Author Archive

A strange request came through today.

Ordinarily those of us in this industry bill for our services based on the word count of the document provided, in the case of outright translation, or else on the time spent, in cases such as editing or proofreading.  Most people are familiar with and understand that kind of measurement, and we all have charges correlated to what it will take us to serve our client well at a reasonable cost while still making a living for ourselves.

Most of us in general, and Eloquence Language Services in particular, seek to establish ourselves as professional providers of a service, not a product.  Translators and interpreters have spent years trying to educate the public about the importance of selecting a professional who can offer precisely that result.

So today a colleague just wrote a boatload of us in the business begging for anyone’s input on how to bill a job in GIGABYTES.  Gigabytes?  Talk about commodity pricing!  That’s a rather demeaning idea, considering that untold time and effort go into delivering a top-notch translation, and then to reduce it to no more than a bunch of ones and zeroes?  Geez, guys, give us a break!

You can’t believe everything you read when it comes to a translation guide.  The following was reported by Mark Herman in the Nov/Dec 2009  edition of the translation industry’s ATA Chronicle with contributions by Costa Kanellos and Joseph Ciparick.

A 1949 book called the  English-Turkish Conversation Book written by one M. Vasif Okcugíl attempted to provide English sentences for those Turks wanting to speak the English language.  Each entry in the book is a phrase that is first written in English, then transliterated into Turkish orthography and then finally into Turkish itself.  Unfortunately, anyone using this book would have been looked at by any English speaker with puzzlement and then probably with either amusement or pity.  Here are some examples of a few of the English results.  Some are discernible, and others are just plain unfathomable.  A piece of advice?  If you speak Turkish, don’t buy this book!

Put your napkin to your front.

This paper is blotting.

Pleat your thumb and the second finger.

You did not administrate the establishment.

He did not take care to my advices.

Did you divine the enigma?

If I am not get up when I awake, I am deadly sleeping again.

Is it killed anybody?

They did not agitate the question.

What o’clock is it?

 

Of course, the real kicker in English is our determined propensity to pronounce similar spellings in different ways.  No wonder English is so hard for non-native speakers to master!  Think about the following examples, which we native speakers just take for granted (and for those of us with children, we spend years correcting them on):

“ONE”:    One    Gone      Tone

“OU”:   Hour    Four    Tour   Should    Moustache

“ERE”:    Where    Here    Were

“OO”:    Food    Good    Door    Cooperate    Blood

“IM”:    Climb    Limb

“IMB”:  Climber     Limber

“UMB”:  Plumber     Lumber

“IPED”:  Piped    Biped  

“AUGH”:  Caught    Laugh

“INT”:   Pint    Tint

And then the “king” of the confusing diphthongs,

“OUGH”:  Though   Through    Thought    Tough   Trough   Thorough    Bough     Cough     Hiccough

 

ENOUGH  SAID!

The world of translating and interpreting is going the route of many of today’s professions–specialization.

The Los Angeles Times just published an article by Tina Susman regarding how translation and niche specialization can play an important role in the world’s needs today.   Here’s a link to the article

It highlights a woman who specializes in the German language and waste management–“The Trash Lady”–and it illustrates how detailed and complex a translator’s job can be.  It also highlights how being a specialist is key to nailing down the finite details of the translation job.

Nicholas Hartmann, President of the American Translators Association, whose convention I just attended in New York, made excellent points about the need for professional competent human translators rather than using a machine or the native-speaking guy you have in your office.  He gave fascinating examples of embarrassing errors that have occurred recently even on the international level where due diligence was missing.

Translators who know their stuff are priceless when it comes to enabling accurate communication. 

Clearly, translation and interpretation aren’t going away any time soon.  So long as people must communicate with one another, Eloquence will be your language bridge. You can depend on us not to “trash” your job!

November 3, 2009

I just returned from New York, where I attended the 50^th Annual Conference of the American Translators Association.  The ATA is our industry’s premiere organization.  What an event!  There were dozens of exhibitors, focus groups and meetings and hundreds of interesting sessions given in multiple languages by scores of top quality presenters.  Held at the beautiful Marriott Marquis Hotel right on Times Square, over 2,300 professionals attended this 4-day event.

What astonished me was that translators and interpreters came not just from the United States, but from fifty-three foreign countries to the American Translators Association conference!  What a strange feeling it was to be surrounded by thousands of people just like me who live and breathe the esoterica of what I do all day without needing an explanation.  Say what you will about the state of today’s world economy, it’s gratifying to know that the art of communication in word and speech is alive and well!

