When you send a document to be translated, whether for your personal use or��for��your company, you might think��it goes through a��fairly simple��process. You send it, it gets to a translator who translates it,��and��then the translator��sends it back.���ճ󲹳�’s��all, right? Well…��The��translation��part is��actually more��complex��than that,��and��there are a number of requirements��that must be met to��deliver consistently high-quality��translations��for a wide��range��of documents��and clients.��A translator will��not operate the same way��for a birth certificate��as for digital marketing material or subtitles.��So�������’s have a��closer��look at what goes into��a translator’s��job.

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The Process: Who do they work with?��

You may��seek out a��translation services provider because��you����Dz�’t��personally��know��freelance translators that could do the job directly for you, or you ��Dz�’t know one for each language combination you need. You may not��know��who��is better suited to what task, or you may not have the time or��the��expertise to take care of all your translation needs.��Simply put, someone has to oversee the project��for you.

At�����˶���,��we understand that a quality translation involves more than just a��translator.��A��dedicated��Project Manager��(PM)��is��always��in charge of��monitoring��your project��from start to finish.��As��the main link��between you and the various translators,��the PM��is��always��aware of the��advancement of the project and��oversees��the resources involved. The PM is here to facilitate communication, which is essential to meet your expectations and deliver��the highest standard of��translation for your materials.

But��what��exactly��is��there to oversee?��Well, your material will not be taken care of by one single translator per language. CCA has a three-step,��foolproof process to��ensure��the greatest��accuracy. This is something a��process involving only one��person��may not��guarantee. Why? Because���ԴDz��ǻ��’s��perfect! Translation is��a human process, and��even an excellent translator can and will sometimes make mistakes, or simply not think of��the best way��to��convey��an idea��in another language. Yes, there is always a better solution and we could spend��an��eternity agonizing over the��translation of��a user��guide, the title of a report, or a joke��from��a TV show –��but��of course, no one can afford��to do that��forever.��Yet, when it comes to quality,��experience shows������’s��never a waste of time to have someone take a second look at a document��–��far from it:��it’s almost a requirement.

CCA acknowledges��this��fact, which is why��we have��three separate linguists work on your text:

• The��translator does the bulk of the work by translating the document, thus providing the first draft.��They only ever translate into their��native language,��so they can provide a text that sounds natural and��is��as precise as possible when it comes to terminology.����
• Then,��an��editor��will review this draft and go over the translation and all��the��language-related issues. They check for accuracy,��style,��and, of course, grammar and syntax errors. This second pair of eyes is essential to��ensure��the overall quality of the translation.��
• Finally, the��proofreader��takes��one��last look at the final document, checking for��non-language-related problems��such as��typos, formatting issues, punctuation errors,��dates, numbers, etc.��Nothing can escape our eyes.��

Translators, editors,��and proofreaders��must work within��set��deadlines and guidelines and often find themselves editing someone else’s translation to��make��it��perfect.��This whole process��is��coordinated and supervised every step of the way��by the PM, who will��communicate your wishes to them, and��also serve as��a contact to address your concerns��and needs��during the��time it takes us to complete your order.����

In addition, if you need technical assistance with your project, a team of IT specialists, engineers,��and desktop publishers��is��available.��Contrary to what one might at first,��suppose,��this��really is a team effort��– quality demands it.��

The Tools: What do they work with?��

Now,�������’s��talk about translation proper. Most of the time, we think about it as a straightforward operation: someone – a translator��–��reads the text in the source language and creates a document in the target language that��“basically says the same thing.”��There��is��often a myriad of ways to convey the same idea. We all experience that on a daily basis��when��observing the manners of speech of people��around us,��who often express the same things differently, having their own distinct idiolect.��For example, someone will prefer to use the adjective “beautiful” instead of “handsome”.

In fact, a significant part of translating consists not in finding a way to express an idea in the target language, but in choosing among the many ways��one has��already found.��This��choice��������’t��all be a matter of the translator’s personal preference��and natural inclination.��The context and the intended readership clearly inform these decisions; however, you too have your say in this.��As a client, you can address specific��details��and instructions for your translators to follow.

