Translation is more than just swapping words between languages; it’s a journey where each stage represents a different part of moving from the source language to the target language. After all, the Oxford English Dictionary states that the word translation can also be used to describe moving an object from one place to another.
The journey starts with deeply understanding the source text, much like studying a map before setting off. This involves grasping not just the words, but the cultural and contextual nuances that will guide the translation.
Next comes planning the translation strategy, deciding whether to stick closely to the original or adapt it more freely. This stage is like choosing the best route on a trip, ensuring the message travels well to the new language.
The translation process itself is where the text moves from one language to another. The translator carefully navigates linguistic and cultural differences to ensure the final product is fluent and accurate.
Challenges like untranslatable words or cultural references are the rough patches on the journey. Translators must creatively solve these issues, ensuring the translation remains true to the original while making sense in the target language.
The journey ends with reviewing and refining the translation, much like a traveller reflecting on their trip. This final step ensures the translation is polished and ready for its audience.
Just as experienced travellers make for better journeys, professional translators bring the expertise needed to navigate the complexities of translation, ensuring the final text is accurate and culturally appropriate.
In essence, translation is a complex journey requiring skill, planning, and adaptability to successfully convey a message across languages and cultures.
If you think translation might be the best next step in developing your website or business, contact us for a quote today!
For some, what translators learn at university is a bit of a mystery – here we hope to clear things up! When it comes to translation, many might assume that if you speak two languages, you’re qualified to translate between them. However, the reality is far more complex. Professional translators undergo rigorous training and studies at university. Here they learn not just the languages, but skills that ensure their translations are accurate, culturally appropriate, and effective. This training is what sets professional translators apart from those who may be bilingual but lack formal education in translation.
At university, translators begin with deep dives into the languages they will work with. This isn’t just about fluency in speaking and writing, but about understanding the subtleties and nuances of each language. They study a range of linguistic skills including grammar, syntax, and semantics in detail, allowing them to grasp the intricate differences in how meaning is constructed. This linguistic knowledge is crucial for producing translations that accurately capture the original text’s true meaning.
Language is deeply intertwined with culture, and professional translators learn this first-hand. Translators learn at university to study the cultural contexts of the languages they work with, understanding how history, society, and traditions influence language use. This cultural competence is crucial when translating texts that are intended for a specific audience, as it allows the translator to adapt the message in a way that resonates culturally, avoiding misunderstandings or offence.
Another key component of a translator’s university education is the acquisition of specialised knowledge in various fields. Many texts that require translation are technical, legal, medical, or scientific, each with its own jargon and conventions. Universities often offer modules or courses in these specialised areas, enabling translators to understand and accurately translate complex terminology. This specialised knowledge ensures that translations are not just linguistically accurate but are also correct within the context of the specific field.
Translators must also be skilled researchers. At university, they learn how to conduct thorough research to understand unfamiliar terms, concepts, or cultural references. They are trained to consult dictionaries, databases, and other resources to find the most accurate translations. This research ability is especially important in fields where language is constantly evolving, such as technology or medicine.
University courses in translation theory provide students with a framework for understanding the various approaches to translation. They learn about different translation strategies, such as literal versus idiomatic translation, and when to use each. Practical translation exercises complement this theoretical knowledge, allowing students to apply what they’ve learned in real-world scenarios. This combination of theory and practice helps translators make informed decisions about how to approach each translation task.
Professional translators are also trained in the ethical aspects of their work. They learn about the importance of confidentiality, especially when dealing with sensitive documents. They are also taught to avoid conflicts of interest and to ensure that their work is impartial and unbiased. These ethical considerations are vital in maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of the translation profession. For example, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting has an ethics guide that many professional translators refer to.
In today’s digital age, translators must be proficient in using technology. University courses often include training in computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, which help translators manage large projects, ensure consistency, and work more efficiently. They also learn about the limitations of machine translation and how to use it appropriately, often in combination with human expertise.
The comprehensive training that professional translators receive at university is what makes them the best choice for translation work. They bring not only their linguistic skills but also a deep understanding of cultural nuances, specialised knowledge, and the ability to conduct thorough research. Their grounding in translation theory, coupled with practical experience, allows them to approach each project with a well-rounded skill set that ensures the final translation is accurate, culturally appropriate, and of the highest quality.
In contrast, someone who is simply bilingual may lack the depth of knowledge required to handle complex or specialised texts effectively. Professional translators are trained to go beyond mere word-for-word translation, ensuring that the meaning, tone, and intent of the original text are fully conveyed in the target language. This level of expertise is particularly important in fields where precision is crucial, such as legal, medical, or technical translations.
In summary, while being bilingual is a great asset, it’s the comprehensive education and training that translators receive at university that truly equips them to deliver high-quality, professional translations. When accuracy and cultural sensitivity matter, turning to a professional translator is the best decision.
For all of your professional translation needs, contact us!
In this post we will be discussing the need for translation in an international market. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, it is becoming more and more necessary to have your business accessible in a variety of languages. Imagine going to browse a website only to find that you can’t find the information you need because it’s not in your language – it would be pretty frustrating!
If you want to send your business into the international sphere, you need to be able to appeal to an international audience, but there is no such thing as an international language. You can’t assume that your clients will understand English. Nor can you expect your customers to put all of the information they need into online translation software. Often it won’t be accurate and will create a barrier between you and your clientele.
In the sales process, you want to avoid creating obstacles between your customers and their products.
Once you’ve established your target market country, your best bet is to contact a translation or localisation agency to ask them to work with you to produce the most accurate and appropriate webpage in the target language.
This of course, costs money, so it is important to weigh up the risk vs. benefits of this investment. There are ways to mitigate the cost too: for example, common website features, like a page to check out a purchase, use similar, if not the same language. In some cases, this is a potential candidate for machine translation, which is often cheaper. Machine translation, however, won’t quite cover all situations.
Machine translation can’t take into account the context of the translations – see our post on this here. In addition, most machine translation software doesn’t account for regional language variants. For languages like Spanish where there are such a wide range of dialects across the globe, the language will need to be translated differently for each as different terminology is used.
To summarise, having your website and products translated into the target language can improve international connections and give your customers a better impression – after all, if the customers can see the effort you put into making the website easy for them to use, they are much more likely to have a better impression of your business.
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At Web-Translations we offer a comprehensive translation audit service, but what exactly does that entail? Let’s take a look at how our audits work and why they’re a valuable investment for you and your business.
