Tips for Translators

What is EN15038 Certified Translation? -

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:22:00 +0000

EN 15038:2006 is a rigid standard that is specific to the language services industry. The EN15038 standard introduces requirements for compliance with certain common procedures and monitors the specially developed processes for translation—from acceptance of an order to its delivery.

For an important resource material visit
http://www.password-europe.com/images/PWE/PDF/DIN_EN15038.pdf

• All rights belong to Ostom. • Use of this post is allowed provided this link is present at the end of the article. http://getdirectclient.blogspot.com • Hire me for translation into Bengali and Hindi www.indianscripts.com/ • Visit my Blog on Indian languages http://motso.wordpress.com

Want to get repeat clients?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 16:46:00 +0000

Deliver before time.
Yes, its true. More than quality, the project managers look for persons who can deliver in time. I am not asking you to delivery poor quality translations but you should remember its Deadline that is most important So if you want your project manager to remember you for the next job, deliver the present job before deadline and always!

I am back after a gap of 2 years. In these years I have left my job and joined an institute in India as a professor and taken the translation activities with all the earnestness it deserves. Henceforth, expect regular posts here in this blog. Stay Tunes! Happy Profits!!

• All rights belong to Ostom. • Use of this post is allowed provided this link is present at the end of the article. http://getdirectclient.blogspot.com • Hire me for translation into Bengali and Hindi www.indianscripts.com/ • Visit my Blog on Indian languages http://motso.wordpress.com

100 Translation Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Suyash Suprabh) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:26:00 +0000

Here is a list of important blogs:

1. http://patenttranslator.wordpress.com

2. http://lingocode.com/the-translators-teacup

3. http://translationjournal.blogspot.in

4. http://linguagreca.com/blog

5. http://translationmusings.com

6. http://thoughtsontranslation.com

7. http://www.translationtribulations.com

8. http://getdirectclient.blogspot.in

9. http://brave-new-words.blogspot.in

10. http://mox.ingenierotraductor.com

11. http://wordstogoodeffect.com

12. http://latitudescoachblog.com

13. http://translationbiz.wordpress.com

14. http://speakingoftranslation.com

15. http://transpanish.biz/translation_blog

16. http://nopeanuts.wordpress.com

17. http://wantwords.co.uk/martastelmaszak/blog

18. http://foxdocs.biz/BetweenTranslations

19. http://translationista.blogspot.in

20. http://thehouseoftranslation.blogspot.in

21. http://unprofessionaltranslation.blogspot.in

22. http://americlic.wordpress.com

23. http://wordstodeeds.com

24. http://signsandsymptomsoftranslation.com

25. http://www.jadelanguagesolutions.com/blog.html

26. http://www.hayles-translations.com/blog

27. http://www.catherinetranslates.com

28. http://cibliste.com

29. http://anmerkungen-des-uebersetzers.com

30. http://www.hispaniclanguages.com/blog

31. http://glossarissimo.wordpress.com

32. http://www.anaiaria.com

33. http://www.veritaslanguagesolutions.com/blog

34. http://www.mylifeintranslation.net

35. http://translationpost.com

36. http://www.adatrad.com/blog/ubersetzungsagentur-vs-ubersetzer

37. http://ata-sci-tech.blogspot.in

38. http://www.mcrobertstranslations.com/blog

39. http://blog.albatrossolutions.com

40. http://www.nakedtranslations.com/en/blog

41. http://blog.philippahammond.net

42. http://pbtranslations.wordpress.com

43. http://maskedtranslator.blogspot.in

44. http://www.aboutranslation.com

45. http://catranslation.org/blog

46. http://blog.1-800-translate.com

47. http://www.sarahdillon.com/blog

48. http://blog.fxtrans.com

49. http://blog.web-translations.com

50. http://trovarepercredere.blogspot.in

51. http://www.swedishtranslationservices.com/blog

52. http://www.translators-biz-secret.com/Translation-Jobs-blog.html

53. http://blog.tomedes.com

54. http://www.becomeatranslator.com

55. http://cdevitttranslation.wordpress.com

56. http://translatoreducator.blogspot.in

57. http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com

58. http://www.jodybyrne.com/category/blog

59. http://www.anothertranslator.eu/en

60. http://www.l10n411.com

61. http://unprofessionaltranslation.blogspot.in

62. http://ndbooks.com/blog

63. http://kv-emptypages.blogspot.in

64. http://translationtimes.blogspot.in

65. http://smuggledwords.wordpress.com

66. http://ontranslationandwords.blogspot.in

67. http://translation-blog.trustedtranslations.com

68. http://translatingberlin.wordpress.com

69. http://www.translatemyworld.com/LocalizationBestPractices

70. http://www.gts-translation.com/blog

71. http://yndigotranslations.com/blog

72. http://www.foodfortranslators.com

73. http://translationquality.blogspot.in

74. http://blog.csoftintl.com

75. http://thelanguageoftranslation.wordpress.com

76. http://traduccionmexico.blogspot.in

77. http://www.catherinetranslates.com

78. http://segnodicaino.blogspot.in

79. http://transblawg.eu

80. http://cinoche5.wordpress.com

81. http://www.blog.wahlster.net

82. http://mcdonough-dolmaya.ca

83. http://translationcommentator.blogspot.in

84. http://www.ccaps.net/blog/category/blog

85. http://www.translationblogsdigest.blogspot.in

86. http://hegenberger.blogspot.in

87. http://calquezine.blogspot.in

88. http://lori4twb.wordpress.com

89. http://dynamiclanguageblog.com

90. http://www.quicksilvertranslate.com/blog

91. http://translationandinterpretationinamerica.blogspot.in

92. http://sehablaenglish.wordpress.com

93. http://transl10n.tumblr.com

94. http://rainylondontranslations.posterous.com

95. http://wordsmeet.wordpress.com

96. http://www.translationadvisor.com/professional-translation-services-blog.html

97. http://fuckedtranslation.blogspot.in

98. http://blogproz.wordpress.com

99. http://www.wordyrama.com/category/blogorama

100. http://sjcparis.wordpress.com

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What to Expect With Machine Translation?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 05:54:00 +0000

In the world of business, whether you're working for a huge multinational company or as a freelancer who loves to write, times will come when translation is necessary. Most people are not fluent in more than one language, so they turn to machine translators for help. What should you expect when you use such devices?

Positives

With a machine translating device, you will find incredible ease with the project. You'll simply have to input what you want translated, and then you will see the results come to life right before your eyes. Additionally, these types of translators are readily available, and you can usually find them online without too much of a struggle. Be certain to use a reputable one.

Negatives

One of the both the problems and the privileges with machine translators is that they often make direct translations. Let's say that you were trying to translate the American idiom "A stitch in time saves nine" into Spanish. The phrase would be literally translated, and the voice and purpose of the idiom would be lost. Additionally, sometimes there could be two spellings of a word or two variations of a word. Not knowing which one you intend to use, the machine translator might select the wrong one. Some translators out there are unreliable, and you never know who is actually operating them.

The Alternative

While machine translators have excellent benefits, you might feel that the negatives outweigh the positives in this situation. You could try turning to a translation dictionary so that you can translate every word by itself. Remember though, you still cannot translate the distinct voice used in idioms and other expressions that are specific to certain cultures. If you're going to be doing a lot of translations into another language, why don't you work on learning that target language? You can enroll in some classes at the local community college, or you can purchase some DVDs and tapes to teach yourself this new language in the comfort of your home.

Another Option

Learning a new language takes some time, and looking up every word of a lengthy document in a dictionary can become truly mind numbing. What is a person supposed to do when he or she is in need of translation services? Instead of scrambling, consider hiring a translator for your company if you do a lot of work that requires such a specialty. Perhaps you don't have a lot of money to spare or maybe you only need a translator for a couple of projects every year. If that's the case, see if you can find some translators around town who work on a freelance basis. Fluent speakers are excellent choices because they can make correct translations, and they can tell you if there are some words or phrases that don't directly translate.

Having to do translations for work can be a trying task when you don't have the proper equipment with which to do so and you have no one on task who speaks the target language. Review these rules for the best way to efficiently complete translations at work.

This is a guest post written by Robbie Montgomery who writes about finance, business & more at http://flowerdelivery.net
.• All rights belong to Ostom. • Use of this post is allowed provided this link is present at the end of the article. http://getdirectclient.blogspot.com • Hire me for translation into Bengali and Hindi www.indianscripts.com/ • Visit my Blog on Indian languages http://motso.wordpress.com

Translation Agency vs. Individual Translator

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 01:55:00 +0000

When you need some translations done for your company and no one speaks the target language, you'll need to call in some outside help. You'll be faced with deciding whether you should opt for a translation agency or an individual translator. What are the pros and cons of each?

Pay Rates
Unless your company has an unlimited budget, you're likely looking for someone who has an affordable pay rate. Agencies generally have predetermined prices, so you will not have much room for negotiation. Individual translators may be more likely to negotiate their prices as they often work for themselves and have some free reign here. You may be able to get an even lower price by working with someone who has just started in the industry.

Experience
You want to be certain that the translator you are using has experience in this field. Just because a person can speak two languages does not mean that he or she is capable of being a proficient translator. When you are working with a translation agency, there is more of a guarantee that the workers have been certified to work in this field. You can check reviews of them online, and you can consult with the Better Business Bureau to truly discover the company's reputation. If you're working with an individual, particularly with someone who does not have a lot of experience on the job, you will likely be unable to find such reviews.