In addition to specialized dictionaries and translation databases��that��translators use on��a��regular��basis,��they��also��need your input. There are, in fact, two��resources��that��you��as a client can��give��your translators,��or that��they��can help you��develop��and update if needed:��glossaries and style guides.����

Translators are at the service of a client, which makes their job��an��interesting��challenge, as they are confronted��with��the difficulties of bending the target language to their will, as well as customers’ expectations.��So��these tools of the trade��are useful for understanding what the client requires��in general or for a specific project.��Translators constantly��use them��to adapt their work to the��client��so the resulting translation��conforms��to guidelines��and��its intended purpose.��

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������’s��how they work:

• A��glossary’s purpose is to unify the language. It��provides a single standardized translation for key terms��to make sure they are��identical from��one��document to��the next��and��regardless of the translator. It is basically a terminology database that greatly helps translators with unfamiliar words,��and how they can become aware of��specific terms��and��your��word��preferences when translating. A good glossary��helps��translators working on��your��company’s material make sure that they are all��on the same page, thereby ensuring overall consistency between your documents. Here are the items that should be included in a professional glossary:����
  • Key terms and their definition: products, services, technical terms,��but also��words, phrases, expressions, abbreviations, and acronyms. Those should��include terms that pertain to your trade, your industry, or your company in particular, such as concepts that speak to your company culture. Detailed and complete definitions are a necessary part of any glossary because knowing the��exact meaning��of a word or phrase you normally use helps translators choose the best translation for it.����
  • Preferred translations:��This is an additional tool for the translator who may be hesitating between two or more equivalent terms��–��which��happens��often.��This will ensure the target texts remain consistent��and stick closely to your company’s natural vocabulary,��whenever possible.��
  • Translations that should be��avoided:��Words��that should not be used to translate a term,��even if��they seem possible. This is the opposite of the preferred��translations;��it further clarifies your terminology preferences.��
  • Do-not-translates:��Words you want��us to be kept��in the source language��such as��proprietary terms, brand names,��and��trademarks, but��also��concepts and phrases that are relevant to your company and/or your international clients and should remain recognizable in the original language.����
• A��style guide’s purpose is to provide guidelines for the look and feel you expect from translated documents. It should consist of a concise set of preferences��to guide��linguists��working on��your documents. It��may��include the following items:��
  • A brief description of your company: What is your company? Who is your competition? What makes you stand out? What image do you want to��give off? What are your core values, your goals, etc.? Since the translators control the words that will define your company in other languages, they should know��how your company defines itself in its native language.��
  • Your��tone��preferences:��In other words, how do you want your translations to sound��to your intended audience? You��may��want them to sound formal or casual. You��may��prefer short sentences, or longer, more��stylistically sophisticated��ones. You��may��want a very matter–of–fact��voice��or a more artistic��style. For your promotional material, you can go for concise, impactful statements or more��elaborate��formulations. Do you want the translations to be more literal or would you rather have a more creative approach, that is adapted to the target language’s culture? Let us know, so we can tailor our translation to your expectations.����
  • What you ��Dz�’t want: words,��terms, phrases,��and��slogans��you’d like translators to avoid – maybe��because��they are too closely tied to your competitors’��public��image,��or maybe because you simply ��Dz�’t want them associated with your brand for another reason.��You can also suggest alternative translations��your translator is welcome to��use that��better fit the context of the target language as well as your requirements.��
  • How��to display��specific things in��your text: punctuation and capitalization rules, font use,��footnotes, and endnotes, etc.

Glossaries and style guides are vital��for translators, especially if they work on numerous documents��and many different clients. They can also help them deliver��a product��that is��consistent with the��work of translators��who have previously worked on your projects.��These tools for translating��should evolve over time, be periodically reviewed, altered,��and completed, so as to always represent your company’s��evolving��needs. At CCA, we can help you update your glossaries and style guides. We can also assist you in creating them for��language professionals to use in the future by leveraging previously��translated content and using it to lay the groundwork��for future translation projects.����

Contact Us

If you have any inquiries about translation or any other services we offer, or if you’re ready to start with your very own translation project, contact us online��or give us a call at +1 (877) 708-0005��and experience the platinum standard of the language industry.

