There is a new dictionary of colloquial Spanish in the United States published by the Instituto Cervantes at Harvard University: Diccionario de anglicismos del español estadounidense. What does it say about itself, and what is my response? The prologue states that the terms come from oral Spanish. I believe Facebook and Twitter could be viewed [...]
When an interpreter or translator is certified, you can trust them to deliver quality. If you want to ask if a driver is qualified, you ask for a driver's license. Realtors are certified for their work. You don't just hire them because they say they are good. CPAs go through a credentialing process. In Oregon, we [...]
Whether we provide a translation or a transcreation, at Gaucha Translations we always keep the end users of the translation in mind. Will this document be useful to them? Will it be useful to the people they interact with? Will it cause misunderstandings along the way? I, Helen Eby always ask clients questions based on [...]
Certification is key to quality language access. It includes both interpreting and translation. Poor quality translations and interpreting events lead to serious risks. When patients leave a doctor’s office, if they don’t understand the information they took home, they run serious risks. If a parent does not understand the Individualized Educational Plan for a student, [...]
Passing a translation certification exam is a bit like winning an Olympics competition. They have low pass rates. So… how do we set ourselves up to win? First step. Be an excellent translator. Read the source text as unbiased readers, catching every nuance of the text. Translate it so the target audience in the target [...]
Based on the comments from a failed exam. I am writing this to help others not fail the same way! Include necessary clarifying information to reduce ambiguity. (register former inmates/registrar para votar a los que habían sido...) (spread the word to thousands... /informarles la decisión a decenas de miles...) Keep it to a minimum. The [...]
After studying with my colleagues for a few years, writing several book reviews, and analyzing our high points and low points, I have reached the conclusion that these are some of the key aspects of a good translation: Following our clients’ instructions. This is essential! Understanding and analyzing the source text. We just can’t translate [...]
How to convert text into a table Select all text. Under “Insert” tab, go to “table”, and select “convert text to table.” Number of columns: 1 Check how it will separate things, and mark what is most convenient according to your text. In most cases, choose by paragraph. If your text is one long paragraph, [...]
There is more than one type of translation: Setting words to music Converting a message from one language to another In both cases, a translation must be accurate. Otherwise, it is a summary or a paraphrase. My voice teacher has frequently seen me dismiss the translations of the Spanish songs in her books! I just [...]
The following three style guides are listed as options in the ATA Certification Into-English Grading Standards. Here is my opinion regarding their usefulness for different applications. I have adopted the Chicago Manual of Style for the translation training course I teach. Why? The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (I checked the 2016 [...]
