Love it or hate it, the internet is increasingly becoming an essential tool in everyday life. This rings especially true in the field of translation.
While its level of accuracy causes a fair amount of controversy, without a shadow of a doubt, whether the translation is required by a travelling salesman, a language student, or just a pub quiz nut, the internet can be an incomparable source of information, let alone quick and highly accessible.
When it comes to businesses operating on an international basis and dealing with technically complex content, however, it may perhaps be wiser for them to consult the professionals.
With globalisation making communication simpler and more immediate, the ability of a company to understand and respond to clients with other native tongues is of the utmost importance; not only from the perspective of remaining competitive in the marketplace but also as a measure of respect, and to help keep a language alive. And language is a living thing, connected to our identity and our culture.
In essence, it is just good business sense to encourage organisations to, if not have an entire department dedicated to translation, then to outsource their work to a translation company. For instance, China is one of the world’s biggest producers, but what would be the use of a toy company providing instruction manuals in Mandarin or Cantonese if it intends to sell its toys abroad? Or a large organisation such as the United Nations solely having its charter and reports in English? No, that wouldn’t do at all!
Translation is indeed an art (and science) in demand, and part of a growing industry at that.
6 February 2011 07:12