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Translation gets wacky in the transition from text to design. Sometimes the words don’t fit! And the rules for word division may not be the same in both languages. A word improperly divided at the end of a line is a glaring mistake. (TIP: The Spanish translation will be roughly 10% longer than the English version. And the rules for syllabic division differ.)

The desktop designer moves translated text (copy and paste) into the original layout of the newsletter, pamphlet, or annual report. The mere act of copying and pasting increases risk of errors and omissions. An omission occurs when a paragraph, sentence, or word is dropped. To complicate matters for the desktop designer, he or she may not speak the target language. This makes the task of matching exact segments even more difficult.

A last step (frequently overlooked) is to give your translator a final copy of the layout for review– a chance to give it the thumbs up– before the document goes to print or distribution.

Spain’s National Flag

Moors occupied parts of southern Spain for 700 years (from 711 to 1492 A.D.). They were people of Islamic faith arriving from northern Africa.

The Moorish era remains evident in both regional architecture and the Spanish language. Arabic-influenced words have traveled across seas and endured in Spanish usage over centuries.

“Ojalá que…” is a common construction. This translates as “I hope that…” or “I wish that…”.  Ojalá evolved from “O Allah.” Historically speaking, the feeling behind this phrase is along the lines of “God willing.”

Many easily recognizable Spanish words of Arabic influence begin with “al-.” Examples include alfombra (rug) and almohada (pillow). For an extensive list of Spanish words influenced by the Arabic language, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language_influence_on_the_Spanish_language

1. Your company’s time and money are valuable.

Company money is better spent outsourcing to a translation professional than it would be paying mid- to senior-level management to direct attention away from high-value responsibilities to perform tasks outside their job description.

An hour of the translator’s time will cost less and produce more translation than will an hour of managerial time.

2. You need to know what you’re getting.

Translation, like car sales, isn’t always a transparent process: a purchaser (who doesn’t speak the target language) may not know whether he or she has received a quality product.

How do you know if you received value for your money? Quality Assurance. An experienced translator responds to any questions and vets the product quality you’re paying for and deserve.

3. You have high standards.

Translation industry standards establish ethics, reduce risk, and maximize quality (in other words, your return on investment). One lesser-known standard outside the profession is: one should translate into his or her native language. That’s important, because you want the translation to be as fluent and fluid as possible.

Translators strive to be invisible. The final document shouldn’t be detectable as a translation; rather, it should read as a stand-alone communication.

4. A top-notch translator adds value to all your communications.

Translators may offer editorial and/or copyediting support in the original language, as needed. Furthermore, transition to another culture and second language may affect both writing style (such as sentence length or pronoun use) and editorial standards (quotations or footnote placement, for example).

Translators, like writers, consider “register,” the verbiage appropriate for a new target audience and document’s intended purpose. The best translators, by definition, are also highly proficient writers and editors.

5. Your organization’s reputation is priceless.

Ultimately, this is your baby. Just as the original, the translated document will display the company logo and author’s byline or signature.

Translation is corporate communication and, therefore, should be the product of collaboration with a professional to capture nuances in meaning, reflect a style and tone consistent with organizational culture, and effectively convey the message in a manner that best represents the company.

For all these reasons, contracting the best professional translator for your company’s communication needs is both time and money well-spent.

Contact us to learn more about how to best meet your translation needs!

Werllayne Nunes, a self-taught Brazilian painter, has captured the admiration of Austinites since his arrival in 2008. KLRU, the local public television station, just launched a video featuring the artist and his work, called Behind the Colors. It is a must see for anyone to appreciate this incredible talent and his underlying message of the resilience of the human spirit. A nominee for the 2012 Austin Visual Arts Award, Werllayne has two paintings in The People’s Gallery through January 2013 at Austin City Hall.

Werllayne’s artistic career traces to a fall morning in 2003 as he sipped coffee over the El País newspaper in a Madrid cafe. “Nigerians are the happiest people in the world…,” the headline proclaimed, according to the World Values Survey. Nigeria? This was a country known for corruption, violence, and poverty. Money, the article continued, repressed happiness.  Of modest beginnings and on scholarship, Werllayne worked through medical school in Spain–as he believed he should to support his aging parents. But it was not his calling. He asked himself:  What does it mean to be happy? What does it look like to be happy and poor?

Werllayne knew the life of a doctor was not for him soon after his 2003 show at Casa do Brasil in Madrid. His current series launched in 2003 with an oil painting, called Agua Viva (Living Water), portrayed a Nigerian woman balancing a pot of water on her head. His subjects later turned to people living in Brazilian shantytowns, known as favelas. Werllayne’s work contradicts the perception of poverty as mere misery and the poor as powerless.

 “You can be happy for simple things,” he reminds us. “It doesn’t matter where you come from. What matter are the community you’re from and the connection.”

One harsh reality in his homeland of Brazil revolves around racial discrimination. The vast majority of an estimated 54 million favela dwellers are black or of mixed race. Werllayne eschews telling others what to think about his art, but, in the end, he says, there is talk of racial issues.

He strives to challenge stereotypes of the poor by conveying the favelados’ imagination and joy. Magical realism, bright colors, and contemporary patterns fuse with cultural and religious symbolism. Individuals have the power to confront harsh realities with fantasy and indomitable spirit. “I show the contrast and the reality of poor kids when they are happy,” explains Werllayne. “The happiness transforms into virtual art as towers, doves, or elephants.”

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I do my share of online research and, I admit, I use Google almost daily. However, I thought I would share a few of my lesser-known favorite resources.

I still love a good book, as opposed to a Nook. You know what I mean. To find the best price  on  new and used books, try the AddAll book search and price comparison.

If you are looking for information resources on Latin America, LANIC, the Latin American Network Information Center, is still king among online directories.

When I have to arrange international phone meetings or travel, timeanddate.com is a handy reference. For currency conversions, both actual and historical, try to oanda.com.
Finally, Noodle has a great list of specialized search engines considering the scope and time-sensitivity of your research needs.

What are your best-kept secret search engines or other information resources?