Essential Qualities of an Efficient Human Translator

Translators are those professionals who convert various texts from the source language to the target language. There are varied fields where translators play a vital role, for instance, marketing, research, technology, legal domains etc. They translate various documents related to these fields as per the requirement. With the advancement of the technology, we have become accustomed to machine translation besides manual translation. Both mediums have their advantages and disadvantages as well as their place in the market. However, the nature and stature of the translation project would determine which medium is best.

One thing is certain, that is no amount of accuracy in machine translation cannot replace an efficient human translator. This is because translation process is not merely about word to word conversion. It is a much deeper process than it appears on the surface and always requires human touch and understanding for more effectiveness. A good translator takes into account not only the meaning of individual words, but also the context and core message of the whole text and conveys it in the target language accordingly. For an efficient translator there are certain qualities that make their work superior to a machine translation, they are-

Expertise in Both Languages

Translation involves two languages and the translator should possess a profound knowledge of both. In fact, having a thorough knowledge of the languages a translator works on is a prerequisite. The knowledge should not just be verbal, but formal, written kind. Even if one of the languages involved is the native language of the translator, he/she should not take it lightly. Knowing both the languages in deeper level is a sign of an efficient translator.

Research is Must

Even after being proficient in both the languages, there are still scope for improvements and that comes from systematic research. Research often leads to the perfect words that fit the meaning of the source language in a given context. It is true for technical and legal documents where an alteration of the word can affect the whole meaning in a great way. An efficient translator always does his research in order to offer the best-in-class translation services and stay ahead of others.

Certification of the Translation Skills

With the emergence of globalisation more and more people are connecting together, which is creating a distinct milieu. In such a scenario, lots of opportunities are opening up for the translators. A professional certification certainly gives an edge to the translator in the professional field. There are various institutes that offer certification courses for translators. Such courses would equip a translator with relevant skills and knowledge of the professional translation services and improve their efficacy.

Discipline and Moral Values

An efficient professional in any field should be disciplined about his work and also possess the knowledge of professional ethics. Without these qualities, a professional is quite useless and translation world is no exception to that rule. A proficient translator should be dedicated to his work, show discipline while working and adhere to the professional norms. They should have ethical values as well to become a trustworthy member of a team.

Conclusion

For efficient and error-free translation services, one needs a proficient human translator who is not only an expert linguist but also possesses other necessary qualities. Given the vital part a translator plays in the globalisation process, they need to possess all the above mentioned qualities in order to stand out. This would not only make them a better and more efficient professional but would also help to a great extent in the growth of the modern world.

Translation: A Way to Restore Minority Languages

A way to restore minority language over the past years, linguists have tried to protect the languages those are lesser known and lesser used by the people all over the world. A growing awareness has been observed regarding this issue. A large number of articles are published, conferences are held to protect the indigenous, aboriginal, or lesser used languages. Various translation companies have taken up the charge to translate those languages with the help of native language translators. An arrangement has been made to translate English language to the target language, to increase the readers of such languages.

 What is Minority Language?

According to Oxford Dictionary, a language spoken by a minority group, if different from that of the majority is a minority language. From this we can derive minority language is spoken by a small number of people in comparison to the other languages which are broadly used by many speakers. Minority languages have lesser uses or none at all in the official or educational organisations. As the number of the speakers is less and due to its lesser usage  minority languages tend to lose its existence. Modernisation and globalization are also reasons which influence the existence of minority languages along the losing interest of speaker’s attitude towards their own language.

India and Minority Languages:

India is a land of different languages, not just one or two. Due to the political and cultural context privileges, minority languages are often discriminated against by the current languages which are broadly speaking. The political and cultural context of India's society recognises the major languages such as Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Malayalam etc., which are profusely used and officially recognized in several States as state languages. However, there are innumerable speakers of smaller languages which are not recognised and hence get neglected. The UNESCO-World Atlas of Languages has listed 172 languages in India are endangered out of which 71 are in critical situations like some tribal languages along with Santali, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, etc.

Translation to restore Minority Languages:

Globalization and modernisation has forced people to speak a common language rather than following different languages. The common language is required to promote trade and commerce with the other countries of the world which in turn puts minority languages at inconvenience. In addition, languages are also made more standardized to meet the requirements of the society which totally annihilates the local dialects. To overcome such problems, the minority languages can be translated to the English language or other major languages or even the English language can be translated into the target languages.