A translation audit involves selecting various sections of a document or website and asking a native linguist to review them. This is done in order to ensure that your translations have both high quality and fluency. During this process, the translator provides detailed feedback on multiple aspects of your text, including fluency, word choice, grammatical accuracy, and overall coherence, ensuring your content meets the highest standards.
Ensuring that your customers feel acknowledged and catered for is absolutely essential. Errors in your website text can negatively affect customer perception. This in turn can make them feel that you’re not putting in the necessary effort. By accommodating foreign language customers, you can expand your business and make your existing customers feel truly appreciated.
The statistics back this up too. According to the CSA, 76% of customers prefer purchasing products with information in their own language. Furthermore, their research shows that 75% of respondents are more likely to buy from the same brand again if customer care is provided in their language. Clearly, catering to your customers’ language preferences can significantly enhance their experience and boost your business.
If your company has relied on Machine Translation in the past, investing in a translation audit can be incredibly beneficial. It’s a smart move to ensure your website meets the highest standards of accuracy and quality. With a thorough review by native linguists, you can identify and fix any issues, making sure your content truly resonates with your audience and reflects your brand’s professionalism.
Our audits can also help you check if your previous translations are up to scratch. Even if they were completed by a professional linguist! This can ensure that your translations are accurate and up to date – after all, translators are only human!
There are 3 main steps to a Translation Audit
1. Initial Review: Once you choose your audit plan, you’ll provide us with the specific pages you want reviewed—whether it’s top-level web pages or more detailed content. We then distribute these to our team of native linguists who assess the quality and accuracy of your texts.
2. Checks by Native Linguists: Our skilled native linguists thoroughly check your content, proving detailed analysis and insight into improvements they suggest. This ensures that every nuance and detail is spot on.
3. Feedback and Refinement:
If No Errors are Found: If everything is perfect and no changes are needed, great! Your text stays as it is, and you can be confident that it’s performing well.
If Changes are Required: If there are any issues, we’ll work with you to refine and correct your texts, making sure your publications are polished and effective.
Investing in a translation audit guarantees that your content is of the highest quality, significantly enhancing your credibility and strengthening your connection with your audience. By ensuring your texts are accurate, fluent, and culturally appropriate, you demonstrate a commitment to excellence that resonates with customers and sets your brand apart.
If you think a Translation Audit might be the best next step in developing your website, contact us for a quote today!
As you may have seen online, or on some of our other blog posts, people like to talk about how machine translation (MT) will never live up to human translation. But with the cost of human translation being so much higher, is it worth the investment?
One of the biggest reasons to choose human translators is that they can interpret context in translations far better than machines. But just how important is context in translation?
If you imagine that one day you turned on the television to watch a crime documentary. But then realised that it was written in the tone and style of Peppa Pig – suited for young children. You would probably be very confused (and probably also a little bit amused).
This is where MT often makes errors: it doesn’t know the context that the translated text will be used in. It simply sees the words, and connects them with the correlating, often dictionary, term in the new language.
Another good example of this comes from the German language. Das Haus is used to mean both home and house in German. But to an English speaker, these are not often interchangeable terms. A human translator would have the ability to read into the context clues in the text and decide which term to use based on the way that the writing was being used. After all, in English we wouldn’t say “I’m going house.”
Going back to Peppa Pig for a moment – did you know that the episodes even have to be localised between different English-speaking countries? Some episodes have been removed from Australian television after problems were noticed. In this case, season 4, episode 22, “Spider’s Web,” was removed from Australian TV for depicting spiders as harmless and friendly. This is the truth in the UK – in Australia? Not so much!
A translator adapts texts or programmes for their audience, using their insight and knowledge. You have to know your audience to produce a successful translation.
Often, Machine Translation can’t do this – you can’t tell it who will be looking at the end-product. A human, however, can translate with this in mind.
Machine Translation does have a time and a place. For example, in translating a company’s internal documents where the aim of the translation is to convey the gist of the message, rather than the nuances.
Choosing the best approach for your business needs ultimately comes down to what the purpose of the translation is and the budget available. Contact us for advice and answers to your translation request queries!
As we’ve talked about on other posts, having a native linguist translate your texts is crucial to an accurate and fluent end product. However, this need for a native speaker may extend further than you expected. Have you ever considered the complexity of colours in translation?
This is probably the rainbow as you know it: Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo and Violet. But not everyone across the globe divides the colour spectrum up in the same way!
For example, in Russian these two are considered to be distinct colours:
You might be thinking: of course they are! One’s light blue and one’s dark blue! But in the Russian language, they have entirely different names! “голубой” (goluboy) to describe light blue and “синий” (siniy) for dark blue. This might seem simple enough, but if you were given a colour spectrum like the one below, would you know where to draw the line?
In situations like this you need a native speaker who does know how to tackle such challenges! Colour naming language is something that will happen more naturally for someone that is raised in the corresponding language.
Some languages and cultures don’t have specific terms for what we would deem the ‘basic’ colours. Instead the language of the Himba people in Namibia focuses on the light and dark of colours, categorising them into four groups:
Zuzu: dark shades of blue, red, green and purples
Vapa: white, yellows
Buru: shades of green and blue
Dambu: other shades of red, green and brown.
This isn’t a one off either – the Hanunoo people of the Philippines also group their colours into entirely different categories. Their colour spectrum focuses on light vs. dark, dry vs. wet/fresh and strong vs. weak!
Beyond colour naming, colours often carry cultural significance. For example, in many Western cultures, the colour white is associated with purity, and by extension, weddings. Whereas in some Eastern cultures, such as in China, white symbolises mourning and death. The cultural significance of these colours is something that may be missed in a text translation by someone who doesn’t know that they can carry different meanings across the globe.
This is one example why a translator who knows the ins and outs of both the source and target language cultures is vital. A translator needs to know their audience to convey the message fully and accurately for them.
We’ve discussed the need for a native translator many times on our blog. Why not read this blog about the need for native linguists in translation?
The Booker Prize is a literary award scheme which started in 1969. Originally, the Prize was a way to highlight Commonwealth writers, but now spans literature from across the globe. The Booker Prize winner earns the winning author a sum of £50,000. Winning books, according to the Booker Website, will “not only speak to our current times, but also one that will endure and join the pantheon of great literature.”
The Shortlist was announced earlier this week and the winner will be announced on 21st May.
Now, let’s take a look at the nominees! (Synopses taken from the Booker Prize Website).
This book is by South Korean author, Hwang Sok-yong and translated by Sora Kim-Russell. According to the Booker website, Hwang Sok-yong is one of South Korea’s most revered authors and “was imprisoned for five years for travelling to North Korea to promote exchange between artists in the two Koreas.” He has been the recipient and nominee of several international book prizes.
