Category Archives: Interpretation
If you’re planning a multilingual event that requires the services of interpreters, you may notice that, for certain languages, your language services provider will ask you who your target audiences are or what accent they may have. You may ask – well technically, it’s the same language, right? So are accents that important for interpretation? Do they matter anyway? Do I even need to hire a native speaker? The answer to all these questions is a resounding YES….
United States and China: a relationship under extreme duress Earlier this year, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published an article called “A relationship Under Extreme Duress: U.S.-China Relations at a Crossroads.” This alarming statement is indicative of why companies, NGOs, political organizations and international firms must seek Chinese interpreters and translators who are native speakers…
Calendars often feature days of appreciation for a variety of professions. With so many great providers of different services in the world, these days give us the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate these professionals in a meaningful way. One such day is International Translation Day. Celebrated every year on September 30th – the feast day of Saint Jerome, the Patron Saint of…
If you have seen the opening, closing, and medal ceremonies of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, you may have been surprised to hear so much French – even before English was spoken. Although the Olympic games have roots in ancient Greece, the French – and by extension, the French language – had a massive historical impact and role in the organization…
After a delay of one year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Olympic Games are finally in progress in Tokyo, Japan. More than 11,000 athletes from 206 countries are competing at this year’s Summer Olympic Games. Even though Covid-19 safety precautions have limited the number of in-person spectators, thousands of people are presently attending. While the Olympic Games…
In the new age of technology and with the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are learning how to conduct their meetings online. Virtual meetings that require an interpreter are different from regular meetings. They have some additional requirements and are subject to certain difficulties. By following these tips, you can ensure that your virtual meeting with interpretation is successful…
Everybody has something they wish everybody knew or understood about their job, and translators and interpreters are no different. We asked our colleagues the following question: What do you wish every client knew about translation and interpretation? The following answers might surprise you… Translator Wish List: Do not use your “trilingual” assistant for translating your…
In today’s ever-changing environment, meeting your linguistic needs with excellent services can be challenging. It seems that nowadays, everybody claims to be “fluent” in another language or to even be “bilingual”. When contacting your language services provider of choice, what information should you have on hand and provide them with in order to receive an…
The term “Spanish interpretation” couldn’t be more ambiguous when it comes to facilitating positive outcomes at the US-Mexico border. In a post on NPR’s Fresh Air page, University of California, Berkeley, School of Information linguist Geoff Nunberg writes, “Nobody should need reminding that there’s more to the cultures of the land south of the border…
Words – spoken and written – can be tricky. They can be rephrased or twisted around. The variation between the witness statements, “we saw him Wednesday evening” vs. “we saw him Wednesday night” becomes critical if one person interprets evening as “just around sunset” or “earlier in the night” and another understands that as meaning “after…
