tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74120528421129399792023-11-16T05:56:24.430-08:00MediaLoc's Translation and Localization BlogSilvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-66144936789835397892016-02-23T00:44:00.000-08:002016-02-23T00:44:19.261-08:00How to make your brand go further<div class="MsoNormal">
Every company knows the importance of brand research. It is
essential that your branding communicates your company’s values to consumers,
resonates with your audience and carries the right associations and attitudes
that people will link to your company.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now imagine that you have found the perfect branding, a
slogan that works beautifully and a tone of voice that gives your brand the
right identity. More often than not, you will have hired a professional brand
consulting team. You are doing great in your home market and are thinking of
taking your brand abroad. Should you just go ahead?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The short answer is yes, but plan carefully. Of course you
want to be able to harness the huge potential of foreign markets, but just like
it takes a lot of work to develop a brand in a market, there should be a
significant amount of research carried out before attempting to enter a new
market. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The best way of achieving this is through multicultural
brand research and transcreation. First of all, it’s important to research
things such as the associations that certain words, colours and images may have
in the target market, as they may differ greatly from your culture. You want to
avoid blunders such as the famous Mitsubishi Pajero.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Secondly, transcreation, a combination of content creation
and translation, can help preserve the essence of your brand in the target
language, whilst respecting the cultural conventions and expectations, which
translates into brand understanding and engagement.</div>
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So, in order to make your brand go further, it is best to
work with a team who knows the target market well and can provide the necessary
brand research information, as well as excellent copy that resonates with your
audience and communicates your brand values. One brand that has achieved that
beautifully in China is Nike, whose transliterated name “Nai Ke” also carries
the meaning of being enduring and persevering, two concepts that perfectly
match their products. And they’re doing great in the country, which shows the
importance of good market research.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-28939465942383875522016-02-23T00:38:00.004-08:002016-02-23T00:38:59.650-08:00What is International Spanish?<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my clients, who I have been working with for quite a
while, recently decided to stop translating into Spanish for Spain and start
translating into International Spanish. Aside from the challenges that this poses
for me as a translator, the decision made me think. What is even International
Spanish? Does it exist or is it a myth?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The RAE (Real Academia de la Lengua Española), which is the
body that regulates the use of Spanish language, certainly doesn’t refer to International
Spanish, even if it does differentiate between Castilian Spanish and American
Spanish (which encompasses both the Spanish used in the US and in Latin
American countries).<o:p></o:p></div>
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But what do people actually mean when they talk about
International Spanish? Although the debate keeps raging on, I am of the opinion
that International Spanish doesn’t exist, that is has been made up in order to
facilitate communication across digital channels, and may I say so, to reduce
translation costs in some cases. International Spanish is meant to be a kind of
neutral Spanish which all fairly educated Spanish speakers will be able to
understand no matter where they come from, and which avoids regional variations
and local terminology and grammar which can be confusing, sound unnatural or
even be offensive in other Spanish-speaking markets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can understand the case for International Spanish. After
all, it’s the second most-spoken language in the world. Over 400 million people
speak Spanish as a native language in no less than 31 countries, so it would be
hard to localise content for each one of those countries. However, it’s
precisely because of this wide range of speakers that it is just not possible
to adopt one type of Spanish that all speakers will find natural.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every country is different and so is its culture. Even basic
words can change across locales. For instance, “car” is “coche” in Spain,
whereas in many Latin American countries it’s “carro”, which in Spain refers to
a horse cart. “Bicho” in a bug in Spain, but it can also be a naughty child,
whereas it Costa Rica saying someone is a “bicho” at something it means they’re
very good at it, and in Puerto Rico it refers to the male sexual organ. Then
there is the word “chongo”, which refers to a one-armed person in Chile, a type
of hair style in Mexico, a tame horse in Puerto Rico and a lover in Argentina.
And that doesn’t even cover grammar, sentence structure and slang/common
expressions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then there are also stereotypes. For example, in Spain,
Latin American accents have long been ridiculed, especially from countries like
Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia, one reason being the TV programmes from those
countries that have been broadcasted in Spain. Although nowadays people are
more accepting, there are still a lot of political and immigration issues that
shape the way Spaniards think of Latin Americans, and despite the fact that
opinions can vary widely and some other accents like Argentinian and Cuban
carry more positive stereotypes, most customers in Spain will not react well if
you try to market your products to them using a Latin American variant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">So eve</span><span style="line-height: 107%;">n when trying to use the so-called
International Spanish variant and keep the language as neutral as possible,
there w</span><span style="line-height: 107%;">ill be significant differences across the countries and the text will
not sound completely natural in any of the markets. Therefore, in order to
achieve true engagement and realise your full potential in those markets, it is
always best to localise your material for the particular locale you are trying
to target. If, understandably, localising for 31 markets seems like an
overwhelming prospect, the best solution is to research what markets will be
mostly beneficial to you and stick to those. </span></span>Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-58602233834663948552016-01-11T01:21:00.001-08:002016-01-11T01:22:36.826-08:005 tips for successful app localisation<div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 32px;">
I recently read this blog entry by app developer Laura Tallardy <a data-mce-href="http://lauratallardy.com/app-localization-made-easy/" href="http://lauratallardy.com/app-localization-made-easy/" style="color: #8c68cb; text-decoration: none;">http://lauratallardy.com/app-localization-made-easy/</a> and I was pleased to see, from a developers’ perspective, how important localisation is for the success of the product and in increasing market share. She provides some excellent technical tips that will come in handy for anyone seeking to localise their app. This inspired me to add some additional advice from a localisation provider’s point of view, which I hope you find useful.</div>
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<li style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong>Plan for localisation from the beginning</strong></li>
</ol>
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Integrating localisation from the beginning can help avoid some of the costly problems that may arise later if the app has not been designed in a localisation-friendly way. Consider technical issues, like the ability to support all kinds of characters, text directions, and date and currency formats. Also think very carefully about the markets you want to access based on their potential.</div>
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<li style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong>Research your target market</strong></li>
</ol>
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Once you have decided the markets you would like to access, you need to research and understand your customers, just like you would in your home country. What makes customers tick in one country might not be the same in another, so when localising some of the most important text, like the store descriptions, make sure to adapt it to the local market taste and expectations. Researching the most popular keywords in each market goes a long way in gaining visibility; Google AdWords and Trends are useful, but another trick is to start typing a word in the App Store search box and wait for suggested search terms. And don’t forget different countries may have different app stores!</div>
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<li style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong>Style is key</strong></li>
</ol>
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You have spent weeks or even months writing your app, so why risk ruining it with stilted text, awkward translations or plain unintelligible text? Direct, literal translations hardly ever work. Jokes, common expressions, cultural references and such need to be adapted so they are meaningful to the target audience. Style needs to be carefully considered in order to engage your audience, so it’s important to work with the right professionals, who are familiar with the app market and the style you are trying to portrait.</div>
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<li style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong>Bear in mind text expansion</strong></li>
</ol>
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It is very important to consider that languages are not all the same length. Whereas languages like Japanese and Chinese tend to be very short, other languages like French, Spanish and German use more words or longer words to convey the same message, which can take around 20-30% more space than English.</div>
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<li style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong>Test, test and test!</strong></li>
</ol>
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Test thoroughly your localised apps in all languages to make sure that everything works, the text is displayed correctly in the right place and there are no issues such as clipped text, incorrect line breaks and untranslated strings, as well as any other errors that might have crept in.</div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-68794771123400714122015-12-18T00:59:00.000-08:002015-12-18T00:59:30.948-08:00Christmas around the World<div class="MsoNormal">
Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the
world. However, celebrations can vary widely across countries and cultures.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the <b>UK</b>, celebrations start very early, and many towns
switch on their Christmas lights as early as mid-November. Nativity plays and
carols are quite popular close to Christmas time, and a lot of houses display a
Christmas tree. The main meal is on Christmas Day, which is usually comprised
of roast turkey, roast potatoes, vegetables and other trimmings, with Christmas
pudding for dessert, and presents are exchanged on the day. On the 26<sup>th</sup>
December, the UK celebrates Boxing Day, which started as the day when
collection boxes for the poor kept in churches were opened in order to
distribute the contents, but these days is more known as the day when the sales
start, which draw huge crowds to the city centre stores.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In <b>Spain</b>, most families eat their main Christmas meal on
Christmas Eve. This is a big family occasion and it’s not rare to find 20-25
people gathered in one small room. And true to their reputation as food lovers,
they have another large meal for lunch on Christmas Day. The traditional dinner
varies from region to region, and it can be anything from turkey to lamb or
even seafood. Although children receive some presents on Christmas Day due to
influence from other cultures, the main festival is on the 6<sup>th</sup>
January, which celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men, who brought
presents to baby Jesus. On the night of the 5<sup>th</sup> January, it’s
traditional to leave shoes on windowsills or balconies with small gifts (mainly
food) for the Three Wise Men. When the children wake up, they can find their
presents hidden under the bed, provided they have behaved well that year;
naughty children can get coal as a punishment (which is not real coal, but a
sweet shaped like the mineral).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Similarly to Spain, in <b>Italy</b> Christmas is quite a religious
affair. A nativity scene is usually displayed in houses, town squares and
churches. Father Christmas, or “Babbo Natale”, brings some presents to the
children on Christmas Day, but the main celebration is also on the 6<sup>th</sup>
January, day in which Befana, an old woman, flies from house to house on her
broomstick bringing presents to children. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In <b>Australia</b>, Christmas takes place at the the beginning of
summer, and it’s quite common in coastal towns to gather and sing Christmas
carols on the beach in the run-up to the holidays. Houses are decorated with
Christmas trees, bunches of Christmas bush (a shrub native to Australia with
cream-coloured flowers which later turn red) and lights. Neighbours can get
quite competitive about their displays! Once he gets to Australia, Santa gives
his reindeer a much needed rest and swaps them for six kangaroos, or “six white
boomers”. Barbecues are also very traditional this time of year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the <b>Philippines</b>, Christmas is a mixture of Western and
native traditions. Whereas they celebrate Christmas Eve, Christmas day and have
Santa Claus, it is a tradition to have a bamboo pole (“parol”) with a star-shaped
lantern on it, which represents the star that the Three Wise Men followed to
get to Bethlehem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In many <b>other European countries</b>, St Nikolaus is accompanied
by a scary character, who acts as a warning to naughty and disobedient children
and goes by different names, from “Knecht Ruprecht” in Germany to “Le P<em><span style="background: white; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">è</span></em>re Fouettard” in
France.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, in the <b>Czech Republic</b>, the traditional Christmas meal consists of fish soup and fried carp with potato salad. Some people fast during Christmas Eve in the hope of seeing the vision of the "golden pig" on the wall, which is said to bring luck. Also, it's a tradition for an unmarried girl to place a cherry twig under water on the 4th December. It if blossoms by Christmas Eve, she will get married within a year.</div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-50484585239668112772015-12-11T04:14:00.000-08:002015-12-11T04:16:54.352-08:00Localisation: The best way to increase your revenue<div class="MsoNormal">
Localisation should be one of the top priorities in the
marketing strategy of any company who wishes to have international presence. Research