An epic, multi-generational tale that threads together a century of Korean history. Centred on three generations of a family of rail workers and a laid-off factory employee staging a high-altitude sit-in, Mater 2-10 vividly depicts the lives of ordinary working Koreans, starting from the Japanese colonial era, continuing through Liberation, and right up to the twenty-first century.
From Salvador, Brazil, the author Itamar Vieira Junior’s book, translated by Johnny Lorenz, tells the tale of the lives of farmers from one of the poorest areas of Brazil. Vieira Juniro holds a doctorate in Ethnic and African Studies and has previously published a series of short stories.
Deep in Brazil’s neglected Bahia hinterland, two sisters find an ancient knife beneath their grandmother’s bed and, momentarily mystified by its power, decide to taste its metal. The shuddering violence that follows marks their lives and binds them together forever.
This Argentinian book is by Selva Almada, known as a powerful voice within Latin American and Argentinian literature. Annie McDermott translated this book from Spanish. Not a River is a powerful novel that poetically portrays the characters and their surroundings well. We’ll certainly be giving this book a read!
Three men go out fishing, returning to a favourite spot on a river in Argentina, despite their memories of a terrible accident there years earlier. As a long, sultry day passes, they drink and cook and talk and dance, and try to overcome the ghosts of their past. But they are outsiders, and this intimate, peculiar moment also puts them at odds with the inhabitants of this watery universe, both human and otherwise. The forest presses close, and violence seems inevitable, but can another tragedy be avoided?
We now head over to Germany, thanks to the well-known author Jenny Erpenbeck. She is the author of many successful books. This book in particular was translated by Michael Hoffman. Kairos is a love-story that pulls between pain and pleasure! This sounds like a real page turner!
Berlin. 11 July 1986. They meet by chance on a bus. She is a young student, he is older and married. Theirs is an intense and sudden attraction, fuelled by a shared passion for music and art, and heightened by the secrecy they must maintain. But when she strays for a single night he cannot forgive her and a dangerous crack forms between them, opening up a space for cruelty, punishment and the exertion of power. An intimate and devastating story of the path of two lovers through the ruins of a relationship, set against the backdrop of a seismic period in European history.
By Dutch author Jente Posthuma, and translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey, What I’d Rather Not Think About tells the story of a pair of twins intertwined in an emotional struggle. This is not her first successful novel. Her 2016 debut novel received critical acclaim and three literary prize nominations.
What if one half of a pair of twins no longer wants to live? What if the other can’t live without them? This question lies at the heart of Jente Posthuma’s deceptively simple What I’d Rather Not Think About. The narrator is a twin whose brother has recently taken his own life. She looks back on their childhood, and tells of their adult lives: how her brother tried to find happiness, but lost himself in various men and the Bhagwan movement, though never completely.
The next book on the Longlist is The Details by la Genberg. This Swedish book, translated by Kira Josefsson, is the author’s first book to be translated into English. The book is relatively short at 150 pages but has been described as like reading ‘a fever dream’. From the synopsis alone, this is certainly going onto our to read list!
A famous broadcaster writes a forgotten love letter; a friend abruptly disappears; a lover leaves something unexpected behind; a traumatised woman is consumed by her own anxiety. In the throes of a high fever, a woman lies bedridden.
Suddenly, she is struck with an urge to revisit a particular novel from her past. Inside the book is an inscription: a message from an ex-girlfriend. Pages from her past begin to flip, full of things she cannot forget and people who cannot be forgotten. Johanna, that same ex-girlfriend, now a famous TV host. Niki, the friend who disappeared all those years ago. Alejandro, who appears like a storm in precisely the right moment. And Birgitte, whose elusive qualities shield a painful secret. Who is the real subject of a portrait, the person being painted or the one holding the brush?
Simpatía – by Rodrigo Blanco Calderón and translated by Noel Hernández González and Daniel Hahn
White Nights – by Urszula Honek and translated by Kate Webster
The House on Via Gemito – by Domenico Starnone and translated by Oonagh Stransky
Lost On Me – by Veronica Raimo and translated by Leah Janeczko
A Dictator Calls – by Ismail Kadare and translated by John Hodgson
The Silver Bone – by Andrey Kurkov and translated by Boris Dralyuk
Undiscovered – by Gabriela Wiener and translated by Julia Sanches
Here at Web-Translations, we would like to congratulate all long- and shortlisted nominees and wish the authors luck in the final stage of the awards!
We’d love to hear which of the nominees have caught your eye! Let us know your favourite picks on Twitter and LinkedIn! Don’t forget to check out some of our other literature in translation blog posts as well!
Stress is something that all of us experience. Sometimes it can be caused by a major change at work or an ill relative. Other times it can just stem from something as simple as a cluttered house or noisy neighbours! However, learning to live with and manage stress is not so simple. It’s an ever-changing learning curve, but here are some useful tips and practices to help make things that little bit easier!
It’s very easy for stress to take over everything. Often being caused by anxiety, it won’t magically disappear, but it can be managed. The first step to making sense of stress is understanding what it is, and what is causing it at that time. Being able to rationalise it will help massively. This can help you learn to make sense of it. X is causing you stress, so you can do Y and Z to reduce your stress levels. With this in mind, it’s still important to allow yourself to feel. It will allow you to get it out of your system, and it’s much better than bottling it up.
Confiding in someone you trust will also help you manage your stress. An outside perspective can help you make sense of things, and you’ll often feel a weight lifted off your mind afterwards. Since the cost of living crisis, it’s much more acceptable to discuss financial worries than before. I’ve found talking to someone about it to be really helpful in managing financial stress. Even though it won’t magically fix everything, a second perspective can help you make sense of things.
Creating a sense of structure can be really helpful in isolating and containing the stresses of the day. Small morning and evening routines act as book-ends which stop stress carrying over to the next day. Keeping the day’s stress contained makes it easier to manage, and prevents it from snowballing and overwhelming you.
Having a routine on both sides of your day will help you think of them as reset buttons. For example, making a coffee in the morning to start, and having a cup of tea and a snack when you finish for the day to end the shift. Personally, I find this close down routine really helps me deal with stress, especially if my workspace is messy.
Doing a close and reset as part of a routine is great for peace of mind. You’ll also have less worry about the next day, so you can to start with a clean slate.
If you work from home, having your break completely detached from your workspace is incredibly helpful in cementing the bookend idea to your routine. Leaving your desk or office for the full duration of your break allows you to properly relax. Before coming back, making yourself a drink can help get you back into work mode as well.