Translation of these minority languages into widely spoken language would take a stand for these languages as it will be read by many people. Most of these minority languages are being neglected as it becomes difficult to use or read by most of the people for its lesser usage. To make it widely known, these languages can be translated to the English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, etc. languages. For example, languages like Lepcha, Boro, Dimasa, Tulu, Santali, can be translated to the English language which will make it readable and understandable to the people and hence increase their interest in the languages.

Translation of not only texts, but also of various entertaining programmes which are shown on TV, can be translated from the minority languages to the languages like English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, so that it grabs people’s attention and grows their interest in the culture and language.  Apart from taking the help of native language translators for translating the documents, translating companies can also take the help of specialized technologies for promoting the minority languages. The internet is such a platform where online guides to such languages can be provided. Through the internet, people sitting in any corner can avail to this programme and can easily learn the languages. For making it interesting for the kids, some video games can be made which incorporates minor languages which will definitely attract the kid’s attention.

A translation of such indigenous, minor languages will help in lessening the misunderstanding among the minor and major language speakers. Unable to communicate properly is the main reason of miscommunication which tends to bring barrier among the minor and major language speakers. Even in the political field, if a person fails to communicate he won’t be able to gain the trust of the people. In such cases, translation companies can provide with their assistance by helping the government with native language translators who will not only be able to understand the language but also translate the target language without destroying its originality.

Conclusion: 

Hence, we can conclude that to save the minority languages, to add spark in their existence, to make those recognisable; translating those languages will definitely come in handy. It will not only make those languages known, but also grow people’s interest in knowing those languages, their culture, and their lifestyle, which will bring forth these languages into every one’s attention. Moreover, with the help from various Translation Companies with their certified native language translators, translating the language will also add a spark to the existence of those languages.

Language: It’s influence in viewing the World

What is Language?

Language is the tool through which we express our thoughts, views, opinions, feelings. We can also define language as a system for communicating our wishes and desires. To be able to speak in more than one language is very important in today’s world scenario. Globalization has made it necessary that one should consider learning more than one language to become successful in any perspective. For the very reason, today one can find various professional translation services that help in language translation and imparts the knowledge of the language. 


Role of Language in Human Life

Language plays a vital role in the development of human identity. We live in a linguistic world that is we carry the whole world in our minds through language. Nothing gives us more joy than to express ourselves in a language, just as Frantz Fanon recognized that being able to name the world around in one’s own words provides the individual with a sense of possession, a sense of belonging. (“The Emperor’s New Words: Language and Colonization” by David Gonzalez Nieto).

Language and Our World View

 Language affects and influences our view of how the world is: The debate on this topic is an ongoing process. Many consider language as a mere tool of communication. But others also consider language for understanding culture which in turn influences one’s view of the world. ‘Language influences our thoughts’, was brought forward by the well-known linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, through their hypothesis known as “Theory of Linguistic Relativism”. According to Whorf, “language is more than just a communication tool - language determines our perception of reality”. Though this was just a hypothesis, but it cannot be wholly denied that the language has no influence over our view of the world. Some aspects through which the difference is created are discussed below:

   Firstly, if we talk about Indian languages, be it Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati or Tamil, each has a distinct name for the relatives. To take the example in Hindi, we have a mama, mami, chacha, chachi and the list goes on. Whereas if we compare it with the English language we find that they have only one category for such relations uncle and aunt. We have a broad categorisation which shows our relations are closer than theirs. And this shapes our view of relationships.
 
    Secondly, we know concept of time is similar for everyone. But in a research, it has been discovered that our approach to financial and economic matters depends on time. Languages such as English, Spanish, Hindi, have grammars which distinguished between past, present and future. While some other languages like Chinese uses the same to describe actions at different times. This creates a difference in our view as the languages which can differentiate the time can behold the time more closely. They can surely plan something concrete for the future as they have definite terms.

    Thirdly, while giving directions we mostly keep our physical body at the centre and describe its right and left or front and back for recognising the directions. But some languages do not use ‘left’, ‘right’ like the Australian Aborigines. They are more specific with their directions, such as north-east and south-western. They use north, south, east and west for which they have a better sense of directions. It is seen that such people could understand the directions more promptly.
 
