I know the title is a little baffling… what do I mean, using dictionaries? Everyone knows how to do it, right? Well, no, but I’m not going to write an article about how to open the dictionary, look under the correct letter etc., but what I am going to do is talk about how translators should use dictionaries to serve their purpose and enable them to come up with the best/ most suitable translation.

You might think this is trivial and of no importance,  but I’ve seen so many bad translations during my career that it made me think some translators don’t know how to best use the resources they have at hand.

What was happening ten or fifteen years ago is so much different from today’s situation that the same job seems completely new. In the past, people used hard copies dictionaries and glossaries. Now you can find everything online, so the time needed to look a word up has been greatly reduced.

How to make sure the word/ expression you translated is the most suitable one? Well, check the tips below:

• Check, double-check, triple-check

Even if sometimes (OK, most of the times) a translator can guess the meaning of a word in a certain context, it is always advisable to check with a dictionary. Actually, not just check, but double and triple check with different dictionaries. Considering that a word can have different meanings, it is essential that the translator choose the most suitable one.

• Use specialised dictionaries and glossaries

This is quite self-explanatory. If you are working on a specialised translation (be it in the field of medicine, law or IT), you must have access to and use specialised dictionaries and glossaries. It is not only a matter of a good translation, but someone’s life may be at stake (mistranslating a diagnosis, an allergy or treatment can have life-threatening consequences)

• Cross-reference

Don’t limit yourself to using one kind of dictionary (let’s say French-English). Use also a French-French and English-English dictionaries to cross-reference the definitions of the word/ expression you need to translate. As mentioned above, make sure you also check the meaning in a specialised dictionary or glossary if necessary.

• Don’t be afraid to ask

If you are not sure or have any doubts about a translation, don’t be afraid to ask your peers. There are quite a few websites and forums dedicated to professional translators and there will certainly be someone who will be able to answer your questions.

If you have any other tips or tricks up your sleeve, I’d be happy to hear them.

The language services industry is very different from what it was 10 – 20 years ago. I simply cannot imagine working as a translator without some sort of computer assisted translation software or online dictionaries. They save you a lot of time and you become more efficient. So what should you do to stay up to date? There is no secret, here is what we do:

1.      Read books

Nowadays, the most comprehensive repository of books is Amazon. There is a wide selection either in paperback or electronic format. I personally prefer reading books on my Kindle as it is easy to carry and you can have hundreds of books available at a time, not to mention that many times they are cheaper than the classic variant.  Another positive aspect is that you save some trees, and helping the environment is one of our agency’s missions.

When it comes to the topic of translating and interpreting, there are a lot of books on the subject. Below is a list with a few of my personal picks:

• Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies
• After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation (first appeared in ’75 but still a solid resource)
• The Translation Studies Reader

2.     Start a blog – be active

If you get involved and start writing, you will make a lot of friends. Sharing your experiences (good or bad) will help the community and you personally.

3.     Attend conferences or language shows

It is sometimes hard to admit it, but there will always be someone better than you are. The good news is that they will share their knowledge at different events, so why not take advantage of it? There are lot of industry gatherings throughout the world. Attending one always brings in some new tricks.  You could try the Language Show if you are UK based.

4.     Travel

Let’s say for example that your source language is French and you are an English native. Why not plan your holiday in France? Even if you have been there before, there are lots of places you could see. Getting in touch with locals boosts your vocabulary with new idioms used by the real experts. And, of course, you will enjoy the fantastic food and wine! Bon appétit!

5.     Attend courses

Even if you are not a beginner, attending courses on the topic of translating and/or interpreting can improve your expertise. It gives you a holistic non-biased view of the current methods or methodologies within the language industry. However, this may be costly, but the benefits in the long run should definitely weigh more.