Hobbies are a great example of distractions you can find to take your mind off things, especially if you’ve had a stressful day. A tried and tested method is reading. It’s a fantastic way of helping you relax, and it gives you something to focus on, so you can put the stresses of the day out of your mind. Using hobbies to treat yourself is another good practice. You can do something you enjoy, and in a way, it’s a reward to yourself for getting through the day.
I find painting models a fantastic stress relief. I started after a friend recommended it. This allows me to be more mindful by focusing entirely on my painting. Granted, it can be fiddly, but the rewarding feeling once I’ve finished is more than worth it!
Going outside for exercise, or even just to be in nature is proven to help relieve stress. Even for just 15 minutes a day, this can really help improve mental health. It is, unfortunately, weather-dependant, particularly in the UK, but being able to leave the house and just be in nature really can be revolutionary.
If a friend or family member’s situation is worrying you, you can meet up with them and go for a walk in a local park. Seeing them will put your mind at ease. You can both help each other, and you’ll both be able to enjoy the benefits of being outside. Also pairing it with a task that requires you to leave the house is also helpful to tick something off your list. If I have to return a parcel, I’ll often go on my lunch break, as the fresh air and exercise are great for breaking up the day and resetting myself for the afternoon.
It’s important to remember that when it comes to stress, don’t keep trying to push through it. If help is available to you, make the most of it!
You shouldn’t be scared or worried about asking someone for help – they will almost always say yes. You will realise that you’re not alone, and it will help you feel less overwhelmed. It will feel scary at the time, but you’ll soon find out that you it’s not as bad as you thought.
Living with stress isn’t easy. Some days are much harder than others, but it isn’t the end of the world even if it feels that way. Friends, family, and even your employer can offer advice and resources to help when things are getting too much. Just remember that help is there for you, so don’t be afraid to ask for it.
What helped you learn to live with stress? We’d love to hear if you have any tips! Get in touch with us on our Twitter or LinkedIn pages and let us know! You can also check out our previous mental health blogs here!
It’s a bit of an unusual celebration as the reason for it is actually unknown. Some say it was originally to celebrate Renewal Festivals, dating back to Roman times. The festivals would celebrate the start of a new year, which could be due to the start of nature beginning to grow again. Others believe that the tradition started in 1582 when France started to use the Gregorian calendar rather than the Julian one. This meant that the New Year was celebrated on 1st January, rather than 1st April. It is said that many people didn’t hear about the change and continued to celebrate the New Year in April and they were consequently subject to hoaxes and jokes.
Despite not knowing the reason for celebrating and its origins, this day is often a day of funny practical jokes. In this blog, we’re going to have a look at how countries around the world celebrate this day!
The tradition in Scotland is actually a 2-day event. 1st April is known as Hunt the Gowk Day, where gowk translates to cuckoo. The prank is, in a way, a wild goose chase. People would prank others by sending them on pointless tasks. For example, they may be asked to deliver a letter asking someone for their help. The recipient would say they would if the messenger asks someone else first. This continues until the Gowk realises that they are being pranked. The next day is known as Tailie Day. This is because one of the main jokes is pinning a sign on someone’s back saying kick me.
The day is called Le Poisson d’Avril in France, translating to April Fish. People eat fish-shaped chocolate and also tape fish-shaped paper to their friends’ backs. They will then shout Possion d’avril. This day started out particularly fishy as pranksters in the 15th century would stick real fish to the back of victims without them knowing.
Första April is also full of various pranks, but instead of shouting April Fools, they would shout “April, April, din dumma sill, jag kan lura dig vart jag vill!” which means “April, April, you stupid herring, I can trick you wherever I want!”
It’s also said that April Fools Day may have actually originated in Germany. In the 1860’s, a man named Gabriel Hoffman decided to play a prank on lawmakers. On 1st April, he arranged a meeting, which turned out to be a rouse. The prank was a success and the Germans adopted the tradition. However, it’s bad luck to play any pranks after 12pm.
April Fools Day in Portugal is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before lent. Be wary if you find yourself here at this time, as it’s a tradition to throw flour over unsuspecting victims.
April Fools Day in the US usually involves news outlets and large companies being quite creative with their marketing. Most often create rather elaborate news stories. Some of them are actually quite believable.
In Poland the day is also celebrated by playing a variety of jokes and pranks. It’s known as Prima Aprillis and there is a popular Polish rhyme which says: “Prima Aprilis – uważaj, bo się pomylisz!” – which means, “April Fools’ Day, be careful, you can be wrong.”
April Fools Day is celebrated in some weird and wonderful ways around the world. This type of cultural event is important to know about when translating content, especially since different countries celebrate it in different ways.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the various types of April Fools celebrations. If you’d like to read about other international celebrations, why not take a read of our Summer Solstice Festivities blog? What’s your favourite April Fools prank? Let us know via our Twitter or LinkedIn page.
Hi everyone!
I’m Alexia and I am thrilled to be joining the Web-Translations Team as a Translation Projects Apprentice.
I have always been a bit of a languages nerd! My love for language learning was fostered at secondary school where I studied both French and German until A-Level.
At Newcastle University, I studied translation from undergraduate, through to master’s. I am proud to say that I earned a distinction in MA Professional Translation with French and Chinese. Throughout my studies, I got the opportunity to work on subjects ranging from French-Caribbean Literature to CAT tools and Localisation.
Whilst a lot of my time as a student was spent in Newcastle, I did get to spend some time abroad in China. Even though my time abroad was cut short by the pandemic, this is a time that I look back on very fondly. Living abroad gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the globe whilst honing my language and intercultural skills. Overall, my favourite example is probably from when I spent Christmas abroad. Despite many negotiations, we couldn’t decide what to do for Christmas dinner because there was such a wide range of traditions. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that everyone liked pizza and thus, a Christmas pizza party we had!
My MA was where I really found my passion for the translation industry. Through my degree I learned some of the inner workings of the translation sphere. The idea of being able to bridge between languages and cultures to connect people is something that excites me!
Besides work, I love being outdoors and being active. I spend a lot of time running with friends! I also have a hamster called Maggie!
At Web-Translations, I’m looking forward to connecting with linguists from all around the world, and learning the skills needed to be a successful Translation Project Manager!
Interested in learning more about our team members? Read more Meet the Team blogs here!
International Women’s Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. This year’s campaign theme is to Inspire Inclusion. To find out more about International Women’s Day and the 2024 campaign, take a look at there website here. This year, we wanted to find out more from our linguists about how their journey in the translation industry started.