has clearly shown that consumers overwhelmingly prefer localised products. Common
Sense Advisory, as part of their “Can’t Read, Won’t Buy” study, polled 3,002
consumers in 10 countries in their languages and found a substantial preference
for the consumer’s mother tongue. This supports other studies which claim that over
50% of Internet users are more likely to buy from a website in their own
language, and 75% do not make important purchase decisions unless the
information is presented in their own language. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Similarly, several market research studies, like those
published by App Annie, clearly show that a large percentage of the Top 20
games and apps for downloads and revenue across the different markets are in
the local language.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With over 70% of Internet users not speaking English as
their first language, the potential of localisation is huge. Also, if you take
into account the costs of localising a product or website compared to the costs
of opening a physical store in a different market, it is not difficult to see
why localisation is such an effective strategy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In order to maximise this potential, you should research and
understand your customers in the target market, just like you would in your
home country. Understand what makes them tick, and prepare your marketing plan
accordingly. Also, tailor your messages and images according to the
sensitivities and preferences of the target culture. Every culture is
different, and what may be common practice in one country could be considered
odd or even offensive in another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For that reason, it is fundamental to have a localisation
partner who can not only adapt the text according to the local culture, but
also advise you on any possible cultural issues and how best to penetrate that
market. It will be an invaluable help in order to achieve success abroad and
increase your revenue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Would you like more information on how to increase your revenue through localisation? Please feel free to get in touch via our <a href="http://www.medialoc.net/">website</a> or follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/medial0c">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/medialoc">LinkedIn</a>.</div>
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Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-36011885911906739722015-02-03T13:00:00.000-08:002015-02-03T13:00:31.889-08:005 tips for creating multilingual content marketing<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We all know how important content marketing is. It
helps you maintain a relationship with your clients, creates new leads, can
help position your brand as knowledgeable and a trusted source for information,
and works wonders for SEO, driving more traffic to your website. Just imagine
how powerful that would be if implemented across all the markets you wish to
target, and how much of a positive impact it would have on your business.
Creating a successful content strategy might not easy, but it is definitely
worth the investment. Based on our experience, we would like to share with you
5 tips that will help you on your way to developing a multilingual content
writing strategy:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1. Provide
a clear brief</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Provide copywriters with a clear brief that explains
the company’s values, brand identity, target audience, tone of voice, etc. so
that they can produce content which, whilst resonating with the target market, communicates
your brand’s personality and style. Glossaries are also useful to ensure
consistency with previous/future material. Don’t forget content marketing is
about communicating with your customers, bringing them closer to your brand and
building rapport, so it is important to ensure the personality of the brand
comes across consistently across all markets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Adapt the text to the target culture<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In order to truly appeal to a foreign audience, you
need to use the right words and expressions which are common in that particular
country and pay attention to local conventions, including puns, wordplay, local
references, cultural and social preferences, etc. Similarly, do not forget to
keep an eye on social and cultural trends, such as the new music group in the
scene, the TV programs people are watching, the latest joke from an ad, or the
must have-item of the season. Your local copywriters should be able to advise
you on this, and provide feedback on linguistic and cultural issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3. Language
doesn’t equal culture<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just because two countries speak the same language doesn’t
mean you can use the same content in both. Think about how culturally different
the US and the UK are. Multilingual content writing goes far beyond translating
text into another language, it is about adapting the content to the target
culture, as the previous point explained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">4. Multilingual SEO <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Whilst the way search
engine optimization works has changed greatly, it is more important than ever.
Creating content that is relevant for your customers and uses appropriate keywords
will improve your ranking in search engine result pages across all the
different markets, especially if your competitors aren’t creating multilingual
content. Research and use the keywords that are looked for in a particular
market, write content relevant to that market and translate all the text that
the search engines use to rank your content.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5. Pay
attention to the visuals!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When writing content for a particular market, you
should always check any accompanying images and symbols. Things that are
acceptable in the original market might not be so in any other countries. For instance,
displaying a bottle of wine in an ad might not be very popular in countries
where alcohol is forbidden. Similarly, a hexagonal red sign would not mean
anything in Japan, where the stop sign is a red upside down triangle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-35648994255577578202015-01-07T10:34:00.001-08:002015-01-07T10:34:05.740-08:00Guidelines for globalization and localization. Is there a need for language restriction?<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weeks ago, we shared Microsoft’s Guidelines for
globalization and localization in our Twitter feed, which you can find here: <a href="https://twitter.com/MediaL0C/status/530688809697296384">https://twitter.com/MediaL0C/status/530688809697296384</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Whilst I agree with most of the guidelines and
recommendations, I have my reservations about others. For instance, some of the
recommendations are quite obvious and every developer should take them into
account, such as making sure to use the correct formats for numbers and dates,
support international units and currencies, and display the fonts correctly. To
some people, things like accents can be an annoyance, but they are extremely
important. For instance, a little tilde on the “n” is the difference between “I
am 3 years old” (Tengo 3 años) y “I have 3 anuses” (Tengo 3 anos) in Spanish.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But even these small, obvious changes need to be applied
with caution is some cases. To give you an example, customers would expect to
see their currency, with the correct number formats, displayed if they were to
buy an app in the store. However, if they were playing a game whose story is
based in the US and a character is buying something in a store or a bar, it
would seem odd if the currency were anything other than USD. As always, it’s
all about the context.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It goes without saying that things like cultural references,
images, brand names, etc. need to be thoroughly researched before entering a
new market, so I won’t go into much detail about that. You can read more on
that here: <a href="http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/what-is-culturalisation-and-why-should.html">http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/what-is-culturalisation-and-why-should.html</a>
and <a href="http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-cultural-dimension-in-games.html">http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-cultural-dimension-in-games.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What struck me about Microsoft’s guidelines is the fact that
they recommend avoiding colloquialisms, metaphors and technical jargon. They
are indeed the hardest things to translate, but should professional translators
not be able to convey them? I believe they should. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me explain myself. A lot of the time, this type of language
is right at the core of the product and forms its very soul and essence. Let’s
say we have a game or an app packed with puns, metaphors and humour. Should we
not respect that, and convey them in a way that will be understood by the
target audience and have the same effect on them? Why should the product be
altered, so that it becomes less humorous and therefore loses part of its
appeal? I am all for adapting the product to the target market, but always in a
way that recreates the effect and purpose of the original. Jokes cannot be
translated literally, instead a professional would find an equivalent in their
target language which, in literal terms means something completely different,
but appeals to the consumer in the same way the original product did and, in this
case, makes them laugh.</div>
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The same applies for technical jargon. If a product is
targeted to the general public, it should not contain a lot of technical terms
in any language. However, if it’s targeted at a very specific segment of users
who understand the jargon and use it on a daily basis, then the right
translator should be used, who can understand these terms and knows their
equivalent in the target language. Scientists wouldn’t expect to read dumbed
down texts just because they are translations, they would expect these texts to
use the same style and jargon as texts written in their own language.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my opinion, it’s all about context and effect, recreating
the purpose of the original product in the target language; and the more
invisible the translator is, the better. Culturalisation implies adapting the
product to suit the needs of the target market, so that it’s just as appealing
as it was in the original market, not altering the very essence of the product
and turn it into something that it is not.<o:p></o:p></div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-21352336122697377502014-10-28T07:30:00.000-07:002014-10-28T07:35:40.598-07:00How to save money on translation costs – 7 useful tips<div class="MsoNormal">
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Understandably, translation costs can be a concern for a lot
of companies. You want to get the best possible results, but sometimes it can
be hard with a limited budget. In order to help you make the most of your
translation spend, here are some tips that will help you save on translation
costs, without compromising the quality of the work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -18pt;">1. Plan your project with translation in mind</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">:
Good planning can save a lot of money. Review your material and edit out any
parts that are unnecessary or irrelevant; by cutting down the number of words
you will reduce the translation costs. At the same time, take into account that
some languages, like Spanish or French, are 20-30% longer than English, whereas
others, like Chinese or Japanese, are considerably shorter, so plan accordingly
when designing a layout and avoid costly rework later. Also, be wary of
graphics, as any text in them will need to be translated; save editing time and
money by only using easily-editable text in the graphics.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><b>2. </b></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">Involve your translation company early on</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">:
by getting in touch with your translation company early on in the process, they
can advise you regarding the best course of action and warn you of any
potential issues, whether linguistic or cultural, thus avoiding costly
surprises later. Developing a relationship with your translation company will
always ensure the best results.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><b>3.</b> </span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">Avoid unnecessary rework</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">: make sure
that the files are finalised before sending them for translation. Any changes
to the source material during the translation process or after it can be
expensive. If the original had been translated by the time you decide to make
changes, you will have to pay for the work already carried out, plus the
additional work to include the changes. It can also be messy and confusing if
many changes are made throughout the process.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><b>4. </b></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">Mind the file formats</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">: providing a
format that’s easy to work with will save a lot of money. For instance, it can
take hours to transcribe a handwritten or scanned text to a word processor or
recreate the layout of a PDF file. By sending documents that can be worked on
directly, you will save having to pay for this extra time, and the turnaround
of your project will be quicker.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><b>5. </b></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">Avoid minimum charges</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">: minimum charges
are necessary due to the work that is involved in even the smallest of projects:
downloading and reviewing the files, confirming availability, putting the
resources in place, managing the project, checking the translations, delivering,
invoicing, bank fees, etc. However, you can save by grouping small jobs
together and sending them at the same time, therefore avoiding having to go
through the whole process for each tiny individual project.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><b>6. </b></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">Avoid rush fees by setting reasonable
deadlines</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">: the average speed of a translator is 2000 words per day, whereas
a proofread can check 8000 words a day. Anything higher than that will imply
them having to work overtime or even through the night which, as you can surely
understand, attracts higher fees. Avoid paying extra by, once again, planning
your project accordingly and if possible adding a couple of extra days to the
deadline for tasks such as file transfers, project management, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><b>7. </b></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">Don’t go for the cheapest provider</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">: as
with everything else, in translation you get what you pay for. There are plenty
of bad companies out there who will charge dirt cheap prices and deliver a
shabby job. Of course, if don’t speak the language, you won’t notice how bad
the quality is... but what you will notice is the lack of sales coming through.
