Now is the time to make sure your brand speaks Arabic

April 3, 2013 By

“Now is the time to make sure your brand speaks Arabic.” That is a great line from a post on the Common Sense Advisory Global Watchtower, a language industry publication, called “Waking Up to the Arabic Spring.”

The Common Sense Advisory published research showing that “Arabic has now surpassed Russian, French, and German in total online population. The language now ranks as #11 in share of world online wallet, notching the fastest growth between 2011 and 2012 – even outpacing still-surging Simplified Chinese.”

That means that global businesses are missing a huge swath of potential customers if they are not communicating in Arabic. The Common Sense Advisory found that only one in four top global brands communicate in Arabic.

Multilingual Connections offers document translation and live interpretation in Arabic. Contact us for a quote on translating your website, printed materials, advertising, HR manuals and many other documents into Arabic. Don’t miss this opportunity to reach a growing market!

Filed Under: Business, Cultural competency, Demographics, Global business, Translation

Simplified vs. Traditional Chinese

February 26, 2013 By

Translating between English and Chinese is complex. First, there are two dialects of spoken Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese. Read more about Chinese dialects in our post on Mandarin vs. Cantonese. Mandarin is generally the dialect of global business, but there are many needs to translate to and from Cantonese, especially for a Cantonese-speaking workforce.

Another point to consider in translating to Chinese is to decide which written format to use. There are two forms of written Chinese characters – Traditional and Simplified. Traditional Chinese is the written form of Chinese characters dating back approximately to the 5th Century. Simplified Chinese was introduced in the 1950s by the People’s Republic of China. The simplified form is reduced both in style and in total number of characters. Instituted by the government, the simplified form was thought to encourage literacy.

Traditional Chinese characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau (note: Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong and Macau). Simplified Chinese is officially used in the People’s Republic of China and in Singapore (where the dialect of choice can be Mandarin, or depending on the location Cantonese), and is increasingly used in the US.

Still unsure which dialect and written form you need for your Chinese translation project? Contact the Multilingual Connections translation team for advice and a free translation quote.

Filed Under: Cultural competency, Mandarin, Translation

Linguistic Quiz: Foreign language names in their own language

December 13, 2012 By

Linguistic Quiz: Foreign language names in their own language

The English names for foreign languages don’t always translate.  Can you match the names of these foreign languages to their English counterparts?

Language names, in their native language (may be converted to Latin alphabet)

  • suomi
  • Nederlands
  • dansk
  • hangug-ui
  • svenska
  • français
  • español
  • polski
  • ivrit
  • Deutsch
  • Gaeilge
  • ellinika
  • Kiswahili
  • Euskara
  • nihongo
  • Português
  • italiano
  • putonghua

English Translations (out of order for you to match):

  • Basque
  • Hebrew
  • Japanese
  • German
  • Greek
  • Mandarin
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • Italian
  • Irish
  • Swahili
  • Dutch
  • Swedish
  • French
  • Finnish
  • Danish
  • Polish

Answers:

  • Finnish (suomi)
  • Dutch (Nederlands)
  • Danish (dansk)
  • Korean (hangug-ui)
  • Swedish (svenska)
  • French (français)
  • Spanish (español)
  • Polish (poski)
  • Hebrew (ivrit)
  • German (Deutsch)
  • Irish (Gaeilge)
  • Greek (ellinika)
  • Swahili (Kiswahili)
  • Basque (Euskara)
  • Japanese (nihongo)
  • Portuguese (Português)
  • Italian (italiano)
  • Mandarin (putonghua)

How did you do? Multilingual Connections offers document translation in those languages and more, as well as workplace foreign language classes and English as a Second Language. Contact us for a free quote.

Filed Under: Global languages, Translation

Translation for Museums

November 6, 2012 By

Placard at Montmorency

As the U.S. population becomes more multilingual, and international travel becomes accessible to more people, the need for language translation and interpretation at cultural institutions increases.

Museums in the U.S. desire to be inclusive of all linguistic backgrounds as a way to support a larger audience. Institutions are responding to multilingual needs by translating printed documents, online materials and signs, and by offering pre-recorded audio guides or live interpretation in multiple languages.

Museums share knowledge culture with the public, and translation into multiple languages brings culture to more people, in a meaningful way. We at Multilingual Connections are moved by the Smithsonian’s performance of a Spanish translation of the Star Spangled Banner.

The following are some areas of opportunity for museums to reach a multilingual audience:

  • Signage translation
  • Website translation
  • Art and artifact description translation
  • Guidebook translation
  • Menu translation
  • Press release translation
  • Cultural consulting
  • Audio tours in multiple languages
  • Live guided tour interpretation

Multilingual Connections is any cultural institution’s source for written translation, multilingual voiceover recordings and live interpretation. We offer translation to and from English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and more. Contact us for your translation or interpretation project!