Have breaks, but not too often

It is very important to concentrate and keep moving on without interruption. I personally find it harder to start than to keep pushing on. On the other hand, it is clearly not advisable nor healthy to work 5 hours without a break. When translating documents, I take a 5 to 10 minute break every hour or so. I use this time to walk or to stretch a bit. It is always better to do some physical activity as translating documents doesn’t require much. Keep away from reading news online, as they can easily absorb you for a long time before you realise it. The key is variety and to mix mental and physical activity as much as possible.

Stay away from the TV

TV is a real distractor. Having a TV in your office (study/ room) is not a good idea, as it can suck you in for a long time. I prefer having a radio playing low in the background. It gives me a pleasant atmosphere to work in.

Plan and prioritise: important tasks first

It is essential to plan your day first thing in the morning, but don’t spend more than 5 minutes doing that. The most productive period of the day is the morning. Make sure you schedule all your important tasks before lunch time and start with the important tasks first. Keep the meetings and appointments for the afternoon.

Sleep

I simply cannot imagine a linguist working efficiently without proper sleep. Of course, sometimes you might need to stay up and translate late into the night to meet a tight deadline. But this is definitely not the way forward. You shouldn’t make a habit out if it. If you go to bed early, then you wake up early so you can do more of your work during the most productive hours of the day – in the morning.

Think about the outcome

To keep myself motivated, I usually use this trick as well. I have the end result in mind. This is, most of the times, a cheque. We all have to make a living after all.

If you have any tips or tricks you would like to share, please leave a comment.

1)    Price – how it is calculated

Some agencies calculate their translation prices by the number of pages, by the number of lines or even by the number of characters, but most agencies / translators calculate by the number of words in the source language. To complicate things further, some of them set their rates based on the target language – which, of course, can only be estimated beforehand, and you will only know the exact cost after the project has been completed. Don’t forget the hidden charges. Most translation quotes do not include VAT or proofreading, which will obviously make the figures go up.

2)   Quality

It is not always easy to assess the quality of the translation, especially if you don’t speak the language, but it is not impossible either. As a rule of thumb, consider the following aspects:

*  Qualifications and professional body memberships of the translators (e.g. American Translators Association)
*  Their experience and if they have expertise in your industry sector
*  Are the linguists going to translate in their native language?
*  Is the translation going to be proofread?
*  Are modifications to the text (in case you are not content about the result) free of charge?

3)   Turnaround

It is usually better, if possible, to go with the standard turnaround of the project in order to give the translators the chance to polish and re-check their work. This will ensure they provide you with the best possible translations while not increasing the cost, as rush fees usually increase it by 50%-100%.

Speedy turnaround can also affect the quality, as your project may need to be split into several (more manageable) chunks that will be completed by different translators.

Bonus tip: Flexibility

Is the translation services provider happy to accept your feedback and go the extra mile to make you 100% satisfied? Are they willing to change a thing or two in the way they do business or in their processes if the client feedback suggests so?

Client response and input are essential to a continual improvement process for the translation services provider. At InboxTranslation.com, your feedback is of paramount importance to our translation processes. It is our way to ensure we adapt and improve according to our customers’ needs.

Interpreter vs translator: who’s who?

Many people call us saying they need a translator when in fact they were looking for an interpreter. Probably most people know the difference between these two jobs, but there are some who use them interchangeably, although they should not. Below we will try to have a look at what these two jobs have in common and how they are different. In a nutshell, the translator deals with the written word, while the interpreter with the spoken message.

