tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76189171415640665472024-03-13T11:54:58.478-07:00Spanish Translation Company : One Stop Shop TranslationsInternational Translation services company based in Madrid, Spain. Find out the the latest news from the company or explore interesting news features from the Translation Services sector! Ideal for students, translators and localization professionals.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-67736895134143879702013-12-16T03:49:00.001-08:002013-12-16T05:04:53.903-08:00Serious Riots after Peaceful "Surrounding of Congress": 23 injured and seven arrested!<p>
- Around 2,000 protesters gathered to peacefully protest the "Global Gag Rule" in Neptune Square, Madrid.</br>
- After an hour and a half they left the square and headed towards Sol via Cibeles and Alcalá street.</br>
- During this time the number of protesters multiplied to about 5,000.</br>
- After leaving Sol about 100 people provoked serious altercations around the Atocha area, causing police charges, 23 injured and at least 7 injured.</br>
<a title="Ver perfil de Gonzoo en Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/gonzoonews" target="_blank">Here is a twitter account of the events</a>
<p>Thousands of people packed Neptune square in Madrid to protest against a draft of the <a href="http://www.20minutos.es/minuteca/ley-de-seguridad-ciudadana/">citizen security law</a>, which turned into a march towards Sol, where around a hundred people separated and went towards Atocha to provoke serious altercations resulting in police charges with 23 injured and at least 7 detained, according to police sources.</p>
<img src="http://cdn.20minutos.es/img2/recortes/2013/12/14/151259-157-118.jpg" width="157" height="118" alt=""¡No pasarán!"" title=""¡No pasarán!"" />
<a href="http://www.20minutos.es/fotos/actualidad/rodea-el-congreso-contra-la-ley-mordaza-10066/" class="photo thumbnail" title="Rodea el Congreso contra la 'ley mordaza'">
<img src="http://cdn.20minutos.es/img2/recortes/2013/12/14/151258-157-118.jpg" width="157" height="118" alt="A golpes contra un coche de Policía" />
</a></br>
<p class="photo-footer"><a href="http://www.20minutos.es/fotos/actualidad/rodea-el-congreso-contra-la-ley-mordaza-10066/" title="Rodea el Congreso contra la 'ley mordaza'">Surrounding of Congress against the 'Gag Law'</a></p>
<p>Around 2,000 people started the peaceful protest in Neptune square. "The people's voice is not illegal", they exclaimed given that the protest did not have the permission of the Government Delegation in Madrid.</p>
<p>An hour and a half later, thousands of protesters left Neptune in a matter of minutes to head towards Cibeles, where they stopped traffic and proceeded up Alcalá street towards Puerta del Sol. "As it usually ends up in violence at Congress we have decided to take to the streets and change the end of the route of this demonstration" said one of the participants of the convening group. During this time the number of protesters grew to 5,000. Until this point everything passed peacefully.</p>
<h3>Around a hundred provked disturbances</h3>
<p>Once in Sol, a group of around 100 took another route and surrounded Carretas Street near Atocha. In San Sebastián street, they damaged a police car with paint and broke the rear window. During this a police cordon blocked the way of the protesters who started to throw bottles at them and the police couldn't escape.</p>
<p>Then at 9 PM the police charges started — 23 were injured, nine of them citizens and 14 national police, all with minor cuts and sprains and were attended to in a tent close to Atocha. Three police and one protester were transferred to hospital and the area turned into a battle field: in Ángel square terrace furniture was destroyed and bottle banks tipped over. Before the situation the shops had closed. A little later, the group dispersed towards Santa Ana square while calm was restored to Ángel square. Then the police charges started again in Atocha which left at least 7 detained and
more than 40 identified. According to national Police the riot police controlled the situation and the "violent" groups.</p>
<i>Source:</i> http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2005985/0/14-diciembre/rodea-congreso/ley-seguridad-ciudadana/</br>
<a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/"><i>Traducido por One Stop Shop Translations, Madrid.</i></a>.
See more: http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2005985/0/14-diciembre/rodea-congreso/ley-seguridad-ciudadana/#xtor=AD-15&xts=467263Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-80274200579331594822013-12-12T09:12:00.002-08:002013-12-12T09:50:40.228-08:00Recognised Translation Qualifications from around the worldHi all! Welcome to our latest post, "Recognized Translation Qualifications from around the world"<br />
If you are thinking of starting a career in translation, this world maps gives you a great idea of third level translation qualifications available in each institution per country. I am sure that we have left some off the map so please keep your contributions coming in the comments sections below the map.
<iframe src="https://mapsengine.google.com/map/embed?mid=z7AgPJp41l1s.k8GRT5WxJsQs" width="640" height="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Spain40.463667000000008 -3.749220000000036614.545175000000008 -45.057814000000036 66.382159 37.559373999999963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-10851840540918625092013-12-03T02:41:00.000-08:002013-12-03T02:42:13.070-08:00Spanish Translation ErrorsIts been a while since our last update so hear are the latest translation bloopers from Spain! Yes Spanglish is still alive and well as you'll see from the latest gaffs from around the country. Keep your contributions coming in the comments below!
<h3>I guess its out of service!!!</h3>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRZg0F_V_po/Up2sHB59FkI/AAAAAAAAAbw/7yAcwqStXDE/s1600/spain+out+of+service.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRZg0F_V_po/Up2sHB59FkI/AAAAAAAAAbw/7yAcwqStXDE/s320/spain+out+of+service.jpg" alt="Out of service in Spain" /></a>
<h3>I am not sure if this sign should be in an airport or Hospital?</h3>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K19UD2IAeqE/Up2s7gR-fPI/AAAAAAAAAcA/9MwyXAXVazE/s1600/Spain+sick+passengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K19UD2IAeqE/Up2s7gR-fPI/AAAAAAAAAcA/9MwyXAXVazE/s320/Spain+sick+passengers.jpg" alt0"Sick Passengers in Spain"/></a>
<h3>What to do with the towels??</h3>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxgNA-CLiMs/Up2z7sbrN9I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/vMElN-Hz3B0/s1600/spain+towels.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxgNA-CLiMs/Up2z7sbrN9I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/vMElN-Hz3B0/s320/spain+towels.jpg" alt="Spanish towels"/></a>
<h3>Turn off the FUN????</h3>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cVgZaLKfFHE/Up20Nru4PLI/AAAAAAAAAcY/HqnNyoK2smg/s1600/spain+ventilator.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cVgZaLKfFHE/Up20Nru4PLI/AAAAAAAAAcY/HqnNyoK2smg/s320/spain+ventilator.jpg" alt="Spanish Fan translation error"/></a>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Spain40.463667000000008 -3.749220000000036614.545175000000008 -45.057814000000036 66.382159 37.559373999999963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-91501220293051331882013-11-30T06:08:00.001-08:002013-11-30T06:08:17.069-08:00Getting Translation Work in Spain and keeping it!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii0npDjCiKI/UpneTLLmJ8I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/T6QWSkT2aog/s1600/get+translation+work+in+Spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" alt="Getting translation work in Spain"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii0npDjCiKI/UpneTLLmJ8I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/T6QWSkT2aog/s320/get+translation+work+in+Spain.jpg" /></a><p>Unfortunately, the C.Vs for Spanish <> English translators arrive thick and fast from an agency point of view! In our experience we tend to average 5 Spanish C.Vs a day and between part time translators and full time translators the supply far exceeds the demand. However, if you are a freelance Spanish translator there is no need to discourage. Being a translation company CEO I have a lot of experience on factors that effect my decision when choosing a Spanish translator. Read the following post for some tips on getting yourself to the top of the pile!</p>
<h3>Your C.V.</h3>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r38XjqaPFgE/UpneHhhxJGI/AAAAAAAAAZs/k9i32M-sxzg/s1600/cv.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r38XjqaPFgE/UpneHhhxJGI/AAAAAAAAAZs/k9i32M-sxzg/s320/cv.jpg" alt="Spanish C.V."/></a>
<p>Send two versions of your C.V. one in English and one in Spanish. From a recruitment perspective you have to bear in mind that some of the recruitment personnel may not have proficiency in both languages. Define your C.V. from the rest. Emphasize your experience and qualifications for your language combinations and specialties. Mention specific projects from Spanish Blue Chip Companies, with word counts. Put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter, for example if they are looking for a pharmaceutical patent translator and you mention projects from industry leaders such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson you have a better chance than another pharmaceutical patent translator who has just mentioned pharmaceutical patent translation experience. Small additions such as this may even allow you to charge that little bit more. Emphasize your academic qualifications in translation if you have them, there are many translators out there who have fallen into the profession by coincidence and necessity. If you have made a concerted effort to have a career in translation from an early age it's a great selling point.</p>
<h3>Your Cover Letter</h3>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAHLP-1zOb4/UpneeSz2MLI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/5c_7lsb7mT8/s1600/cover+letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAHLP-1zOb4/UpneeSz2MLI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/5c_7lsb7mT8/s320/cover+letter.jpg" alt="Cover Letter"/>
<p></a>As with your C.V. send two versions of your C.V. one in English and one in Spanish. If you are sending your cover letter to a specialized translation company emphasize the skills and experience you have relevant to them, for instance, in the case of a translation company specialized in financial translation do as above and mention blue chip Spanish banks, such as Santander and BBVA and specifics of the projects completed such as word counts</p>
<h3>Mass e-mail the Spanish translation agencies and Persistence</h3>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0PlLbhkNmxo/UpnldEA91-I/AAAAAAAAAaU/kDLzt07Uu6Y/s1600/mass+mail.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0PlLbhkNmxo/UpnldEA91-I/AAAAAAAAAaU/kDLzt07Uu6Y/s320/mass+mail.jpg" alt="mass mai to translation agencies"/></a>
<p>Lists of agencies can be found via obvious google searches, and the Spanish yellow pages!