    Fourthly, language can also influence our perception of colour. In Indian languages or English, German, colours are given names like red, green, blue and so on. But in some languages like Japanese blue and green are considered as the shade of same colour. Again, in Russian language, they don’t have a single name of the colours like ours. Suppose, if we say that “the sky is blue”, they will be more specific about the colour of the sky, “the sky is light blue”. Speakers of such languages are more specific about the shades of the colour than the other language speakers.

    Fifthly, if we talk about the articles of gender in English for human are ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’ and inanimate objects have no gender. Whereas in Hindi, inanimate objects like chair also can be termed as animate by saying ‘kursi khadi hai’, terming it as feminine gender. Similarly, ‘kapada’ ‘chasma’ are masculine. Thus, attaching emotions with inanimate objects.



Conclusion:

Thus, different language has different sets of grammar and vocabulary which affects our viewing of the world. However, to say that our perception completely depends upon the language solely will also be not correct. But it helps in building a habit, belief, customs which makes us acceptable in the world, in our society. Therefore, to be able to translate one language into another while keeping the essence like that of the native language is very difficult. This is where the professional translation services are required for language translation, which will assure no miscommunication while dealing with a global audience.  

Spanish Today – How The Centuries-Old Spanish Language is Today

The local language of Spain is adopted from a dialect of spoken Latin. The Spanish language originated in the north-central region of the Iberian Peninsula in the fifth century. It was at the same time when Western Roman Empire collapsed. Later, in the 16th century, a written language was established in Toledo and Madrid. And in the past 500 years, the language has spread along with Spanish colonial conquer, especially in the Mediterranean region. The language is also called Castellano.

History of the Spanish language 

Spanish universal writer, Miguel de Cervantes gave the world English words like tomato, cocoa, and barbecue. Spanish is used as an official language in 20 countries on three continents, including Mexico and The United States of America, which also have two of the largest Spanish-speaking communities. Because of its widespread use, Spanish interpretation, and English and Spanish translation are of great importance. 

Spain is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. The Real Academia Española was set up in the 18th century to develop and authoritative criteria for sanctioning neologisms and integration of international words in the Spanish language. This makes Spanish translation easier than other languages. It was in the same century that the Hispanic culture thrived and Spanish grammar was made formal.

  What is Spanish language today? 

The 20th century saw a decline in the Hispanic touch of the language and the grammar underwent simplification. It was a result of technological and scientific advancements and industrialization. A transformation was seen from classic Spanish words such as termmetro and psicoan¡lisis to more simplified modern Spanish words such as radar and filmar. Since these words are simple to understand if you know English, anyone with a basic knowledge of English and easily translate Spanish into English.  

Language experts have claimed that by 2050 there would be 530 million Spanish speakers around the world. Currently, there are 400 million Spanish speakers, making it the second most spoken language on this planet. Learning the Spanish language and becoming English to Spanish translation can be an excellent career choice. 

In countries like the USA, Spanish translation of your resources for the use of Hispanics living the United States is the must. The USA has around 50 million native Spanish speakers. However, the Spanish spoken in Europe and the one spoken in the USA is slightly difference. This is because of the influence of indigenous languages of that particular region. In the late 20s, the legal and illegal immigrants from Mexico to America were recognized by the media, and various television and radio shows were created to target the population. 

In Philippines, Spanish is of great cultural reference as the country’s first texts are written in that language. Asia has a very small population of people who consider Spanish as their mother tongue. The count is around 3,000. 

Spanish is a language that is flourishing rapidly and a promising future. With globalization and industrialization going strong, the language will spread further and set deep roots in many countries.

Changing dimensions in the language & translation industry

With technology at our fingertips, the world seems to be becoming a smaller place. Everything is more accessible. While companies trying to make an international presence rely on professional translation services to reach out to a larger audience, even domestic companies have begun to realize the potential of translation services to make a more profound impact in the market. With the increase in language diversity within each country the need for translation is definitely prevalent even for domestic businesses.

Translation is no more restricted to mere text translation. With technology advancing by leaps and bounds, the translation industry is undergoing a paradigm shift in the kind of services it provides. Translation service providers need to constantly work at incorporating the various requirements that arise with technological advancement and provide the latest services to every company which desires a comprehensive translation.

