.

Every translator wants to work with a client who is so pleased with the translated document that he is happy to recommend the translator or even include his name on the translation, thus acknowledging his valuable contribution.

What about you?  What is your ideal translation client? Have you had the chance of working with a client that has made you embrace your profession strongly or more passionately?  What are those little gestures that you appreciate the most from a client?

The Meaning of the Lunfardo Word ‘Bacán’

Although not much in use these days, it may still be possible to hear people in their fifties or sixties using the word bacán in their conversations, especially when referring to somebody who seems to have a good economic position.  It was a very popular term during the sixties and seventies amongst the hippies.

Alegre Bacán – Tango

What does bacán mean?

According to some language experts, a bacán is somebody who sees himself or herself as having a lot of money. It is worth noticing that a bacán is not necessarily somebody wealthy but -in most occasions- somebody who seems to be wealthy. It was first used to refer to the rich people who held administrative positions in the British-owned trains. According to a version, these administrative people, since they didn’t do any physical effort, kept their hands at their backs (backhand, in English).

This term belongs to the Argentine lunfardo and it was used not only in Buenos Aires but also in all the River Plate area.

Throughout the years, different synonyms or quasi synonyms have appeared: “jailaife”, “shusheta”, “pituco”, “cajetilla”, “bienudo”, “concheto” or “cheto” just to mention a few of them.

The English version

Some language experts believe that the word bacán derives from the English word “backhand”, which referred to the wealthy people who, as it has already been said, had administrative positions in the British-owned trains.

The Italian Version

On the other hand, some language experts are convinced that the term bacán comes from the old Genoese Latin word baccan, which meant patron, captain of a ship, pater familia (head of a Roman family).

Baco, Bacanales and “bacán”

It is also worth mentioning that some linguists firmly believe that the etymological origin of the word bacán can be found in the word bacanal. Thus, “bacán” would be an abridged version of that word. Bacán would be the man who enjoys life fully, who spends money on good clothes, good wines and good food since the bacanales were, in the Ancient Greece and Rome, parties celebrated to pay homage to the God Baco that included plenty of good food and alcoholic beverages.

 

Should NYPD Officers Speak Spanish?

The NYPD seems to have some trouble with Spanish speaking people. Just a few days after nine Hispanic officers were issued memos for chatting in Spanish amongst themselves and violating the department’s unofficial English-only policy, their intolerance with Spanish speakers has made it to the press again.

image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Five Latina women in New York City filed a lawsuit last week against the New York Police Department, the City of New York, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for failing to provide Spanish interpreters during separate house calls over the past two years.

One of the complainants, who is a victim of domestic abuse, said that, despite the fact that she asked for someone who spoke Spanish when she called 911, only English-speaking police officers were sent to her house. She adds that, to make things worse, they arrested her instead of the attacker and ridiculed her just because she was not fluent in English.

The reaction of the NYPD so far is disappointing, to say the least. Even though Paul Browne, its chief spokesperson, dismissed the lawsuit alleging that the department has an efficient language service as well as the largest number of foreign-language officers in the country, who many a time act as translators or interpreters during house calls, the truth is that the force reprimands its officers for not speaking English during the working hours.

That double message is contradictory and confusing. The NYPD embraces foreign officials and encourages them to put their language knowledge to the service of troubled citizens but then fails to send them to help out in situations where they are really needed or files memos against those same cops for using their mother tongue during working hours.

It is perfectly understandable the need to ensure the use of English as the only spoken language in certain situations. For instance, when officers from different ethnic backgrounds are together, when they are discussing safety instructions or procedures or when they are looking into a case. However, in every other situation, officers should be allowed to use the language they are more comfortable with. The United States is a multicultural and multilingual country and its police force should reflect that fact.

What is the Oxford Comma?

The Oxford comma has been in the center of the debate amongst language experts for quite a long time. Is it useful? Is it necessary? Should we use it? Haven’t we got enough punctuation rules already? Can’t we just do without it? And to make things even a little bit more interesting, not everybody knows what the Oxford comma is and how it should be used.

Understanding the Oxford Comma

The Oxford comma is the comma that precedes the conjunction “and” or “or” before the final item in a list of three or more items. For instance:

“This poem is dedicated to Beth, Anna, and Rosemary.”

“This recipe takes: sugar, eggs, and flour.”

It is so called because it has traditionally been used by editors and printers at Oxford University Press although this convention is also followed by Harvard University Press. All throughout the United States, this mark is better known as the serial comma.

The Oxford comma helps to clarify the meaning intended of a sentence when it is placed before conjunctions in a series of words, especially when you are dealing with complicated lists. For instance, the use of the Oxford comma is advisable in this case:

“I would like to thank my parents, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey.” If you omit the comma before the “and” people may think that Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey are your parents!