Reliability and Accessibility
Let's say that the individual does not show up on time for your meeting. If the person is associated with an agency, you can call up the agency's number. Therefore, someone else working there can fix the problem by locating the employee or by sending a replacement. When you are working with an individual, you might not be able to get in touch with him or her. On the other hand, working with an individual ensures that you have direct access to the translator. When working with an agency, you may have to go through a series of people to reach the individual with whom you are working.

Establishing Rapport
It's possible to establish rapport with an individual from an agency or a person who works for his or herself. It all depends upon the people. However, sometimes it may be easier to have a long lasting relationship with an individual. While a huge company will likely have stellar reviews, you will probably just become another number in the crowd. With an individual person, you can keep returning to that translator time and time again if agreeable to both parties, so you are working with someone whom you trust.

Deciding who to use for translation services on big projects is difficult. You want to be sure that you are making the correct decision while staying within budget. You can use either a translation agency or a freelancing individual. The decision really depends upon what you are looking for in the services and with what you are most comfortable.

Ben Cook writes about translation, finance & finding the best travel insurance.

• All rights belong to Ostom. • Use of this post is allowed provided this link is present at the end of the article. http://getdirectclient.blogspot.com • Hire me for translation into Bengali and Hindi www.indianscripts.com/ • Visit my Blog on Indian languages http://motso.wordpress.com

12 frequent reasons I turn down a translation job offer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:02:00 +0000

12 frequent reasons I turn down a translation job offer

1.It's not a field I know

2. I have no clue about the terminologies used/required

3. It's in and/or into a language I didn't master at a professional level

4. I am too busy

5. I dont "do" Trados

6. I dont provide discounts

7.I do not deal with awkward, unworkable formats

8. I find the rate offered ridiculously low

9. I refuse Unreliable potential clients

10. I refuse those clients with whom I Previously had bad experience

11.Deadline is too short

12. The job is offered in a mass e-mail

• All rights belong to Ostom. • Use of this post is allowed provided this link is present at the end of the article. http://getdirectclient.blogspot.com • Hire me for translation into Bengali and Hindi www.indianscripts.com/ • Visit my Blog on Indian languages http://motso.wordpress.com

Worldwide list of Translation agencies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:11:00 +0000

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Multilingual Dictionaries and Language Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:03:00 +0000

Multilingual Dictionaries and Language Tools

• Your Dictionary for 292 languages: http://www.yourdictionary.com/

• English-Spanish Dictionary: http://dictionaries.travlang.com/EnglishSpanish/

• Escape Artist Asia Font Resources: http://www.escapeartist.com/media40/fonts.htm

Asian Fonts - Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindu, Malayalam, Devnagri, Mylai, Mongolian, Sinhala & Tamil Fonts.

• Languages Resources: http://www.sociosite.net/language.php

Dictionaries & thesauri, encyclopedia, quote pages, language, style & grammar guides for most languages.

• Talking English-Chinese Dictionary: http://www.hnhsoft.com/dictec

• Idiomax Dictionary Software: http://www.idiomax.com/dicpro.htm. FROM/TO English, Spanish and Italian

• Babylon Text Translation Dictionary Software: http://www.babylon.com/

• Online Dictionaries and Translators: http://www.word2word.com/dictionary.html.

This page provides access to online translation dictionaries for 37 languages.

• Portuguese Dictionary: http://www.priberam.pt/DLPO/ . This website is written in Portuguese.

• Online Translation Dictionaries: http://www.regar.de/dictionary/index.htm

FROM/TO: English, Spanish, French, German & Italian

• I Love Languages: http://www.ilovelanguages.com/

• LOGOS -Multilingual E-Translation Portal: http://www.logos.it/

• Travlang's Translating Dictionaries: http://dictionaries.travlang.com/

• Yamada Language Guides: http://babel.uoregon.edu/yamada/guides.html

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Professional Organizations and Associations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Regional Professional Organizations and Associations

There are also a variety of international and regional translator organizations that provide guidance, assistance and support:

• Arabia: Arab Professional Translators Society: http://www.arabtranslators.org/index.asp

• Argentine Association of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.aati.org.ar/ingles/home_ingles.htm

• Australian Association of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.ausit.org/eng/showpage.php3?id=646

• Austrian Association of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.universitas.org/

• Belgian Chamber of Translators, Interpreters and Philologists: http://www.cbtip-bkvtf.org/

• Brazil- Associaçao Brasileira De Tradutores: http://www.abrates.com.br/

• Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council: http://www.cttic.org/mission.asp

• Chilean Association of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.traductores-agts.cl/ingles/central.htm