We translate most documents. Ask us. Our particular fields of expertise are business, medical/healthcare and legal. Examples of the materials we handle regularly include, but by no means are limited to, the following:

Business:

• Annual Reports
• Contracts
• Correspondence
• Credit Reports
• Human Resources materials of every kind, such as:
  • Application Forms
  • Employee Manuals
  • Handbooks
  • Insurance
  • Interviews
  • Notices
  • Resumes, CVs, Transcripts
  • Contracts
  • Correspondence
  • Credit Reports
• Marketing materials of all sorts, including
  • Advertising
  • Brochures
  • Newsletters
  • Press Releases
  • Public Relations
  • Surveys
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Newsletters
  • Presentations
  • Proposals
  • Reports
  • Websites

Medical/Healthcare

• Case studies
• Consent Forms
• Correspondence
• Explanations of Benefits
• Fact Sheets
• Health Histories
• Patient Forms, Instructions and Similar
• Medical Records
• Medical Reports
• Newsletters
• Policy Statements
• Privacy Notices
• Questionnaires
• Websites

Legal

• Agreements
• Certificates
• Contracts
• Correspondence
• Court Papers
  • Affidavits
  • Depositions
  • Petitions
  • Witness Statements
• Framework Agreements
• Immigration
• Lawsuits
• Leases
• Pledges
• Powers of Attorney
• Promissory Notes
• Reports
• Wills

Eloquence accepts all sorts of jobs. We are here to serve YOU.

Chances are, if you ask for it, we can translate it. We are very strong in the languages of Eastern and Western Europe and also do Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Burmese and other Asian languages. We particularly seek out Spanish language work from Spain and Latin America.

Contact us for further information.

Lots of companies are eager to take your money, but not all are worthy. Eloquence shines in these vital points that make our company so outstanding:

• Professional talent. Professionalism is key. Amateurs are unskilled in the details that make or break success.  Eloquence employs strictly experienced and proven language professionals.
• Translators work INTO their native languages. Only a well educated native speaker knows the subtle differences of his mother tongue critical to proper translation. Your work is done by full-time professional native speakers translating  into their own languages.
• Interpreters are fully fluent in two or more languages. Interpreters must instantly have full range of subject terminology on the tips of their tongue in both languages. Eloquence provides the most highly qualified interpreters for your area of need regardless of the interpretation type.
• Responsiveness. You should get a response within 24 hours on a business day. Our fast response time is legendary. See our stellar reviews under our Testimonial Page.
• Confidentiality. Eloquence takes confidentiality very seriously and belongs to the industry’s most highly respected professional organizations. Our translators and interpreters sign confidentiality agreements before working with us to protect your information.
• Dependability. You must be able to count on your translation company to return your work as promised. Eloquence delivers what we say, when we say!
• Accuracy. Before we deliver your job to you, it has been independently proofread by a separate pair of qualified eyes. You can be certain you are receiving an accurately translated job when you work with Eloquence.
• Experience. Has the company done other work similar to yours? Eloquence works in numerous market sectors. See who we serve under our Client List.

 

It’s simple. For documents, just email or fax us your files. For interpretation, write us an email. Or else use the easy Get A Quote form on this website. You can also call us. To help us help you, please make sure you include the following information with your request:

• The source language of the document or project (what language it’s in now)

• The target language of the document or project (what language you want it translated into)

• Your time frame for the work

• Any special requirements (for instance, formatting, Desk Top Publishing work, etc.)

We prefer receiving documents by electronic delivery for ease of quotation. Electronic format (Word, PDF, html) generally lends itself more readily to precise quotes, while hard copy requires a word count estimate. Most people ask us to return documents electronically, but if you have another need, please let us know in advance. We will respond to you promptly.

Turnaround time depends on the language, length, material and any special needs. We work closely with you to meet your deadline.  Eloquence is noted for its speed of turnaround without sacrificing the fine quality you expect.

Written material is charged by the word. Factors influencing the quote may be the complexity of subject matter (legal, medical, marketing etc.), format (Microsoft Office formats, Adobe PDF, Web pages, such as .html, .htm, .php, etc., or a wide range of image types), language combinations (some languages are more “exotic” than others, requiring the need to find a suitably qualified translator), speed of turnaround time requested and any special needs (such as DTP).

Interpretation is usually figured by the time. Other charges may apply, such as travel time and mileage, or equipment fees for headsets and microphones. When you work with us, you will know your bottom-line price right up front.

Our pricing is competitive and flexible. Call or email us for a free non-binding quote.