Audio & Video Localization

The demand for voice based content is booming. This is not something new, but with ever increasing popularity of video content, voice content also is gaining importance. As it’s practically not possible to recreate the video content for different sets of target audiences, voice–overs and subtitling become crucial. This has created a huge demand for audio & video localization as well as subtitling services.

Content Explosion

In today’s world, there is more to do in less time. With content being updated and circulated at such a rapid frequency, the need for high quality content writing services is becoming a major requirement for most companies.

Multi-Lingual Web Content 

With globalization and immigration, the need for multi lingual web content has increased drastically. Web localization services help to transform your websites into marketing tools that appeal to a global audience.

Multi-Lingual SEO services 

Multi-lingual SEO is also gaining momentum. A well translated website will be of no use, if it can’t be found by people. Hence with web content translation, the need for providing multi lingual SEO services becomes imperative.

Software Localization

With nearly 5.7 million apps available for downloading and the need for desktop software and website applications to appeal to a multi lingual audience, software localization services has a huge demand.

Machine translation

The key to translating web content, marketing copy etc doesn’t boil down to a simple word to word translation. In order to convey a brands identity and to get across the appropriate message to the target audience, a human translation becomes inevitable. Relying on machine translation can not only put a company’s reputation at stake but can also lead to huge monetary losses. While machine translation is making rapid advancement in the features it can offer, any company looking for a complete translation will have to turn to professional human translators.

In the present scenario, any translation company must to strive to be updated with the rapidly evolving requirements in the language and translation industry. The aim must be to move from mere translation services to providing a wide range of muti media translation services in order to stay abreast with the changing times.

 

Importance of Effective Communication in Global Business

Role of Effective Communication in Business

Business is a field that involves people from different arenas of life and needs an effective co-ordination among them to run smoothly. The key to perfect co-ordination is effective communication. Different languages, different cultures and social status create barriers for smooth communication which can be overcome with patience and perseverance and also a little help from the language experts. 

With the rise of global business trend it is all the more important for the business houses to ensure perfect co-ordination and communication among their employees and business delegates. Both verbal and written global business communication is significant in the improvement of productivity and efficiency. 

The Contribution of STPL in Global Business

We at Somya Translators Pvt. Ltd. offer a number of services for the global business scenario. For example, we begin with interpreting services that involves interpretation of the business messages or conversations and convey them in the target language. For the audio and video contents we offer subtitling and subtitle translation in the target language. Certified professional linguists who have been working on the respective domains are entrusted with such projects for most efficient services. Cost-effective prices and timely delivery of projects are two prominent aspects of all our services. Here is detailed information about those services-

Interpretation Services

Our interpretation services include business interpretation, conference interpretation, and media interpretation and so on. We put due emphasis on the interpretation part as we believe that it plays a crucial part in globalizing the business. With accurate interpretation the part of communication becomes easier and effective. Our proficient native interpreters are perfectly skilled to offer efficient translation services in various fields. Our services comprise different domains like commercial, technical, legal, medical and scientific and many more.  

Apart from them we also take up projects of real time interpretation, telephone interpretation, consecutive interpretation and escort interpretation. The best part is we customise each of our services to suit the requirements of both the national and international clients. 

For each service we employ experienced and professional interpreters who are not only well-versed in interpretation but also familiar with the culture and nuances of the languages they are dealing with. It ensures accurate and absolutely relevant interpretation that is easily understood by the target audience. 

Subtitling and Subtitle Translation Services

Subtitling is one of the most widely used method of circulating an audio or video content among a larger section of people. Business houses often resort to this method to expand their business in the global market. We, with the help of our proficient native translators, are able to provide quality subtitles that complement the original audio-video content of any discipline. Each of the content is duly studied and analysed in order to understand the core meaning of it. Only then the process of subtitling and subtitle translation begins. All the words are so chosen that they convey the exact expression as on the original source. The core message and meaning of your audio and video content is kept intact in the translated materials as well. 

Author Bio

Ranita, a web content writer by profession. I am working for Somya Translators Pvt. Ltd. as one of the content writer and write articles on linguistics and translation services provided by this leading translation services company.