• Translators Association of China: http://www.tac-online.org.cn/

• Columbia: Asociación Colombiana de Traductores e Intérpretes: http://www.traductorescolombia.com/

• Czech Republic Translators Association: http://www.obecprekladatelu.cz/

• Association of Danish Authorized Translators: http://www.translatorforeningen.dk/

• Estonian Association of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.ettl.ee/

• Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.sktl.net/

• The French Association of Translators: http://www.sft.fr/

• German Translators Association: http://www.bdue.de/

• Greece: The Panhellenic Association of Translators: http://www.pem.gr/

• Indian Translator Association: http://www.itaindia.org/

• Irish Association of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.translatorsassociation.ie/

• Israel Translators Association: http://www.ita.org.il/

• Italy: Associazione Italiana Traduttori e Interpreti: http://www.aiti.org/

• Japan Association of Translators: http://www.jat.org/

• Mexico: Organización Mexicana de Traductores: http://www.omt.org.mx/general.htm

• Morocco: Association des Traducteurs Agréés près les Juridictions: http://www.atajtraduction.asso.ma/indexfr.php

• Netherlands Association of Translators: http://www.ngtv.nl/

• New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters: http://www.nzsti.org/

• Norwegian Association of Literary Translators: http://www.oversetterforeningen.no/

• Peruvian Association of Professional Translators: http://www.atpp.org/eng/index.htm

• Polish Association of Translators: http://www.stp.org.pl/

• Association of Portuguese Translators: http://www.apt.pt/

• Romanian Translator Association: http://www.atr.org.ro/

• Russia: The National League of Translators: http://www.russian-translators.ru/english/

• Slovakia: The Union of Interpreters and Translators: http://www.jtpunion.org/spip/

• Association of Scientific and Technical Translators of Slovenia: http://www.dztps.si/

• South African Translators Institute: http://www.translators.org.za/

• Spanish Literary Translators Association: http://www.acett.org/

• Swedish Association of Professional Translators: http://www.sfoe.se/index.php

• Swiss Association of Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters: http://www.astti.ch/

• Taiwan: Translation and Attestation Association of Taipei: http://www.taat.org.tw/index.htm

• Wales: The Association of Welsh Translators and Interpreters: http://www.welshtranslators.org.uk/

• Uruguay: Colegio de Traductores Públicos del Uruguay: http://www.colegiotraductores.org.uy/

• United Kingdom Institute of Translating and Interpreting: http://www.iti.org.uk/indexMain.html

• United States: American Translators Association: http://www.atanet.org/

• Venezuela: Colegio Nacional de Licenciados en Traducción e Interpretación: http://www.conalti.org/

International Professional Organizations and Associations

• International Federation of Translators: http://www.fit-ift.org/en/news-en.php

• AIIC - International Association of Conference Translators: http://www.aitc.ch/index.php?newlang=english

• Globalization and Localization Association: http://www.gala-global.org/index.php

Specialized Professional Organizations and Associations

• International Association of Translators and Editors in Medicine and Related Sciences: http://www.tremedica.org/

• National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators: http://www.najit.org/

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Networking and Certifications

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:58:00 +0000

FREELANCE TRANSLATOR OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES AND TOOLS

Networking and Certifications

As a freelance translator you will find it to your advantage to actively participate to in discussion forums with other free lance translators as well as industry events that are organized by different associations. There are many organizations that provide certification for freelance translators that can enhance your credibility as well as your profitability.

ATA Certification

The American Translators Association has a variety of membership benefits that can help you understand the world of translation in more detail. They publish a monthly magazine that reports on industry events and issues facing the translation business. The annual conference provides you with an opportunity to sharpen their skills, network with other translators and marked your services.

Your membership includes access to special offers such as travel, collection and insurance programs as well as language specific mailing lists. In addition you will be listed in their online translators database a valuable to for locating work. Although it is not required to be certified to be a free lance translator, passing the American translators association certification exam can be an excellent reference.

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Organizing a Freelance Translation Office

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 May 2012 08:02:00 +0000

BECOMING A PRODUCTIVE FREELANCE TRANSLATOR

Organizing a Freelance Translation Office

Translation work requires mental concentration, physical stamina and emotional balance in addition to your language skills, computer hardware and software. Each person has a particular work style and organizing your workspace in harmony with this can help you be more productive. Let’s look at some concepts that can help you work better.

Environment

The location where you work in your home needs to be quiet to facilitate concentration. It also needs to be another location that supports year issue level. Organizing your home office near the front of your home is beneficial to receiving clients and conducting business as well as exposing your workspace to positive energy. Air currents are more active n the main level and toward the front of the house than lower levels and the rear of the house.