We have asked several of our female translators the below three questions:
In this blog, we’ll share their responses to the final question, but if you want to read their responses to the first 2, you can read this blog here. It’s been lovely to see how the range of women all have their own successes and we think their advice is inspirational.
Thank you to all of the linguists that have contributed to our International Women’s Day blogs!
My advice to younger girls and women is to spend as much time as you can in the countries where your working languages are spoken. It will really push your language skills to the next level and help you along the way.
Secondly, work on your confidence! I think that women and girls are still conditioned to make themselves “smaller” than they really are. Stand proud, be your own most severe critic, but also your best friend. Always try to learn from your mistakes and don’t forget to pat yourself on the back when you’ve done a good job.
Most importantly, never, EVER overestimate the competition!
For aspiring young women considering a career in translation, I impart the wisdom gleaned from my own experience: cultivate a voracious appetite for literature and linguistic exploration. Reading in both native and source languages does not just hone language skill, but also gives a deeper appreciation for the nuances of cultural expression – a quintessential asset for translating.
As for life in general, I’m an advocate for the transformative power of travel. Venturing beyond the confines of familiarity not only broadens horizons, but also fosters empathy, understanding, and a thirst for knowledge. This is an invaluable investment in personal growth and enlightenment.
One of my favourite Turkish idioms is ‘to have a golden bracelet on the arm’. This means ‘to have a skill or an occupation that would allow one to live her life without being financially dependent on others’. Why a golden bracelet? Because in Turkish culture, a golden bracelet is a traditional present given to a bride by family members and relatives. The golden bracelets collected on her wedding day can be later easily converted into cash. These are a woman’s security in her new life and for the future.
My native language, the language I learned at school and the ones I learned for pleasure are all my golden bracelets which have allowed me to create a rewarding professional life as a translator and an instructor.
Also, no matter how interrelated or irrelevant the accumulated skills collected (deliberately or not) are, they can be combined to build a purposeful and prosperous career aligned with your interests, passions and personality. To make a long story short, believe in the liberating power of golden bracelets and start collecting as many of them as possible.
Personally, I’m always asking myself, “Do I really understand what I’m going to say, write and type? Do I really know what I have said, written and typed?”
My one piece of advice to younger girls and women ties in to what I consider my biggest success as a freelancer so far – don’t give up in the face of criticism and mistakes, and remember that starting a business is a massive venture and learning process. You will (likely) make mistakes, but no freelancer that has reached success hasn’t – it’s all about learning from them and navigating the challenges that arise. Have confidence in your abilities, and if you discover gaps in them, work to improve them rather than giving up.
Be flexible, adaptable and keep learning: you will always come across unexpected barriers in life and work, and the worst thing you can do is create barriers for yourself.
Work, work and work 🙂
And also, it is easy to think that what is important in this job is the source language… of course it is. But to me, what needs to be constantly improved is the target language. In my case, I’ve really improved the way I speak and write French since becoming a translator.
We hope you’ve loved finding about some of our female linguists and their successes in honour of International Women’s Day. If you have any questions for our linguists or some of your own advice, please just get in touch with us here.
8th March is International Women’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. This year’s campaign theme is to Inspire Inclusion. To find out more about International Women’s Day and the 2024 campaign take a look at there website here.
We have asked several of our female translators three questions:
In this blog we’ll share their responses to their first 2 questions, so stay tuned for their advice in our next blog. It’s been lovely to see how the range of women all have their own successes and their different journeys into the translation industry.
I enjoyed languages in school and didn’t want to become a schoolteacher, so translation/interpreting seemed a good career choice at the time. I studied German, English and Italian at Vienna University and graduated in 1998. Men were the exception rather than the rule, the courses were pretty much all-female. Many things have changed since then, but, men are still a rarity in the translation and interpreting classes that I teach at Innsbruck University today. Languages, I believe, are still seen as “female” subjects. However, I have noted that the men who DO end up on language degree courses are often quite technologically minded, which I put down to the rise of AI etc in the language industry. Maybe this development will end up attracting an additional target group, which might be a good thing.
My biggest success, is the fact that I have been making a living out of freelance translation and interpreting for almost a quarter of century. I love our line of work! The fact that it is so varied and that you never know what will come along next. Freelancing keeps you on your toes! You have to constantly adapt and learn new skills – including how to use CAT tools to subtitling programmes. I am hardly ever bored by my work, which is a great success indeed. Also, there are many advantages to working in an industry that is dominated by women, especially once you have a family. Other women tend to be more supportive in difficult situations. For instance when you have a sick child at home but are booked for an interpreting assignment.
I have long harboured a passion for language and communication, which initially sparked aspirations toward careers in writing or journalism. However, it was upon relocating to the United States that I found myself immersed in the multilingual environment of a company. This is where I had the fortune of befriending individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds. One such friend, who happened to work intermittently for a local translation firm, made me curious. I soon after started my journey as a full-time freelance translator, now 24 years in, I am happy I started that journey.
Without a doubt, my most cherished achievement in life transcends any professional or personal milestone. It is the privilege of witnessing the growth and development of my daughter into an exceptional young woman.
I have been actively working as a full-time freelance translator and a private tutor of English, Italian and Turkish since 1996. In fact, my experience as a translator goes back to the years when I worked for IBM Turkey in different positions and even to my university years. After discovering that I was putting my heart and soul more into translating and tutoring others than my then current job, I decided to work as a freelancer. I offered my language skills to companies and individuals as both a translator and an instructor. I can say with confidence that this was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. It is very satisfactory and perfectly fits my personality.
The definition of success depends on one’s expectations from life. For me, even the smallest achievement towards my dreams is success. I have always been wary of having big expectations and objectives. My dreams are generally realizable and they never revolve around materialistic values. One dream, however, always seemed unrealizable to me: writing a book. I ignored the urge to write professionally for so many years, but finally in 2018 I prepared a spiral bound Italian language book to use for my lectures. The book got more appreciation than I had expected. So I decided to transfer the content of this book to a blog where I would also post some articles.
However, one month in, the pandemic started. During lockdown, though often stressed and depressed, I had an incredible inspiration to write and very soon the blog became a therapy room for me. I wrote one long article almost every day and on some days I published even two. My mother, who had an unrealized dream of becoming a writer, wished that these articles be compiled in a book and not eventually get lost in the virtual world. I knew this would not have been easy under the circumstances of that period, but I would have done anything to cheer her (and myself) up. This is because in 2019 we lost my younger sister.
