It is especially applicable to advertising and marketing business. International marketers involved in global advertising, localization or brand building are likely to be familiar with the term ‘transcreation’ Transcreation does not imply recreating a whole new advertising campaign in one or more languages or geographic regions. The original concept shall remain but it shall be reworded in the target language taking care of the cultural nuances. The idea is to create the same impact on the intended audience as the original ad campaign.

Transcreation reduces the time taken to create new advertising campaigns in different languages by retaining the original concept or idea. You don’t need to invent new idea while doing transcreation. Mere word by word translation of advertising campaigns may not resonate well with the intended audience. This is where transcreation comes in. Transcreation implies such ideas like creative, bold and original rather than accuracy, faithful etc. which are more appropriate for translation.

A transcreator must have thorough knowledge of the source language in which a campaign has been created and understand the ‘message’ that it is aiming to convey. The purpose of transcreation is not just conveying the meaning of the original campaign but to produce the same ‘reaction’ of the audience as the campaign in the source language in the target language. Not only should the transcreator have high proficiency in the target and source languages but also thorough understanding of the respective cultures.

A transcreator must also be very creative as he has to connect with the audience with their feelings and transmit the message at subliminal level. The advertising may be for the TV, print or radio media but the purpose of transcreation is the same i.e. content adaptation. Transcreated content must reflect local culture to have maximum impact. Transcreation is not so much applicable to legal or technical translation where the stress is on accuracy as compared to advertising or marketing business where creativity matters more.

Thus a transcreator needs to have in depth knowledge about the cultures, be creative etc. in addition language proficiency like a translator. He/she must also have experience in running ad campaigns.

Since all word of one language may or may not have a corresponding word in the other language, Linguistic study becomes crucial for the purpose of translation. Linguistics pertains to scientific study of language. Linguistic approach to translation focuses primarily on the issues of meaning and equivalence (same meaning conveyed by a different expression). Linguistics thus tries to discover ‘what’ the language actually means. It is then the work of the philosophy of linguistics to understand ‘how’ the language means.

Language has certain features like meaning, reference, truth, verification, speech acts, logical necessity etc. it is through these feature that the linguists try to understand the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the text. Any language uses a particular set of signs and symbols to convey a particular meaning or idea. These signs and symbols are ‘signifiers’. The meaning or idea that is being conveyed by these ‘signifiers’ is called ‘signified’.  All languages are used in a particular social and cultural context. So the ‘signified’ for a particular ‘signifier’ may change from culture to culture and society to society. For example, for signifier ‘yellow’ in America, the signified is cowardice (“yellow bellied”- a popular saying) for Japan yellow signifies courage whereas for Indians it signifies joy. Thus the translator has to understand what the author of the original text actually wants to convey.

Beyond doubts language is the most vital component in translation. Translation can actually be understood as transferring the meaning or the idea from one language to another. It thus becomes imperative for a translator to understand the meaning of the source text (text to be translated) in the context in which they are said or written.

Language is formed of grammar, words, syntax etc. this form the structure of the language and pertains to structural linguistics. However beyond the structural approach the context also becomes important as said before. This aspect of linguistics approach is termed as functional linguistics.

There has been a historical debate in the field of translation between ‘word to word’ (literal) and ‘sense to sense’ (free) translation. Linguistic approach can enter both these aspects of translation.  However the ‘sense to sense’ translation is understood to actually carry to the same meaning as of the source text. So the translator is expected to maintain a linguistic equivalence between the source and the target text. Doing so involves an understanding of grammar, convention, idioms, etc in the social, political, economic and cultural context in which the text is written.

Thus it can be concluded that a Linguistic approach to translation covers all forms of translation. It is the right way to move forward towards better language translation.

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One Hour Translation is the world’s fastest professional translation service. One Hour Translation provides Fast, High Quality Expert Translation service on a 24/7 basis thanks to a community of over 8000 certified translators from all over the world.

Things to Do Before Implementing an International Marketing Strategy

The importance of translation and localization in globalization has been discussed dozens of times before in articles such as this, but very few authors ever bother to talk about what key factor should serve as the framework of a company’s international marketing strategy. The answer to that is advertising, of course; advertising, marketing, and promotion should serve as the catalysts for integrating localization, globalization, and translation together.