Filed Under: Business, Cultural competency, Translation

Top Tips from the ATA: A Guide to Buying Translation for Business

October 7, 2012 By

The American Translators Association recently published Translation: Getting it Right, a guide for businesses considering document translation. The 28-page guide contains some great facts about translation, and we want to share the top tips with you.

At Multilingual Connections, we know that document translation is no task to pursue lightly, no matter how large or small the project, and we want to help you make the best translation decisions for your business. Here are some FAQs and tips to get you started:

What is Translation?

Written documents are translated into another language. If you are looking for on-the-spot language conversion, you need an interpreter. Multilingual Connections provides both translation and interpretation, but it’s crucial to know the difference, and which service you actually need, when sourcing bids.

What needs Translation?

Decide which portions of your written documents apply to the audience for which you are translating. Multilingual Connections’ unique culture-focused translation approach can help determine which portions of your documents pertain to a foreign audience, and which to leave out.

Be careful of costs.

This advice from the ATA is humorous but true: “If translators are netting little more than a babysitter, they are unlikely to be tracking your market with the attention it deserves.” The translators at Multilingual Connections are seasoned professionals with vast experience in business translation including legal, medical and international commerce. Our team of national and international linguists represent all industries and over 50 languages.

Who can perform translation?

Resist the urge to translate yourself, even if you speak the target language fluently, or to simply hire a fluent speaker. Written fluency differs greatly from oral fluency, and the shortcomings will show in your translated documents. Document translation is a business decision, not just because you want to be understood in another language and culture. Keep your business image and ability to return on this investment in mind.

Avoid machine translation, which will never be precise and will make your business look careless, out of touch, and even offensive.

Translators work into their native language, meaning a native Russian speaker will translate your English piece into Russian. A native English speaker will translate your Russian document into English.

Choosing a Translation Provider

Request a list of past projects, recommendations and testimonials. Visit the Multilingual Connections website to see testimonials on every page, and a sample list of past clients. We are happy to provide samples of past work that is similar to your business translation project.

Take control of the controllable.

Consider producing an in-house glossary. This is an excellent way to make your original documents more consistent. Work with translators and in-house staff to develop a bilingual version.

Finally, the ATA suggests businesses develop a relationship with their translators. Retaining a translation agency of record can ensure that your translated documents are consistent in content, style and accuracy. As a translator becomes specialized to your business, less clarification is needed, leading to quicker turnaround.

Multilingual Connections guarantees satisfaction for every translation project. Get started with a free translation quote. We look forward to collaborating with your business and fulfilling your translation needs.

Filed Under: Business, sidebar1, Translation

Multilingual Broadcast of the 2012 Olympics

July 27, 2012 By

Olympic Rings George Abbot School

This year, the Olympic Games will be broadcast in more languages than ever. London welomes nearly three times as many journalists as athletes. The statistic comes mainly by default, as the Games will merely be broadcast by more nations than ever, due to improvements in technology.

According to The Guardian, there will be journalists from 28 more countries than there were at the 2008 Games in Beijing, including “Kiribati, a string of atolls in the Pacific with a population of around 100,000 and the even smaller Nauru, a phosphate rock island in Micronesia that has a population put at only 10,000.”

Al-Jazeera is sending 150 journalists to broadcast in Arabic and English.

In the U.S., Telemundo picks up the bulk of non-English programming. From the official NBC Olympics site: “NBCUniversal will have the most extensive Spanish-language Olympic coverage in the company’s history, offering more than 173 hours of the London 2012 Olympics on Telemundo, ‘The U.S. Home of the Olympic Games in Spanish.’”

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium‘s broadcast team will deliver live event coverage in 11 different languages: Bangla, Cantonese, English, French, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu.

The staff at Multilingual Connections will be watching the Games and cheering on teams and athletes from all over the globe. We’re happy to see the Games broadcast in so many languages, to so many people worldwide, showcasing and bringing together our various cultures as only the Olympics can do.

We have also loved reading what it’s like to be a journalist at the Olympics – which is a sport in itself! Check it out here.

Multilingual Connections can rise to the challenge of your translation and transcription needs. And if you want to go for the gold – challenge yourself to a day in our Bilingual Boot Camp.

Filed Under: Cultural competency, Translation

Translation and transcription are vital in a legal setting

July 19, 2012 By

Legal transcription is necessary in all areas of law, whether within the court system or a corporate setting. As a field, law requires constant record-keeping, and almost everything recorded on audio or video requires hard copy documentation. Legal transcription requires precision and a specialized knowledge, and that’s where Multilingual Connections comes in.

As the non-native born U.S. population grows, people with limited English skills require more and more legal representation. According to Federal law, all stakeholders in the legal system are entitled to language translation and interpretation when needed.

Our legal document translation expertise includes, but is not limited to, affidavits, depositions, arbitration, contracts, confidentiality agreements, litigation and patents. We offer translation to Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and more.