Be sure to mass mail the same agencies periodically. Depending on the filing system of the agencies the most recent mails may have a better chance, you also have a better chance of being noticed. The mass mail does have it's problems in that you may be inundated with registrations and screening tests such as a translation of about three hundred words on a specific topic which most Spanish translation companies expect for free. This can be very time consuming but one way around this is to suggest providing samples of your work in the related field requested which I think is a reasonable compromise.</p>
<h2>Availability and Translation Quoting</h3>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-viwf693Zz7w/UpnmTZOUH9I/AAAAAAAAAac/zljnQPX5umE/s1600/avaliability.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-viwf693Zz7w/UpnmTZOUH9I/AAAAAAAAAac/zljnQPX5umE/s320/avaliability.jpg" alt="Quick translation quote"/></a>
<p>Always remember that the person recruiting the translator is often under a lot of time pressure. Respond to quote requests within the hour. As soon as you receive the quote request, send a quick mail to inform the agency you will send the quote within the hour! Ring the agency and try to do a little "fishing". You may need to clarify the deadline and subject matter, strike a personal cord with the person sourcing the work, tell them what they want to hear! To speed up the quote process have a bilingual quote template, itemize the costs of the work as specifically as possible, this gives the translation agency an exact idea of what they are paying for and conveys honesty. Download a translation quote template here! Finally, hook your work mail into your smart phone for 24 hours availability!</p>
<h3>Your translation targets</h3>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMhSrTJitNA/UpnmsgRIYaI/AAAAAAAAAak/MXU_kJ0eqNQ/s1600/deadline.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMhSrTJitNA/UpnmsgRIYaI/AAAAAAAAAak/MXU_kJ0eqNQ/s320/deadline.jpg" alt="deadline"/>
<p></a>A freelance Spanish translator should aim to translate approximately 3,000 words a day. During the translation process don't be afraid to ask questions. It shows the project manager your diligence and can often highlight errors in the source text winning you extra Brownie points with the Translation agency. If you have a large project and a lot of queries per day don't ask each query individually but send a consolidated queries file at the end of the day to save time on your side and the client side. Ask the agency for all the reference material possible such as style guides and glossaries. Say yes to all offered work and never miss a deadline!</p>
<h3>Use the latest Translation Tools</h3>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m88QzKhG_HY/UpnnPQrpu1I/AAAAAAAAAas/zKrjEGPgrpI/s1600/translation+tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m88QzKhG_HY/UpnnPQrpu1I/AAAAAAAAAas/zKrjEGPgrpI/s320/translation+tools.jpg" alt="translation tools"/></a><p>There are fantastic translation tools on the market such as Wordfast and SDLX (try trial version first) with time saving, consistency and quality features such as translation memories and Glossaries. However, they tend to be expensive and require a lot of time to get up to speed on them but in the long run save time and money on previously translated texts and increase consistency and quality.</p>
<h3>Deciding your rate per word</h3>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t8RkZrDKUaw/UpnnphIjRLI/AAAAAAAAAa4/pSmiH_5JpFM/s1600/rates+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t8RkZrDKUaw/UpnnphIjRLI/AAAAAAAAAa4/pSmiH_5JpFM/s320/rates+sign.jpg" alt="rates"/></a>
<p>Expect to get between 4.5 to 6 cents per word from Spanish agencies, and 6 to 8 from direct Spanish clients. Rates per word of course, vary for language combinations for instance German translation rates tend to be about 40% higher! If you intend to be a full time freelance translator in Spain you will have to be self-employed or "autonmo".</p>
<h3>Tow the line with potential clients on Social Networks</h3>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCSe5ukCW1Y/UpnoDqj5_KI/AAAAAAAAAa8/tWTlGuxRpzc/s1600/social+networks.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCSe5ukCW1Y/UpnoDqj5_KI/AAAAAAAAAa8/tWTlGuxRpzc/s320/social+networks.jpg" /></a>
<p>Social Networking is becoming ever more important for being noticed. Get involved with potential client social Networks, like, Share, post and comment on their networks will help you get noticed and will also help your own presence on the world wide web.</p>
<h3>Avail of the multitude of online Spanish resources</h3>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtavzQU8jf0/UpnoWfrX8_I/AAAAAAAAAbE/6PeFKBebA7s/s1600/online+tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtavzQU8jf0/UpnoWfrX8_I/AAAAAAAAAbE/6PeFKBebA7s/s320/online+tools.jpg" alt="Spanish tools"/></a>
<p>There are many Spanish online quality resources such as glossaries, online dictionaries and online translators. Have a look here at some of the <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Resources.htm">Spanish resources at your disposal</a></p>
<h3>Linguistic Quality Checks</h3>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yCYIPK7iLVM/Upno-a9cj5I/AAAAAAAAAbM/PtJKeFJpDx4/s1600/QA.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yCYIPK7iLVM/Upno-a9cj5I/AAAAAAAAAbM/PtJKeFJpDx4/s320/QA.jpg" alt="linguistic tests"/></a>
<p>Before submitting your final translation have a routine of quality checks such as a spell check, consistency check, revision or style check. You'd be surprised how many little errors that these can bring to your attention. If you have the time take a small break before the final QA and do it with as fresh a head as possible</p>
<h3>Patience</h3>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LioCuYGGTo/UpnpVcwcpuI/AAAAAAAAAbU/dL15-RHTSa0/s1600/patience.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LioCuYGGTo/UpnpVcwcpuI/AAAAAAAAAbU/dL15-RHTSa0/s320/patience.jpg" alt="patience"/></a>
<p>Be patient and never give up. It takes a lot of time to build up a regular flow of work. The marketing at the start is very hard to measure at the start but worth it in the long run.</p>
So there you have it, I hope this post has helped you in your quest to becoming a Spanish freelancer. I think if you follow these points as much as possible you should have a long and fruitful career of being your own boss, your own hours and traveling when and where you want!
<p>If you have any queries, please feel free to reply below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can, Suerte!!!!...</p>
<h3>About the Author</h3>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a>
<B>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop Translations</B>
<p>Mark is the CEO of One Stop Shop Translations,a <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com">translation services company</a> based in Madrid, Spain. When he is not blogging he spends most of his time taking care of the operations of the company.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-28610910286705877512013-11-22T10:21:00.001-08:002013-11-22T10:21:36.257-08:00Funny French Translations<h2>French plants with style</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HGEI88GExvc/Uo-dasyGVbI/AAAAAAAAAY4/CnS5wtGHsv0/s1600/france+prickly+plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HGEI88GExvc/Uo-dasyGVbI/AAAAAAAAAY4/CnS5wtGHsv0/s320/france+prickly+plants.jpg" alt="funny French translation errors"/></a>
<h2>WTF..is Cremate solar energy?</h2>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNNvQMBPTaU/Uo-eCUllntI/AAAAAAAAAZA/h0Hi5rtuGgs/s1600/france+sun+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNNvQMBPTaU/Uo-eCUllntI/AAAAAAAAAZA/h0Hi5rtuGgs/s320/france+sun+cream.jpg" alt="Funny French translation"/></a>
<h2>Viva la France!</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pVARaBkQJZ8/Uo-eVh4vVQI/AAAAAAAAAZI/xRtwCFCuKAY/s1600/funny+skii+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pVARaBkQJZ8/Uo-eVh4vVQI/AAAAAAAAAZI/xRtwCFCuKAY/s320/funny+skii+sign.jpg" alt="Funny French translation"/></a>
<h2>What shall I have....!</h2>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4YJ6kC2h5g/Uo-e_kWzvNI/AAAAAAAAAZU/V7jDRKHoYd4/s1600/Menu-France.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E4YJ6kC2h5g/Uo-e_kWzvNI/AAAAAAAAAZU/V7jDRKHoYd4/s320/Menu-France.jpg" alt="Funny French Menu translation"/></a>
<h2>.....and it gets better!</h2>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OCjiVrUzs0/Uo-fdjv95oI/AAAAAAAAAZc/BUVJHk3Ircs/s1600/Menu-French.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OCjiVrUzs0/Uo-fdjv95oI/AAAAAAAAAZc/BUVJHk3Ircs/s320/Menu-French.jpg" alt="French mistranslations"/></a>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0France46.227638 2.213749000000007134.9722085 -18.440547999999993 57.4830675 22.868046000000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-25266416089399856392013-11-22T02:13:00.001-08:002013-11-22T02:13:06.459-08:00Translation Bloopers from Japan!<h2>Highly Evolved Consumerism in Japan!</h2>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3pf0Qn6yOUs/Uo8rH6ZH-vI/AAAAAAAAAXk/hq89xRTboj8/s1600/Japanese+Soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3pf0Qn6yOUs/Uo8rH6ZH-vI/AAAAAAAAAXk/hq89xRTboj8/s320/Japanese+Soup.jpg" alt="Funny translation error Japan"/></a>
