As VisualThesaurus.com points out in a recent interview with Oxford English Dictionary editor Jesse Sheidlower, the OED has been using a type of crowdsourcing for years – originally in a very low-tech manner:

“The OED is a historical dictionary, which means that for every sense of every word it contains quotations from chiefly written sources, showing how that word has been used over time. Originally the way that you would get these quotations, which are called citations, was that you simply read a wide variety of texts.  And any time you come across an interesting word, you write it down on a slip of paper…You take a file of these, you sort them into order, you divide them up into senses.  And you have your dictionary there, based on the evidence that's in front of you. 

In a way, it's a collaborative project, one of the earliest collaborative projects in a way that Wikipedia and things like that are thought to be now, where these books were read by a very large number of people, thousands of people spread all over the world.”

(Jesse Sheidlower in an interview with VisualThesaurus.com, July 30, 2008)

At Language Translation Inc. in San Diego, California, we are keenly interested in new developments in the world of language and enjoy sharing them with you on this blog and our language blog, Language Links. Our company provides language translation and interpreting services in over 40 languages. “Let us show you how good translation should be!”

Betty Carlson

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Beijing has worked hard to correct confusing translations all over the city, especially in restaurants and hotels. Our blog reported nearly two years ago that authorities planned to eliminate “Chinglish” for the 2008 Olympics, and I observed that they likely had their work cut out for them.

Yesterday Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported from Beijing that translation problems in his hotel room were only partly patched up: “My hotel shower, for example. A bilingual decal on the shower glass warns bathers with, ‘Caution!  Wet floor.’ No problem there,” writes LeBreton. Apparently, the warning about slipping in the shower is made pretty clear to the ingoing shower-taker.

Things get a bit more complicated, though, on the way out. Upon leaving the shower, the hotel guest can read this mysterious warning:

 “’Pays attention to the stair, before the use, invites the shop well turban, thanks!’”

Oh well, they tried. And LeBreton certainly salutes the determination of Beijing residents and workers to communicate in English with visitors – most of whom aren’t getting across too well in Chinese.

At Language Translation,Inc. in San Diego, California, we provide language translation and interpretation services in over 40 languages, including Chinese. Our language service professionals are generally both bilingual and bicultural. “Let us show you how good translation should be.”

Betty Carlson

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“Translation is a process that always crucial, especially for people who work with communication and to take other people understanding,” I read, chuckling. “Different language may have different perception in meaning. Especially in India, where there are many language are use there, may be same word will have different meaning, so you need good advice…”

Something doesn’t connect here. There are more than a handful of blatant grammatical errors in the above text, plus some confusing usage…and  this extract was published by a company trying to hawk “the best” translation services possible over the Internet!

Of course there are qualified language service providers all over the world. But in this era of outsourcing and quick Internet searches, do be careful when looking for quality language translation services. Getting mixed up with the wrong provider could have disastrous results for your company.

At Language Translation, Inc., we have been providing language translation, interpreting and localization services to US and multinational companies since 1989. We have worked with clients such as Sony, Panasonic and Hewlett-Packard. Based in San Diego, California, we are ready to help your company with all of its language service needs. Contact us for more information– and let us show you how good translation should be.

Betty Carlson

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“Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s order that city agencies provide translations for the six most spoken languages means immigrants won't have to rely on English-speaking children to translate complex government forms, supporters said yesterday…

After Bloomberg signed the order yesterday, it became the city's first uniform policy requiring agencies to provide translation or interpretations for Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Italian and French Creole.

According to 2006 census figures, more than 3.6 million, or 45 percent of New Yorkers claimed a first language other than English. About 1.8 million have limited English proficiency, city officials said.”

(Extract from “City to offer translation services to immigrants” by Michael Frazier for Newsday.com)

Reaching out to local residents in the language they speak makes good administrative sense – and good business sense too. Studies have proven that consumers prefer to make purchases when they have documentation and websites available in their own language. Contact a qualified language service provider such as Language Translation, Inc. for all of your translation, interpreting and localization needs.

Betty Carlson

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“There is controversy between Beijing and Taipei about what the athletes of the island will be called at the Olympics.

According to an agreement between the two sides, going back to 1989, the official name of Taiwan at the International Olympic Committee is ‘Zonghua Taibei’, ‘Chinese Taipei’, but the Chinese media call it ‘Zhongguo Taibei’, ‘China's Taipei’. In Chinese, Zonghua Minguo means ‘Republic of China’, the historical name of Taiwan. The name used in the Chinese media stems from the interpretation that Taiwan is merely a province of China…

The response from Taiwan has been immediate. Yesterday, Henry Chen Ming-cheng, spokesman of the Taiwanese foreign ministry, called ‘entirely unacceptable’ this definition that expresses the idea that Taiwan is part of China.”

(Extract from AsiaNews.it, July 11 2008)

As the 2008 Summer Olympics approach, Language Translation, Inc. is looking forward to bringing you news related to language translation and other linguistic issues surrounding the worldwide sporting event. Located in San Diego, California, we provide translation, interpreting and localization services in over 40 languages. “Let us show you how good translation should be.”

Betty Carlson

Subscribe to Language Lines, our monthly newsletter, for more information about translation, interpreting and foreign languages.

Have you ever thought of translating the brand name Lego? Or Nestle? Dr Haslina Haroon has. Haroon, a lecturer in Translation Studies at a School of Humanities in Malaysia, reveals the meaning of these world-famous brand names in a recent article entitled “Lost in Translation.”

According to Haroon, the term “Lego” derives from two Danish words: “leg godt.” Literally, they mean “play well.”

The language translation of “Nestle” is a different story. The company’s founder was named Henri Nestle, so in that respect, the brand name is not a translation. But the company’s logo, a bird’s nest, was created because “Nestle” also means “nest” in German.

As Dr.Haroon puts it in the conclusion to her article: “Welcome to the fascinating world of translation.”

Betty Carlson

Language Translation Inc. is specialized in language translation, interpretation and localization. Based in San Diego, California, we have been working in the language service industry since 1989. “Let us show you how good translation should be.”

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