Translation is so simple – one might think. You type a word or sentence into automated translation software, and receive the translation in a language of your choice almost immediately. Translation is so difficult. Without a human eye trained in nuances of both languages, it's impossible to create text that…
So you've decided you need a translator. Perhaps your business operates internationally, of a significant part of your audience would prefer to read your materials in a foreign language. It's a great decision, particularly considering the drawbacks of some of the alternatives to professional translations. But realizing that you need…
Weeks before we knew the leaves would have it, translation services professionals in Europe were locked in debate. "What would a leave vote mean for the industry?" they asked, aloud and in print. The size of the industry alone made the question worthy: there are 23 officially recognized languages spoken…
When it comes to native speakers, English actually fares pretty poorly; there are more native speakers of Spanish and Mandarin than there are of English. But in terms of the total number of speakers, both native and as a secondary language, there’s really no comparison - there are believed to…
About 15 years ago, an article in the New York Times painted a bleak picture of the translation profession. Soon, it prophesied, freelance translators would be squeezed out of the market by large translation firms, while intelligent software able to conduct the same - and better - work would endanger…
There’s a bit of argument over who translated the Bible into English. Officially, the translation was completed by John Wycliffe, and that’s the name you’ll stumble across if you search for information about Bible translations into English. However, there is evidence that sections of the Bible were translated long before…
When we talk about the English language, we’re usually referring to one of two forms of English. Quite often, this is British English. After all, the English language evolved in England! However, at other times we may be referring to American English, quite simply because the United States has the…
When translators watch movies with their fictionalized counterparts, they can't help but chuckle. The nature of dramatization means that at first sight, Hollywood does not capture the skill and nuance required to succeed in this challenging, multi-cultural field. But dig a little deeper, and you will find worldwide blockbusters that…
The project prompt is simple: translate our website from [insert language here] into English. But the follow up question stumps many potential clients: which English would you prefer? The answer to that question matters. Your website translation could be completed in either US or British English, and the implications range…
Fast, reliable, and cost effective translation services are widely available today, but believe it or not, this hasn’t always been the case. Looking back just 20 years ago, the translation industry was very different to what it is today, with higher costs, fewer options, and reliability that was somewhat questionable…