Before a freelance translation service or professional translation firm can go about localizing the marketing strategy of a given product or service, they need to first understand the dilemmas related to international-level advertising campaigns and promotions. These professionals need to raise pertinent and pressing inquiries regarding the function and place of the translator in this particular framework.

The Roles of Translators, Clients, and the Target Market

A translation specialist with a wide-ranging specialization in “advertising adaptation” should consider the point of view of not only the intended foreign audience, but also of his clients—the sponsors, communicators, and advertising executives—as well. After all, it’s their source material that’s getting translated and localized into other languages and cultures, so they have a say on the ultimate context and meaning that they want to convey to the foreign markets.

Most businessmen usually view all international markets as nothing more than a homogenized and transnational group of consumers having the exact same consumption habits and lifestyle; translators should ease such clients into the concept of localization by finding out the universal themes and messages found in their material.

Also, since translators are not businessmen, they should view themselves as linguistic and cultural mediators instead. Indeed, they should train themselves to regard international promotions as a means to apply their mediation specialties that enable them to see the multilingual market dilemma from the flexible and conciliatory angle of intercultural diversity.

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One Hour Translation is the world’s fastest professional translation service. One Hour Translation provides Fast, High Quality Expert Translation service on a 24/7 basis thanks to a community of over 8000 certified translators from all over the world.

There’s another significant advantage that a professional translation service provides and that’s proofreading.  Not only can a document be translated into another language by a translation service, that same document can be proofread by the same service.

One of the questions that may come to mind for those who want to hire a translation service is, “Why do I need a proofreader?  Can’t I rely on the professional translation to get my document completed free of errors?”

The answer to that is “yes” and “no.”

A human translation service will translate your document to the language you desire in the most accurate way.  Because you are working with a human being and not a machine, the translator will catch errors that machine translation cannot.  Your words will not be “lost in translation” with human translation.

However, despite the disadvantages of working with a machine, any time you deal with human services, there is the risk of human error.  Your document can receive professional translation, but there is no guarantee that every error will be caught in the translation.  That’s where a proofreader as a second opinion for a translator comes into play.  When an individual or a company has their documents proofread in combination with a translation service, the proofreading services provide a backup for any errors that may have been missed by the translators.

There are many reasons why the documents that you present should be as error free as possible.  The reasons are especially important in the business world.  Competition is a major factor of the business world and those who gain the competitive edge do so with documents that are professionally prepared.  If you are working with an organization or a company, you lose credibility if your documents are not translated properly and also contain errors.

Effective communication is one of the best ways to succeed in this world, and to do that your documents need to be error free or as close to error free as possible.  With a proofreader as a second opinion for a translator, you can better ensure that your documents are as perfect as they can be.

Along the way your company will save time when a proofreading service is combined with a translation service.  This frees you up to take care of other matters that are necessary for the day to day flow of your company or organization.

Professional translation is an interesting yet very challenging job. The interesting part in getting into this job is that you always get something different every time. Every project is as exciting as the next. You cannot expect the same thing with every document that you will need to translate. The challenging part, meanwhile, comes from the fact that languages from all over the world are entirely different from one another. Each language sets a tone that you should work on to crack the codes of its meanings, which you re expected to deliver to your client.

If you are someone who’s up for learning and you are ready to take on every kind of challenge, professional translation is the field for you. However, there are things you should know before plunging into this arena. Here are some:

• You must be equipped with the skill. Professional translation is an art rather than science. To become successful in this field, talent is more important than your technical knowledge. Make sure that you have that imminent ability as well as the eye for detail.
• You must know the tools that you need. There are things that can help you become more capable in carrying over a professional translation project. An efficient set of tools – computer system, document holder, etc. – can help improve your performance in the sense that they will aid you in finishing off the task at hand.
• You must be dedicated. Even though professional translation is but a part-time job, you must pour your heart over into it. Be strict with deadlines. That could be your best advantage among the others who offer the same job. There are lots of companies who require professional translation service. If you are good enough and you are able to satisfy the need of your clients, you will be able to make a living out of this.

Getting into the field of translation is a nice alternative for people who want an extra income. Whether you are a professional seeking something else to pour your extra time into or a housewife who wants to make money out of your idle time at home, professional translation could be your most promising choice, especially with the Internet getting into full swing.