Live interpretation is necessary when the parties involved in a case speak multiple languages. Legal interpreting can take the form of consecutive interpreting of witnesses’ statements, for example, or simultaneous interpreting of the entire proceedings by electronic means for one or more of the people in attendance.

Multilingual Connections takes security and confidentiality very seriously. All of our legal transcriptionists are bound to non-disclosure agreements to ensure all transcripts remain confidential.

Let us help you ensure that all parties receive a fair trial, regardless of native language.

Filed Under: Business, Language Policy, Translation

Machine Translation Errors

July 10, 2012 By

Get the Cleaner

Machine translation is a quick fix. It certainly has its place – this year in the Olympic Village, hundreds of athletes will be able to communicate better with media, fans, facilities staff and other athletes with the quick click of a button. But professional misuse of machine translation is rampant and highly visible.

Signs are usually the worst offenders, as official signs often employ a shorthand grammar to save on space and make them sound, well, more official. As an example, many of us have seen this sign when driving through an area near a prison:

“ESCAPED FEDERAL PRISONER DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS”

Using machine translation (Google Translate) from English to Simple Chinese, you get:

联邦囚犯逃脱不 拿起顺利远足

Which translates to:

“FEDERAL PRISONERS TO ESCAPE DOES NOT PICK UP A SMOOTH HIKING”

Language on signs can seem so simple to translate with machine translation, since they are usually only a few words, but because of their unique syntax, signs can pose some pretty complex translation issues. Just as machine translation on social networking sites rarely translates colloquial language into anything resembling actual speech, machines have a hard time with signage language.

Multilingual Connections can help you avoid those glaring errors (so your sign does not end up as a Flikr punchline). Visit our Translation page to see a list of languages we translate.

Filed Under: Translation

Translations in Elections

June 29, 2012 By
Change vs. He Changed

Campaigning to a multilingual electorate is not unique to politicians in the United States, though the money that is spent targeting specific language groups – particularly Spanish-speakers – might be unparalleled.

The Washington Post reported that Democratic Super PAC groups have just launched a combined $4 million in Spanish ad campaigns. On the Republican side, Reuters reports $7 million in recent ad spending, including a Spanish-language ad released in response to the President’s recent executive order on immigration.

Translations in elections are so important, not only to foster proper communication and inclusion of all citizens, but also because incorrect translations lead to more than just misunderstandings.

The small town of Arcadia, CA made news last Spring when a ballot for city council contained a translation error, asking voters in English, Spanish and Vietnamese to vote for “no more than two” candidates, while the Mandarin Chinese translation asked voters to select “no more than three.”

Especially in higher-level elections, bad translations can show a lack of respect. No doubt the 2012 US presidential candidates employ the best translation tactics. The nation will be watching, and scrutinizing. The American electorate can handle politicking, but not pandering.

Filed Under: Politics, Translation

Spanish and Major League Baseball

June 14, 2012 By

On opening day 2010, 28.3 percent of Major League baseball players were Latino, and that number is likely even larger today. Many of those players are native Spanish speakers that require translation of important documents like benefits descriptions and changes to Major League Baseball rules and regulations.

Multilingual Connections is proud to be the translation partner to the MLB Players Association, and to help provide this vital service to players. We translate documents from memos to press releases, rules against chewing tobacco use, files describing the differences between the Minors and the Majors when a player gets The Call (or is sent back down) and beyond. Most of us don’t realize the intricacies of working as a baseball player, especially when English is your second language – it’s definitely more complicated than keeping a high batting average!

One thing we’ve had to keep up on are team name translations. We like to read Spanish language newspapers and watch games on Univision to hear to how commentators and fans refer to the teams.

Some team names are easy to translate:

Chicago Cubs = Cachorros de Chicago

Chicago White Sox = Medias Blancas de Chicago (As Chicagoans, we had to list them both…)

Some translations seem to serve the team better than the English name:

San Francisco Giants = Gigantes de San Francisco

Texas Rangers = Vigilantes de Texas

Some are quite literal translations:

Milwaukee Brewers = Cerveceros de Milwaukee (beermakers)

Some aren’t quite translatable:

Philadelphia Phillies = Phillies de Filadelfia (a Philly being a person from Philadelphia)

York New York Yankees = Yanquis de Nueva York (just a spelling change)

And some don’t require translation at all:

San Deigo Padres = Padres de San Diego

Perhaps our favorite translation, though…

…is for the Toronto Blue Jays. In Spanish, they are called los Azulejos, which is the name of the bird, but also the name for these beautiful painted tiles. Toronto Tiles has a bit of a ring to it!

On the fans’ side, it’s estimated that Latinos are 27% more likely to be baseball fans than the rest of the U.S. population. There is a Spanish language version of MLB.com: visit LasMayores.com. From there, you can find Spanish pages for every team (equipo) in the league. ¡Viva las Mayores!

Filed Under: Latino, Spanish, Translation, Workplace diversity
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