<h2>The Ultimate coffee!</h2>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w28y8KgBAl4/Uo8rfHyskuI/AAAAAAAAAXs/uzky9Clnv-o/s1600/Japanese-coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w28y8KgBAl4/Uo8rfHyskuI/AAAAAAAAAXs/uzky9Clnv-o/s320/Japanese-coffee.JPG" alt="the ultimate coffee"/></a>
<h2>Walk Slowly when Hard!</h2>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LBp2ZF2Odd4/Uo8sFT3W4ZI/AAAAAAAAAX0/O628Br0E55A/s1600/Steep+Slope-Japan.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LBp2ZF2Odd4/Uo8sFT3W4ZI/AAAAAAAAAX0/O628Br0E55A/s320/Steep+Slope-Japan.jpg" alt="Sexual Hills"/></a>
<h2>Say it like it is in Japan with a no nonsense sale!</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dsrEzdl3wPk/Uo8sv2ZDOnI/AAAAAAAAAYA/DKA6VzvtawM/s1600/Japan_Sales.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dsrEzdl3wPk/Uo8sv2ZDOnI/AAAAAAAAAYA/DKA6VzvtawM/s320/Japan_Sales.jpg" alt="Japanese Sale"/></a>
<p>Please feel free to add any funny Japanese translation errors in the comments section below!</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Japan36.204824 138.25292410.026835000000002 96.944330000000008 62.382813 179.561518tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-36715123211572861762013-11-20T03:35:00.001-08:002013-11-20T03:35:56.729-08:00Funny Translation Errors from India<h2>Some things have to be said!</h2>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FoM0hCPiBBM/UoybiHLE_QI/AAAAAAAAAWk/2iOdrODt8Q4/s1600/india+spit+on+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FoM0hCPiBBM/UoybiHLE_QI/AAAAAAAAAWk/2iOdrODt8Q4/s320/india+spit+on+wall.JPG" alt="translation India"/></a>
<h2>Food with Emotion</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-It-oCPqWPGY/UoybhxFXQcI/AAAAAAAAAWg/v_Xh0E9Mefo/s1600/India.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-It-oCPqWPGY/UoybhxFXQcI/AAAAAAAAAWg/v_Xh0E9Mefo/s320/India.JPG" alt="funny Indian translation"/></a>
<h2>Porn Shooting - Indian Style!</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzbF-M65vtA/Uoybh7lglYI/AAAAAAAAAWs/qO6vqiI2dVY/s1600/Indian+porn+area.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzbF-M65vtA/Uoybh7lglYI/AAAAAAAAAWs/qO6vqiI2dVY/s320/Indian+porn+area.jpg" alt="Funny translation error India"/></a>
<h2>Indian Toilets!</h2>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVgi8hBFGxc/UoybiVxd9XI/AAAAAAAAAWw/B32rmRX_g-s/s1600/indian+toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVgi8hBFGxc/UoybiVxd9XI/AAAAAAAAAWw/B32rmRX_g-s/s320/indian+toilet.jpg" /></a>
<h2>I hope they regularly change the sheets!</h2>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pd6jQBp_Eoc/Uoybimz39PI/AAAAAAAAAW0/ih02RiaukTI/s1600/pee+hotel+india.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pd6jQBp_Eoc/Uoybimz39PI/AAAAAAAAAW0/ih02RiaukTI/s320/pee+hotel+india.JPG" alt="INdian translation"/></a>
<h2>Reassuring!</h2>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BGAIAVjtwCg/Uoybi7ap-yI/AAAAAAAAAXI/5IsCePI3XMs/s1600/reassuring-India.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BGAIAVjtwCg/Uoybi7ap-yI/AAAAAAAAAXI/5IsCePI3XMs/s320/reassuring-India.jpg" alt="Funny mistranslation India"/></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-1229672782041934832013-11-19T16:39:00.003-08:002013-11-22T01:52:03.429-08:00Translation Errors from Indonesia<h2>Sound Advice from the Indonesian authorities</h2>
<p>It should say something along the lines of "Say no to Drugs"</p>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtG-K_Dr36Q/Uon_xcKocII/AAAAAAAAAWQ/QQs6WZHmkFo/s1600/hide-drug.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XtG-K_Dr36Q/Uon_xcKocII/AAAAAAAAAWQ/QQs6WZHmkFo/s320/hide-drug.jpg" alt="Indonesian translation error funny"/></a>
<h2>Probably the same Road Builders that wrote the Sign!</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GybwTOdeUOc/Uo8nVd7PlNI/AAAAAAAAAXY/P3SQS24Ahb8/s1600/drive-slowly_Indonesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GybwTOdeUOc/Uo8nVd7PlNI/AAAAAAAAAXY/P3SQS24Ahb8/s320/drive-slowly_Indonesia.jpg" alt="Funny Indonesian translation"/></a>
<p>Please feel free to suggest any funny translation errors from Indonesia in the comments section below?</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Indonesia-0.789275 113.92132700000002-31.668126 72.61273300000002 30.089576 155.22992100000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-9787544040616088962013-11-13T13:01:00.002-08:002013-11-18T02:02:46.911-08:00Translation Errors from around the World!Welcome to translation errors from around the world, simply click on the country of your choice for translation mistakes from that particular country! Please feel free to suggest your own errors per country in the comments section of each post on the blog! There are some hilarious clangers here, please enjoy, like or share from the social bookmarks below each post!<br />
Zoom in or out on the map and click the red marker of the country you wish to view, a pop-up will appear with a link to that country!<br />
<iframe src="https://mapsengine.google.com/map/embed?mid=z7AgPJp41l1s.kGniXLmuWZBk" width="600" height="300"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com1Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-1640690142890841342013-11-13T12:06:00.000-08:002013-11-18T02:03:10.428-08:00Russian Translation Errors<h2>A legacy of Communist times</h2>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUf0VUBunDg/UoPEsz8_YTI/AAAAAAAAAUg/PSzbdd7QXPk/s1600/no-getting+away.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUf0VUBunDg/UoPEsz8_YTI/AAAAAAAAAUg/PSzbdd7QXPk/s320/no-getting+away.png" alt="funny Russian translation"/></a>
<p>It should say, Attention, do not use the stairs!
<h2>We always the the Russians were very liberal on homosexuality</h2>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-54tJg5u79uI/UoPGI_-ZmKI/AAAAAAAAAUo/1MD0t3pPeZA/s1600/sausage-roll.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-54tJg5u79uI/UoPGI_-ZmKI/AAAAAAAAAUo/1MD0t3pPeZA/s320/sausage-roll.png" alt="Gay marriage in Russia"/></a>
<p>It should say, Sausage Roll</p>
<h2>American foreign diplomacy at its best</h2>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e3rZT8-3gAo/UoPaybcXTzI/AAAAAAAAAU4/s43MNb0FgII/s1600/reset-button.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e3rZT8-3gAo/UoPaybcXTzI/AAAAAAAAAU4/s43MNb0FgII/s320/reset-button.jpg" alt="Russian translation bloopers"/></a>
<p>When Hillary Clinton last met Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, she gave him a gift representing a “resetting” of the relationship between the U.S. and Russia. This followed from the deterioration of the relationship between world powers after the Russian invasion of Chechnya. Instead of saying “reset” in Russian, as was intended, the translation on the gift said, "overcharge” in Russian.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Russia61.52401 105.31875600000001-4.82843350000001 -59.915618999999992 90 -89.446868999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-47842464649706702092013-11-13T04:00:00.001-08:002013-11-22T07:25:33.515-08:00Translation Errors from ThailandThe Thais don't rank too far behind the Chinese when it comes to translation bloopers! Have a look at some of the following:
<h2>Dangers of getting pregnant in Thailand</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CzxeJmwVWo8/UoNdnOCy3JI/AAAAAAAAAT0/Nwxo3mNibn0/s1600/thai-pregnancy.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CzxeJmwVWo8/UoNdnOCy3JI/AAAAAAAAAT0/Nwxo3mNibn0/s320/thai-pregnancy.png" alt="Thai pregnancy"/></a>
<h2>What a mess - Thai English for Sailors - Tinglish!</h2>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LTi5kbp1ntc/UoNmEwv2mZI/AAAAAAAAAUE/sOUgbBB7JiQ/s1600/boat-area.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LTi5kbp1ntc/UoNmEwv2mZI/AAAAAAAAAUE/sOUgbBB7JiQ/s320/boat-area.JPG" alt="Thai English for Sailors" alt="Thai translation error"/></a>
<h2>More Tinglish - Car Engine Parking!</h2>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-u3lACBSco/UoNnu7_jWpI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/Yry1d92aXXk/s1600/car-engine.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D-u3lACBSco/UoNnu7_jWpI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/Yry1d92aXXk/s320/car-engine.jpg" alt="Thai translation at its best"/></a>
<h2>A Thai Delicacy!</h2>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gX-eUtHGGoQ/Uo9Z3agGG8I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/mag09G7G-B0/s1600/Thai-retaurant.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gX-eUtHGGoQ/Uo9Z3agGG8I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/mag09G7G-B0/s320/Thai-retaurant.JPG" alt="Funny Thai translations"/></a>
<h2>Thai Hospital with Perks!</h2>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nhih5rKoePI/Uo9aSbPU0aI/AAAAAAAAAYY/Bv61NZm7RH8/s1600/thai+nurse.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nhih5rKoePI/Uo9aSbPU0aI/AAAAAAAAAYY/Bv61NZm7RH8/s320/thai+nurse.jpg" alt="Funny Thai translations"/></a>
<h2>Confusing or What!</h2>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aaw38kSRcAc/Uo9a3tr6lJI/AAAAAAAAAYg/8jzxlgh7P_Y/s1600/Thailand+opening.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aaw38kSRcAc/Uo9a3tr6lJI/AAAAAAAAAYg/8jzxlgh7P_Y/s320/Thailand+opening.JPG" alt="Confusing Thai translation"/></a>
<h2>Starts Well!</h2>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQS3DgDEvvM/Uo9brBk3m9I/AAAAAAAAAYo/FqHYnkYImBc/s1600/thai+toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQS3DgDEvvM/Uo9brBk3m9I/AAAAAAAAAYo/FqHYnkYImBc/s320/thai+toilet.jpg" alt="funny Thai translation"/></a>
<p>Please suggest more in the comments section here and we will upload them as soon as possible!