Interpreter vs translator: similarities

• they both work with a source language (from which they work) and a target language
• they both take the message from the source language and convey it in the target language
• both the translator and interpreter work solely into their mother tongue (with the exception of liaison interpreters – see differences below)
• they are both linguists
• they both need professional qualifications

Interpreter vs translator: differences

• a translator works with the written word, whereas an interpreter with the spoken word
• translators charge on a word or  page basis, while an interpreter is paid by the hour or by the day
• all translators work into their mother tongue, but interpreters might have to work both into and from their mother tongue (those doing liaison interpreting – for courts, police, hospitals etc.)
• while translators have time on their side (they are not required to translate on the spot and they can use dictionaries), interpreters need to deliver the message either at the same time as the original speech (simultaneous interpreting) or shortly after (consecutive interpreting)
• their tools are different: translators use CAT (Computer Aided/Assisted Translation) tools, computers and dictionaries, and interpreters may use a notepad and pen to take notes, or headphones and microphone in a booth, and the most important thing – their memory together with their knowledge

I hope this post has made it clearer and easier for you to distinguish between a translator and an interpreter. Please feel free to add to the list and express your opinions.

OK, we all know that English is spoken worldwide, but how many people speak it exactly? And why does it matter? Well, let the figures do the talking:

• approximately 1.8 billion people speak English, out of which about 400 million as a first language
• it is the second most spoken language in the world
• less than 30% of the people on the internet use English
• research has shown that people are three times more inclined to buy if the  business “speaks” their language

A few tips

Can you see an opportunity here? Having a website translated in several languages increases your chances of attracting customers, therefore expanding your business. When you decide to do so, there are a few things you should consider:

• Quality: do not use machine translation. Google translate and the like can be great friends, but only when you need a general understanding or an approximate translation. For anything else, there’s M something card  ;-) – I mean, professionals who will ensure that the quality of the translation is suitable for your business needs.
• Localisation: if you wonder why it is important, let me give you a quick example – this offer expires on 08/12/2011 - is that 8th December or 12th August? Different countries use different date formats; getting them right is essential. There is more to localisation than this simple fact, but you got the idea.
• Time: allow enough time for the translation. Rushing it might have less-than-perfect results (to put it nicely). For a large volume of work that needs to be completed quickly, your agency might have to split the work between a number of translators and that may mean inconsistency – in style but also in terminology; not to mention that the cost will skyrocket. More time will mean lower cost and better quality.
• Culture: it is always ideal if you think international from the very beginning, avoiding play upon words or cultural jokes that would not make sense if translated or, even worse, might offend (again, this is where localisation would come into play, making sure the contents is suitable for the audience).
• Questions: be willing to answer your translator’s questions and don’t be afraid to ask questions yourself.

How we can help you

So, have you decided it is high time you expanded your business? If your answer is Yes, Yes, YES!, then you are in the right place. Get in touch and let us help you.

As described in more details in a previous post, the Language Show is an event addressed to language teachers, translators, interpreters, linguists and anyone with a passion for languages. This year’s show took place at the National Hall, Olympia. One of the sponsors was the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Apart from the stall where linguists could find out more about this association and how to join, they also organised seminars for linguists. Michael Cunningham, member of the IoL, talked about his experience as a professional translator. More about his tips and tricks below.

Starting out as a professional linguist – the seminar

I definitely enjoyed this seminar, it was not a boring monologue, but an interactive session. Here are the main points covered:

Skills

There are many skills that make a good translator or interpreter, such as education, discipline, confidence, research skills, language skills etc. In Michael’s opinion, the three top ones are:

• mastery of the mother tongue (target language)
• mastery of the source language
• excellent subject knowledge

People find it weird to see perfect command of the mother tongue listed, but in order to be a good linguist, you need to be able to speak your mother tongue perfectly, to know how to express yourself correctly (when speaking and writing), to use different registers as required.

As for subject knowledge, contrary to the general belief, the more specialised you are the more money you can make.

How can one improve their language skills (both in target and source language)? Well, reading  (communicating in general) daily in both languages is essential. If you want to become better acquainted to and later specialised in a certain field (let’s say sports), try to read the same type of article/ piece of news etc. in both languages to become familiar with special terms, expressions, tone and register.

Clients

“They need you as much as you need them.”

