Language Translation Service

Are you planning to set up a translation business? Then there are two or three fundamental questions you will need to consider if you want your business to be a success. One of these, and in fact the most obvious one, is how to attract clients. However, the marketing effort and insight needed to tackle the issue of client acquisition is the subject of another article. In this specific issue I would like to concentrate on a fundamental dilemma that many self-employed translators will face: to work as a freelancer or to take staff on board.

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Before becoming a translator it is a good idea to consider the pros and cons of the job. On the plus side freelance translation can be varied, interesting, challenging and allows you to be your own boss. On the down side you work on your own, you rely on agencies for your income, it can be difficult to get recognised and you have to be responsible for your own taxes and accounts.

If you are truly motivated to become a freelance translator then you need to get prepared. The following are things you must have in order to start your career as a freelance translator:

1) You need to have a good level of education. Most agencies would at least require a degree. However, this is not always compulsory. A degree shows a certain level of linguistic and writing skills in your native language which is what every decent translator needs. A degree in your language combination is also a great help.

Read more at Getting Started in Freelance Translation

Anyone who has wanted a website translated will know that agencies always request the text to be sent to them as documents, rather than as webpages. This is done to ensure the agency knows exactly what is to be translated as sometimes what is actually needed for translation differs from page to page. Another reason is that is also provides an accurate word count which then gives a definite price.

We have been notified of a new tool by Kwintessential that scrapes a URL and then gives you back the text of that page but without all the usual coding. Great little tool that saves lots of time!

Check out the Website Text Scraping Tool

We came across this article about using a translation service:

The services of translation agencies are increasingly in demand. It is no longer just international businesses that need translations but now smaller companies and individuals. As the modern world becomes more and more interconnected, more and more people will eventually need the service of a translation agency.

Finding a translation agency can be a daunting affair. Where does one look for a translation agency and when they find one, how do they know if they will be able to do the job well? This article will offer some useful tips on using a translation agency.

Read more: Using a translation service

Our best online translation tools league table has been cited today at the news blog site of translation services company Kwintessential.

No doubt the fact they had two tools in there was behind it!

Visit the blog at Intercultural Communication News

A French teenager suspected of posting his own complete translation of the latest Harry Potter book on the internet has been arrested.

The 16-year-old, from the southern city of Aix-en-Provence, has been released but could face charges for violating intellectual property rights.

The official French language version of the final book in the Potter series is scheduled for release on 26 October.

Police have closed down the website it was found on and are investigating.

Read more: Harry Potter

Doing business across borders is never easy. Of all the factors businesses have to think about, language and culture sometimes drop to the bottom of the priority list. Such oversights can occasionally be harmless, occasionally funny and occasionally seriously bad business decisions. The one thing all share is the plain and simple fact that a little sprinkle of intercultural awareness could have gone a long way.

We have put together a possible top 10 cross cultural howlers. The list is by no means exhaustive and in fact we hope to bring you some more. Any you know of please let us know via the comments link below.

1. Locum were a Swedish company. As most companies do around Christmas time they liked to send out promotional materials to wish clients season's greetings. In 1991 they decided to give their logo a little holiday spirit. However someone in charge of the new design came up with the idea of replacing the "o" in Locum with a heart shape. You can see the result yourselves. (If you don't understand - then look up the word cum and you soon will!)

Read more: Cross Cultural Howlers

Professional translators should be expert linguists who know quite well the correct grammar of both the source language and the target language. Consequently, when they spot any grammatical mistakes in the source written text which they are about to translate, it becomes their ethical and professional duty to correct these mistakes. If they do not do that, they not only distort the meaning of the source text, but they also jeopardize their career in the long run. For example, if a professional translator is to translate an Arabic text into English, and there happens to be a grammatical mistake in the source text, he/she must correct it before translating the text. An invented example of this might be the following Arabic sentence dharaba arrajulu alwalada, which corresponds to the English sentence: the man hit the boy. Let us suppose that in the source Arabic sentence, there is a slight grammatical mistake in the diacritical marks or diacritics, and the Arabic sentence reads dharab arrajula alwaladu, which is equivalent in English to the boy hit the man. We notice that the meaning in both English sentences is quite the opposite. Similarly, spelling mistakes or word choice mistakes in English may completely change the meaning of a given sentence. An invented example of this type of mistake might be in the sentence: he took his usual bath, where the word bath is mistakenly used instead of path. By the same token, mistakes in the choice of words which are either synonyms or closely related words should also be spotted and corrected by the translator. Let us consider these advertisements:

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand:

Would you like to ride on your ass?