Instead, think of </span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">translation as an
investment</b><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">. Spend more money hiring a reliable company who care about your
products and services and who will be able to truly speak to your customers in
their own language, not only producing text that is free from mistakes, but
also customising and adapting your content to the target culture’s preferences
and expectations. The amount of long-term business you will get as a result
will far outweigh any short-term costs. Also, by getting it right the first
time, you won’t have to hire anyone else to fix the costly mistakes made by the
cheap provider!</span></div>
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If you would
like any more tips, or need any advice about translation and localisation and
how to achieve the best results for your project, contact us at <a href="mailto:info@medialoc.net">info@medialoc.net</a>. We’ll be happy to help!<o:p></o:p></div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-83033844423329389702014-09-23T09:14:00.000-07:002014-09-23T13:34:39.561-07:00It's all about empathy<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The concept of empathy has long been discussed in
the psychology field. But what is empathy, and what does it have to do with
business? According to the Oxford dictionary, empathy is “the ability to
understand and share the feelings of another”. While it is clear how that can
help personal relationships, it is not always so obvious how that can help
businesses, which tend to be focused on bottom lines and other financial
metrics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However, aren’t businesses all about relationships too?
We would be nothing without our customers, and nurturing a good relationship
with them is just as important as providing a quality service. One thing cannot
survive without the other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Think about it this way: we’re all customers at some point,
whether you’re making a big purchase like a new computer or deciding to go for
a drink to your local establishment. When you buy products or services from
anyone else, how do you like to be treated? Does the quality of the service
influence where you make your purchases? Most people would say yes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Empathy helps establish great relationships with your
customers, improve their satisfaction and build trust, which in turn makes them
return and therefore improves your business results. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">But you may ask, how do we use the principles of empathy
with our current/potential customers?</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Understand that we’re all human and may have other
commitments or issues in our lives. If a customer takes a while in replying to
your message, there is probably a good reason. Give them some time and, if you
haven’t heard back in a few hours or a day (depending on the type of
communication), send a polite reminder.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Educating the client is all very well, but consider the
situation from their perspective. If you need to take your computer to be
repaired, are you interested in hearing all the little technical details or do
you just want it fixed? Language services customers are likely to simply want
the job done, without having to worry about any particular details, so if you
need to raise awareness about a linguistic issue, by all means do so, but keep
it polite, informative and as brief as possible. And try to find a solution
before contacting the client with a problem. Be helpful, not pedantic.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">When it comes to marketing, consider how much you like
receiving cold calls/e-mails. The person you’re trying to contact probably
dislikes them as much as you, so unless you’re encouraged by their website to
send a speculative CV or information about your business, try to establish hot
leads.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Take into account how busy people are these days, so keep
unnecessary contacts to a minimum, and keep the message short and to the point.
That said, there is nothing wrong with the occasional contact to an existing
client to remind them of your presence.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Go out of your way to offer excellent service and try help
your clients when they’re in a tight spot. By empathising with their situation
and giving them a hand, they’re bound to appreciate you even more.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Lastly, empathy also
applies to larger companies that hire services on an ad-hoc basis, translation
companies being the prime example. When hiring freelance translators, the key
to establishing a good, successful relationship is to treat them with respect. Don’t
expect to get quality work at very low rates, don’t send generic e-mails to
hundreds of translators and give the job to the one who replies first, etc.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To sum it up, when in business always remember to see
things from the other person’s perspective, and treat them how you would like
to be treated if you were in their situation. Empathy goes a long way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-47069208926118389292014-01-17T14:18:00.002-08:002014-09-23T13:32:21.939-07:00What is culturalisation and why should I care about it?<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“Culturalization is going a step further beyond localization as it takes a deeper look into a game’s fundamental assumptions and content choices, and then gauges the viability in both the broad, multicultural marketplace as well as in specific geographic locales. Localization helps gamers simply comprehend the game’s content (primarily through translation), but culturalization helps gamers to potentially engage with the game’s content at a much deeper, more meaningful level.”</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;">(Chandler, Heather Maxwell & O'Malley Deming, Stephanie. The Game Localization Handbook, 2nd ed.)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In short, we could say that, whereas localisation takes into account all the different cultural aspects, it mainly involves text, from the more basic tasks of inclusion of different alphabets and number formats, to adapting cultural references, jokes, idioms, etc. Culturalisation, then, would take this cultural adaptation one step further, to include the product's artwork and design.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;">It has to be pointed out that, although the quote above refers to games, culturalisation exists in other translation disciplines, such as website localisation.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><b>Why culturalise a product?</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;">The answer is very simple. Culturalising a game, or any other product, will make its audience engage with it much more deeply; therefore, the reaching potential in foreign markets increases dramatically. Fail to culturalise, and you risk your product not selling in a market in which it could have been extremely successful. Or even worse, you could potentially insult or offend your audience.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;">A good example of this is this campaign poster for the Spanish version of the TV programme The Voice, which features presenter Jesús Vázquez:</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo0dWAOa8436-z5a18vjJIoAm5cgHWD4Xs9EO8exnI3pg2Ym0Dx8l9Y30Vhr4mzoF8UY6xYZqu1MKxVm270n_LfqBYb_RiijVWloQqYFR0Cx6U2j_1pJsbWlfdicGW-atQdtzL7Ec24w/s1600/Jesus+Vazquez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo0dWAOa8436-z5a18vjJIoAm5cgHWD4Xs9EO8exnI3pg2Ym0Dx8l9Y30Vhr4mzoF8UY6xYZqu1MKxVm270n_LfqBYb_RiijVWloQqYFR0Cx6U2j_1pJsbWlfdicGW-atQdtzL7Ec24w/s1600/Jesus+Vazquez.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #303324; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whilst this poster works well in the Spanish market, the gesture would be considered rude in the UK, where the programme also exists, akin to showing your middle finger to the audience.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A famous example of a culturalisation fail happened in 2003, when Microsoft was forced to pull the game <i>Kakuto Chojin</i> off store shelves because it contained Qu'ran verses in the background of the theme song for a character. The issue became headlines news in Saudi Arabia, whose government demanded an apology, forcing the company to withdraw the game worlwide (it had been released in North America despite this).</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Changing the content of a product can be quite time-consuming and expensive, of course, and that is why it's so important to consider culturalisation from the very beginning. The earlier you think about cultural aspects, the less likely you are to get a "surprise" at the end. And considering how much of a positive impact it can have on sales, it's definitely worthwhile.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #303324; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;">For more information on the cultural aspects in videogames, please read this earlier post: <a href="http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-cultural-dimension-in-games.html">http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-cultural-dimension-in-games.html</a> </span></span><br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #303324; font-family: georgia, times, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.66666603088379px;"><br /></em>Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-53306660265172806892013-07-25T14:10:00.000-07:002014-09-23T13:35:01.370-07:00Why cheaper isn't better part 2 - An illustrationHow many times have we bought something cheap that has turned out to be a massive mistake? Like the girl in this picture, for example. Maybe if she'd bought better quality trousers that were sewn properly she would have avoided making an arse of herself (excuse the bad joke!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwf2uFDbDdO9orLIG9LgvDweZiHOAd6G922SVXshAvTe11iNs_VGUCObHibvpsVayrsSED2zPOPpPgXg78_E8eEfaVNZruew4NJl8jr-Jys1wqVs-tYa-lOzNbBiqAQgYkNJ-zTQj4A28/s1600/Split+pants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwf2uFDbDdO9orLIG9LgvDweZiHOAd6G922SVXshAvTe11iNs_VGUCObHibvpsVayrsSED2zPOPpPgXg78_E8eEfaVNZruew4NJl8jr-Jys1wqVs-tYa-lOzNbBiqAQgYkNJ-zTQj4A28/s320/Split+pants.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think we all understand that cheap products can turn out to be very expensive indeed. However, for some reason, people in search of translation services still think that the cheaper they can get them for, the better. Or free even (stand up Google Translate and co.). It doesn't quite register in their minds that this is a professional service provided by trained and knowledgeable experts and that, if it's surprisingly cheap, there is a reason for it (as explained in this entry <a href="http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/why-cheaper-isnt-better.html">http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/why-cheaper-isnt-better.html</a>).<br />