Besides, it matches the natural speech pattern of pausing before the last item in a series and, therefore, makes a list easier to comprehend.

When Should It Be Used?

Most editors and publishers agree on the fact that the most important thing to remember regarding the usage of this quotation mark is that you should be consistent. In other words: if you start using it, always do. Consistency is the key.

 

Why you Should Invest in a Professional Spanish Translation

Is it really worth to invest in a professional Spanish translation? Wouldn’t it just be the same to ask your Mexican, Puerto Rican or Spanish friend to translate that document for you? As it has already been discussed in other posts, even though your friend may be perfectly fluent in his mother tongue, that does not make him naturally a translator. Let’s explore the reasons why investing in a professional Spanish translation is the way to go.

image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Communication

Whether you are trying to reach out to your Latino employees, your US Hispanic customers or the readers of a publication in Spain, communication is the key to build a good relationship and to make a good first impression. Your target audience will find it easier to trust in you and rely on you if you run the extra mile and communicate in their mother tongue and, needless to say, you will dramatically reduce the chances of misunderstandings.

2. Worldwide Spanish Language is Increasing

With 329 million native speakers, Spanish ranks as the world’s No.2 language in terms of how many people speak it as their first language. It is spoken in 44 countries, making it the fourth mostly geographically widely spoken language behind English, French and Arabic. It is also the fourth language spoken in the Internet.

3. Are you a Company with US Hispanic Employees?

If you are, then you should be well aware of the advantages of communicating in Spanish with your Hispanic employees. To begin with, it is a means of acknowledging their presence within your company and of letting them know that you care about them and respect the fact that their mother tongue is different from yours. Besides, it allows you to ensure that any important memo or piece of information is immediately understandable to them.

Needless to say, this is especially important when you are dealing with safety information or training courses in which your employees’ and your company’s safety is at stake.

Last but not least, communicating efficiently in Spanish with your Latino employees may allow you to establish stronger bonds, thus increasing their commitment to the company.

4. 52 Million Hispanics in the US

The United States has the largest Spanish-speaking community outside of Mexico. According to the last US census, the Hispanic population in the US is estimated at 52 million, which makes it the largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constitute 16.7% of the nation’s total population.  This impressive presence has its undeniable effect in the languages spoken in the US. Spanish is the second most used language in the country and it has more speakers than Chinese, German, Italian, French, Hawaiian and Native American languages combined. It is thought that 37 million people speak Spanish as their first or second language and that there are six million Spanish language students.

5. Global Presence

Translating to Spanish, as well as to other languages, is crucial in current times in which globalization leads business organizations to operate  worldwide. In fact, speaking your target audience’s language is an efficient way of successfully reaching prospect customers and making your products and services available to them.

6. Spanish-Speaking Internet Users

According to Internet World Stats, there were 182,379,200 Spanish-Speaking Internet users by December 2011. With this being said, if you have a corporate website, there are great chances that a Spanish web surfer will eventually stumble upon it. If your content is not professionally translated into Spanish, you may lose a valuable potential customer. Marketing experts agree on the fact that Hispanics in the US generally spend on average more time online than their Caucasian or Chinese fellows and that they are more likely to shop online. Thus, having your website translated into Spanish can definitely have a strong impact in your market share.

7. A Professional Translator Makes the Difference

If you are thinking of using a machine translation tool, think it twice. These tools -many of which can be found and used for free online- translate word by word, which makes it impossible to achieve the global meaning of a phrase or idea. That is to say, they translate the literal meaning of a word into another language, but fail to convey the subtleness and richness of a language, thus making the translated text sound unnatural, forced and rough. Languages are living creatures and only a professional translator is able to find the right words to convey the precise meaning the original author intended, making sure the whole idea is clear, understandable and precise.

8. Translations can be Affordable

Not always translations are as expensive as you may think. Some translation agencies are able to offer inexpensive rates and even translation discounts. Besides, there are always ways of lowering your translation costs.

9. Are you a Non-Profit Organization?

If you are a Nonprofit organization working for Hispanics or with Hispanics, translating your content to Spanish is of vital importance. It is the only way you can rest assured that your message will be conveyed clearly and efficiently to your target audience.

10. Are You A Health Care Provider in the US?

With an increasing Spanish-speaking population in the US, health care providers need to ensure that their hospital forms, pamphlets and documents are in Spanish. Being ill or having an ill relative in hospital is stressing, and having doctors or nurses speaking in a language patients do not master well or having to read documents in a language they are not well acquainted with only adds stress to the situation. If, as a health care provider, you make sure your staff offer translated versions of the diagnosis or treatments to Spanish-speaking patients, you are definitely helping them to cope better with their health condition.

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