Doctor's office, Rome:

Specialist in women and other diseases.
(Frankie's ESOL Worksheets, Whoops!, (2005) Available: URL: http://www.geocities.com/frankie_meehan/FunnySigns.htm )

If translators overlook such errors in the source text and decide not to correct them, then they choose to part with both their ethics and professionalism.

Read more: Professional Arabic Translators

Friendster may no longer be the newest, coolest kid in Silicon Valley, but the company is hoping to captivate the socially un-networked in Taipei. Friendster today launched a version of its site in Traditional Chinese, the form of the language used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many Chinese communities overseas.

Read more: Chinese Friendster

Unlike myspace.cn, Friendster's Chinese site exists as part of its main friendster.com URL. A link in the upper right corner toggles you between English and Chinese. In other words, you can be simultaneously be friends with Bob from San Bruno and that guy above, whose name we regrettably can't read.

The internet continues to expand and has now become the automatic point of reference point for businesses and individuals searching for goods, services or information. However, along with this growth there has been a move away from English users of the internet. Businesses wishing to get that competitive advantage now must have a multilingual website. In response to this need, Kwintessential, a provider of intercultural communication services, has launched a new free website translation tool.

An internet dominated by the English language is a thing of the past. Multilingual websites will continue to become a necessity for businesses and organisations as the process of internationalization unfolds. However not all businesses appreciate the need to translate websites and not all understand why.

Kwintessential, a firm at the forefront of encouraging businesses to think beyond their national and cultural borders, have compiled a list of 10 good reasons why webmasters must look to website translations:

Foreign Language Users

The internet began as an English speaker's invention and as a result was dominated by English speaking users. However, times are changing. With the accessibility to both PCs and internet connections people from Morocco to Malaysia are surfing the net.
As far back as 2005 Nielsen-Netratings described foreign internet markets as "low hanging fruit," i.e. if you have the will and foresight there are massive revenues to be found for relatively little effort.

Research demonstrates that usage in traditional internet strong holds such as the USA, Germany, the UK and Sweden is flat lining. On the other hand countries such as France, Hong Kong, Italy and Japan are seeing substantial growth in internet usage.

A Cost Effective Marketing Tool

Being able to communicate to a whole new international audience in their own language undoubtedly yields results; these are not only financial but also in terms of marketing and creating awareness of your brand, service or product.

A website translation is probably one of the most cost effective ways of marketing your company, capturing new users, building relationships with new clients and giving your brand an international outlook.

Get New Clients

Ultimately what a multilingual website can do is bring in new customers. By having your website accessible in foreign languages you are potentially showcasing your company across the globe.

Increase Sales

If a website is translated into only a handful of the major world languages, i.e. Spanish, French, German and Italian there is a huge potential increase in sales. There are few other ways to get such an increase for such little investment.

Customer-Focused

A website that speaks customers' languages demonstrates you are thinking about the customer. That little extra effort shows you have thought and cared enough about them. As with anything in business, if the customer thinks you care, they will want to do business with you.

Build Trust

For many cultures there is an issue of trust when it comes to buying over the internet, especially if they feel it is in a language they are not fully proficient in. Offering them a language alternative allows the customers to feel secure in the fact they know what they are buying, how and who from.

Culturally Sensitive

A multilingual website, if designed properly, overcomes potential cultural barriers through allowing access in a native language. This automatically puts the user in a 'cultural comfort zone' due to their being able to navigate, understand and interact with the website.

Get the Competitive Edge

To get the competitive advantage in today's environment you need to think outside the box. Look at your competitors - if they have multilingual websites then why don't you? If they don't, then why not lead the marketplace and establish your company or brand abroad before they do.

Shows an International Frame of Mind

Image is everything. A multilingual website demonstrates you think, work and deal globally.

Improve Search Engine Rankings

Search engines lead people to websites. In countries such as China, Japan and France, Google, Yahoo and MSN are not the default search engines. Home grown search engines are emerging and they are proving successful because they work in native languages and are focused on the habits and needs of their users. Such search engines are a key to tapping those markets and unless they have access to a particular language through your multilingual website then you will not be found.

In addition, key search engines, especially Google, are developing the capacity to run searches in foreign languages and to translate between languages. Having pages of your website available in foreign languages ensures your site being picked up in searches.
The multilingual internet is the future; as a result businesses need to start thinking multilingual for their websites.