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But let me illustrate my point.<br />
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This is a menu from an actual restaurant in Spain, whose name I won't publish to save them the embarrassment, taken from a blog called La Cueva del Oso.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57kM-80TZwwCs68O3gMqinBYc5h5w84ZwkDcogqomjAVNsby7KrBJ2TvcLUcP9ZFuE9ukin35OXD2gpRrf3BFx9TnhOPJJGIdHg9kS6Yuyd-c_rhEfTnTGW4o75jIXkYiV5ZGeu4xZeo/s1600/Salad+of+pretty+La+cueva+del+oso+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57kM-80TZwwCs68O3gMqinBYc5h5w84ZwkDcogqomjAVNsby7KrBJ2TvcLUcP9ZFuE9ukin35OXD2gpRrf3BFx9TnhOPJJGIdHg9kS6Yuyd-c_rhEfTnTGW4o75jIXkYiV5ZGeu4xZeo/s320/Salad+of+pretty+La+cueva+del+oso+blog.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mmm, "Salad of pretty", sounds delicious, doesn't it? At least certainly most filling than the "Fried big holes".<br />
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What do you think this tells their customers? Well, something along the lines of "We want your money, but we're cheapskates so can't be bothered to spend a bit of ours on you". Or "If we care this much about our menu, wait until you see our food".<br />
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Here is another example:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmalXn5kvTDdrifzQGucCISiT3Ef_yRL1nsoGpB32LDpDG9yrAEJwMKkBOl4S4jX0Ytb0EDIkP8czN0KuHIjlFrr-b6wkmn6n7fB7hZZtliJPYWap281DLI9d0C2jCob4zHoEBwg5aFKg/s1600/postrestf6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmalXn5kvTDdrifzQGucCISiT3Ef_yRL1nsoGpB32LDpDG9yrAEJwMKkBOl4S4jX0Ytb0EDIkP8czN0KuHIjlFrr-b6wkmn6n7fB7hZZtliJPYWap281DLI9d0C2jCob4zHoEBwg5aFKg/s320/postrestf6.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></div>
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I think I'll have the "Skewers of fruits with sauce of yogourt of fragmentation hand grenade"; I always fancy something explosive after dinner...<br />
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Of course mistakes like this are not limited to restaurants. They are everywhere, as these signs perfectly illustrate:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAO5dQZpRTvrXLNyC7plmcnNZ74pYNeZklU-jPpt5HQCnlYsTYz6ynPGUTeVdrMTTkuPyagUpVwEGVLznNP5mzifRjR9_g9GWOPBweQgWv7Gyko3gCKWMj2DS1Y11v84_VnEnUkKaxaY/s1600/take+luggage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAO5dQZpRTvrXLNyC7plmcnNZ74pYNeZklU-jPpt5HQCnlYsTYz6ynPGUTeVdrMTTkuPyagUpVwEGVLznNP5mzifRjR9_g9GWOPBweQgWv7Gyko3gCKWMj2DS1Y11v84_VnEnUkKaxaY/s320/take+luggage.jpg" height="201" width="320" /></a></div>
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Very reassuring to know thieves don't have to pay to steal our luggage at the airport, isn't it?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT48r8gdZ2WZa72-4sijec9S8y8pEScL977-GCecIeX6fXHWi5ZQ5S3S3QHWwmsDZAl505mIcYAqAjoqhK24NTmhoMqL2kDkbepDpj8uvUknQOTw9jUR69pE7L9Ovam1qr3EI5rSevkUw/s1600/shrimp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT48r8gdZ2WZa72-4sijec9S8y8pEScL977-GCecIeX6fXHWi5ZQ5S3S3QHWwmsDZAl505mIcYAqAjoqhK24NTmhoMqL2kDkbepDpj8uvUknQOTw9jUR69pE7L9Ovam1qr3EI5rSevkUw/s320/shrimp.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
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No words for this; are we in the groceries section, or the X-rated movies aisle?</div>
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All these mistakes have no doubt been produced by using machine translation, that is, Google Translate or a similar programme. However, using somebody who's not a professional translator can be just as damaging. Just because you know someone who spent 6 months living in France, doesn't mean they can speak French properly, and much less translate it. That's not only insulting to professionals who spend years training and work very hard at keeping up and improving their skills constantly, but it can be hugely detrimental to your business.</div>
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And it is not only essential to use a translator with an excellent command of their native language, but also one that perfectly understands the source language, including idioms, slang, cultural references and jokes. I was once correcting a translation and couldn't help but laugh when I saw the translator had rendered the English expression "horses for courses" as "courses for horses", interpreted literally instead of using a Spanish expression that worked in the context. The image that came to my mind was very much like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58cgw2d1jO5WAKMTPp6ebdKKbnGp_c7bqVJMl9pwvSsYE0NDBxTdEeJmUsPTxOYH_zlVfcD2XPhBxVHwBpuBzSfqC0aVggFSHEDLEiye4vzRqOzVuXRr4khsjO8fmVRBKty8Lq6oGhjM/s1600/horse.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58cgw2d1jO5WAKMTPp6ebdKKbnGp_c7bqVJMl9pwvSsYE0NDBxTdEeJmUsPTxOYH_zlVfcD2XPhBxVHwBpuBzSfqC0aVggFSHEDLEiye4vzRqOzVuXRr4khsjO8fmVRBKty8Lq6oGhjM/s1600/horse.gif" /></a></div>
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So, hopefully, it becomes clear from these images that commissioning a translation is not a matter of looking for the cheapest quote and hoping for the best. It should be taken seriously. Just like you wouldn't go to a back-street doctor if you had a serious ailment, you shouldn't risk commissioning your translations to any other than a professional. After all, this is an investment, and the better the quality of the work, the more customers you will attract, which "translates" into more sales and more money for you.Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-70463993167900763002012-12-11T12:38:00.000-08:002014-09-23T13:33:08.316-07:00The cultural dimension in games localisation<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">As translators and
interpreters know, it is very important to bridge the gap between
cultures. In certain disciplines, the meaning and the effect that the text has
on the reader is far more important than the words. This is especially true of
localisation, which has been defined as the </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">“adaptation
of a product, application or document content to meet the language, cultural
and other requirements of a specific target market” (Ishida & Miller: 2005)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In the specific field of
games localisation, this adaptation goes well beyond the words. As we all know,
different cultures perceive things in different ways so, if a product is to be
successful, it’s important to make sure that it adapts to the target markets,
as the picture below amusingly shows. In fact, at least 50% of the revenue in
games comes from localised versions (Chandler: 2006), which shows why
localisation efforts should not be underestimated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPKljdJGmmLF2bX4n6RqjGGfEV87vDYe9OvCaqPQIp0KSQRk1iZ4pFOnOlGAACeTWvSNBjuTSNeQCsMyBhwYQrNpveMGZHtFZmK08xI0uV2k0TvwJVXfcuXdEdCDj8HUujuVGJg_nzbM/s1600/nerf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPKljdJGmmLF2bX4n6RqjGGfEV87vDYe9OvCaqPQIp0KSQRk1iZ4pFOnOlGAACeTWvSNBjuTSNeQCsMyBhwYQrNpveMGZHtFZmK08xI0uV2k0TvwJVXfcuXdEdCDj8HUujuVGJg_nzbM/s320/nerf.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">A while ago, I had the
pleasure of witnessing a very interesting presentation by Melissa
Clark-Reynolds, Founder and CEO of MiniMonos, a company which provides a
virtual world for children in which they can create a monkey avatar, socialise
with other monkeys and play minigames. She spoke of how sometimes they release
minigames adapted to their local markets. One interesting example was a
minigame which involved monkey poo, as can be seen in the following pictures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dU8WsZPMppWSDbOBxO8QDQXYxCiHi_wSeT-qV-s5587xZNXeqPQiAhmmg621jqpUtrNT52Qo_paZoBZEetdrox2ei2A2OdxxUu3I66VP64C3g5d3aH6INwiCfN5FAW3kX8a64gMTLyw/s1600/TicTacPoo1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dU8WsZPMppWSDbOBxO8QDQXYxCiHi_wSeT-qV-s5587xZNXeqPQiAhmmg621jqpUtrNT52Qo_paZoBZEetdrox2ei2A2OdxxUu3I66VP64C3g5d3aH6INwiCfN5FAW3kX8a64gMTLyw/s320/TicTacPoo1.png" height="197" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIAup0tVVUXPQCAHCp6JoNgSLXFc96JcjxwlyfLqwO-py1AVkvJSYJPB1vDBpjakdzFr_dTYkAAl2un9J4wPUhPM3icRXmyMpg-vjzsTTk95a4sQSRTuPY2VAHmWFnxAZ-6SgvUq534Y/s1600/PooPowersAnimation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIAup0tVVUXPQCAHCp6JoNgSLXFc96JcjxwlyfLqwO-py1AVkvJSYJPB1vDBpjakdzFr_dTYkAAl2un9J4wPUhPM3icRXmyMpg-vjzsTTk95a4sQSRTuPY2VAHmWFnxAZ-6SgvUq534Y/s1600/PooPowersAnimation.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">This type of minigame would
have never worked in the Australian or New Zealand markets, for instance, where
children are not as obsessed with their digestive system as they are in the UK.
