Translation and Language Industry Observations
Translation and Language Industry Observations
German is a language with a long history and many interesting facets. Spoken as the official language in Germany, Austria, parts of Switzerland, and the miniscule state of Liechtenstein, and as a minority language in several other European countries, German has a base of native speakers numbering almost 100 million. The German-speaking lands have also …
Thai is a fascinating language. It has a neat logic to the way some words are put together. A visitor to Thailand must keep in mind that not all Thais are fluent in English. The same as a person whose native language is English may not be fluent in French or German. But here is …
At GTS we often get projects that require fast translation of texts into multiple languages. These projects can range from translation of Information for Use (IFU) for medical devices, instructions and labels for pharmaceutical products, press releases and technical bulletins. These projects are particularly challenging. There is time pressure on the one hand, and on …
Having turned in thousands of translation jobs, we are experienced with all kinds of source texts. Sometimes the text is clearly understood and simple to translate. Sometimes we get text-from-hell which is riddled with mistakes and/or ambiguities. How should these occurrences be handled? It should be mentioned that as an online translation company, it is …
South Korea has now become a top country many people want to visit. It’s the land of the exciting K-Pop, K-dramas, world-famous kimchi, 12-step skincare routine, tech giants Samsung – you name it. And if you plan to visit the country or simply just to feel even more connected with the culture, the Korean language …
A new Google application has been developed with the aim of preserving and teaching indigenous languages which are also endangered. This includes Maori, Creole, Yiddish, Yugambeh and others. The app is written in open source, and learning is done by photographing objects and translating them in real time. This was announced this week on the …
Digital nomads make the most of the interconnected modern world to make the entire world their office. Digital nomads typically work in fields such as computing or writing, where it’s possible to complete their work online and they have no need to be based in any fixed place. Topping the list of digital nomads are …
Convertibles have been around for years. I myself never owned one, but I did rent one on a business trip to San Diego in 2016. And man was it fun! There was one hitch though: when I put the top down, my new suit got stuck in the retractable thing and nearly got ripped up. …
Are you interested in Korean culture? Are you involved in international diplomacy or trade? Are you a soldier or teacher traveling to Korea? Or are you, perhaps, a traveler planning a trip to Korea sometime in the future? Whatever reason you have for being interested in Korea, a good place to start is learning their …
Last week we received the following email from a potential customer. This is what he wrote: I hope that all is well. My name is Anthony and I lead our regulatory/compliance efforts at XYZ Parfums. We’re developing some new aftershave products, and need to have “aftershave” translated into a few different languages for packaging for …
I just came across an interesting article about Straker Translations, a large and well-known translation company. And I was surprised to read that Straker is losing money. Having owned a small translation business over the last years, I am wondering how a translation company can lose money year over year and still remain in business. …
I just got an email from a translation company that I never heard of, wishing me Happy Saint Patrick’s Day. Now I am not Irish, and otherwise may not have known that it’s Saint Patrick’s Day. And even now that I do know it, who cares? Will I drink green beer? Nah. Will I learn …
In a move announced this week, online translation company One Hour Translation has rebranded into BLEND Localization. As part of this move, the company also raised $10 Million from a venture capital company. As someone in the translation industry who has followed OHT from its inception, I want to share some of my thoughts on …