Don't forget the link, country and your name?</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-15390423743097058582013-11-10T07:20:00.000-08:002013-11-18T02:04:04.912-08:00Translation errors from China<p>Asia and especially China is a great source of translation errors! Literal machine translations from here make for some very funny reading!</p>
<h2>Chinese Elevator with perks!</h2>
<p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmOQzn-e2js/Un9rt1ZL7EI/AAAAAAAAASU/PYyQ1B-MhzU/s1600/love_elevator.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmOQzn-e2js/Un9rt1ZL7EI/AAAAAAAAASU/PYyQ1B-MhzU/s320/love_elevator.png" alt="Chinese Elevator"/></a>
</p>
<h2>Lunch Drama!</h2>
<p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JgwVTeplmzI/Un9tC6kNszI/AAAAAAAAASk/db5jgRTCE_w/s1600/lunch_drama.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JgwVTeplmzI/Un9tC6kNszI/AAAAAAAAASk/db5jgRTCE_w/s320/lunch_drama.png" alt="lunch drama"/></a></p>
<h2>Chinese hospitality!</h2>
<p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNctyC_0v7w/Un9u-yWedOI/AAAAAAAAASw/UY66Xzy21WA/s1600/luggage-china.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNctyC_0v7w/Un9u-yWedOI/AAAAAAAAASw/UY66Xzy21WA/s320/luggage-china.png" alt="Chinese Hospitality" /></a>
<h2>More Chinese hospitality!</h2>
<p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1bvxjwXQpw/Un9vxKiC7EI/AAAAAAAAAS4/0d_SwfGY55k/s1600/spicy-grandmother.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1bvxjwXQpw/Un9vxKiC7EI/AAAAAAAAAS4/0d_SwfGY55k/s320/spicy-grandmother.png" alt="Chinese translation error - Spicy Grandmother/></a></p>
<h2>Haute Cuisine!</h2>
<p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdOZv8EIkxA/Un9wxjlmyaI/AAAAAAAAATE/Ebe2SKXIpR8/s1600/urine.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdOZv8EIkxA/Un9wxjlmyaI/AAAAAAAAATE/Ebe2SKXIpR8/s320/urine.png" alt="urine menu"/></a></p>
<h2>The Human Touch!</h2>
<p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vGMD9trZaFA/Un9xUvTLkyI/AAAAAAAAATM/ElvRw1gWrms/s1600/grass.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vGMD9trZaFA/Un9xUvTLkyI/AAAAAAAAATM/ElvRw1gWrms/s320/grass.png" alt="Human Grass"/></a></p>
<h2>Bring Back the years!</h2>
<p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1hSBDkL7aMo/Un9yArVqBjI/AAAAAAAAATU/r2TUd6OJJ4c/s1600/virgin.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1hSBDkL7aMo/Un9yArVqBjI/AAAAAAAAATU/r2TUd6OJJ4c/s320/virgin.png" alt="Virgin Makeup"/></a></p>
<h2>Cool Name!</h2>
<p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2JPn_RFtoE/Un9yf7B5QDI/AAAAAAAAATc/oQSHmKuspBA/s1600/hot_gravy.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2JPn_RFtoE/Un9yf7B5QDI/AAAAAAAAATc/oQSHmKuspBA/s320/hot_gravy.png" alt="cool name"/></a></p>
<h2>Getting Waxed - Chinese Style!</h2>
<p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j40eIfz5btU/Un9zLwNdrYI/AAAAAAAAATk/54GLz6V3MUc/s1600/ass_hair.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j40eIfz5btU/Un9zLwNdrYI/AAAAAAAAATk/54GLz6V3MUc/s320/ass_hair.png" alt="Ass salon"/></a></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-83639271082438761462013-11-04T16:29:00.001-08:002013-11-10T03:03:46.210-08:00Translation Errors 3Funny translation errors from One Stop Shop Translations, third in the series<br />
http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-20326421430053145142013-10-28T13:03:00.001-07:002013-11-18T02:04:35.942-08:00Translation Errors<p>Second in the series of translation errors from around the world</p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xfChSICYNiM" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-74804337365493380162013-10-24T06:21:00.001-07:002013-11-18T02:05:01.646-08:00Documentation Localization: Background and Methodology<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Tp2YACmY7U/Umka5aINnWI/AAAAAAAAARw/8vS2_-WYcxk/s1600/user_manuals.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Tp2YACmY7U/Umka5aINnWI/AAAAAAAAARw/8vS2_-WYcxk/s320/user_manuals.png" title="User manual translation" alt="User manual translation"/></a><p>Welcome to the latest in the series of “Localization: The Definitive Guide”, a complete step by step guide to the localization of websites, software and it’s components. In this article we will deal with the translation of documentation associated with software. We have already dealt with the localization of software and Online Help. Again, the localization of software documentation ties in with the localization of the software or User Interface and the Online Help. The documentation of software may include User Guides, Quick User Guides, CD-ROM covers and Box text and any other marketing material. Just to refresh a SIM ship release is where the language versions of the product are released to their respective markets on the same date as the original version. As one can imagine cross referencing with other localization components is crucial ensuring that all components are consistent with each other. It’s also important to bear in mind how astronomical the cost of localization can become now, bearing in mind the amount of languages we need to deliver and the volume of words we have to translate. In many cases, companies often combat these astronomical localization costs by tying the Online Help in with the User Guides and Quick start Guides by having just one guide for all three and in some cases not even printing the User Guides. As already discussed we translate the user interface first, populate the translation memory and Glossary with the translated text and then run it against the Online Help and User manuals. However with a SIM ship version and the time constraint we need to translate the OLH and User manuals in parallel with the User Interface. The process for the translation of the documentation is very similar to the translation of a website, OLH or the User interface itself so, as mentioned previously in the OLH localization article please bear in mind that there will be some overlap between this article and the others in this series. We have already discussed the use of translation memories, resources and infrastructure and their respective influences on the localization work flow but in this article we will focus more on the formats of User Guides and an extra resource called Desktop publishing. In most cases the overlap between the Online Help and the User Guides is substantial if not the same however, the extra dimension of publishing introduced into the localization work flow causes costly and substantial changes.</p>
<p><H2>1. Pseudo Localization of Manuals</H2>
As opposed to the UI and OLH the User manuals are not pseudo translated.
<p><H2>2. Pilot Language for Online Help Localization</H2>
We immediately begin the documentation localization process based on the language/s already chosen for the OLH and user interface. This language will define the localization process and weed out the majority of the localization bugs. </p>
<p><H2>3. Translation Memory and Glossary input during Online Help localization.</H2>
The documentation localization process is similar to the Online Help and UI translation process in that the translatable text is isolated, translated and dumped back into the original format, however, there is an extra degree of complexity if there are translation Memories involved in the process and an even greater degree of complexity if the translation memory is not centralized. Please refer to translation memory input during <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.ie/2013/10/online-help-localization-background-and.html">OLH localization for more information</a>. Also, all the engineering localization tasks for the OLH and UI involved localization engineers. For these tasks during the localization of the documentation we call on a different resource called a desk top publisher. The desk top publisher tasks include preparing the original files for translation within a compatible format for the TM environment, bug fixing and formatting, rebuilding/compiling the translated manuals, functional testing and updating the translation memories with functional and linguistic fixes. In the previous article on the localization of Online Help we took into account two types of translation memory models, Centralized and non-centralized translation memory work flows. It is here that the localization process of the manuals can vary greatly depending on the translation memory, the infrastructure and resources chosen by the translation services company. </p>
<p>The main formats of User Guide files are quark and frameMaker and a lot of translation memory environments can work directly with these formats. </p>
<p><H2>4. Translation and Revision of Documentation</H2>
<p>Ok, so we send the translator the translation memory compatible files to translate or access to the centralized translation memory system portal , the most up to date Translation Memory (as they need to update it with their work) reference material such as Glossaries, previous User Guides…etc.. and the translator begins translation. As discussed in the previous paragraph one must bear in mind that the process can vary in many ways when we take into consideration that the translator may be in-house or external or the translation memory system we are using. What is key is that each resource always has a reasonably up to date TM to work with to avoid duplication of work. During this stage the translator’s job remit may overlap with the publishers in that he/she may be responsible for typical localization bugs such as resizing of strings as he translates or it may be the publisher’s job after translation. The end product is an 80 to 90% localized pilot version. What adds even more to the complications of the project is whether the documentation is revised by the translation company, the client or a third party. What if the client wants to revise the User Guides? What if the client does not wish to use the translation memory process</p>
<p><H2>5. Translated User Guides</H2>
During the next stage the pilot version is rebuilt for testing.</p>
<p><H2>6. Localization QA - Testing of localized Documentation</H2>
Localization testing of Documentation is the same as for the software in that once recompiled the pilot version is tested for functional bugs by the Localization QA team and linguistically tested, with the UI in context, by the translators or in some cases by third party linguists. The bugs are usually documented via post-its on the pdf and sent to desktop Publishing in the case of functional and formatting bugs , or translation, in the case of linguistic bugs, to be fixed. This cycle continues until the translated software is bug free. The set-up of the phase can differ from company to company depending on the circumstances but in all cases it’s important to update the TMs with the linguistic fixes. There is an extra degree of complexity during this phase compared to the software localization QA in that the cross referencing and linking to the software is fully functional</p>
<p>7. <H2>Translation of other Language Versions of Manuals</H2>
Now that we have our pilot version localized and bug free, the process is in place to translate the other language versions of the User Guides. I mentioned at the start of this article that in an ideal world the localized versions should be released on the same date as the master version however it’s usually impossible to achieve this and what usually happens is that certain languages are given priority depending on their market importance. The more important languages are called tier one languages and the less important languages for secondary markets are generally referred to as Tier 2 languages.<BR>
To summarize, I think this article gives us an idea of how close the software localization process, the Online Help localization process and the documentation process are intertwined in that every UI reference must be exactly the same in the Online Help and the user Guides and marketing materials. This article is part of a series, "<a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.ie/2013/10/localization-definitive-guide.html">Localization: The definitive Guide</a>" from One Stop Shop Translations, which deals with the localization of each component of software, the others include:</p>
<p>- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2013/09/translation-of-software.html">Software Localization: Background and Methodology</a><BR>
- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/online-help-localization-background-and.html">Online Help Localization: Background and Methodology</a><BR>
- End User License Agreements Localization: Background and Methodology<BR>
- Software Documentation Localization(Quick User Guides and User Guides): Background and Methodology<BR>
- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2011/12/what-is-localization.html">Website Localization: Background and Methodology</a></p>
<p><b>NOTE:</b> Please note that translation and localization are used interchangeably in this article.<BR>
<b>NOTE:</b> Please note that documentation and User Guides are used interchangeably in this article.<BR>
<b>DEF:</b> Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text.<BR>
<b>DEF:</b> Language localization is the process of adapting a product that has been previously translated into different languages to a specific country or region. <i>Source: Wikipedia</i></p>
<p>If you like this post please "like" or "share" for more content<BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a></div>
<div>
<p>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop Translations</p>
</div>
<p>For our <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Rates-List.htm">latest User manual translation rates</a> click on this link or get an economically unbeatable <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">User Manual localization quote here.</a></p>