Despite speaking the same language, the cultures in these countries are
different and being able to adapt to British “tastes” (if we can call it that
in this case!) proved an extremely effective strategy, making this one of the
most successful minigames for the company in the UK. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Another company in the world
of online gaming, Zynga, famously decided to enter the Chinese market a couple
of years ago. They rebuilt the game Farmville and, although the Chinese version
is quite similar to the original Farmville, there are some changes that reflect
the preferences of this target market. For instance, some changes were made to
the colour palette and the plots of farmland are larger than in the original
version. And some new crops were also
introduced, as can be seen in the picture below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZJtiFznIXqUE0kfCsI_Gq6uq7rf4oDnhNJFOwxS5BX0CZLcHThZPWAG0B563j_p7jChYkF426adBBPPMq9JFurO2-M7UyDabc5j4pO-Ail40uymragcx3D1mRpMpx8RkRS1kNGiRgHo/s1600/Crops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZJtiFznIXqUE0kfCsI_Gq6uq7rf4oDnhNJFOwxS5BX0CZLcHThZPWAG0B563j_p7jChYkF426adBBPPMq9JFurO2-M7UyDabc5j4pO-Ail40uymragcx3D1mRpMpx8RkRS1kNGiRgHo/s1600/Crops.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">These crops, like the
ginseng or the Caterpillar fungus, reflect the kind of crops that would grow in
the region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">All this has huge
implications for the games localiser, who must not only be a master of the
written word, but also become a language consultant, and provide advice to
clients when they come across something that could cause a potential issue in
the target market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Some time ago, I was working
on a Japanese game for a portable device. The title included a minigame in
which the characters had to compete to finish a big bowl filled with some type
of alcoholic drink. The first one to finish it won the game, and the characters
were depicted quite obviously drunk, and then complaining about having a
headache the morning after. I had been told that the age rating of the game was
3+, so I immediately identified a problem and warned the client that a drinking
minigame was going to be problematic in the target market, especially for such
a young audience. All the translators discussed the problem as a team and we
developed an idea to turn the drink into some sort of sugary potion and change
the text so that the characters got a sugar rush instead, as children often get
when having too many sweets. That saved the client a lot of time and money by
not having to edit the game, and they were very grateful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Other times, this cultural
dimension can appear in the form of cultural references within the games
themselves. For instance, in World of Warcraft there is a trinket called the Six
Demon Bag, and its description text reads “Blasts enemies with the power of
wind, fire, that kind of thing!”. This is a reference to the movie Big Trouble
in Little China, in which Egg Shen’s describes the contents of his Six Demon
Bag using the same words. In these cases, it’s important for the localiser
firstly to identify the reference, and secondly, to look for the equivalent,
that is, the official version of the movie in the target market (whether it’s
dubbed or subtitled), and use the same wording in order to achieve the same
effect that the original version of the game aims for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Another important cultural
aspect is related to characterisation. Many games contain fantasy characters
such as orcs, wizards, fairies, but also pirates, gangsters and similar. The
localiser will need to be familiarised with the way those creatures or
characters speak in the target language and follow the conventions. It could be
possible that an equivalent accent might need to be found in the target
language to portray certain stereotypes or, lacking that, the use of certain
interjections, expressions or pet phrases. Rude language and swearing can be
particularly tricky because, whilst the effect on the player has to be
maintained, cultural sensibilities also have to be taken into account. Some
languages and cultures are more accepting of this type of language than others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, all this doesn’t
mean that the content always has to be adapted. Sometimes aspects of the source
culture have to be kept in order to maintain a certain local flavour. It wouldn’t
make much sense for a game clearly based in New York, where the city is central
to the story, to have characters speaking with a very marked regional French
accent, for instance. However, both localisers and developers need to be aware
of these issues and use their skills and expertise to ensure that the localised
product meets all the requirements and needs of the target market if the
product is to be successful. After all, this is a business, and the better the quality of the localisation, the higher the potential for revenue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-78122114006659291392012-05-09T08:06:00.001-07:002014-09-23T13:35:24.409-07:00Translator-client relationships. Part 2: the client.<br />
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Following <a href="http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/translator-client-relationships-part-1.html">part 1</a>,
in which I focused on what translators can do to improve their relationships
with their clients, now I would like to explore what those clients can do to
make their translator’s life easier and achieve the best possible results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1. </span></span><span style="color: #636363; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><b style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Information is key</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The more information you provide about your project, the easier it will
be for the translator to get a feel for it and achieve a product that maintains
the spirit of the original. It’s important to clarify the purpose of the text,
how and where it will be used and provide some context. In the localisation
industry, it’s quite common to work without having seen the product at all,
which can cause all sorts of problems, from sentences that can mean different
things depending on the context to even gender issues (for instance, is it a
male or female character speaking?). So provide as much information as you can
and make your translator’s life much easier; in turn, they won’t have to get in
touch with you to ask a lot of questions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">2. <b>Communicate, communicate and communicate</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Throughout the translation process, it’s important to keep communicating
with your translator. Inform them as soon as possible of any changes and pass
on any additional information you may have. Similarly, do not ignore any
questions that the translator might send you, it’s important to get
clarification on those issues in order to achieve the most suitable
translation. After all, you are both working together to make this project a
success in the target market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3. </span></span><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15pt;">Translators are not machines, so don’t treat them as such</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If it takes you two months to write a piece, why would you assume it can
be translated in two days? Translators are not machines, they don’t have a
switch you can press and the text comes out automatically in another language.
In fact, translation involves more thinking than it does writing. You have to
read carefully the original and assess the purpose of the text (to inform, to
sell, to make the reader laugh, etc.) and how the writer has used all the
different nuances of the language to achieve that effect. You might have to
adapt cultural references, like changing the name of celebrities to names of
famous people in the target market, finding an equivalent accent in the target
language which carries the same sort of stereotypes (or another strategy that
will achieve the desired result), adapt jokes, etc. And sometimes do all this
whilst sticking to ridiculous length restrictions! Translation is indeed an art,
and as such it takes time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Also, good translators tend to be quite busy most of the time, so you
can’t assume they will drop any other projects they are working on so they can take
care of yours immediately. It helps to give a bit of warning if you are close
to finishing a project that will need translating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">4. <b>Be aware of language combinations and specialisations</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Nobody can know absolutely everything about any subject area in the
world. That is why translators tend to specialise in just a few fields (usually
4-5). This allows them to understand that subject area completely and familiarise
themselves with the specific terminology and style of writing. As a client, it
pays off to be aware of your translators’ specialisations; you will get a much
better result quality-wise if you assign the right project to the most suitable
translator. Also, the translator will be able to work faster as they won’t have
to stop constantly to check for new terminology, so it benefits both parts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In addition, I know it sounds pretty obvious to say that, if you need a
translation say from English into French you should hire a translator that
works in that language combination, but many translators are still getting
requests for languages they don’t know, so it’s important to pay attention to
the languages they do work with. And bear in mind that translators should only
work into their native language! That is the only way to ensure that the text
will read fluently and naturally and will have the correct style, register and
cultural nuances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">5. <b>Treat your translators with respect</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As a client, adopt a professional approach towards your translators and
value them for what they are: professionals who have studied and trained long
and hard to master what they do. Do not treat them as mere accessories to your
processes or, worse still, as people who don’t really know what they’re doing
but you need to use for whatever reason which you’re unsure of. If you treat
them with respect, they will respond in kind. Common courtesy helps establish
and maintain a good relationship with your translators: warning them when a
project is due to arrive, saying thank you when you receive their files
(especially if they’ve gone out of their way to accommodate an urgent request),
listening to them when they point out certain issues, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Part of treating your translator with respect also involves queries/doubts
and feedback. Quite often, I have had clients complain because we translated X
as Y, whereas according to certain online dictionary the translation for that should
be Z. Instead of pointing the finger at the translator, check politely with
them why that might be. In many cases, there are many different ways of saying
the same thing or a word is much more appropriate than another in a certain
context. Besides, you shouldn’t trust dictionaries blindly! If the whole
translation has received negative feedback, you could have it checked by
another translation to establish if there really was a problem with it, or the
changes made are simply stylistic and a matter of preference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">6. </span></span><span style="color: #636363; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><b style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A little flexibility goes a long way</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This applies to both parts, actually. Translators should be flexible so
they can accommodate their clients’ requests, including occasional last minute
changes and requests. However, flexibility is also an important quality for the
client. For instance, clients should be prepared to listen to their translator
and extend the deadline a bit if it’s too tight, or they should also accept
suggestions or perhaps even listen to constructive criticism. If a translator
points out possible issues with the text or suggests an alternative working method,
they’re not trying to undermine the client but quite the opposite; they’re only
trying to help in order to achieve improved results which will benefit both
parts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">7. <b>That said, don’t make your translator jump through hoops</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Yes, flexibility is extremely important for the translator, but at the
same time it’s not a good idea to drive them crazy with constant updates and
changes to the project, additions, new instructions and the similar. These can
be very time-consuming and force the translator to check the whole project
again and again in order to apply those changes throughout, increasing the
chance of inconsistencies. It is better to plan the project accordingly so no
changes are needed in the original once it has been sent for translation.