How to find your clients? Well, there are several ways, depending also on your language combination, if you are specialised or not, how much experience you have etc. :

• if you are just starting out or finding it difficult to find clients, contacting translation agencies can be a good starting point; register with as many as possible to increase your chances of getting work
• contact prospective clients directly
  • phone them up
  • go to their office
  • attend conferences or fairs (and don’t forget to take your CV and business cards with you)

Rates

What you can charge depends on many factors: language combination (and how common it is), field of specialisation, area etc. For example, if you are an Arabic-English interpreter working in a specialist technical area, you can probably charge the earth. But if your language combination is French-English and you live in London, you will find the going much harder.

Do your research. Try forums, speak to other linguists and see how much they charge. Always be willing to negotiate and help!

Entrepreneurial skills

When you start your own business, you need to take into consideration:

• start-up money
• a reliable computer
• good software
• advertising your business
• good presentation (emails, invoices, CV etc.)
• meeting deadlines

Has anyone else attended the seminar? I would love to hear your opinions!

As you probably know by now, a hooligan managed to get on the pitch and hit Galamaz, fracturing his jaw. The incident escalated, as other players kicked the hooligan.

Below you can watch a video of the incident, with English subtitles.

Location

National Hall, Olympia. Nice, big space, easy to access.

Facilities

Toilets, baby change, cloakroom and a few stalls where you could buy something to drink and eat (even soup), and a Pizza Express Restaurant for those whose hunger could not be satisfied with a sandwich or a salad. The only downside was that there were not enough tables/chairs where to serve your food or drink, so many people were either sitting on the floor or standing.

Organisation

Although the seminars were really interesting, the ones I went to suffered from a major inconvenient: poor sound quality, either because the microphone was not working properly (if at all), or because there were several seminars taking place at the same time, next to one another, and considering they were only separated by a thin screen, you can imagine it was quite difficult to follow the discussion. Apart from that, I found this year’s show better organised, in the sense that it was less crammed than last year, the different areas (interpreting/translations, TEFL, exhibitors) being more easily accessed as they were better delimited.

Who should attend

Anyone with a passion for or an interest in languages: students who have not decided what career path to follow (or have decided and want to learn more), translators and interpreters – especially if they are starting their career in this field, teachers – plenty of resources and materials to buy and use for your lessons, and people who would like to learn a new language – there were taster classes available, not to mention a range of language courses providers who exhibited.

Information available

From this point of view, I can only congratulate the organisers, as there is plenty of information available on the website: who, when, where. Visitors also receive a booklet containing all the necessary information, including a map of the place.

Conclusions

It is an excellent event that offers visitors the opportunity to find out more about their chosen career (if they are linguists – be it teachers, translators or interpreters), to help them decide if they want to pursue a career in the field (students or people who want a change) and at the same times it offers exhibitors the chance to sell their products (dictionaries, teaching materials) and make themselves known to prospective students (if they are language courses providers) or collaborators (if they are a translation agency). Hopefully next year you’ll find us there.

Have I mentioned the best thing of all? It’s FREE.

If you have any experience with The Language Show and would like to share your thoughts, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

It has been a while since I started to have a look at the existing free online translation tools, but that’s mainly because most of them either do not offer the Romanian-English combination, or are in fact the same as the ones I have already analysed, just on different websites. On today’s menu we have the free translator from frengly.com. Here we go:

1. general text: 3 out of 5

Not great, but nevertheless better than others. Some sentences are perfect. I’m quite impressed. I can’t give it a higher score though, considering that half of the text does not make much sense or is grammatically incorrect. However, for a free online instant tool, it can prove quite handy if what you need is to get the gist.

2. Proverbs: 1 out of 5

Again, well done! I mean, as you can see, it failed to give the English equivalents, but at least it has managed to provide a literal translation of them; not a perfect one, but definitely much better than what we’ve seen so far.

3. Idioms: 0 out of 5

Unfortunately, no points for translating idioms.

Overall score: 4 out of 15

Average score: 1.33 out of 5