Remember that translation of software is not just simple straight forward translation but a complicated process that involves many stages and specialized expertise!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-7806352703548847062013-10-21T02:12:00.001-07:002013-11-18T02:05:25.126-08:00Translation Mistakes<p>A production from One Stop Shop translations, Spain, displaying some horrendous translation mistakes in the commercial world that cost some companies a lot of money and embarrassment!</p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3SgFqI3vyC4" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-61598895230492714592013-10-17T04:24:00.000-07:002013-11-18T02:06:06.133-08:00Online Help Localization: Background and Methodology<p><b></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZY2IE8tEJjo/UkAU5g07kOI/AAAAAAAAALw/wvurCdrVAKc/s1600/translation_of_software.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZY2IE8tEJjo/UkAU5g07kOI/AAAAAAAAALw/wvurCdrVAKc/s320/translation_of_software.jpg" / alt=" Online Help Localization " title=" Online Help Localization "></a></div>Welcome to the latest in the series of “Localization: The Definitive Guide”, a complete step by step guide to the localization of websites, software and it’s components. In this article we will deal with the translation of Online Help for software. Again this component ties in with the localization of the software or the User Interface (UI) and the race to release a SIM ship version of the localized product. Just to refresh a SIM ship release is where the language versions of the product are released to their respective markets on the same date as the original version. As one can imagine the cross referencing between the Online Help and the User Interface is very important. It is important to ensure that both are consistent with each other. In an ideal world we translate the user interface first, populate the translation memory and Glossary with the translated text and then run it against the Online Help. However with a SIM ship version and the time constraint we need to translate the OLH in parallel with the User Interface. The process for the translation of the OLH is very similar to the translation of a website or the User interface itself, in fact some Help systems are web based so please bear in mind that there will be some overlap between this article and the others in this series. For this article we will take the worst case scenario of a SIM ship release where both the software and the Online Help are translated at the same time. One thing in our favor is that the User interface word count is usually substantially lower than the online help word count which gives us time to ensure during revision that the references and links from the Online Help to the software reference correctly.</p>
<p><H2>1. Pseudo Localization of Online Help</H2>
As with the software, one of the first steps is to pseudo-translate the online help pilot language/s. Just to refresh our memories, the pilot languages are a small cross section of languages to represent all the target languages to be translated. Please refer to <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2013/09/translation-of-software.html">pseudo translation of software here</a> to refresh your memory on its purpose and benefits.</p>
<p><H2>2. Pilot Language for Online Help Localization</H2>
Now we begin the Online Help localization process in earnest by starting its localization based on the pilot language/s already chosen for the software. This language will define the localization process and weed out the majority of the localization bugs.</p>
<p><H2>3. Translation Memory and Glossary input during Online Help localization.</H2>
The online Help localization process is similar to the pseudo translation process in that the translatable text is isolated, translated and dumped back into the Online Help, however, there is an extra degree of complexity if there are translation Memories involved in the process and an even greater degree of complexity if the translation memory is not centralized. Please refer to translation memory input during <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2013/09/translation-of-software.html">software localization for additional information</a>. Lets take a step forward and assume that our Help system has been pseudo translated, bug fixed and prepared for the TM environment. It is here that the localization process of the online Help can vary greatly depending on the translation memory, the infrastructure and the resources chosen by the translation services company. Lets take a couple of scenarios I hope will cover the majority of localization process cases.
<h3>Centralized Translation memory Model</h3>
A centralized translation Memory is a central repository of previously translated segments and Glossary terminology. The system is interactive and allows the translator to access a “live” translation memory and glossary. It means that all translation resources both internal and external work from the same TM and the translated text is updated on the “fly”. It ensures that all translators are up to date with the most current terminology and translations. Centralized translation memories are often complex and expensive to implement resulting in higher costs but worth it in the long run by cutting time, long term costs and enhancing quality and consistency. <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eyYJso--M14/Ul_Fd2vH3TI/AAAAAAAAARM/4WYc0-GFUBE/s1600/Centralised_Translation_Memory_Management.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eyYJso--M14/Ul_Fd2vH3TI/AAAAAAAAARM/4WYc0-GFUBE/s200/Centralised_Translation_Memory_Management.gif" alt="Centralized Translation Memory" title="Centralized Translation Memory" /></a><br /> Let’s take a quick run through the centralized translation memory process.
Let’s assume we have started the user interface and online Help translation in unison. This may result in different translations for User Interface commands and options in both components. In this case the reviewer of the User interface will have final sign-off on all the UI text. If there are any issues he will discuss this with the translator of the User Interface and translator and reviewer of the online Help to reach a general consensus on the best translation and be responsible for updating the central TM. The translator and reviewer of the OLH will receive notifications of TM updates and can update their target texts accordingly on the fly. In a lot of cases if a translator is external they will need access to the centralized translation memory system by means of a portal.
<h3>Translation Memory Model (Not centralized)</h3>
The second model is more cumbersome and complicates the process as the translation memory is not centralized. It means that the translator cannot update his text while he is working. It complicates the parallel translation in that at the end of the day for instance, both translation memories differ i.e. the UI reviewer TM and the OLH reviewer TM, or may even involve syncing many more TMs for instance, UI reviewer TM, the OLH reviewer TM, UI translator TM and OLH translator TM, depending on the amount of resources working concurrently on the same text. There are workarounds but they involve extra management and process bottlenecks. For instance we could devise a process where at the end of the day a central resource takes the UI translators TM and updates it with his changes. The most up to date TM is then sent to the OLH translator and UI translator at the beginning of each day to begin their work. As one can imagine its not an ideal situation! For a demonstration on a Translation memory environment please refer to the following <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1rsp27TfI0" title="translation memory demonstration" alt="translation memory demonstration">link.</a> </p>
<p><H2>4. Translation and Revision of the Online Help</H2>
Ok, so we send the translator the translation memory compatible files to translate or access to the centralized translation memory system portal , the most up to date Translation Memory (as they need to update it with their work) reference material such as Glossaries, previous User Guides…etc.. and the translator begins translation. As discussed in the previous paragraph one must bear in mind that the process can vary in many ways when we take into consideration that the translator may be in-house or external or the translation memory system we are using. What is key is that each resource always has a reasonably up to date TM to work with to avoid duplication of work. We also discussed in the localization of software that the translator may be responsible for typical localization bugs such as resizing of dialogues and menus and duplicate hot keys or this may be the role of the localization engineers after translation. The end product is an 80 to 90% localized pilot version. What adds even more to the complications of the project is whether the Online help is revised by the translation company, the client or a third party. What if the client wants to revise the OLH? What if the client does not wish to use the translation memory process instigated by the translation company?</p>
<p><H2>5. Translated Online Help Build</H2>
During the next stage the pilot version is rebuilt for testing on various platforms.</p>
<p><H2>6. Localization QA - Testing of localized Online Help</H2>
Localization testing of Online Help is the same as for the software in that once rebuilt the pilot version is tested for functional bugs by the Localization QA team and linguistically tested, with the UI in context, by the translators or in some cases by third party linguists. The bugs are documented and sent to engineering in the case of functional bugs, or translation, in the case of linguistic bugs, to be fixed. This cycle continues until the translated software is bug free. The set-up of the phase can differ from company to company depending on the circumstances but in all cases it’s important to update the TMs with the linguistic fixes. There is an extra degree of complexity during this phase compared to the software localization QA in that the cross referencing and linking to the software is fully functional and corresponds linguistically</p>
<p><H2>7. Translation of other Online Help language versions</H2>
Now that we have our pilot version localized and bug free, the process is in place to translate the other Online Help language versions. I mentioned at the start of this article that in an ideal world the localized versions should be released on the same date as the master version however it’s usually impossible to achieve this and what usually happens is that certain languages are given priority depending on their market importance. The more important languages are called tier one languages and the less important languages for secondary markets are generally referred to as Tier 2 languages.<BR>
To summarize, I think this article gives us an idea of how closely the software localization process and the Online Help localization process are intertwined in that, every UI reference must be exactly the same in the Online Help. This article is part of a series, "Localization: The definitive Guide" from One Stop Shop Translations, which deals with the localization of each component of software, the others include:</p>
<p>- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2013/09/translation-of-software.html">Software Localization: Background and Methodology</a><BR>
- End User License Agreements Localization: Background and Methodology<BR>
- Software Documentation Localization(Quick User Guides and User Guides): Background and Methodology<BR>
- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2011/12/what-is-localization.html">Website Localization: Background and Methodology</a></p>
<p><b>NOTE:</b> Please note that translation and localization are used interchangeably in this article.<BR>
<b>DEF:</b> Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text.<BR>
<b>DEF:</b> Language localization is the process of adapting a product that has been previously translated into different languages to a specific country or region. <i>Source: Wikipedia</i></p>
<p>If you like this post please "like" or "share" for more content<BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a></div>
<div>
<p>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop Translations</p>
</div>
<p>For our <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Rates-List.htm">latest online Help localization rates</a> click on this link or get an economically unbeatable <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">Online Help localization quote here.</a></p>
Remember that translation of software is not just simple straight forward translation but a complicated process that involves many stages and specialized expertise!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-29842559387003826292013-10-07T03:28:00.001-07:002013-11-18T02:06:35.410-08:00Localization: The Definitive Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3CTz8_dRQk4/UlKRQA-if1I/AAAAAAAAAQE/u6dlgYhmhio/s1600/localization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3CTz8_dRQk4/UlKRQA-if1I/AAAAAAAAAQE/u6dlgYhmhio/s320/localization.jpg" alt="localization" title="localization"/></a></div>During the month of October One Stop Shop translations is releasing "Localization: The definitive guide". A user guide for students and localization professionals, the guide contains a series of articles with each one dealing in detail with the localization process for each component of software. The articles are written from a component point of view as opposed to a process point of view in that it details the process of each component individually. Please note that this is may lead to some overlapping between the articles. The links to each article are as follows:
<p>- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2013/09/translation-of-software.html">Software Localization: Background and Methodology</a><BR>
- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/online-help-localization-background-and.html">Online Help Localization: Background and Methodology</a><BR>
- End User License Agreements Localization: Background and Methodology<BR>
- Software Documentation Localization(Quick User Guides and User Guides): Background and Methodology<BR>
- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2011/12/what-is-localization.html">Website Localization: Background and Methodology</a></p>
<p>Please note that the best order to read this series is as follows, Software, Online Help, Documentation, End User Licence and Websites!