Sometimes this might not be possible, but at least try to keep them to a
minimum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Similarly, even though most translators are quite happy to accommodate
the odd urgent request, do not expect them to regularly drop whatever other
projects they are doing in order to complete your request immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">8. <b>Do not assume cheapest is best (in fact, assume the opposite!)</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As I explained at length in this entry <a href="http://medialoc.blogspot.co.uk/2011_06_01_archive.html">here</a>, in translation, as in any other industry, you
generally get what you pay for. I understand clients are trying to save some
money in this economic climate, but bear in mind that good translators spend a
lot of time and money on training, research, technology and improving
themselves constantly, so if somebody is promising you to translate your
projects at rock-bottom prices you should think about what the reason behind it
is. A bad translation is worse than no translation at all, so if you don’t want
to risk losing your own customers because they can’t understand the material
you have sent them or it’s so bad it’s laughable, make sure you hire the right
professional.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">9. </span></span><span style="color: #636363; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><b style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Pay on time</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This is somewhat related to treating your translators with respect. If
you want to have a good relationship with your translator, based on trust and
honesty, make sure to pay within the stated payment terms. The translator will
feel more appreciated and will be more willing to work with you again. Small
delays due to oversights are acceptable every now and again, but don’t use the
economic situation or the late payment by your own client as an excuse; when
you hire a translator you enter a contractual relationship with them, and them
only.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 15pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">10. <b>Do not assume anybody can translate</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I have lost count of the amount of times that, after telling people I am
a translator, I have heard “Oh, can you make a living out of that? I speak
another language too, maybe I should do the same”. Worse still, I have also
heard things like “I’m going to ask my (replace with unidentified friend or
family member) to translate my document for me, they did French at
college/spent a summer in Spain, etc.” I’ve even had clients doing their own
translations into Spanish which I had to fix because they were atrocious! They
might have studied Spanish in school, but obviously not long enough to realise
they will never sound like a native speaker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">There is a reason why a profession called “translator” exists. You
wouldn’t say that anybody can be a doctor or a solicitor, and the same is true
of a translator. It requires very specific skills that most people with
knowledge of other languages won’t be able to master. It’s not just about writing
without spelling and grammar mistakes (which these days seem to be a lot to ask
for already!) but also about writing style, creativity, cultural knowledge,
technical skills, subject area knowledge... I could go on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As for automatic translation tools, like Google Translate and such... copy
a paragraph written in any language and see how they translate it into your
language. Would you really send that to your customers? Enough said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-69417750485781200152012-02-01T08:16:00.000-08:002014-09-23T13:35:39.221-07:00Translator-client relationships. Part 1: the translator.<div class="MsoNormal">
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In this post I would like to explore the issue of translator-client relationships, focusing on what translators can do to improve these relationships and hopefully become one of their client’s favourite providers, to which they will come back again and again.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <b> </b></span><b>Be there</b></div>
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The translation industry is a fast-moving one and it’s important that you reply to project enquiries as soon as possible. Of course, clients should not expect you to be at your desk 24/7, or not to be able to pop out for a bit (after all, that’s one of the reasons why you chose to work for yourself), but sometimes a late response can lose you a project, so make sure you can access your e-mail from your phone if you plan to be away from the desk for a while, or even leave an autoreply message saying when you’ll be back. If a client appreciates your services, they will be willing to wait for a few hours provided the project is not too urgent and they know exactly when you’ll return. Also, as obvious as it sounds, please make sure to answer your phone calls, you wouldn’t believe the amount of translators that are unreachable when you try to ring them!</div>
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If you plan to go away on holidays for a few days, it’s best to warn your clients in advance, so they don’t get any surprises when they try to contact you for that all-important project.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Be professional</b></div>
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If you want to be taken seriously, you have to portray a professional image at all times. Acknowledge the receipt of files and confirm you agree to the deadline, provide a quote promptly, keep the client informed on your progress if it’s a long project (but don’t bombard them with e-mails!) and, in the unlikely event that something comes up and you won’t be able to deliver on time, inform your client as soon as possible so they can make the necessary adjustments to their schedule and/or inform the end-client. Show that you care about the project and you take your work seriously and your client will be much more willing to work with you.</div>
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Professionalism is about behaviour but also about image. It is advisable to choose a logo, lettering or image that represents you and your services and use that across all your material: website, blog, invoices, business cards, etc. After all, freelance translation is a business and should be portrayed as such.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Don’t try to be everything under the sun</b></div>
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It might be tempting to offer many subject areas and language combinations, as the pool of potential clients will undoubtedly be larger. But we all know that it’s simply not possible to know everything about every single subject matter, so a translator will immediately raise suspicions if they are willing to work in every field. Similarly, it’s very hard to keep up your languages to the level required to do translation work. Even if you only translate into your native language (which you should!), languages have to be practiced regularly not to lose fluency, you have to keep up with linguistic changes, cultural changes and even political changes. You need to know what’s going on in the country whose language you are translating from, so you can identify idioms, cultural references, jokes, etc.</div>
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So stick to what you know best and are passionate about and you will be able to produce much better-quality work. If you try to translate a piece you are not comfortable with, the quality will suffer, you’ll probably be caught out and could end up losing the client.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Don’t sell yourself cheap</b></div>
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You should be able to attract clients for what you can do, rather than your prices. Emphasise your unique selling point (USP) and your skills and show that you believe in yourself. Whilst you don’t want to price yourself out of the market, avoid the temptation of lowering your rates as bait. First of all, because it doesn’t say anything positive about you. As I explained <a href="http://medialoc.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-cheaper-isnt-better.html">here</a>, translators who charge very low rates are either new to the industry or not very good at all. And secondly, because by lowering your rates you are damaging the whole industry and yourself in the long-term. If everybody did the same, the average salary of a freelance translator would decrease rather than increase over the years. Not what you want to hear when you’re starting out, right?</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Accept criticism</b></div>
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They say that no news is good news, and in the translation world that is certainly true. Most of the time you won’t hear a thing if the client is happy with your work. However, if for whatever reason that is not the case, you will most likely get a complaint. My advice in this scenario would be to approach the situation with care. Analyse what the problem is and, if you don’t agree with the client’s feedback, explain your choices politely. It happens quite often that the changes are just stylistic or, even worse, sometimes the client does not speak your language but grabs a dictionary and notices the translation of X word is Y, and not Z, which is what you wrote.</div>
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But if it turns out that there are mistakes in your work, don’t try to blame anybody else or insist you’re right, just own up, apologise and say it won’t happen again (make sure it doesn’t!). Your client will appreciate your honesty and professional approach, and you will learn from your mistakes and hopefully become a better translator. We are all human and as such we can make mistakes, it’s how you react to them that’s important.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Be helpful, proactive and a problem-solver</b></div>
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In translation, you will encounter many unforeseen problems, from software incompatibilities to terminology questions and problematic cultural references. Before you bombard your client with lots of queries, make sure to do some research by yourself on the Internet, ask some of your colleagues, etc. If you do have to send a query, be as clear as you can, always bearing in mind that the client may not speak your language or, in many cases, any languages at all other than their own!</div>
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This also applies to software incompatibilities. If you can’t open a file because of its format, something that happens much more often than we’d like, do your research and find a programme that will help you either open it or convert it into something you can work with. The client will appreciate your initiative and the time you have saved them worrying about this. Besides, if you want to come across as a truly professional translator, you should be pretty technology-savvy anyway, there is no justification for not being able to use properly the programmes you have to work with every day.</div>
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And in the case of cultural references, explain exactly what the problem is and suggest a solution. For instance, imagine you are translating a wedding services website and the text refers to picking a location for a civil wedding, like a beach, a garden, etc. Whilst it might sound beautiful, in many countries this is illegal, as civil weddings can only take place in town halls or registry offices. If you spot something like this, you should inform the client immediately and suggest an alternative; for instance, replacing this with content about possible wedding reception locations.</div>
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What is important to remember is that, in most cases, you should not contact your client with a problem, but with a solution.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>But if in doubt, ask!</b></div>
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That said, if after researching you still haven’t found a solution, do ask. It’s better to ask and provide an accurate translation than fearing bothering the client and, as a result, produce something that’s incorrect. The same applies to software issues: if you have tried everything humanely possible to make it work and you’re still having problems, contact the client before it causes a delay in the project.</div>
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Also, do not assume that the source text is always correct, so if something doesn’t seem right to you, chances are there is a problem and the client will be grateful you pointed it out.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Deliver quality at all times</b></div>
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As a translator, this should be a given, but sometimes it is very tempting to accept more work than you can cope with, or to translate something in a subject area that you don’t master because you are a bit short of work. As appealing as it might seem at the time, steer clear of any situations that will impact negatively on the quality of your output, for the reasons stated in point 3. You are only as good as your last piece of work.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Have attention to detail</b></div>
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Sometimes, some of the simplest things can improve greatly your relationship with your client. For instance, adding the language code at the end of the file shows that you know they will probably be working with other languages too and you’re helping them save time by identifying easily which file is which, and avoiding the pesky error message which appears when they try to open two files with the same name at the same time. </div>
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Similarly, inform them if you notice a mistake in the original in case they haven’t seen it, and of course don’t reproduce it in your language. Replicate any formatting in the source text in your translation, as you will save your client precious time and it shows that you are computer-literate. Follow instructions to the letter and, as obvious as it sounds, make sure to run a spell check and check for double spaces before delivering! Too many translators forget this fundamental step.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><b>Be a pleasure to deal with</b></div>
