Spanish Translation

March 9, 2018
prepositions-translation

Prepositions are notoriously tricky to get right for non-native translators when going into English.

According to the on-line Oxford Dictionary: “A preposition is a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, as in ‘the man on the platform’, ‘she arrived after dinner’, ‘what did you do it for?’.” On, after and for are the prepositions in these phrases and fairly straight forward for the average English speaker; however, for a Spanish speaker, when going from Spanish to English it is a mine field. The origin of the word itself gives a strong clue to what it does in a sentence. […]
April 25, 2016
translation-projects

How to Complete Large Translation Projects

Generally, translators have different ways of dealing with texts that can change based on several factors: level of experience, type of text being translated, size of text being translated, familiarity with the topic, available resources, available time (closeness of deadline), and personal preference. In the event of taking on a large translation job, it is wise to keep in mind a few things along the way: Divide Up the Work It is essential not only in the field of translation, but also for almost any profession to consider dividing up working into manageable chunks. Creating milestones is a great way […]
April 19, 2016

Translating Animal Metaphors into Spanish and Other Languages

Idioms are an important part of any language. Thanks to our intimate relationship with animals, there are a large amount of animal-related metaphors in most languages. For example, humans tend to express different emotions by referencing animals. As a result, most of the idioms which include animals are terse but concise, short but comprehensive. A lot of animal idioms are found in English, Spanish, and other languages. However, since there are great differences in history, culture, geographical environment, literature, customs, religion, and ways of thinking between, for example, Mexico and China, people who speak Spanish would not relate to some […]
April 4, 2016
about translation and transcription

A Word about Transcription and Translation

Let’s take a moment to compare and contrast transcription and translation – terms that are similar, but different. The two are connected to language, but they are different in numerous aspects. In simple words, transcription is copying or summarizing something (such as an audio recording) into written form, word for word. In transcription, only a single language is involved. Translation is, of course, as we have discussed on this blog several times, translating a written document from one language to another. More about Transcription                 Transcription has two approaches to get the job done: It includes either using written, summarized material to be transcribed […]
March 28, 2016
Transcreation

Transcreation vs. Translation – What is the Difference?

Similar to translation, transcreation by definition is a process of adopting a message from one language into another, while maintaining its intent, style, tone and context. A successfully transcreated message works with the same emotions and carries out the same implications in the target language as it does in the source language. How Translation and Transcreation Differ Translations rely on the literal transfer of meaning while transcreations are about translating the intent of the word, slogan or phrase into a different language. Transcreation is about capturing the essence of an idea and making the target audience believe it was created just for […]
March 11, 2016
english-to-spanish-translation

Top Challenges for Spanish-English Translators

Because Spanish is a Latin-based language (also referred to as a Romance language) it is markedly different than English, which is a Germanic language. These differences in origin create several challenges when translating into Spanish or vice versa. There are some obvious challenges a translator can encounter that we will discuss in this blog post. An adjective is generally located after a noun in the Spanish language, which of course is not the case in English and is something that native English speakers often have a hard time remembering. Spanish speakers can have a hard time forming negatives or interrogatives […]
March 7, 2016
employee_handbook_translation

Translation of Employee Handbooks & Safety Manuals

What is an Employee Handbook? An employee handbook is the most important communication tool between an employer and its workforce. It’s a statement of the policies of the business and how the employees are expected to comply with these policies. Regardless of how small or large an organization may be, running an organization without policies and guidelines is very challenging and could have legal consequences. As a business owner, you’re required to inform employees of certain rights and obligations as mandated by Federal and State regulations.  Verbally informing employees of these rights and obligations is not sufficient; the employer must […]
February 29, 2016
technical-translation-losangeles

Strategies for Technical Translations

It is important to carefully choose who you want to do your technical translation jobs. A good technical translator will already have experience working with technical documents — either from a variety of industries, or better yet, specialize in one industry such as legal, medlegal, medical, or academia. Experience is an invaluable asset when it comes to looking for someone to do a technical translation and this experience shows in the quality of the translation document produced. The right kind of translator should be able to tell when there is an error in the original document, for example, because they […]
February 22, 2016
translation-types

Types of Translation Services

Translation has become increasingly popular in recent years. Those not familiar with the language services industry might think that the translation process is very easy and that the only requirement for a translator is the ability to speak a second language. However, the translation process is more complex than it seems and varies among various fields. For example, the translation process for the legal field is incredibly different than the translation process for the medical field. Below is a list of some common translation types in the industry: Business Translation This is also known as administrative translation. Business is conducted […]