<p>If you like this post please "like" or "share" for more content<BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a></div>
<div>
<p>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop Translations</p>
</div>
<p>For more information <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Localization-Services.htm">on our localization services</a> click on this link or get an economically unbeatable <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">software localization quote here.</a></p>
Remember that translation of software is not just simple straight forward translation but a complicated process that involves many stages and specialized expertise called software localization!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-39443756215636526392013-09-23T04:15:00.000-07:002013-11-18T02:07:00.249-08:00Software Localization: Background and Methodology<p><b></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZY2IE8tEJjo/UkAU5g07kOI/AAAAAAAAALw/wvurCdrVAKc/s1600/translation_of_software.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZY2IE8tEJjo/UkAU5g07kOI/AAAAAAAAALw/wvurCdrVAKc/s320/translation_of_software.jpg" / alt="Software Localization" title="Software Localization"></a></div>One of the major headaches for software development companies is Software Localization and the release of a SIM ship version of their software to market. In an ideal world the localized or translated versions of the software should be released to market on the same date as the original version which is usually English, a concept known as SIM ship software. With this in mind it is important to run the localization process in parallel with the initial development process. If we delay the localization cycle until the end of the development process this will incur extra costs and also delay the SIM ship version of the software due source code changes caused by the localization process. To overcome these difficulties there are a number of preemptive localization steps that we can take in parallel with software development.</p>
<p><H2>1. Pseudo Localization of Software</H2>
Our first step is to pseudo-translate the software pilot languages. If we have many languages to localize (translate) we choose a small cross section of languages to represent all the target languages to be translated.
During pseudo localization the target text is pseudo translated as follows:<BR>
- The translatable text is isolated<BR>
- The translatable text is pseudo translated<BR>
- The pseudo translated text it is dumped back into the software code<BR>
The pseudo translated text represents the target language and can uncover various functionality and UI bugs during initial development that can be fixed at this stage as opposed to during the software localization/translation phase when it may be too difficult or expensive to fix! Some of the typical bugs uncovered during the pseudo translation phase include:<BR>
- Rendering of the target text on the UI. The target text is more often than not longer than the source text especially in the case of English making the text appear cut or overlap other UI components. For instance in the case of English, the other main European FIGS (French, Italian, German and Spanish) languages can be up to 30% longer than English. This allows us to set character limits for menus and dialogues before translation begins.<BR>
- Glyphs such as the accent or acute not found in the source language may be cut off in the target language.
- Languages such as Arabic that read right to left may cause serious input issues<BR>
- The original character set may not accommodate all the source characters<BR>
- Identifying hard coded text where the localizable text is embedded in the code<BR>
Catching these bugs during pseudo translation of the software ensures a seamless translation phase! The pseudo translation generally identifies all the most common problems of the target versions. Its best to run the pseudo translation when the original version is fully functional.</p>
<p><H2>2. Pilot Language for Software Localization</H2>
Now we begin the software localization process in earnest by choosing a pilot language which is a language version of the software translated before the other languages. This language will define the localization process and weed out the majority of the localization bugs.</p>
<p><H2>3. Translation Memory Input during software localization.</H2>
The actual software localization process is similar to the pseudo translation process in that the translatable text is isolated, translated and dumped back into the software, however, there is an extra degree of complexity if there are translation Memories involved in the process, as follows. A translation memory is in essence a memory bank of previously translated target text. It is also an environment in which the translator works and has other advantages such as Glossaries to enhance quality and consistency and speed up the translation process. However, once the source text has been isolated we need to ensure that its format is compatible with the TM environment and that all translators are capable of working within the TM environment. Once this has been established we recuperate the previously translated text with the end result being that the translator receives a Translation Memory compatible file with all the previously translated text integrated. This is especially the case for software updates where large sections of the software remain the same which has an obvious saving on costs and time and ensures consistency and quality. The most obvious software translator environment of this type is alchemy catalyst. For a demonstration on a Translation memory environment please refer to the following <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1rsp27TfI0" title="translation memory demonstration" alt="translation memory demonstration">link.</a> </p>
<p><H2>4. Translation and Revision of the software</H2>
Ok, so we send the translator the translation memory compatible files to translate, the most up to date Translation Memory (as they need to update it with their work) reference material such as Glossaries, previous User Guides…etc.. and the translator begins translation. During this stage one must bear in mind that the process can vary in many ways when we take into consideration that the translator may be in-house or external. Also, the translator may be responsible for typical localization bugs such as resizing of dialogues and menus and duplicate hot keys or this may be the role of the localization engineers after translation. The end product is an 80 to 90% localized pilot version. It is then revised by the translation company, the client or a third party depending on the software localization process defined at the start of the project?</p>
<p><H2>5. Translated Software Build</H2>
During the next stage the pilot version is rebuilt for testing on various platforms.</p>
<p><H2>6. Localization QA - Testing of localized software</H2>
Once rebuilt the pilot version is tested for functional bugs by the Localization QA team and linguistically tested, with the UI in context, by the translators or in some cases by third party linguists. The bugs are documented and sent to engineering in the case of functional bugs, or translation, in the case of linguistic bugs, to be fixed. This cycle continues until the translated software is bug free. The set-up of the phase can differ from company to company depending on the circumstances but in all cases it’s important to update the TMs with the linguistic fixes.</p>
<p>7. <H2>Translation of other software language versions</H2>
Now that we have our pilot version localized and bug free, the process is in place to translate the other software language versions. I mentioned at the start of this article that in an ideal world the localized versions should be released on the same date as the master version however it’s usually impossible to achieve this and what usually happens is that certain languages are given priority depending on their market importance. The more important languages are called tier one languages and the less important languages for secondary markets are generally referred to as Tier 2 languages.<BR>
So there you have it in a nutshell, the software localization process but we must also bear in mind the additional components of the software such as the Online Help and documentation need to be localized in parallel with the software. Below are additional links for an insight into how these additional components are localized, the articles below belong to the series, "Localization: The definitive Guide" from One Stop Shop Translations:</p>
<p>- Online Help Localization: Background and Methodology<BR>
- End User License Agreements Localization: Background and Methodology<BR>
- Software Documentation Localization(Quick User Guides and User Guides): Background and Methodology<BR>
- <a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com.es/2011/12/what-is-localization.html">Website Localization: Background and Methodology</a></p>
<p><b>NOTE:</b> Please note that translation and localization are used interchangeably in this article.<BR>
<b>DEF:</b> Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text.<BR>
<b>DEF:</b> Language localization is the process of adapting a product that has been previously translated into different languages to a specific country or region. <i>Source: Wikipedia</i></p>
<p>If you like this post please "like" or "share" for more content<BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a></div>
<div>
<p>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop Translations</p>
</div>
<p>For our <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Rates-List.htm">latest software localization rates</a> click on this link or get an economically unbeatable <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">software localization quote here.</a></p>
Remember that translation of software is not just simple straight forward translation but a complicated process that involves many stages and specialized expertise!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300424 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035084 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-83777634938052338002013-02-27T03:46:00.000-08:002013-11-18T02:07:24.266-08:00Time management for Freelance translators<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LuCg6kTIywI/UkBo27ITTeI/AAAAAAAAAMM/G7geBiF_mHs/s1600/time_management.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LuCg6kTIywI/UkBo27ITTeI/AAAAAAAAAMM/G7geBiF_mHs/s200/time_management.jpg" title="freelance translator" alt="freelance translator"/></a></div><p>Those unfamiliar to the freelance translation profession usually think that freelance translators have more freedom with regard to their working hours and that they can work when and if they want! People seem to be under the impression that working from home without a boss is a wonderful existence!</p>
<H2><b>Time and Time Management are key for the Freelance translator</b></H2>
<p>Now let’s suppose that the freelance translator’s career is well on track with an established client base. Time management now becomes the key to the working life of the freelancer. If time is not managed correctly the life of the freelancer can become a living hell.</p>
<p>Working as a freelancer does not mean disrespecting normal working hours. On the contrary it requires a lot more discipline to organize the working day. If not, it could mean a disorganized working schedule with no personal life.</p>
</p>It often happens that freelancers at the start of their careers, place too much importance on the amount of work they need to do which of course is justified. OK, they have chosen this profession to do what they love, don’t have to go to the office, depend on others, work in other places etc. but there have to be boundaries, limits and rules to this working freedom by establishing concrete working hours that need to be adhered to rigidly. The following are a number of time management tips:</p>