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Small touches like asking your client if they had a good weekend, knowing if they have kids or not, or wishing them a good holiday can go a long way and help you maintain lasting working relationships. Think of it this way: would you rather deal with a nice person who’s always got a smile on their face, or a grumpy one who’s always moaning and complaining? It’s the same for your clients, if you are a pleasure to deal with, they will want to continue communicating with you.</div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-32220976604288068022011-12-08T13:46:00.000-08:002014-09-23T13:34:20.261-07:00How to deal with late paymentsIn the current economic climate, late payments are becoming commonplace. Whilst payment terms have never been too favourable to suppliers, they are getting more and more unattractive, with 60, 90 or even 120-day payment terms making an appearance these days. And despite these terms being already in the clients' favour, it is quite common for the actual payment to be late. After all, it's quite convenient for the client to keep the money in their account for as long as they can, earning interest.<br />
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Needless to say, this is quite annoying for the supplier, who has to chase the payment through endless phone calls and e-mails, wasting time when instead they should be working and earning money. But the real problem is with cash flow. Even if translators have very few outgoings compared to other businesses, they still need a certain disposable income every month to pay for their bills, food, etc. At the end of the day, you can't tell your phone company "I'll pay your bill when my client pays me".<br />
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And this is even worse for small translation companies which might have significant outgoings, such as rent, staff salaries and paying their own freelance suppliers. Late payments and the subsequent problems with cash flow could soon become a huge burden which could potentially send the business into bankruptcy.<br />
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Not all is lost, however, as there are ways you can protect yourself against late payments.<br />
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First of all, if you are contacted by a new client, do your research before accepting a job. Check that the company is genuine and find all their details on the Internet, such as address, e-mail address, website, etc. If it is a member of the public, it might be more difficult to check that it is a genuine enquiry, so be extra careful.<br />
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It's also a good idea to check with other translators if they have worked for that client and get some feedback. In any case, what you should always do is look up the company in websites such as Payment Practices, the Black and White list in GoTranslators, the Blue Board in Proz or many other similar sources that will tell you if the client is a bad payer.<br />
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Also, protect yourself by signing some Terms of trade. It could be your terms, or their terms, but make sure you understand them fully and you both agree on them.<br />
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If, despite doing all this, the new client turns out to be a bad payer, or one of your regular clients starts paying considerably later than usual, you should always start by chasing the payment politely. After all, it can happen that invoices are misplaced or forgotten about, or simply not received. We are all human and can make mistakes, so I would advise to start on the assumption that it is a genuine error.<br />
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If you don't get a reply to your initial reminder, or they say they are going to pay but haven't done so within a week, it's a good idea to send them another e-mail or phone them directly. How they react to this second contact is crucial: if they don't reply or start giving excuses such as "the cheque is in the post", "the person who deals with the payments is on holidays" or "the system is down", be very careful. Excuses are just a delaying tactic, and lack of response obviously means that they don't care.<br />
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In that case, you can seek cover in the law. For instance, in the UK, clients who pay late must by law pay penalty interest and compensation. For debts of less than £1000, the penalty is £40, rising to £70 for larger debts. Then interest is charged at 8% over the Bank of England rate. Whilst many translators choose not to apply this charges, it is useful to know that it is your legal right to demand them if the client exceeds the payment terms set at the beginning of the project/on the invoice.<br />
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If after that second contact you still haven't received payment in, say, two weeks, it is certainly advisable to send another invoice with the compensation and penalty interest added to it. Alternatively, you can contact the client once again stating that, if you haven't received your payment by X day, they will be hearing from your debt collection company the next day. Most clients usually pay at this point.<br />
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The last resort is, of course, sending a Recorded Delivery letter stating your intention to go to court (Small Claims court in the UK).<br />
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Once it gets to this point it is very likely that you will lose the client, but at the end of the day you have to think that A CLIENT WHO DOESN'T PAY IS NOT A CLIENT.Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-60854948922136984722011-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:002011-10-24T08:48:48.538-07:00Versatile Blogger Award nominationToday, I was very excited to find out that <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Currixan">Curri Barceló</a> has nominated MediaLoc for the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks very much, Curri!<br />
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Now I'll do my bit to keep the award going. I have been told that the rules are:<br />
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1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.<br />
2. Share 7 things about yourself.<br />
3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs you enjoy reading.<br />
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.<br />
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I've already done number 1, so here are 7 random facts about me:<br />
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1. I was born and raised in Zaragoza, Spain, but I have lived in England for a few years. And yes, I miss certain things about my home country, but I prefer the UK (and I'm not crazy! ;) ).<br />
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2. Music is my passion, and by music I mean listening and dancing to it, unfortunately I can't play any instruments. But I started learning English thanks to some of my favourite songs of the 90s, and you can still catch me dancing for hours on end any Saturday night!<br />
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3. I couldn't care less about football. I must have been one of the few Spaniards not to watch the final of whatever cup it was last summer, and despite living fairly close to Old Trafford I only worry about Manchester United to know if the traffic is going to affect my travel plans. I guess some of you might be shocked, but I've got other things to worry about to be honest! :-p<br />
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4. What I do love, however, is travelling. I am fascinated by other cultures and seeing other parts of the world. If only I had more free time!<br />
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5. I can sew and I'm into fashion. But rather than following trends or designers, in my case it's more about learning what suits you and using it to make the most of your figure (hey, I can only try!).<br />
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6. Must be the Spaniard in me, but I love cooking. Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Thai, anything. I love getting inspiration from different cuisines and then creating my own versions.<br />
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7. Somewhat related to the previous one, I have a sweet tooth. I never say no to chocolate. ;-)<br />
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As for the blogs, these are my 15 picks. They're all well-worth reading if you're interested in translation or languages in general:<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.fluentin3months.com/">Fluent in 3 months</a><br />
2. <a href="http://linguagreca.com/blog/">Adventures in freelance translation</a><br />
3. <a href="http://localization.it/blog">GLOC</a><br />
4. <a href="http://www.wantwords.co.uk/martastelmaszak/">Want Words</a><br />
5. <a href="http://thehouseoftranslation.blogspot.com/">In Other Words</a><br />
6. <a href="http://www.martinwunderlich.com/">Martin Wunderlich</a><br />
7. <a href="http://www.nakedtranslations.com/en/blog">Naked Translations</a><br />
8. <a href="http://aboutranslation.blogspot.com/">About Translation</a><br />
9. <a href="http://www.anothertranslator.eu/blog/">(Not Just) Another Translator</a><br />
10. <a href="http://translationmusings.com/">Musings from an overworked translator</a><br />
11. <a href="http://gameswithwords.fieldofscience.com/">Games with Words</a><br />
12. <a href="http://www.thelinguist.blogs.com/">The Linguist On Languages</a><br />
13. <a href="http://mox.ingenierotraductor.com/">Mox's Blog</a><br />
14. <a href="http://nopeanuts.wordpress.com/">No Peanuts for Translators!</a><br />
15. <a href="http://www.1-800-translate.com/TranslationBlog/">Translation Guy Blog</a><br />
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Now I must dash to let those bloggers now! I hope you enjoy reading these blogs as much as I do!Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-52140279108336481612011-09-12T07:22:00.000-07:002014-09-23T13:37:36.994-07:00What you need to be a games localiserIt's been a while since my last post, but as usual the summer period has been extremely busy. In the past I've talked about general translation issues, and today I thought it was about time to explain a little bit more about what MediaLoc does: games localisation. Therefore I decided to reproduce an article I have written especially for those interested in knowing what you need to get into this industry. Hope you like it!<br />
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<b>Getting into… GAMES LOCALISATION<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Have you ever wondered why everyone seems to like their Xbox 360 or PLAYSTATION®3 so much? Games used to be a kids’ domain; however, nowadays companies are constantly branching into new markets and releasing products that defy the traditional definition of a videogame. Most of you will have seen the adverts about “games” that you can sing along to, that keep you fit and even help you cook! Whilst games might still not be everyone’s cup of tea, this expansion, which is taking place across many foreign markets, means that there is plenty of work out there for translators interested in the field.</div>
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However, games localisation involves much more than translation, and linguists working in this area need to be aware of certain technical and legal issues that might not necessarily apply to other fields. To start with, games companies are extremely protective of their products, and this means that often the translator has to work without having seen the product at all, despite having signed any necessary confidentiality agreements. It is not uncommon for the translator to only know the title of the game and the platform it will be played on. Sometimes, if they are lucky, they might get a few screenshots of the characters or the menu screens.</div>
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This lack of information becomes an acute problem when attempting to translate strings composed of a single word, with no context at all. Aside from the usual problems of gender and number, and whether a word is a verb or a noun (“pause”), certain terms will have completely different translations depending on the context; for instance, “wheel” in a racing game could refer to the steering wheel or to one of the four rotating wheels of the car.</div>
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Another common problem that games translators have to face on a daily basis is the lack of space on screen, meaning that in particular occasions they cannot exceed a certain number of characters when translating, which in screens such as the menus can be extremely challenging. And to this challenge you have to add the fact that games translators have to branch into other fields, such as translation of scripts and subtitles. Most localised games these days are dubbed, subtitled or both, so it is also important to have the necessary skills to carry out this type of work.</div>
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Other issues that need to be taken into account include the use of TRCs, placeholders and concatenation. TRC stands for Technical Requirements Checklist and it refers to a list of terms or “authorised names” that the translator must strictly follow; they include terms such as the names of the platforms and peripherals and in many cases the terms are copyrighted, so it is imperative to use the approved translations.</div>
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Placeholders are also very common in games localisation and can pose endless problems. For instance, even the simple sentence “You have won a %d” will have to be translated slightly differently in many languages depending on the gender of the object that “%d” is replaced with, as in “You have won a car”.</div>
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Concatenation can be even trickier. In the games localisation industry, it refers to combining several separate strings to form a sentence. Using a similar example to the one in the previous paragraph, the translator could find themselves having to translate the following table:</div>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid black; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid black; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
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ENGLISH</div>
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<span lang="ES">SPANISH<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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You have won a </div>