You should position your desk so that you can clearly see the entrance to the room. This way you can be aware of your general environment and psychologically at ease. If you sit with your back toward the door you are vulnerable because you do not know who may be approaching.

Ideally very best should be positioned diagonally across from the door to your office, however if this is not possible place a small convicts mirror in the corner of your computer monitor to see behind you. In addition it is a good idea to have a wall behind your chair instead of a window.

Make sure you are comfortable with your computer equipment, you can customize your equipment to suit your work style. To avoid physical strain use a computer desk and chair that is ergonomically design with a curved shape that benefits energy flow to your hands and fingers. Purchase a good lamp and take care to protect your eyes from computer monitor glare.

In addition to your computer equipment you will need to provide storage for files, papers and reference books. To be sure to invest in the gadgets to organize your diskettes, CDs, computer cords and wires. Maintaining a clutter free workspace is essential to productivity.

Taking frequent breaks from computer work is important for your mental capability and your physical performance as well. And if your computer is in your bedroom, place a divider around the area or cover the computer when you go to sleep.

Plants in your office can be inspiring symbols of creativity and life plus they absorb toxins in the air.

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LEGAL AND FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FREELANCE TRANSLATORS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 May 2012 07:41:00 +0000

LEGAL AND FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FREELANCE TRANSLATORS

Contracts and Fee Agreements

The term “contract” is used frequently in the place of the term “fee agreement”, however for freelance translators, fee agreement is the term that is most commonly used. It could be that the term “contract” is too severe, however regardless to which term is used, the document must include certain components and should be prepared for each project, signed and returned to you before starting the translation work.

It is important for a freelance translator to use the proper forms to establish a professional relationship with the client; by treating the client with respect and courtesy by documenting the terms and conditions of the translation work to be completed you are showing respect for the translation business, your skills and abilities as a translator. How you conduct your business plays an important role in your success.

It is wise to state in the Fee Agreement your request for 50 percent of the agreed the for the translation work in advance which should be returned along with the signed the agreement. This works best when you work directly with a client however you must be flexible when working with agencies that must wait for the client to pay them before you are paid.

In the case of an extremely large translation project, is very common that a client will pay you 1/3 of the amount with the fee agreement is signed, a 1/3 of the amount at a designated time during the project, with the final third paid upon delivery of the completed translation project.

Components of Your Fee Agreement

Below is a list of the absolute essential components and should be included in your freelance translator fee agreement:

1. A full description of the project listing every task you are to perform

2. The scheduled date of delivery for the complete translation

3. The terms and conditions regarding revisions

4. The terms and conditions regarding payment

5. Conditions covering the late payment of fees

6. A full description of the services that you will provide

7. A full description of services excluded from the translation project, for example interviewing an expert

8. An explanation of how changes in the project will be handled

9. Copyright ownership and transfer; to be sure to emphasize the fact that you own the copyright until payment has been made in full

10. A legal disclaimer holding you harmless against any legal charges such as libel and copyright infringement

11. A provision requiring clients to provide work samples, research material, technical or terminology glossaries

When you’re working with agencies they may require you to sign a contract. Make sure you view the contract contents carefully and if there any parts of the contract that you do not understand or agree with, discuss it with the appropriate person at the agency. In some cases agencies will remove the sections in question. However should they failed to accommodate you do not sign any contract that does not meet your needs.

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Pricing of memory translation software

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 May 2012 07:40:00 +0000

Pricing

How much should you be prepared to spend for a memory translation software tool? The pricing ranges from $30.00 to $1,000.00 depending on the array of features, compatibility and capabilities. It is a good idea to research each one in terms of the work you must perform and is learning curve before you purchase.

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UNDERSTANDING TRANSLATION MEMORY TOOLS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 May 2012 07:37:00 +0000

UNDERSTANDING TRANSLATION MEMORY TOOLS

Translation memory tools to usually consist of a suite of integrated software packages that offer different features; some of the best known are Déjà vu by Atril, Trados by Translator’s Workbench and Star by Transit. Some of the features offered by these programs are:

• Alignment

The alignment feature allows you to develop a data base from your existing translation files. However each of the software manufacturers has implemented the alignment feature differently in terms of the amount of automation they provide. In addition the alignment feature is not incorporated in each of these programs; some are available as additional modules to the main program.

• Database maintenance

This feature gives you the ability to make changes to your data base as required.

• Terminology program

Electronic glossaries are essential freelance translator tools and the software programs offer you the ability to import your personal glossary as well as other dictionary files. Several of the to terminology programs of the memory translation tools can be highly advanced providing fuzzy matching algorithms that are able to search for the root of a word, in the case where the words that you need is not in the dictionary. This feature is more useful to for the beginning freelance translator then the seasoned professional.

