4 Steps to Avoiding Translation Mistakes

By: Lisa Sparks - [business]
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Title: 4 Steps to Avoiding Translation Mistakes Author: Allendy Doxy - Copyright (C) 2003 Line Space: 65 characters Word Count: 539

4 Steps to Avoiding Translation Mistakes by Allendy Doxy

With the advent and widespread adoption of technology such as high-speed Internet and wireless communications, the world is growing smaller by the second. If you don't communicate in more than one language, are you really competing? Here in the United States with the expanding Latino market, speaking and writing in Spanish is an absolute must for growing your business.

Granted, there are always pitfalls when delving into translating. That's why here I've provided a few steps you can take to produce mistake-free communications in foreign languages:

Think internationally from the start.

To do this, consider taking out cultural references specific to one particular culture. Many people make the mistake of referring to local sports such as cricket. (Although it's popular, it's not the global phenomenon soccer is.) One British field marshal made the mistake of rallying his troops on the eve of war by saying, "We'll hit 'em for six," which is a term used in the sport of cricket. When the comment was broadcast worldwide many listeners had absolutely no idea what the filed marshal was saying. Also, certain parts of the body, in the United States, may seem harmless when mentioned, but in other countries it's taboo.

Resist the temptation to do it yourself.

In the translation arena, great speaking doesn't equal great writing. Even if you negotiate with other businesses in another language, your written command of that language will be immediately noticed as "foreign," which can be the kiss of death when attempting to communicate in writing. To build a solid international image, employing a native-speaking translator is the most effective way to increase sales and reach your business goals.

Finalize your text before starting the translation.

It can be tough to turn a project over to a translator. You have so many questions: Will this offend? How will this sound in Spanish? Best advice: Leave it to the translator to find and fix any references that may offend. Finalize the document in English and then let the translator do his or her work. If you don't take that approach the result could be a very costly and potentially mistake-ridden document that reaps few - if any results. Note: If your deadline is absolutely too tight to give the translator the final version, date and time stamp each version you send over. That way you can keep track of which version is which.

Tell the translator what it's for.

Here's an example of an organization that just handed over a document for translation without giving the end-purpose to the translator:

In its $150,000 ad campaign, French utility company Electricit=E9 de France wanted to create an image in the U.S. of a company that had expertise in a range of expertise in many areas of their industry. The tagline came out "EDF offers competitive energetic solutions." Not quite what the company wanted to convey. Though the translation only cost $100, the cost to the company's image couldn't be measured.

The solution, give translators an overview of the audience you're reaching and where the document will be published.

Allendy Doxy, CEO and President of LetSpeak.com, runs a full-service translation agency, specializing in all major languages including Spanish, French, Italian, Kreyol, German and many others. Sign up to receive monthly tips on how you can tap into international markets at http://www.letspeak.com

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