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<span lang="ES">Has ganado una <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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gold</div>
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<span lang="ES">oro<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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silver</div>
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<span lang="ES">plata<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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bronze</div>
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<span lang="ES">bronce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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coin.</div>
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<span lang="ES">moneda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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When combining them, the results will be “You have won a gold coin”, “You have won a silver coin” or “You have won a bronze coin”. However, it is clear that this syntax is not going to work in many languages. For instance, in Spanish “Has ganado una oro moneda” is incorrect; “oro” should appear at the end and be preceded by a preposition: “Has ganado una moneda de oro”. Since the syntax has been programmed into the game and cannot be altered, in a case like this it would be useful to translate the first string as “Has ganado una moneda de” and leave the last cell empty, or just with a full stop. However, this is only a very basic example and challenges of this type can be much more difficult to solve.</div>
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Any translators wishing to work in the games localisation field should be able to tackle all these issues and also start familiarising themselves with the games and the associated terminology used in them. Some of the most common terms can vary from one company to another, or between different platforms and consoles, so it is very important to become aware of these differences. Similarly, it is not uncommon for games translators to specialise in a few genres; the style and terminology can vary widely and, whereas some games contain a lot of technical information (for instance, car specifications in racing games), others use a very flowery language that will put the translator’s creativity to the test (role-playing games, or RPGs, with long and complicated stories).</div>
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It is also helpful to find a job in-house within a game company. Even though the industry is fairly young, most translation companies specialised in this area will hardly consider translators without game experience. Obviously, it helps to be an avid gamer, but working for a game company also provides an excellent perspective on what type of issues you will have to face as a freelancer. Some companies, such as Blizzard and NCsoft have in-house translation teams, and most of the others have localisation testing departments, which check all the text once it has been implemented in the game.</div>
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In terms of tools, it is not necessary to have specialist software, as most of the work comes in Excel or even Word format. However, using TM software can be very beneficial due to the sheer number of repetitions and the need for consistency within the games, which can sometimes surpass the 100,000 words mark.</div>
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There has not been much written about games localisation to date, but those interested in the field could benefit from reading the “Game Localization Handbook” by Heather Maxwell Chandler (2005). It provides a comprehensive description of the games localization process and will be undoubtedly helpful for anyone thinking about branching out in this industry.</div>
Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-41660296113580141672011-06-08T15:40:00.000-07:002014-09-23T13:36:44.589-07:00Why cheaper isn't betterIn the current economic climate, it's quite understandable that companies are trying to save money. However, going for the cheapest translation service could end up being a very costly mistake.<br />
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After all, if you were buying clothes, for instance, you wouldn't expect to find Chanel quality at Primark prices, would you? I guess both brands serve different purposes, but I'm sure you know what I mean. Well, translation is the same as fashion or as any other industry, you are simply not going to find excellent quality at rock-bottom prices. If the prices are too low, there is always a reason for that. After all, qualified and reputable translators spend a lot of their time and money investing on training, research and technology, and when you pay for their services you're not only paying for their language skills, which obviously have to be excellent, but also that time spent on continuing professional development, which helps them improve themselves constantly and produce work of the highest quality. Translation is an art, there is no doubt about it.<br />
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Fortunately, more and more translation customers are beginning to appreciate that quality and are prepared to pay fair prices for these services. So much so, that translators who are very good at what they do tend to be extremely busy most of the time, so they are not going to accept work from companies which are only willing to pay substandard rates.<br />
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That means that translators who accept lower rates are either not very good, and they can't get work from anywhere else, or new to the industry and use the strategy of setting lower rates to enter the market and get some experience. For instance, it's not uncommon for recent graduates to do this, and, as a frequent guest lecturer at different universities, I always discourage them from doing that; firstly because setting your rates too low indicates that you don't value yourself too highly, and secondly because it lowers the market's average rates, which will be detrimental to them in the long-term.<br />
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But coming back to the first group of translators I mentioned, if they have been in the industry for a considerable amount of time and still charge very little for their services, chances are that the work they produce is substandard. As I said, most of the time they accept low rates because they can't get enough work, so they sell themselves cheaply in the hope of attracting clients. But working at low rates means that you have to produce a lot of work to earn a living, and therefore they will rush their translations, not paying enough attention to detail. Other times they're simply so bad that any clients which care in the slightest about quality will stop sending them work, so they are desperate and set their rates ridiculously low to get any projects they can.<br />
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Who hasn't seen awful translations in the past? Mistakes such as the famously hilarious "You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid" seen in a Japanese hotel or "Drop your trousers here for best results" from a Bangkok dry-cleaners happen all too often. These were obviously translated by a non-native speaker of English or, worse still, a machine translation programme, but I've seen far too many times translations by native speakers full of grammar, spelling and other mistakes. (As I mentioned in my previous post, it takes more than speaking a language to be a translator!). These can be fatal for any company trying to enter new markets; instead of appealing to your target customers, a bad translation can ruin your company's reputation. After all, if you didn't bother to communicate properly with your potential customers, how are they going to trust your products and believe you will provide the service you say you will? These communications are the first impression they get from you, and if you look like a cheapskate you can forget about making it in the market.<br />
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So translation shouldn't be seen as an annoying expense, but as an investment instead. And as with all good investments, it makes financial sense to spend a little more to get much better results.Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-24737921413990661992011-05-17T12:40:00.000-07:002014-09-23T13:37:20.960-07:00What it takes to be a translatorIf I had received a pound every time I've heard someone say "Oh, I speak X languages, I'm sure I could be a translator"... Funnily enough, it's usually followed by the question "How much do you actually earn?" This just shows the common misconception that speaking 2 or more languages is enough to be a translator, and an easy way to make money. Of course, it couldn't be further from the truth, and as a professional I find this statement quite insulting.<br />
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My usual reply to such statement involves something along the lines of "Well, could you write a novel in your native language?" "Or hold a conversation on nuclear physics?" The point I'm trying to make is that to be a good translator, first and foremost you need to have an excellent command of your native language. And that does not only imply being able to write without grammar and spelling mistakes (which, believe it or not, it's quite a challenge for some people), but also to use the appropriate terminology, tone, register, etc. As we say in the translation industry, the text has to be "fit for purpose". In addition, a thorough knowledge of the source language is also needed so that you can understand all the subtleties, hidden meanings, puns, etc. and convey them in the target language. This is by any means no easy feat; as any translator will tell you, translating puns, sayings, wordplay and similar expressions can be a nightmare, as most of them do not have direct equivalents in the target language, so you have to stretch your creativity to the limit.<br />
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In addition, as exemplified by my "nuclear physics" question, a translator needs to know inside out the field they work in, be it games localization, mechanical engineering or legal contracts. It's simply not possible to know absolutely everything about anything in the world, and that is why translators usually specialise in 2-3 fields. In order to get the terminology, style, tone, etc. absolutely right they need to understand the text to the level of a professional who works in that field. In fact, it's not uncommon for legal translators to have received legal training, or for games localizers to be avid games players, for instance. Usually, it's quite easy to tell when something has been translated by someone who is not familiar with that subject area, as they pick slightly different terminology or simply don't stick to the "conventions".<br />
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And last, but not least, it's also important to consider that most translators are self-employed. This means that, in addition to their linguistic knowledge and their command of their subject areas, they also need to have business skills. They have to be savvy enough to carry out their own marketing campaigns and get new clients (which presumably they will keep with their awesome translation work!), manage their websites, blogs and other media presence, manage their income, sort out their taxes and do accountancy work (unless they use an accountant), etc. And if you think this isn't enough, you can also add more administrative tasks such as providing quotes (which might or might not lead to projects), answering queries by e-mail or phone and project management (in the case they subcontract work or collaborate with other translators).<br />
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So, who still thinks that being a translator is easy? Don't get me wrong, translation is one of my passions and I very much enjoy it, but it's definitely not as simple as speaking 2 languages.Silvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7412052842112939979.post-24112893178401356272011-05-16T14:12:00.000-07:002011-05-16T14:12:45.530-07:00HelloHello everyone,<br />
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Thank you for visiting MediaLoc's Translation and Games Localization blog. In this blog you will be able to read about the translation industry in general terms and, more specifically, about the field of games localization (or localisation, as we say in the UK!). I hope you like it!<br />
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To give you a bit of background, MediaLoc is a company highly specialised in the field of games localization. Our main aim is to provide an excellent-quality service with a very friendly approach, and that's why we only work with the best translators in the industry. But we also like to do our bit and raise the profile of games localization.<br />
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MediaLoc was founded by me, Silvia Ferrero. I have been a translator and interpreter since 2002, and during this time I have localized and tested games across all platforms for some of the best-known videogames companies and localization agencies, including 5 years working in-house for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. My main specialisation is obviously games localization, but I also do translation work in fields such as IT, business and marketing, environment and tourism, as well as copyrighting for advertising purposes. In addition, I am a regular speaker and guest lecturer at universities and translation events, where I give presentations about games localization but also more general subjects such as how to build a career as a translator and interpreter. In addition, I am the Chair of the North-West Translators' Network.<br />
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As you can see, I am very much involved in the industry. I am grateful for all the invaluable help I received from colleagues when I started out, and I believe it's only right to give something back to the industry. In addition, I also want to help raise the profile of our translators and interpreters and train our future professionals in the best way possible.<br />
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I do hope you enjoy reading this blog, and any feedback is very much welcome.<br />
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SilviaSilvia Ferrerohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12940396974417833206noreply@blogger.com0