I worked very hard and compiled a book of more than 400 pages and got it published. When my published books arrived, I gave my mother one saying that the book of a new author had come out. I will never forget the expression on her face when she hugged me and expressed her hope that with this book good days would start again. At that moment, she did not even know that I had dedicated this book to my beloved sister. I now feel vey happy to know that my book, or rather my sister’s name, is in numerous book cases in Turkey and abroad. I believe that my book, through which I touched the hearts of so many people, has been my biggest success so far.
The very first time I started doing translation work was in my second year at university. I didn’t think much about it at the time and just went with what came to my mind after a bit of research. Besides taking on projects from a media and communications company, I also worked as an intern in a team preparing for World Design Weeks. This involved mainly editing/writing about art and exhibitions as well as translating.
It was during my first full-time job that I realized I just wanted to use language consciously, especially when it came to work. I thought it would be great if the work I would deliver was simply a product of language, so I started to work as a freelance linguist.
Constantly taking dreamy breath.
I have been in the translation industry for five and a half years at this point. I decided to get into translation as a result of my interest in (effective) communication. For the first four and a half years, I worked as an in-house translator for a retail company. I then left that role to focus exclusively on my freelance career. The flexibility and freedom of freelancing really appealed to me.
Entering into freelance, I was aware that it would come with a unique set of challenges. This includes striking a balance in regard to how much work to take on as well as navigating the worries when not enough work comes in. But also learning to decline projects that I’m not qualified for, even when I could use the money. My biggest success so far is that I have learned from the mistakes I have made. I also take constructive criticism into account, rather than feeling defeated and giving up. This can be challenging at times however.
I was born and grew up in the North-East of Italy, just 12 km away from the border with Slovenia and 90 km from the border with Austria. Foreign trade and relationships were common occurrence, even with Eastern European countries back in the days of the Iron Curtain. So I realised I wanted to work with languages quite early on. My attraction towards other countries and cultures was also stirred by the postcards we received from a family friend.
I studied German and English at school, then Russian and English at university. During my university years, I started dipping my toes in and falling in love with technical translations. I also did some temp work for local companies, which led to a 6-month contract as interpreter & translator after graduation. It was based in a remote location in Siberia. The rest of my career has been a mixture of employed roles in different industries, and “pure” translation as self-employed, mostly in the UK after my move here in 1998. There is no doubt that my experience within corporate environments has made me a better translator, with a hands-on knowledge in a variety of fields.
Many colleagues in the translation industry struggled during the Covid years; many more are now venting on social media about work dwindling significantly due to MT/AI. So far for me (fingers crossed!), business has remained stable, thanks to several, lovely clients who keep contacting me for their translation projects. I used to get stressed if my emails would go quiet for a few days, now I’ve learnt to embrace the peace and fill my time in lots of other ways. In preparation for the busier days that inevitably follow. Should this change in the future, I’ll find a way to use my skills for something else!
After three years in the US, I came back to France and decided to be a teacher… But soon, I realized that was not for me. I then thought about another way to use English and translation was the best choice! It’s been 17 years now and I’ve never regretted it for a second 🙂
I don’t know if I have had any big success. I am just doing my job the best I can every day, and getting some positive feedback from the client is very rewarding.
We hope you’ve loved finding about some of our female linguists and their successes in honour of International Women’s Day. Keep your eye out for the blog with their advice which is coming soon, and they have some great tips. In the meantime, if you have any questions for our linguists, please just get in touch with us here.
To celebrate International Mother Language Day, we’re looking at why native linguists are so important to use in translations, and why they’re absolutely vital to us.
Here at Web-Translations, we pride ourselves on using qualified professional linguists for every piece of translation that we do. Our linguists are important for not only producing high-quality translations, but also for reviewing them.
When learning a language, it’s not just the grammar and vocabulary that you need to learn. It’s also the various other nuances that you need to adapt to. These include cultural differences. These aspects also apply when translating content too!
This means that if a non-native linguist was used to translate, they would need to carry out extensive research to ensure all of the nuances were translated into the target language effectively. However, to a native linguist these factors will come to them naturally. For example, if someone approaches you on a train, and makes you feel uncomfortable, you may ask ‘can I help you?‘. If you used the more formal form of ‘you’, Sie in German for example, this would indicate to others that this person is a stranger. This would be instinctive for native speakers, but for learners, it might be less obvious.
Going the extra mile to show your target audience that you care is key to increasing sales for your business. For example, if a company is looking to translate content for an area with more than one main language, a linguist would be able to identify any issues or benefits that come with each language. A firm hoping to establish a presence in Barcelona, for instance, must consider not only their Spanish-speaking audience, but also their potential Catalan-speaking audience. Working with a native Catalan speaker would provide essential insights into this target audience. This would also ensure that the company’s products or services are available to even more people than if it were just available in Castilian Spanish. This would help you to form a stronger relationship with your target audience in Barcelona, as it proves that you care about them and have taken the time to research and would consequently convert more sales.
At Web-Translations, we go the extra mile for our clients. As standard, we have all of our translations reviewed by a second native linguist. This is to ensure the highest quality translation is provided. Our native proofreaders check every element of a translation and identify any elements that need adjusting or if there is an alternative translation. After all, we’re all human, so mistakes can happen from time to time. But with our two professional native linguists, these mistakes can be avoided.
Native linguists are also incredibly important when it comes to localisation. Knowledge of the target country’s culture allows you to maintain an excellent reputation for the business. This is where native linguists are experts.
Their knowledge is priceless when localising content, especially for marketing or advertising purposes. It can help advertisers reach a wider audience and avoid any potentially offensive mistakes that could easily derail a whole campaign. When car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz launched in China, they translated their name as Bensi. This name actually means “rush to die”, and once Mercedes realised this, they had to rush to restore their reputation after this blunder. The brand soon changed to “Ben Chi”, meaning “dashing speed”.
Native linguists are the best way to guarantee accuracy, quality and performance in translation. That is something that machine translation can’t quite master. Our linguists are invaluable to creating high-quality professional translation. We quite simply couldn’t do our job without them. The extra level of expertise that they bring is not only invaluable to us, but will be invaluable to you too. Their natural knowledge will help elevate your translated content beyond your competitors, as is their ability to ensure your content is free from potentially damaging translation errors and is carefully crafted with important cultural nuances in mind.
Are you interested in learning more about the importance of professional native linguists in website localisation? Check out our Localisation Advice page here! Don’t forget to check out our Twitter and LinkedIn pages for more industry insight as well!
Before the Christmas break, we were able to attend RWS’ Trados Update webinar. We were treated to a sneak peak of what’s coming to Trados Studio in the Service Release 2 (SR2). Here are some of the new features we’re most excited about!
