Monday, July 30, 2012

Technical Translations - An Important Requirement for Global Launch of a Product or Service


Today, it is impossible for people to imagine their lives without technology. It is only because of the technological advancements that today they can communicate all across the world. The technology has made it possible to spread a flurry of information in any part of the globe within no time. Especially, business owners are making the most of this technological development by expanding their business to the global market. However, not all countries speak the same language and thus communicating with foreign customers in their native language is something that certainly is not a cakewalk. Learning many languages, too, does not appear as a feasible solution.
The best option that business owners opt for is hiring professional services for their translation needs. Especially if you sell products or services in the international market, then getting your technical documents translated in the native language of your target audience is utmost important. Technical translation entails translation of specialized text pertinent to scientific or technical subject areas. Therefore, translation of such texts needs to be handled by someone, holding excellent knowledge about the technical terms and jargon related to different businesses.
Whether it is construction, computing, aircraft or some other subject matter, technical translation should be perfect, no matter what. This is the reason why only highly specialized and experienced translators should be hired for the job of technical translations. They make use of large terminology glossaries and databases to make sure that the translated text is error-free. As the wide technical sector is rapidly evolving and new technical terms are continually emerging, it is quite challenging to find equivalent terms or words for those which have been created recently. In such cases, proficient translators perform a comprehensive documentary process that involves investigating about the specific technical field that is being handled, the social nuances and target culture to discover the most appropriate terms.
Technical translation services are a must have for the global launch of any product or service. Those, who wish to take their business to the international market to earn more profit, should pick a reliable translation service provider, specializing in all forms of technical translations. For instance, they should be able to offer translation for documents, such as scientific reports, data sheets, electronic manuals, guides, handbooks, technical documentation etc. Since, translation of technical documents is a crucial element in successfully launching and exporting products or services, it is advisable for all business owners to always choose the best translation agency. Hiring an experienced company means pushing your business in the right direction.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Professional Services for Language Translation


There are different languages spoken all across the world. However, to promote a business at the global platform, communicating with people speaking different languages is important and this is exactly what has made services for translation a must have for businesses. Considering such a high demand, there are loads of translation companies out there, which offer services to translate text written in one language to another, so that the target audience can easily read and understand the main message.
Unfortunately while enlisting professional services for language translation, most businesses have no idea about what to expect with regard to quality, delivery time and price for a project. There are scores of small translation agencies out there which may seem to be an excellent choice at first but may lead you to a huge business loss later on. To make sure the upshot of your investment in these services is good enough for you to impress your foreign customers, it is advisable to choose a reputed company even if you have to pay a little extra.
Before assigning the job to any firm, look out for what exactly they ask you. For instance, they may want to know about the language of your target nation, your industry, the style or format you want your document to be written in and so on. This would not only help them to determine which translator in their network can best handle your project but also you, as a client, can know how professional and dedicated they are. If you already have a specific time frame in mind, then do not forget to convey your need to them. Sometimes, for an extremely quick turnaround, they may charge you extra money. But they can guarantee quality; so do not hesitate to spend a little extra.
Besides, the proficiency of the experts hired by these companies would also decide if you are really in safe hands or not. So, before going ahead with any firm do make sure that they have highly qualified and experienced translators and interpreters, who are capable of accurately and precisely translating the business documents. Your ultimate goal while looking for a translation agency should be to get best quality that can help you communicate easily with your customers and prospects. Low quality translations have no place in the global world. Sooner or later low quality translation services would break down the communication between buyers and sellers, residing in different countries. So, regardless of whether you are seeking services for technical, business, medical or legal translation, make sure to hire a reputable translation service provider who can guarantee to offer you top quality.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

How To Say "To Become" In Spanish And Verbs of Change


In this lesson, I will cover the topic of how to say "to become" in Spanish. Many of my students have also asked this same question. This question doesn't have an easy answer, because Spanish has different words according to what kind of change we are talking about. This Lesson is about Verbos de Cambio, the different verbs that we use to explain the change from one condition to another condition.
Ponerse: Is a verb used to speak about a change that is sudden, involuntary and temporary. For example, if the teacher asked you something in front of the class, you can say:
Me puse nervioso, porque no sabía la respuesta. (I became nervious because I didn´t know the answer.)
Typical expressions with Ponerse are: Ponerse colorado/a, Ponerse triste, Ponerse contento/a, Ponerse verde de envidia, Ponerse mal.
Volverse: Is a verb used to speak about a change involuntary but not temporary, it is permanent. For example:
Después de las crisis mucha gente se volvió pobre. (After the crisis, many people became poor.)
You can use Volverse + Adjective or Volverse + una persona + Adjective.
Typical expressions with volverse are: Volverse loco/a, volverse una persona arrogante, volverse una persona introvertida, volverse paranoico.
Hacerse: With this verb we speak about a change gradual and voluntary. For example: Juan Perez se hizo rico vendiendo computadoras. (Juan Perez became rich selling computers.)
Also, with Hacerse we make reference to religious and ideological changes.
Madonna se hizo judía. /Manuel se hizo socialista cuando se fue a vivir a Argentina. (Madonna became Jewish. / Manuel became a socialist when he moved to Argentina.)
Convertirse: Is like Hacerse, a gradual change but sometimes it is voluntary and sometimes is not voluntary. We use it generally to speak about professions or places.
For example: Después de mucho estudiar, Marcela se convirtió en médica. (After a lot of studying, Marcela became a doctor.)
Cuando Steve Jobs murió, Tim Cook se convirtió en el presidente de Apple. (When Steve Jobs died, Tim Cook became Apple's CEO.)
Esa ciudad se convirtió en un lugar muy inseguro desde que se instalaron muchos narcos. (That city became very unsafe after many drug dealers came.)
Mi restaurante se convirtió en un sitio muy popular desde que salió en esa revista.
(My restaurant became a popular place after it was mentioned in that magazine.)
Quedarse: This verb is used many times to speak about the result of an accident.
For example: Después del accidente Francisco se quedó ciego. (After the accident Francisco became blind.)
It is also the result of a process, and in this case we don´t use Quedar like a reflexive verb. Después de dos días de trabajo: la pared quedó pintada. (After two days of work: the wall was painted.)
Mónica fue al salón de belleza y quedó muy linda. Monica went to the salon and ended up very pretty.)