• Document Editor

For the process of performing the translation the document editor works in the form of two main parallel windows, with the source text on one side and the target text on the other, with an additional window to show specific portions from the translation memory, showing the success percentage of the translation matches for example, 100 percent means that the system has located the specified sentence in the database which then you can import directly into your translated document.

In addition matches will be shown from the software program’s terminology reference. As a word processor the document editor of most translation memory tools do not offer advanced features however there are some that were directly with Microsoft word.

• Filters

The filters provided in memory translation software are responsible for file conversion and destination assignment. You can choose to convert a file from one format to another and then imported directly to the document editor, to the online and program for export them in their original format.

Before buying a package, you need to carefully consider what you need from these four basic components of any system. Here are a few tips for you to use in selecting a memory translation tool:

1. Choose the right size data base, searches will take less time and return errors

2. Make sure your computer has enough RAM to support all of the features

3. Be prepared to spend time learning how the memory translation tool operates

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FREELANCE TRANSLATOR TOOLS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:29:00 +0000

FREELANCE TRANSLATOR TOOLS

Computer assisted translation (CAT) systems come in a variety of formats and capabilities. Some combine translation memory technology (TM) with example based machine translation techniques (EBMT).

Freelance translators can select from a variety of translation memory tools to assist them in their work. Although these tools are valuable, they must be used with discretion and are most useful in providing an extension to the translator’s memory.

Some of the most advanced translator tools provide you with not only translation memory feature but also a terminology data base and a project lexicon to increase the quality of your word matching ability. In addition, many of these tools provide you with project management features to help you increase your productivity and consistency, working with a variety of file formats through a uniform interface.

The main value of using translation memory tools for a freelance translator is simple: it saves you time and brain power. For each time that you use the word translation memory tool it records how you translated the word and stores it for future use.

The more translations you perform, the larger your data base will grow and the faster you will be able to complete your translation work. While this feature may not be used often in translating advertising copy or poetry, for freelance translators who work with technical material where there is a highly frequency of repetitive phrases, this can save an incredible amount of time.

However there are several questions you need to answer to before you invest in a translation memory tools to determine how quickly you’ll be able to experience a return on your investment. These programs work best with electronic media; files received via the Internet or on disk. If your work is primarily repetitious where you are concerned with the sentence structure as opposed to terminology a translation memory tool can be a valuable assistant

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Translating Malayo-Polynesian family of languages

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:28:00 +0000

As being able to communicate with different countries becomes more important in our lives, to the prominence of other languages such as the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages is becoming more apparent. These languages are spoken in the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Madagascar, and Oceania. The demand for fluency in these languages will continue to increase and freelance translators who have proficiency in them will profit a great deal.

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Translating INDO-ARYAN LANGUAGES

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:26:00 +0000

INDO-ARYAN LANGUAGES

The people of India speak a total of 500 languages including Hindi, Urdu, Panjabi or Punjabi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Marwari, Konkani, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Nepal Bhasa, Kashmiri and Romani.

Most of these languages are written and read from left to right in Devanāgarīm abugida script characters, are thousands of years old and are spoken by millions of people around the world. For instance, Hindi (which also refers to the standardized form of Hindustani termed “Khariboli,” ) has emerged as the standard dialect. India’s rise in the world of technology and business has created a wealth of opportunities for free lance translators.

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Translating JAPANESE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:25:00 +0000

JAPANESE

Japanese holds third place in terms of languages spoken worldwide surpassed only by English and Chinese. In regard to economic power Japan and China are both important market for translations.

121 million people live in Japan and Japanese is spoken by 125 million people around the world and uses double byte characters much like Chinese. In fact, many of the characters written in Japanese are the same in Chinese. However in speaking the pronunciation of these two languages are completely different.

As a freelance translator writing the Japanese there are three important character sets you must know. The first two; Katakana and Hiragana, use characters that represent awful syllable. Katakana is used more for recent additions to the Japanese language, names and foreign words. Hiragana on the other hand, is used for simple words, articles of speech and verb conjugation.

The third character set is called Kanji, which was brought to Japan by the Buddhist monks more than 1,200 years ago from China. Today the influence of this character set can be seen although in a much more simplified form. In Kanji, each character represents a complete word and is the predominant character set of most Japanese text.

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Translating Chinese -issues of dilects, forms

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Translating Asian Languages

CHINESE

Chinese is the second most widely spoken language in the world after English. Currently all eyes are on China because of each huge population. For businesses this is a brand new market because for years trade with China was limited. In terms of the Internet, Chinese speaking users are expected to surpass English speaking users as these trade barriers continue to crumble.

As a free lance translator you should be aware of the two main dialects of Chinese; Cantonese and Mandarin, which refer only to the spoken language. Although there are more than 200 dialects spoken in China. In terms of a written translations, the two main languages are simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.