Making bold steps on the AI front, Smart Help is coming to Trados in the form of Trados Co-pilot. The new virtual assistant will become smarter with each new feature release. Using RWS’ own Large Language Model (LLM), users can ask live questions to help make navigation through Trados easier.
Users can ask a question like “What is a conditional cost on a pricing model?”. Then, Trados Co-pilot will give a detailed answer, including extra links to related topics or information on the RWS site. The Co-pilot is even available in other languages! We saw examples of these in French and Spanish. However, since the examples were in Beta at the time of the webinar, the article links that Co-pilot provided were only to the English versions. This is something which will be addressed soon.
Trados Enterprise users will have early access to the new Smart Review feature. This is an AI review companion for the desktop version of Trados Studio, which will come to Trados’ online editor in Q1 of 2024, with potential to subsequently expand. It can “evaluate” segments, reviewing them and giving each one a score out of 100. It can even determine if the source segment’s meaning is preserved, if parts are missing or there are any mistakes.
With the new SR2 update come more options for users to utilise a wider range of LLMs, now including MTrans for Trados, OpenAI Translator, Rystudio GPT Translation Co-pilot and more! With RWS’ OpenAI Translator App, users get secure LLM access through Azure OpenAI, and the new “temperature” setting. This allows users to set the AI tool to be more deterministic, giving the same answers consistently, or alternatively more flexible. These “higher” temperatures would be useful for transcreation tasks.
Users can also prompt the AI engine to move away from gender-biased language and then provide neutral alternatives. The user can use their judgement to determine the best answer in that instance to help with inclusive translations.
These are the new updates that we’re most excited about. But there are a whole suite of additional improvements coming to Trados Studio in SR2. From accessibility improvements, to being able to augment NMT output with approved terms, to improved memory allocation. Even Dark Mode is coming to Trados!
What are you most looking forward to in Trados’ latest update? Get in touch with us on Twitter or LinkedIn to let us know your thoughts!
In the last few years, the popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT has exploded. Naturally, with any innovation comes the question of how it can be used in different industries. Translation and AI are becoming ever closer, but where could this lead?
The translation industry already has a love-hate relationship with technology as it is. CAT Tools are the backbone of the industry nowadays, and yet Machine Translation (NMT or SMT) remains incredibly divisive. Granted, it does provide opportunities for skilled linguists to drastically improve MT output through Post-Editing which is a very valuable skill. But a translator who uses MT and passes it off as their own is sometimes considered persona non grata – and usually are found out by the CAT Tools they use. Compared to using professional linguists, MT is much less reliable especially for complex texts. At best, the output will be less than ideal, whereas professional linguists can ensure the best possible translations every time.
Innovative technology is becoming ever-present in the industry these days. With software like Google Translate’s camera function, millions of people have access to instant translations within seconds. Waverley Labs currently have a real-time translation app and earpiece on the market. These will help break down, or at least chip away at language barriers for the average consumer… Providing they become affordable for everyone.
For the average tourist or traveller, these tools can help avoid any confusion or misunderstandings while abroad, but they simply aren’t viable in a professional setting like marketing. There are so many things to consider in marketing translation than just the act of translating itself. Linguists need cultural awareness so as to avoid creating translations that could be seen as offensive to the target audience; they need to be aware of any localisations. For example, advertising in European Spanish might not work as well in Mexico compared to Mexican Spanish.
AI being on the rise, while intriguing, is something to be wary of. Granted, software like ChatGPT could generate content at unbelievable speeds. But there is no guarantee of quality, which is essential. Even though professional linguists can’t produce translations at the same speed, in this industry quality is much more valuable than quantity, or even speed for that matter.
That being said, translators today do have technology to assist them which is worth its weight in gold. Translation Memories (TMs) are wonderful tools, helping linguists to create high-quality and consistent translations at quicker speeds. The key factor here is that the TM’s content is created by the linguists, so there is a high quality input which ensures equally high quality output when the TM is used.
Despite the infinite possibilities of AI in translation, one can’t understate the potential negatives.
For one, if a company needs sensitive documentation translated, and the AI engine’s security is sub-optimal, someone could easily uncover the sensitive data, including a client’s personal information. Given how many translations contain this kind of information, this could prove a sizeable threat to data security.
Human translators can safely ensure any linguistic nuances like idioms, jokes and colloquialisms are correctly translated. There are plenty of articles online discussing translation errors that have been churned out by Google Translate, and the use of AI in the industry could well invoke some déjà vu as its output misses the nuances and context from a source text. Perhaps a tired take, but it’s definitely true to argue that human translators are indispensable, especially for creative texts.
Thanks to AI software’s constant adaptation and innovation, the technology is always the worst it will ever be. In other words, it will always keep improving and correcting its flaws. Any drawbacks that are found now are probably being worked on and corrected for the next version of the software. It could also make the industry over-reliant should it gain a substantial foothold. If it were to become common practice to use an AI tool for translation, necessary server maintenance from the designers or a simple internet outage could take it out of commission for who knows how long. This could drastically delay the progression of projects, causing no end of problems across the whole process. Project managers would be denied access to files. As such clients and end clients would have to wait longer for deliveries or updates.
Human linguists are, and for a long time will be the safest way to guarantee a consistent, high quality translation. The potential litany of disadvantages that AI translation presents are not worth the risks in a professional setting when using a trained linguist opens the door for more nuanced, accurate translations for any target audience.
How do you think AI will change translation in the future? If you’re excited by or cautious of the possibilities, why not let us know on our Twitter or LinkedIn pages? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
In order to show our appreciation for our linguists, each January we like to announce our Most Valuable Translator Awards. Translators who are given this accolade are those who have repeatedly gone the extra mile and who have helped us when we have needed them most.
It of course goes without saying that we are incredibly grateful for all of our freelance translators’ help and really value all of their hard work. They respond promptly, produce high-quality translations, and are always kind! It is truly a pleasure to work with them all. It is so difficult to choose just 15, as each one of them works so hard and it’s a pleasure to work with you, so thank you to you all!
However, the Web-Translations team have been particularly impressed by the below group of linguists this year. Some have provided invaluable assistance on urgent projects, while others have consistently provided high-quality contributions for our key client accounts. Their professionalism, communication and translation talent is second to none and does not go unnoticed.
Please join us in congratulating the following 15 linguists (listed in alphabetical order):
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We look forward to working with you, and all of our fantastic linguists, throughout the next year! See you next January for the next Most Valuable Translator Awards.