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Quantifiers in the Spanish Language


Quantifiers in the Spanish language are Spanish words that are very useful when we want to speak about statistics. Some of them use the distinction between female and male but others don't do it. Remember that when we don't put the noun after the adjective we are speaking in general, and it will always be masculine.
Let's take a look. To give some examples we will talk about the work world in Argentina. You can think if it is similar in your country.
Todos/as: Todos los trabajadores en relación de dependencia cobran un Aguinaldo, que significa un sueldo extra annual. (All workers as employees take on a Christmas bonus, which means an annual extra salary.)
Casi todos/as: Casi todos los trabajadores tienen 15 días de vacaciones. (Most workers have 15 days of vacation.)
La mayoría: La mayoría toma el transporte público para ir a trabajar. (Most take public transportation to get to work.)
La minoría: La minoría puede trabajar desde su casa. (A minority can work from home.)
Muchos/as: Muchos tienen una hora para almorzar dentro o fuera de la oficina. (Many workers have an hour for lunch inside or outside the office.)
Bastantes: Bastantes trabajadores usan las redes sociales en sus trabajos. (Many workers use social networks at work.)
Demasiados/as: Demasiados trabajadores toman el subte cada mañana. (Too many workers take the subway every morning.)
Varios/as: Varias mujeres guardan su licencia por maternidad para después de tener a su hijo, en lugar de tomarse algunos meses previos. (Many women keep their maternity leave after having their son, rather than taking a few months prior.)
Pocos/as (unos/as pocos/as): Pocas mujeres dejan de trabajar después de tener niños. (Few women stop working after having children.)
Casi nadie: Casi nadie tiene piscina en su lugar de trabajo, aunque algunas empresas modernas la incluyen como un beneficio para sus empleados. (Hardly anyone has a pool in his workplace, although some modern companies include it as a benefit for their employees.)
Casi ningún/a: Casi ningún trabajo permite tomar alcohol durante el horario de trabajo. (Almost no job allows the drinking of alcohol during working hours.)
Casi Nadie and Casi Ningún means the same in this context, but remember that we only use Nadie for people and Ningún or Ninguna can be used with different things and we aways use it before a noun.
Hopefully this lesson was a good review of quantifiers for you. They are an important part of the Spanish language and are very useful in many situations.

Friday, July 6, 2012

5 Grammar and Punctuation Tips for Clear Writing


When it comes to writing, especially in the English language, there is much confusion surrounding classic grammar rules and punctuation problems often arise. Writing is something everyone uses every single day, whether you are in the professional world, the workplace, in a collegiate atmosphere, or simply when you are writing lists or notes. Therefore, grammar is epically important to making your point clear and expressing your thoughts in a concise way so others can grasp your meaning and purpose for writing. Here are five tips to writing grammatically correct and keeping your punctuation in check.
1. Commas
This form of punctuation is perhaps the most important element of any paragraph or sentence. In fact, the misuse of commas is one of the most common problems in sentence and paragraph writing. This is so important that it has made number one on my list of tips. First, it is imperative not to overuse commas. This is a classic mistake that even the most experienced writer can make. Sometimes you can get so carried away with this part of punctuation that you neglect other forms such as the period, the exclamation point, the semicolon, the colon, or even the question mark. All of these need to become your friends if you would like to write effectively. Also, it is important to not use too few commas. This is another common comma conundrum. Often times, people forget about commas altogether or have no idea how to use them correctly so they do not even attempt to use them at all. This is certainly a mistake. Omitting commas from your writing is a sign of an amateur writer. That is obviously not how you wish to come across in your writing. It is also a sign that you have no idea how to use a comma properly, so you have simply given up on that piece of punctuation. The bottom line here is that commas are absolutely essential because they signal your reader when to take a breath. Without this, your reader will be reading a run on sentence and that will compromise the clarity of your whole composition.
2. Steer Clear Of Weak Words
This means do not overuse weak adjectives like "very" or "really." These are well-known filler words and should basically never be used in a professional writing piece. It makes you sound either over eager or unintelligent. Use more descriptive adjectives that are tailored to your meaning.
3. Avoid Passive Voice
Passive voice in writing is using verbs that you do not take responsibility for. Eliminate this from your writing, and try to use only active voice. This shows that you are being assertive and taking ownership of what you are saying. Hiding behind passive voice is a cowardly thing to do and makes your writing boring.
4. Keep It Straight
Make sure you have a solid grasp on the meaning and usage of these homophones: they're, their, and there. If you misuse any of these words and you have lost all credibility as far as your reader is concerned. Think about it, if someone does not even know how to use these common words, how can you trust them to be accurate about anything they are writing about. Keep the they're, their, and there straight and you show you are educated and knowledgeable.
5. Always Clarify
This is the most basic tip of all. When it comes down to guessing whether your reader knows exactly what you are describing, always assume your reader knows nothing about the subject you are writing about. Make everything as clear as possible, so as to avoid confusion. This technique will also keep the reader hooked on what you are writing.