<H2><b>What are the working peaks and troughs of a freelance translator's day?</b></H2>
<p>Often the freelance translator works better a certain times of the day. For instance in the mornings between 9 and 12 the translator may work more efficiently so we refer to this period as a peak work time. After lunch, for instance between 2 and 4 we find ourselves more lethargic and lacking energy. How do we organize our working time around these physical peak and trough working times? There are a number of workarounds but a suggestion is to do the more mentally taxing tasks such as translation at peak working times and then other less mentally taxing tasks such as administration and emails between 2pm and 4pm! Its only a suggestion and everyone works differently but its important to find your own rhythm for more efficiency!</p>
<H2><b>How many times should the freelance translator check email?</b></H2>
<p>Its important for the freelance translator to revise emails frequently especially if not doing so runs the risk of missing an important deadline or urgent text to translate, but a tough human habit to avoid is reading mails every time that the email dialogue pops up. Throughout the day this can be very time consuming and much better managed time wise if we revise the emails we receive periodically, say for instance, every two hours in one swoop, so to say. This avoids breaks in concentration and allows the translator to get into "email mode" which in essence is a different thought process than say, translation. I say two hours as a general rule of thumb and I think it’s an acceptable period within which to get back to a client. Alternatively, if the old habit is too hard to break why not program your inbox to “Send/Receive” every two hours.</p>
<H2><b>Freelance translators working with different zones?</b></H2>
<p>Given the nature of freelance Translation work many clients or Translation services companies are located in different time zones throughout the world: it’s important to establish this with the client at the onset of a working relationship. It can work to our advantage but in other cases for instance a Spanish Translator working for an Asian client, the freelancer has to be very clear at the start of the Project about the deadline and take the time difference loss into consideration when establishing it. Another suggestion is for the freelancer to program the email messenger to auto respond to the client or perspective client with the working hours and when to expect a response. This makes the client aware that there is a time zone issue</p>
<H2><b>Freelance Translators should try Not to Work at Weekends?</b></H2>
<p>I understand that this is easier said than done as most freelance translator deadlines tend to be yesterday and are always urgent but detaching from work is imperative to refresh the mind and body leaving us motivated and rearing to go on Monday morning. Granted, there are times where we haven’t planned correctly or a deadline’s urgency is unavoidable and we have to work on a Sunday. However, if this is the case it’s important to re-balance the work play barometer and take some time off on the Monday morning.</p>
<p>Its important to budget our time correctly and dedicate the appropriate amount of time to the multiple facets of Translation freelancer life for instance, Translation, administration, attending seminars, marketing, learning the latest tools etc…... What may help is keeping a task diary. Simply sit down on the Sunday evening and map out the task Schedule for the week while also taking into consideration peak and trough working times. Ensure that the task schedule is not over-ambitious and realistic, leaving enough time for a healthy personal life.</p>
<p>Workloads may also influence the task Schedule for instance, there may be extremely busy periods and tight deadlines for the freelance translator when there is no time for self-learning or attending seminars. Its important to take advantage of the less busy working periods and of course, managing them efficiently will lead to a greater sense of fulfillment, more opportunities and better professional development. During these periods we can revise Glossaries, do more marketing or study for exams. It’s important not to switch off during the less busy periods and keep the impetus and good working habits we have now established going. Apart from the bread and butter translation and administration work we have, we need to set professional objectives and gear our weekly tasks to achieving the objectives!</p>
<H2>Managing Freelance translator Administration and Time</H2>
<p>When working as a freelance translator, organization of administration tasks is very important. One has to establish an operative protocol that defines the delivery dates, invoicing, filing, procedures, query files, software maintenance, etc.</p>
<p>In general a rule of thumb is to send Translation invoices at the end of each month, in a way you can group small as well as large projects together and avoid minimal fees that tend to jeopardize the client relationship. But this is not the case very often as it may depend on each client and their requirements: some require invoices at the end of each Project, others at the end of the month, others when a certain sum of money is reached and so and so. If you are just starting out try using our <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">Translation invoice template</a> here. Simply fill in your details and you should be covered from all angles. It covers the client side contact details and fiscal details, your details such as address, fiscal details and bank account details and the project details such as the invoice date and due date, Word counts, Language combinations, taxes…etc… If you are dealing with an international transfer be sure to include your IBAN number and Swift code!</p>
<p>Given that invoicing is so important it’s important to simplify the process as much as possible. What we often recommend is that you request a Purchase order from the client. This is a great record of the project details agreed between the freelancer and client before translation commenced such as the rate agreed, the Language combination, delivery date, translation memory word counts and translation rates etc… If the project budget deviates significantly from the PO during the project its good to inform the client and request an updated PO which ensures that both are in total agreement with the extra works and the client will not get a nasty shock when they receive the final bill.</p>
<p>Some times administration can be boring as it is not a creative process but it is necessary. One has to invest the time in developing the efficiency of the administration processes to save time and also instill more confidence in the client!</p>
<p>I hope that this advice has been useful and saves you at least, some time that allows you a more active personal life. Of course any comments are welcome!</p>
<p>If you like this post please "like" or "share" for more content<BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a></div>
<div>
<p>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop Translations</p>
</div>
<p>One Stop Shop Translations is a <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com">translation services company</a> based in Madrid, Spain that hires <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Languages-Translated.htm">translators on a freelance basis</a>. We offer economically unbeatable <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">translation quotes</a> in most common language combinations of the world and fields of industry.</p>
Try One Stop Shop Translations for Quality, price and timeliness!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4167754 -3.703790199999957640.0300459 -4.3492371999999575 40.8035049 -3.0583431999999577tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-57920728724191593652013-02-26T02:16:00.001-08:002013-05-07T06:45:09.568-07:00One Stop Shop offering a 10% discount off 2013 translation rates<p>One Stop Shop Translations is offering a 10% discount off its 2013 <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Rates-List.htm"> translation prices </a>with the following coupon, TRAONESTOPSHOP2013. Simply send your coupon number coupon number with your translation request and the discount will be taken in account accordingly in your <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">quotation</a>. This discount comes after a succession of translation rate cuts in 2012 due to the current economic climate but in no way reduce the quality of the translation services produced by One Stop Shop.</p>
<p>One Stop Shop Translation’s CEO, Mark Kieran says, “With this discount and the previous cuts in 2012 we see ourselves as one of the most competitive translation companies in the world considering the quality of the services we offer. We can still remain competitive due to our unique management model and translator loyalty we have built up over the years. ”</p>
<p>A translation quote can be requested can be requested on this link. Simply upload the files that need to be translated with any additional comments, for example, language combinations required and/or additional services required for example software localization or Desk Top Publishing. Add your coupon number to the translation quote request and then simply click the send button. You will receive a personalized quote the same day from a sales representative with your 10% discount added accordingly. Alternatively do an <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/online-translation-quote.htm">online translation quote</a> here for an idea of the price you will pay. Simply enter the field of specialization of the document, the language combination and the word count and the price without VAT or the discount will be calculated directly on the screen. Please note for multiple languages and documents or more complicated requests you can send a request directly to sales@onestopshoptranslations.com or call our sales line on directly on 0034 91 365 9608.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-70171952316073324022012-11-03T05:22:00.000-07:002013-11-18T02:08:08.109-08:00Translation Quotes: Charging by time or words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7yxdvISjnU/UkC-bzLoStI/AAAAAAAAAMc/MOHC5j7a6vE/s1600/translation_quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7yxdvISjnU/UkC-bzLoStI/AAAAAAAAAMc/MOHC5j7a6vE/s200/translation_quote.jpg" alt="translation quote" title="translation quote"/></a></div><p>Lately our Translation agency has been receiving requests to quote per hour as opposed to word. In this case we are expected to revise approximately 1,000 words per hour in order to be profitable. Translation Quotes based on time are definitely the safest option from the Translation services company point of view in that it covers unforeseen translation issues such as formatting. From a client point of view it involves bestowing a lot of trust on the translation agency, a trust of course, built up over time. For this reason in this article I would like to write in detail about the pros and cons of quoting per hour.</p>
<H2>Charging a Translation Quote per hour</H2>
<p>In my opinion this method has certain advantages and disadvantages. On the one had if we charge per hour and we need more time than usual we can charge for this. For example with a revision, if the text is unusually sub-standard and we need extra revision time to bring the text up to standard we can charge accordingly and avoid the stress of explaining to the client the issue involved and renegotiating a higher rate per word.