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Language has always been fluid. Otherwise, Americans would still be using “thee,” “thine”, and “thou,” and Shakespeare’s plays could remain footnote-free in English-speaking countries. However, the advent of social media, which thrives on abbreviations, conversational colloquialisms, and acronyms, has accelerated the natural evolution of language. That makes it challenging for businesses, organizations, and politics to remain socially relevant.

Similarly, the evolution of social media itself means that, to leverage��– and target��– their messages accordingly, international companies must know which language-speakers use which platforms.

Social medial language is the same – but different

Linguist David Crystal, author of the book, , argues against the idea that “social media is ‘ruining’ language.” To prove this, he cites the fact that historians can still read documents dating back 300 to 400 years and understand them without the need for translation. In fact, Crystal’s research shows that language has largely remained unchanged for the past several decades, and that roughly 90% of text- and social media-based language still consists of “modern English.”

What has changed, however, is how we express ourselves on social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For example, we use emojis and symbols that auto-populate from chat boxes (a cute car where you typed “car” or a heart option when you type the word “love”). This can lead to legible texts that look similar to a picture-based word puzzle. We may also use periods to emphasize words, as in, “This.is.not.a.drill.”, or use of ellipses (…) to accentuate pauses or to indicate the lead-in to the reader’s thoughts or intimations.

Some of these changes are easy for linguists to adapt to, others are more difficult. For example, linguists are hardcore grammar-snobs, but we’ve had to learn that casual or conversational language dominates in blogs and social media platforms. This includes the reality that passive language is now the norm (since companies ��Dz�’t want customers holding them to absolutes that lead to litigation issues) and that sentences often end with a preposition – something that was frowned upon in the past.

All of these subtle but distinct ripples, emanating from how written language translates in the social media arena, are important for those of us who translate for a living; and ����’s equally important for companies and organizations using social media – particularly when developing their brand in the international marketplace.

Using social media in other languages

The most common languages spoken in the world are Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Arabic and Hindi. These are not, however, the most common languages found on social media platforms. According to , that distinction goes to:

• Russian – Russian speakers, whether in Russia or elsewhere, use a social media platform called VKontakte (VK).
• Chinese – While most social media platforms are not allowed in China, the Weibo platform is allowed and hosted in Chinese.
• English – the lion’s share of social media platforms originated in the United States or other English-speaking countries.
• Spanish – whether in Spain or in Latin America.
• Portuguese – and not just in Portugal and Brazil.
• and Malay!

Twitter, one of the world’s largest social media platform also experiences an increase in Arabic.

If your prospects speak another language, you’ll benefit greatly by researching the social media platforms most used in that country and adapting your messages accordingly. This can be tricky when you’re working in East Asian languages, which have characters and scripts that aren’t as readily adaptable to social media platforms as Roman characters.

Different words and acronyms pose interesting translation challenges

Another factor worth mentioning is that the advent of technology and gadgets, paired with “less is more” social media modes, have led to the creation of new words and acronyms. For example, the word “Google” is now a verb as well as a brand name (“Can you Google directions to…). Other “new” additions to the English language include, “selfie,” “blog”, and “vlog”. Social media has also brought an entirely different meaning to preexisting words such as “like”, “friend/unfriend”, “profile”, or “status”.

Then, there is the fact that acronyms are only as relevant as the language they represent. For example, your Arabic-speaking clients may not recognize that “LOL” means “laugh out loud” or that OMG means “oh my god”. Other things easily become lost in translation as well, such as B4 (before) or F2F (face-to-face). These seem insignificant when you’re living in the culture/language in which they’re created��– but as an international business or marketing firm, you need to have a grasp of what means what��for your global target audience.

Not surprisingly, English speakers aren’t the only ones who create their own Internet slang and acronyms. For example, in France or for French-speaking social media users, our LOL is their MDR (mort de rire = dying of laughter), our CU (see you) is their A+ (à plus [tard] = see you later), and our BRB (be right back) is their Je Re (je re[viens tout de suite] = be right back).

Having a handle on the social media acronyms and slang in your target language – and using them naturally – is essential to your marketing strategy and the ability to build a respectable brand image.

Are you looking to work with professional translators who can help you build trustworthy, fluent and meaningful brand recognition across the globe? Contact us here at ���˶���and��Associates and we’ll show you why we’re known as the industry’s platinum standard.

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