This fact is important in terms of the audience location for your translation. During the nineteen fifties China reformed the Chinese script by simplifying many characters thus the term “Simplified Chinese. “ however this reform was not well received outside of mainland China. As a result translations targeted for Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities must be written in traditional Chinese.

The most important point to keep in mind when translating a document from English to Chinese is that the written and spoken forms of Chinese not the same. Mandarin is not the same as simplified Chinese nor is Cantonese the same as traditional Chinese.

For instance, in mainland China and Taiwan people speak Mandarin Chinese however the Taiwanese use the traditional script in writing. On the other hand the people of Hong Kong also use traditional Chinese script, but speak Cantonese Chinese.

If you’re translated document is targeted for mainland China it must be written in simplified Chinese script, for the traditional Chinese script will not be understood, especially in regard to the older generation. Because of the very large difference in the way the scripts are written for traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese knowledge of the designated target audience is imperative. It is not necessary to do two separate translations, but a script conversion will be required if the document is for two separate audiences.

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English to French Translations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:22:00 +0000

English to French Translations

77 million people around the world speak French as a first language. 51 million of these individuals live in France with 6.7 million living in Canada. Quebec is the second largest province in Canada; almost 25 percent of Canadians speak French as their first language. There are other countries as well that claimed French as their official language including Belgium and Switzerland.

While many languages have dialects, they are more important when it comes to translating French. The differences in dialects of Spanish maybe subtle, they are very significant in French in terms of writing, pronunciation and the colloquial language.

For instance, Canadians prefer words from a French origin rather than an English one. Even in terms of words such as “e-mail,” the translation of this word would appropriately be “courriel” or “courrier électronique.” While both terms would be understood, the first version would be used more in France While the second version would be used in Canada.

This information can help you as a freelance translator to assist your client to choose the appropriate dialect for their chosen audience. If the client wishes to reach both audiences in France and Canada, the best approach is to create the two separate translations, based on the fact of the extreme difference in the dialects.

However if you are forced to create one document to serve both audiences it is better to use the dialect spoken in France because Canadians are more familiar with Parisian French than the people living in France with the Quebecois dialect.

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Spanish - one language Multiple variations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:21:00 +0000

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIALECTS

English to Spanish Translations

The number of English-to-Spanish translations has increased because the reach of business has become more global. The enormous market potential of 417 million people in 43 countries beside Spain is the main reason for the increase in this sector of the translation business.

At the top of the list of countries where English to Spanish translations are targeted, are Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Spain and the United States. According to a 1990 census, 8.9 percent of the U.S. population declared Spanish as their mother tongue.

As a freelance translator there are many opportunities to market your services to companies seeking to reach this important market. This includes advertising copy, product information, service documentation an Internet web sites.

As with many other languages, Spanish has a large number of dialects. For the freelance translator it is important to know which segment of the Spanish market will use the translation. There is a vast difference between how Spanish is spoken in Latin America and in Spain.

This is particularly important in writing, for example the Spanish word “coger” means “to take” however the same word used in Argentina has the meaning of “to have intercourse.” This illustrates why pinpointing which country the translated document will be used for and acquainting yourself with the many dialects of Spanish speaking countries is not only useful but can also increase your earning power tremendously.

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Twenty Questions Every Freelance Translator Should Ask

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:19:00 +0000

JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Top Twenty Questions Every Freelance Translator Should Ask

1. What dialect is required for the translation? For example; Caribbean, Mexican or Castilian Spanish.

2. What will be the end use of the translation? For example; general public information, print publication, instruction or legal.

3. What is the reader profile? For example, technical specialists, lay people or governmental agency.

4. What level of quality is needed for the translation? For example, first draft, revision, printer’s proof.

5. Are there any special style or terminology requirements? For example, standard agency format, regulatory disclaimers or industry guidelines.

6. Is supplemental material needed? For example, research files, correspondence or reports

7. Who is the responsible contact for the project? What is the method of contact, for example, telephone, e-mail or fax. Be sure to keep records of all communications; date, nature or purpose of the contact.

8. Are there any special layout or format considerations? For example, should the document resemble the original or be translated page for page.

9. Are tables and image graphics within the material to be translated? For example, flowcharts, statistical graphs or mathematical equations.

10. Do any of the components of the translation use non-word processing software? For example, a Multimedia presentation that uses Flash software.

11. What format will the translation material be provided? For example, paper files, diskette or electronic file.

12. Is the source text and reference material, to be returned to the client?

13. Is it necessary for the translation to be certified? For example, official documents for industry or government filings.

14. What method of payment will be used for the translation services? For example, bank transfer, cheque, credit card or bank cheque.