On other hand most clients like to have the translation quote cost closed before the work commences and the renegotiation process is applicable anyway. This renegotiation process is very dependent on the knowledge of the client, their willingness to accommodate the extra work, their budget or their relationship with their immediate superior.</p>
<p>Also entering into play is another variable. In the case where the translation is excellent and the revision time is minimal we stand to loose substantially compared to a translation quote per word. In an ideal world for the translation vendor the optimal solution would be to receive all the translation files before the quotation process and analyze them accordingly. During the analysis the standard of the text or translation, level of difficulty and extra formatting issues could be taken into consideration and the most profitable or fairest translation metric for the quote decided upon. However, as we all know we don’t live in an ideal world and other factors come into play at the quote phase such as competitiveness, time pressure, client knowledge and consistency. By consistency, in this sense, we mean we are often constrained by the fact that the client will request the quote with a certain metric, for instance by word, which makes perfect sense in that it makes it easier for the client to compare quotes from different companies.</p>
<H2>When to charge a translation quote per hour?</H2>
<p>As previously mentioned this is dependent on a variety of factors. In most cases the translation quote should be charged per word but what are the cases where charging per hour is the best option. In some cases we have had to send our translators to the client offices for their work. In this case charging per hour is often the only option. The translator will be expected to work at a certain capacity. This form of charging the client can be very profitable in the case where the translator does not have a sufficient workload.</p>
Another case is where there are unforeseen formatting issues. Recently we had a case where the client requested the translations in text boxes in a pdf and the text boxes superimposed over the corresponding target strings. The process of text box creation, superimposition and formatting accounted for more time than the translation itself. This of course added to deadline, extra resource and quality issues not accounted for in the original quote. As the original files were not received and the formatting issue not made aware to us during the original quote phase this lead to a complicated renegotiation of the deadline and cost for the extra formatting. Fortunately these types of issues are rare! From a translation company point of view it is always wise to be weary of extra formatting issues when the files are not received in a standard format such as word, especially where translation memories are expected to be used in the translation process. Even in word there are extra issues to be weary of that add to the translation process workload such as graphics and tables.</p>
<p>The final case to be noted is in the case of revision. Some translations can be of such poor standard that their revision is in effect a total re-translation of the entire text. Of course this leads to the ensuing renegotiation of the quote. The successful renegotiation will hinge upon the clients understanding of the problem, their budget and their relationship with their superiors.</p>
<p>In the above three cases it is clear to see that charging per hour avoids the issue of extra workloads not accounted for in the original translation rate per word quote however, we must consider that many clients may be unwilling to accept time as a cost metric due to the lack of control they have when it comes to costing, the trust they must bestow on the translation services company and the fact that other translation services companies are willing to accept the rate per word metric for quotation despite the unforeseen issues.</p>
<H2>What should we charge per hour on a translation quote?</H2>
<p>Many Translation services companies have difficulty deciding what to charge per hour and this is indeed a conundrum for many. This stems from the fact that some of the tasks during the translation process are more skilled than others. For instance translation is perceived as more skilled than formatting or desktop publishing, even some desktop publishing tasks are more complicated than others. Do we charge a different hourly rate for the various types of tasks. In this case we found that the best solution is the least complicated solution as it ensures consistency and a lack of confusion from both the translation company and client's perspective. This is why we decided to charge a common hourly rate for all tasks in the Translation process whether the task be linguistic, engineering or publishing. In some cases we may miss out economically and in other cases we may gain economically but if a good average rate per hour is selected the costing tends to even out over time.</p>
<p>To conclude, a translation quote per word ensures that the quote process is consistent and measurable both from a client and translation vendor perspective however the hourly metric for quotation is considered better when there are unforeseen or even foreseen issues during the translation process such as formatting, difficult source texts or poor translations. It is always best to analyze carefully the source files before submitting the translation quote!</p>
<p>If you like this post please "like" or "share" for more content<BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a></div>
<div>
<p>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop</p>
</div>
<p>One Stop Shop Translations is a <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com">translation services company</a> based in Madrid, Spain. Click <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">here</a> for a quote based on hours or a quote per word or compare our <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Rates-List.htm">rates</a> to our competitors.</p>
Try One Stop Shop Translations for Quality, price and timeliness!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-8757964739914877532012-08-06T04:24:00.001-07:002013-11-18T02:08:30.888-08:00One Stop Shop Translations: Translation Services metrics and Averages<a href="http://onestopshoptranslation.blogspot.com/2012/08/translation-services-metrics-and.html?spref=bl">One Stop Shop Translations: Translation Services metrics and Averages</a>: When requesting a translation quote the result we get can be a total mind field. Translation quotes can be quoted per word, per hour, per c...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-4711206230191130422012-08-06T04:04:00.000-07:002013-11-18T02:09:14.884-08:00Translation Quote Request: Metrics and Averages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a6ZAU3n5tqc/UkFd18PXCiI/AAAAAAAAANE/CtUTHHAgLkY/s1600/money-signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a6ZAU3n5tqc/UkFd18PXCiI/AAAAAAAAANE/CtUTHHAgLkY/s320/money-signs.jpg" alt="translation quote" title="translation quote"/></a></div></div>When requesting a translation quote the result we get can be a total mind field. Translation quotes can be quoted per word, per hour, per character and per page. Rates per word differ from language to language and translation company to translation company, some companies use translation memories and within this we get differing metrics for matching and repetitions, some rates include revision by a third party, rates differ from subject matter to subject while some companies charge project management rates. The list goes on and on and can often leave the client in a very confusing predicament. However, in this article we hope to clarify some of the issues of translation quotes especially in the area of translation metrics.<br />
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<H2>Requesting a Translation Quote</H2>
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The standard measurement of translation cost is by word or translation rate per word. This has many advantages in that it`s easy to measure and suits most world languages with the exception of some of the Asian languages. A translation quote per page is very unreliable as the word count per page differs depending on size of page, font size, graphics etc… A translation quote per hour also tends to be unreliable as some translators tend to be faster than others and a metric based on words has to be established to plan the work anyway. Also, both quotes per page and per hour do not fit into the analytical reports of translation memory tools. Most reports are based on raw analysis and manipulation of word counts. If a quote is based on time there is a huge and unnecessary degree of trust placed on the sub-contractor. In some cases a translation quote will be based on the character count. This is a reliable method to quote on translations but leads to more complications due to higher character counts and more complicated calculations. However, in some cases especially in the case of Asian languages it is more logical to base the quote on the character counts due to the nature of some of the Asian languages.<br />
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So far so good, we are reached our first concrete decision, the measurement value of our quote will be in words or in the case of Asian languages, characters. We now have to request an itemized quote from the translation services companies based on the word counts. After doing this we notice that some documents are translated at a higher rate than others. A general rule of thumb is that specialized fields such as legal, medical and technical tend to be 20% more expensive than general and business fields.<br />
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How so, you may ask and the answer is that there are fewer suitably qualified translators for the subject matter which tends to drive translation prices up. Other factors that contribute to a higher rate per word are as follows:<br />
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• Unusual language combinations with few translators<br />
• Language combinations where the pool of translators have high living costs<br />
• Highly specialized subject matter<br />
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Great! so we can now compare the word count and the rate from translation agency to translation agency but we then start to notice that some translation agencies are offering lesser rates for previously translated text or repeated text, while the rate for untranslated text may be slightly higher. These translation agencies are offering Translation memory services which stores previously translated text. It may be a first job with the agency so there is no previously translated text however, there may be what we call in the industry repeated text which only needs to be translated once. This type of text may be offered to the client at say 30% of the normal rate. Translation Memory systems complicate the translation process and require investment of the part of the translation agency but they ensure consistency and cut costs in the long run. This is why translation services companies offering these services often have higher rates but in the long term the investment in higher rates is worth it. Here is a summary of the key decisions we have to decide on when analyzing translation quotes:<br />
1. Translation Quote measurement (Words)<br />
2. Understanding differing word counts<br />
3. Understanding translation rates and why<br />
- Degree of difficulty and expertise<br />
- Language combination<br />
Hopefully this article helps you to facilitate the translation quote process. Remember to ask the translation agencies to provide their quote in the same format. Ask them for a quotation per word with each document/text itemized. This will ensure you get an easy to compare breakdown of rates and word counts which should make the decision process easier! Happy outsourcing!
<p>If you like this post please "like" or "share" for more content<BR>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s1600/Mark_Kieran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KfiF3L4Cork/UkAWSG8N8WI/AAAAAAAAAL8/CLz_iNP0Hd8/s320/Mark_Kieran.jpg" / alt="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations" title="Mark Kieran - CEO - One Stop Shop Translations"></a></div>
<div>
<p>Mark Kieran, CEO, One Stop Shop Translations</p>
</div>
<p>One Stop Shop Translations is a <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com">translation services company</a> based in Madrid, Spain. We offer economically unbeatable <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">translation quotes</a> in most common language combinations of the world and fields of industry. if you just want to browse over our <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Rates-List.htm">rates, click here</a></p>
Try One Stop Shop Translations for Quality, price and timeliness!
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7618917141564066547.post-53049419545006565672012-06-09T06:03:00.001-07:002013-05-07T07:26:02.757-07:00Latest Translation rates - One Stop Shop TranslationsOne Stop Shop Translations has just revised its translation rates for the year 2012. The revision includes translation rate cuts of up to 30% for some of the principle language combinations but in no way reduce the quality of the translation services provided by One Stop Shop.<br />
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One Stop Shop Translation’s CEO, Mark Kieran says, “With this revision we feel are are even more in tune with today´s econmic climate. The cuts follow even more cuts made last November and make us one of the leading quality translation companies in the world with such low pricing. With the crisis showing no signs of abating we felt we had to get even tougher and our low cost model has enabled us to do so. In fact I would even go as far as to say we have even thrived in the adverse market conditions”<br />
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Typical language combinations that we offer that have seen these massive cuts include: <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Rates-List.htm">Translation rate per word</a> :<br />
<a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/german_translation.php">English to German Translation</a> - €0.10<br />
English to Spanish Translation - €0.10<br />
<a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/french_translation.php">English to French Translation Services</a> - €0.10<br />
English to Portuguese translation Services - €0.10<br />
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One can request a <a href="http://www.onestopshoptranslations.com/Translation-Quote.htm">translation quote</a> here and see for yourself, no additional commissions, no added fees for specialty fields or urgency, a uniform translation rate for all translation within a language combination. Sounds too good to be true!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437053994553557351noreply@blogger.com0