“Professional translation and localisation services”

Translation, unlike interpretation, involves the written word and  is the process of converting a document from its original   language version  into a different language. This is done by substituting words from one language to another, while maintaining meaning and context.

Getting Translation right

(Credit @ITIUK)

Context is paramount since a primitive ‘word for word’ translation, such as you see above,  may lose the intended meaning. We suspect the example above involved automation and, while it may make an amusing meme for language service providers, it might prove disastrous should it find its way into a business document.

Translation is important for doing business

The LO-C 30 report from Aston Business School shows that SME’s that invest in languages have a significant advantage in generating growth through exports.

Top quality translation ensures that you communicate  well with clients. In a business setting, accuracy can be particularly important to avoid potentially protracted and costly disputes. Where no human hand is involved, even the best-designed algorithms may struggle. For this reason, we prefer to use qualified professional translators. Ideally, any work would be edited after translation to fully ensure the context has been maintained. However, we know that cost and turnaround times maybe be important considerations so we offer our translation services on both an edited and unedited basis.

Localisation

Localisation takes translation a step further and involves adapting content to best suit a specific country or market. At its simplest, it may only involve changing items such as distances of measure or day/month order in dates. It may involve understanding local legislation for items such as food labels. However, localisation also needs to be aware of cultural differences, not only to avoid offence but to clarify meaning where idioms may not readily translate. For example, an English speaker buying an item without first inspecting it may have ‘bought a pig in a poke’. However, a German doing the same has ‘bought a cat in a sack’ It is important then that the translator / localiser sees and understands an idiom an knows how it might appear in the target language.

If you would like to know more, please request a quote