Love,
The Web-Translations Team
Happy New Year! We can’t quite believe we’re in 2024 already! Here’s to a month or so of catching ourselves writing the wrong year in our diaries. It’s been 100 years since the first ever foreign language broadcast on US radio, and it’s already been 20 years since the launch of Facebook! Where on earth has that time gone?
With a new year ahead of us, let’s look at some language-related challenges we can set ourselves! We love a challenge, so we’re excited to see what we can achieve this year.
We couldn’t leave this one off our list! In 2020, 30 million people attempted to learn a new language, according to Duolingo. We think we can beat that easily! Learning a new language is always such a fun and rewarding adventure, and the new year is always a great time to start. The best part is that there’s no wrong way to learn – find however you work best and keep at it.
Sharing a New Year’s Resolution with others is a great way to make sure you stick to it. If you have a person or group of people there to help you keep on track, you’ll find it much easier to hold yourself accountable. You can even make a little competition between yourselves to really push one another.
Easily the most exciting entry on this list, and one of our favourites! A new year means new opportunities and new adventures. Whether it’s a weekend away, or a wonderful two-week getaway, take the leap and see the world this year. There’s nothing quite like exploring a new city or country with plenty of new experiences waiting for you.
This is a great way to immerse yourself in a different culture, and get a feel for how a language sounds. Not only do these movies and shows offer great opportunities to learn, but a lot of them are simply just a fantastic watch. If you’re suck on where to start, take a look at our previous blog posts on our team’s favourite international TV shows. For those of you with a taste for something spooky, we’ve even shared a list of our favourite international horror films for you to enjoy.
Granted, this is more business-oriented for us, but if you’re looking for a way to open doors to new ventures and a world of new business in 2024, then translate your content! Customers are much more likely to buy a product or service if it is offered to them in their native language. This will allow your immediate and long-term sales to benefit hugely!
A new year bringing in new customers sounds amazing, don’t you think?
Do you have any language-related goals for 2024? We’d love to hear all about them! Let us know what your aims are for the new year on our Twitter or LinkedIn pages.
From the team at Web-Translations, we hope you all have a fantastic 2024!
Further still, we have a great track record working for clients in a wide range of industries. You can read all about our experience on our portfolio page! Moreover, if you’d like to get to know us more, why not get in touch with our experienced team? That way you can find out what we could do for you.
However, if your content isn’t ready for translation, keep an eye out on our social media for future offers. Also, while you’re there, you can also check out our Christmas countdown – we have lots of fun content in store with our very own advent calendar!
One of the first ever slasher movies, Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece makes it clear why killer Michael Myers is right up there in the horror villain hall of fame. Even today, Michael still makes audiences want to hide behind their sofas without saying a word.
Police Sergeant Howie, a devout Christian, travels to the mysterious Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a missing child. He soon discovers that the island residents are all practicing ancient pagan rituals, and they claim that the missing child never even existed. As soon as Howie arrives on the island, the mystery will draw you in and keep you guessing, until the horrifying truth is revealed.
What initially appears as a hijacking thriller takes a sudden turn in this high-octane bloodbath in the sky. Single mother Nadja must protect her son Elias from the hijackers, but little do they realise they are the ones that need protecting from Nadja – a vampire trying to find a cure for her condition in America.
Zombie movies feel lazy and sluggish at times, but that is not the case at all here! A mysterious virus has swept through Korea, and a father is taking his daughter from Seoul to Busan on the KTX bullet train. After an infected stowaway makes their way onto the train, each carriage falls one by one to the horde. Just like the infected masses, the action and thrills in this film are unrelenting.
1983, the height of the Cold War. Two Russian astronauts crash on re-entry, with only the commander surviving. However, it soon becomes clear that something has come back to Earth with him. This chilling Russian “Alien” meets “The X-Files” thriller is a great slow burn, with some brilliant moments of sheer dread.
The first of two found-footage entries on this list follows a group of students investigating a series of mysterious bear deaths. At first, they seem to be a result of poachers, but after meeting a mysterious hunter named Hans, the students uncover a whole new terrifying world. Hans is actually a troll hunter working for the Norwegian government, and he must eliminate some particularly dangerous individuals that have escaped their territory.
Anna is home alone in her family’s lakeside cabin while her husband and son are out sailing. Two men introduce themselves as friends of the neighbours, but they soon refuse to leave. When Anna’s husband Georg returns and tries to remove the two men, things turn violent, and the family ends up being held hostage and forced to play horrific games. To make things even worse, one of the invaders even addresses the audience directly, doubling down on the nightmarish situation.
Dario Argento’s masterful cinematography. Goblin’s mystifying, unsettling soundtrack. This giant of Italian Giallo Horror follows Suzy Bannion surviving the mysterious Tanz Akademie and all the mind-bending horrors that hide within. You certainly won’t forget this film in a hurry.
Another found-footage icon, REC follows TV reporter Angela through the lens of her cameraman Pablo as they report on a local Barcelona fire brigade. The duo follows them on a call to a nearby apartment where an old woman is trapped. They are soon trapped inside the building with the other horrified residents, and something else truly evil.
My answer to Ghostface’s iconic question; “What’s your favourite scary movie?”. Wes Craven’s classic arguably changed the genre forever. Roger L. Jackson’s voice is still as chilling now as it was in 1996 and will have you scared of a ringing phone for a long time after watching.
We hope you enjoy our picks for 10 International Horror Films! If you’ve got any frightful favourites you’d like to share, get in touch with us here or join us on social media!
International Translation Day falls on September 30th every year and every year the day seeks to celebrate language professionals whose work plays an important role in bringing together nations.
The day has been in existence since 2017 when the General Assembly of the UN adopted resolution 71/288 to foster peace and it takes place on 30th September in order to celebrate the feast of St Jerome – the Bible translator considered the patron saint of translators.
As a translation agency, we of course couldn’t let this occasion pass by without a little celebration and we wanted to share this celebration with you by offering some translation facts. We hope you enjoy learning a little more about translation.
Firstly, did you know that translation has been around for centuries? The Old Testament is thought to have been translated into Greek in the 3rd Century BC!
Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and William Shakespeare are the three most translated authors of all time. Three incredible authors, we think you’ll agree!
The Latin root of ‘translator’ is ‘translatus’ which means to be carried over. Consequently, the literal meaning of translation is to carry something from one place to another.
The most translated children’s story is Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It has been translated into more than 500 languages!
Did you know that translation used to be quite a dangerous profession? William Tyndale, for example, was executed in Holland in 1536 due to his translation of the Bible into English being labelled as heretic.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a few translation facts! If you have any facts that you’d like to share, please reach out on social media. Equally, if you have any projects that you require our assistance with, please get in touch!