15. Are there any fees required to be paid because of foreign currency? For example, currency conversion fees.

16. Will the copyright to be retained or transferred? For example, by permission, assignment or license.

17. If the copyright is to be transferred, what are the conditions?

18. Are there any special confidentiality restrictions to be noted in the translation?

19. Is there any possible liability consequence that the translator should be aware? For example, electronic transmission or printing of documentation.

20. In the case of possible liability, will it exceed the limits of normal insurance coverage?

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8 Best Business Practices for performing translation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:17:00 +0000

PERFORMING THE TRANSLATION

Now that we have looked at the basics of how a translation job is procured, managed and delivered, we will look at some of the important points to help you perform the translation accurately. This includes tips, tools, techniques and resources required for the actual process and challenges of translating specific languages.

Best Business Practices

Building a professional reputation as a freelance translator starts by applying best business practices. Here are a few tips that will help you build credibility and a steady stream of clients:

Ask each client for specific reference or technical glossaries to maintain a consistent use of terminology.
Request written instructions for each project along with a purchase order and review the instructions with the client and make sure that you clearly understand what the job entails before beginning the project.
If you need to increase your rates because of a change in the parameters of the project, inform your client in writing as soon as possible. Be sure that the increase is warranted.
Remember that clients and authors can make mistakes and be alert to the possibility of the problem. Be proactive in your approach to problem solving; if you discover pages are missing from the source text, make the client aware of the situation. They will appreciate your diligence because it saves them time and money.
Protect your client’s privacy to make sure that you keep the details of your client’s business confidential. If you are working for an agency never approached the agency’s client directly
Invest in the best equipment you can afford; seek professional advice for your particular situation in terms of the hardware, software, networking and printing equipment.
Be actively involved with the translation industry and keep current with the new developments in software, techniques and regulatory procedures that affect your business.
Keep your skills sharp by that tending as many professional development courses as possible.

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GETTING THE JOB DONE: A TRANSLATION CHECKLIST

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000

GETTING THE JOB DONE: A TRANSLATION CHECKLIST

So far, the focus has been on everything you have to consider to get the work, but once you have an assignment, and the translation is in progress how can you make sure that it is completed professionally? Here is a list of points to cover before you send a translation assignment to a client:

• Terminology: Always research terms in the context of the document you are translating, remember that there are terms that are used in various industries and professions with different meanings.

• Editing: Check the translation against the original sentence by sentence. Is the meaning reflected accurately?

• Vocalization: Print out a copy of the translation and read it aloud to make sure that it reads well and sounds natural.

• Consistency: Is the format of the layout consistent with the original? Make sure that all aspects of the document have been recreated appropriately.

• Spell check: Absolutely, positively you MUST spell check your work.

• Statistics, Measurements and Currencies: Ensure that all numerical equivalents are translated according to the language.

• Delivery: Prepare to deliver your assignment at least 1 day BEFORE the deadline to ensure that you have sufficient time in case of a last minute problem.

• Confirmation: Always request a confirmation of receipt from your client.

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What to Charge: Calculating Your Rates

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:13:00 +0000

What to Charge: Calculating Your Rates

The most common dilemma facing freelance translators is the question of how to price their services. Using the word count as a basis is only one of the factors to be considered; your language combination, the subject and type of document, when the assignment is required along with whether it comes to you through an agency or directly from the client, all play a role in how the assignment will be completed.

The message behind all of these factors is to be as flexible as possible without causing a loss to your income. There is a wide variance in rates depending on the country and the company that you are working with and having a base rate as a starting point will give you the ability to adjust your rates accordingly when you need to negotiate rates for different types of projects.

If you have a monthly income goal of $2,750 you must calculate a base rate that is reasonable but sufficient to meet your needs. For example, using a word count rate of $.11 per word would result in this equation:

1. 2500 words per day x $.11 per word=$275.00

2. $275.00 x 5 days per week = $1,375.00

3. $1,375 x 4 weeks per month = $5,500.00

Using this as your basis, you must acquire 25,000 words of translation work in order to meet your monthly expenses. With a base rate of $.11 per word, you can then calculate how much margin you have to negotiate for various projects. The American Translators Association conducted a “Translation and Interpreting Compensation” survey that you can request if you would like more information regarding income standards for the translation and interpreting professions.

Regardless of the rate, as a freelance translator, there are times when you find yourself without an abundance of assignments. The fact that being a freelancer is unpredictable makes it all the more important to organize your activities carefully and complete your projects on schedule professionally.

The competition in freelance translation is quite intense and while the Internet is a boon to this profession in many ways, it also can make it difficult to compete; if your word rate is $.11 and there is another translator willing to do the work at $.05, there is little room for negotiation based on price.

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