Google Image Search as Translation Tool

Google, with its extensive line of service, has this feature that can help you out in cracking the meaning of words that you can’t find anywhere in the dictionary. Alas, you can use Google image search for more than just finding the most gorgeous picture of Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.

If you type the foreign word unto the search bar and hit Enter, you will be delighted to find numerous results that would give you the brightest idea of what the word or phrase actually mean or what is it all about altogether. Indeed, Google makes human translation much easier to work with.

You need to understand, however, that Google is not an infallible search engine. There are also times when finding the meaning of an abstract word via Google image search may not be possible due to some constraints. But definitely, this provides a worthy alternative than cracking your brains hard or taking the rarest chance of coming across someone who will provide you with the meaning you are looking for. Using Google’s image search, a free service, mind you, is a neat trick that you will find extremely useful and handy as well.

Challenges of Translation

There are obviously many challenges that human translation pose. For one, each language sets a different level of difficulty for translators to come up with the most accurate translation, given their slang and regional flavor. And for another, not every word in a foreign language’s vocabulary can be supplied with a meaning.

Good thing, our updated technology, especially the usability of the Internet, has offered several alternatives that make life a little bit easier for human translation to come through. Yes, you can also find refuge from machine translation that is also widely available online. But if you go for quality more than comfort and cost, I think human translation is but the only and best way to go.

If you can’t do it yourself, don’t fret. Because there are a lot of competent and efficient translation service companies that can supply your need.

But some people do overlook the importance of quality, especially in translation. The common mistake is that they make the wrong impression. Different languages have different ways to tell many different things. It is safe to say that translation is not as easy as it may appear. Doing it word-for-word may just keep you off-track rather than on it.

For the most part, communication (misuse or lack of it) is the key factor that affects the outcome. So here, I’ll provide you with some tips to live by if you intend to achieve outstanding quality in the translation service you sought:

Tip #1: Choose your agency well enough. There are quite a dime a dozen firms that are into this kind of business. Yet, not all of them can give you the assurance of meeting your quality standards. Make sure that when you choose your agency, like most smart marketers as I am do, you check out its ability and capability to meet the requirements of your project. High quality translation service delivered just in time is one of your guiding points.

Tip #2: Communicate your style. If you like to keep your own tone for the project, you must give the agency proper insight on what it actually is so that your translators will not deliver an output that deviates from your original framework.

Tip #3: Be clear with your deadline. Translation can be tedious and it is quite common for some companies to miss the urgency in your need. If you need the project immediately, make sure that the other end knows about it and has agreed to it. A good point: if you have chosen the translation service provider well enough, you would not have to wait forever for the project to be delivered, which brings us back to tip #1.

An open communication line between the client and the translation agent is a nice startup in ensuring that an excellent quality of translation will be achieved. A good translation service is more than just substituting foreign words with another language. So make sure that good communication is present. If you are clear of your requirements, your expectations, and the quality of service you expect, you will most likely get them as is suitable.

Pronunciation-\kuh-PRISH-us; -PREE-shus\

Adjective;

Definition-
Dictionary.com- Apt to change suddenly; whimsical; changeable.

Wiktionary- Impulsive and unpredictable; determined by chance, impulse, or whim; as, a capricious winterstorm, stringent rulers often act capriciously.

“Molly was a capricious woman. Her moods were unpredictable, her anger petty and vicious.”
Rand Roberts and James Olson, John Wayne: American

Pronunciation- \kwy-ES-uhnt; kwee-\

adjective

Definition-
Dictionary.com- Being in a state of repose; at rest; still; inactive.

Wiktionary- Inactive, at rest, quiet.

Translations-
Spanish- Quiescente
French- Repos
German- Ruhestrom

“A vicious but localized Sino-Japanese war raged around the Shanghai region through much of 1932. The conflict then settled into a quiescent phase for several years.”
– David M. Kennedy, “The Horror”, The Atlantic, April 1998

Pronunciation- \ih-KWIV-uh-kayt\

Intransitive verb

Definition-
Wiktionary- To use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one’s opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity.

The witness shuffled, equivocated, pretended to misunderstand the questions.
– Thomas Babington Macaulay, History of England

Translations-
Spanish- equivocate
French- tergiverser
German- zweideutig