As a way of encouraging businesses and webmasters to adopt a multilingual approach, a new free website translation tool has been developed by Kwintessential. A simple bit of HTML coding is used on a website page which allows users to choose a language to view the page in. With one simple click the website is translated.
"We appreciate that there is nothing better than a proper and through translation and localization of a website," explains Nicola Johnson, the company's Business Development Manager. "Our tool is more about giving people a taste of what it is like to have speakers of foreign languages access their website. The translation can be rough at times but the reader will always be able to understand what is being said. Users will also appreciate the ability to view pages in their own language. All in all this is a positive move designed to get people thinking about the localization of their websites."

To visit the free website translation widget

A new UK translation directory has been launched.

Kwintessential have today released their latest translation tool - a keyword translator. The tool is designed to help website professionals such as webmasters and SEO consultants research keywords in foreign languages.

What are keywords?

Keywords basically refer to internet search terms. For example, if someone was looking for office space to rent they may enter their query in a number of ways into a search engine such as Google, Yahoo! or MSN. Some people may enter "office space" some "rent an office". Using certain laboratories that research these trends experts are able to identify what terms people are using when looking for office space. At present the top 5 searches for this topic are:

1. office space
2. office rental space
3. office space realtor
4. office space for rent
5. office space for lease

These are known as the keywords for this particular search term (there will of course be many more). Webmasters and SEO experts use the keywords to ensure that they build their websites so that they can attract people from the search engines.

Why keyword translation?

We believe that the internet is going multilingual. Most big companies now translate websites into foreign languages but soon this will start to become the norm. This is to meet the demand of foreign language speaking internet users. Through researching keywords in foreign languages, those with multilingual websites can now ensure they are using the correct search terms to get French, Spanish, Italian or German speakers.

So using the example of office space again, if someone uses the keyword translation tool they will now find that the top 5 searches in French are:

1. amenagement espace bureau
2. espace bureau
3. restructuration espace bureau
4. espace bureau louer
5. restructuration espace bureau paris

A website owner will now know how to build their website pages in order to bring in queries by French users of search engines. Simple but effective!

We hope the tool will be of benefit to users. Visit the tool here > SEO Keyword Translation

We came across a neat little website translation tool that allows website owners to add a simple piece of HTML to their websites. The code then generates a widget on the website allowing visitors to read the page in a foreign language. It uses computer assisted translations so is not 100% accurate but it is better than a slap in the face!

Those of you that follow the translation company Kwintessential's development would know about their continous drive to design, develop and deliver cutting-edge tools and services for our clients and website users.

After months in development they now announce the launch of a new SMS Translation Service. The concept is simple - you can send text messages anywhere in the world, which we translate into any language for you. Whether it is business personnel needing to send messages to clients in other parts of the world or someone wanting to surprise their Spanish girlfriend, the service is simple, effective and inexpensive.

They are offering all visitors free credits if they join within the next week.

Register today for free! >>> SMS Translation

There's little need to emphasise that having a tattoo done is a serious commitment%u2026., particularly if the item to be tattooed onto a part of your body is a translation. Tattoos which have been translated are definitely something which should not be rushed into.

Want to know more about facts and statistics relating to tattoo translations? Well, the following should provide you with some useful guidance:

* In a 2002 survey, 8 out of the top ten voted 'most beautiful women in the world' had tattoos. Many of these tattoos include translations. You may not realise that so many of the UK celebrities have translation tattoos for the pure and simple reason that magazines and newspapers usually airbrush them out of the picture prior to publication
* In 2006 the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reported that almost one of four women aged between 18 and 50 have tattoos. Again it is likely that a significant portion of these tattoos are translations
* Tattoos and tattoo translations are hot business. Testament to this are statistics by Lycos which state that the 'Tattoo' search term has never been recorded as falling out of the Top 50 search phrases.
* Although 'Tattoo' an incredibly popular search term, it is often accompanied by the term 'translation'. Almost every translation language has been, and continues to be, searched for along with the term 'Tattoo'
* The most popular tattoo translations requested are typically translations into the following languages: Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, Swahili, Hindi and Arabic
* Although an American survey suggested that over 80% of respondents did not regret having a tattoo done, the growing number of 'humorous' websites devoted to sharing stories of tattoo translation disasters is growing
* Dr James Morel, California, recently reported that individuals were coming to him in their droves to have tattoos removed which were mistranslations. It appears that many of these people pick a tattoo in a tattoo parlour and trust at face value the fact that this tattoo is translated in the way in which it is advertised as being translated. Very few of these individuals take the time to get the translation verified by a professional translator or translation company. As such, they are in for a huge an difficult shock when they realise that their tattoo has not been translated in the way that they have been led to believe%u2026..

Get your name translated > Tattoo Translation.

The world is more connected than ever. You see it in the media, on the internet
, in sport, even in the turbulent world of finance. Businesses are constantly looking for new countries to sell to. But are foreign language skills still essential in 21st century communications? Don't we all speak English? Will languages really bring you more opportunities?

Given that 75 per cent of the world's population doesn't speak our language, English is not enough. It's a multilingual world and UK businesses are now realising that they need foreign languages to compete when trading internationally. It helps to speak languages over here as well. More than 300 languages are spoken in the UK, and millions of visitors come to our shores. Public services and the tourist industry need languages too.

This doesn't mean that you need to learn to speak the language fluently. There is room for all levels, and openings from the switchboard to the boardroom. Although fluency will give you more options, basic ability in languages is in demand as businesses look to break the ice with a few phrases in a meeting.

Speaking languages gives you the key to a whole new world. According to recruitment agencies, languages can even help you earn between 8 and 20 per cent more in your job. Jobs involving languages can be attractive. You might get to travel overseas or take on new responsibilities simply because you have the right patter.

Read more > Being Multilingual

Tourism businesses in the South West are being challenged by South West Tourism to attract more overseas customers to the region in 2009 through using multi-lingual websites.

South West Tourism has teamed up with Kwintessential, a leading regional provider of cross cultural solutions, to launch an innovative competition giving three businesses the chance to win a multi-lingual website design package worth £500 for the New Year.

In these uncertain times businesses can seek to improve their marketing advantage and global reach by allowing prospective overseas customers to research in their own language every aspect of a holiday or business visit to the South West.

Read more >> Competition

If you are looking for a translator in the United States then you can try the easy to use, state by state, directory of US Translators.

With Christmas coming up we are all looking for new and exciting ideas for presents.

If the person you are buying for does a lot of travelling then why not consider a personal handheld translation gadget?

Translation gadgets are great fun, have an educational element and most importantly help you out when in a spot of language bother.

For example the ECTACO iTRAVL Deluxe is the world first hands-free, eyes-free 2-way travel translator and your own personal Language Teacher. It makes every trip you take more enjoyable and more memorable and will have you speaking like a native within minutes. The most sophisticated talking travel translator ever built, iTRAVL Deluxe features the latest Speech Recognition that understands what you say to it and natural native-speaker voice output of all the phrases contained in its remarkable Audio PhraseBook. Including a robust, handheld scanner, iTRAVL is also able to grab and translate text no matter where you find it - from newspapers and magazines, to doctor's prescriptions, and menus and posters. A complete solution for the international traveller, iTRAVL Deluxe contains absolutely all the resources you depend when travelling in one single, sleek, hi-tech handheld. Always ready to provide you with the information you need most, it features a hi-res colour touch screen, sophisticated voice navigation and loads of travel resources like the Fodor's Travel Guide and CIA World Factbook. Indispensable extras include daily reminders, a talking calculator and metric conversions as well as a robust mp3 player for your favourite Audio Books and media files.

Want to add that little something extra to the next birthday card? Why not visit the Translation of Happy Birthday? A fantastic little page for free.

Kwintessential have just released details of a franchise scheme for people wanting to set up their own translation company. The scheme is looking for people based in:

* The Middle East/Dubai/Abu Dhabi
* India
* China
* Singapore
* Vietnam
* Australia
* Korea
* Russia
* Spain
* Portugal
* France
* Ukraine
* Italy
* Romania
* Poland
* Slovenia
* Czech Republic
* Republic of Ireland
* Estonia

Read more > Translation Franchise

Climate change, rising sea levels, depleted natural resources, shrinking rainforest and a plethora of other reasons have pushed the green agenda to the top of political discourse.

US President Obama has pledged billions towards investing in green technologies as part of tackling climate change as well as re-energising the US economy in the wake of the credit crunch.

Worldwide both small and large companies are starting to realise exciting and realistic means of creating energy through alternative, natural and less harmful means.

Kwintessential is a company that have long been dedicated to doing their bit for the environment and stemming from this decided to invest in developing translation services for the green industries.

For more information please visit > Green Technologies Translation

Ever called a translation company and been asked for a word count? If you don't understand how to get a word count then try this guide to Getting a word count from MS Word.