Author: Sophie Storey

Categories
Business Technology

Why is it Fatal to Use Google Translator for Business Translations?

In the 21st century, globalization and technological innovations are leading the way for businesses. Both have allowed us to cross borders, communicate with other continents, and discover new languages. All this has been facilitated by technology, which allows us to interact online with people who literally live on the other side of the planet.

However, one of the first barriers that can get in the way of interpersonal relationships is language. It is true that English is the universal language, and that it is most used when communicating with people whose native language is different from yours. Despite this, it is common to encounter the problem that we do not have English as internalized as we would like.

At this point, having access to smartphones and the Internet, we resorted to the simplest option of all: an online translator and, more specifically, Google Translator, the best known to all.

This online translator was launched in 2006 and has been one of Google’s most popular tools ever since. The platform, which is accessed by more than 200 million people a day, has a translation capacity of 103 languages.

Although it is increasingly accurate in languages ​​such as English and Spanish, as they are the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world, it cannot be guaranteed that it will accurately and reliably translate any language. Also, for languages ​​like Basque or some with less population of speakers, it gets even more difficult to find translations that can meet quality standards..

Association of German translation companies list the drawbacks Google Translate has:

Being an online translator, that is, a machine, it is prepared to translate robotically and mechanically. In other words, it is prepared to translate, but not to interpret.

This is one of the main drawbacks that an online translator like Google Translate has compared to translations carried out by a professional in the sector. What other disadvantages does it present? We tell you:

  • The translation will never be perfect: Although a text translated by an online translation tool reaches a high level of precision today, it cannot reach the level of translation that a professional translator offers you.
  • Inconsistencies in grammar: As already mentioned, the robot translates mechanically, without making sense of the phrase or context. A translator not only translates, but he or she also interprets the meaning of the general text, ensuring that it makes complete sense.
  • Colloquial expressions and language: Just as an online translator does not make sense of the phrase, neither is it prepared to learn the culture of the language and to be able to interpret certain colloquial or figurative expressions.
  • Machine translations do not grasp human emotion: Unless programmed with artificial intelligence technology, machine translations cannot grasp human emotion. Humour, irony, sarcasm, etc. are certain aspects often overlooked by these online tools.
  • Machine translations fail to detect errors: Since some machine translations do not identify errors, they do not perform rectification of these errors either.

In short, when moving from one language to another, the translator, without interpretive or cultural knowledge of the language, will be able to translate word by word, without giving a contextual relevance to everything. In contrast, a professional translator has the ability to achieve a 100% accurate translation, without grammatical inconsistencies and with a complete sense of the text.

Categories
Business

5 Benefits of Working with a Professional Translation Company

In this day and age, most companies are focused on ensuring that they are able to function on a global level, by taking their enterprise to different countries. Not only does this increase the clientele and customer base of the company, it also helps businesses get on the road to turning into multinationals, bringing in a steady flow of customers and revenue stream.

Most enterprises face a lot of difficulties when they aim to go global, simply because every market speaks its own language. In order to cater to the people in specific regions, business owners must ensure that they offer their services in the language that the audience understands and can respond to.

Many businesses make the common mistake of assuming that if they have a website in the English language, they will be able to reach out to customers in several parts of the world.

However, this is not the case. The current population in the world today is around 8 billion, and more than half of these people have heavy internet usage. With online shopping on the rise as well, it goes without saying that most organizations ensure that their websites and other online content is available in a multitude of languages if they wish to be successful in the global market.

A major problem that arises in this aspect is that many companies end up relying on free software for translation, such as Google Translate. However, it is not always accurate due to the nature of the software, which is exactly why it is advisable to work with a company that offers certified translations. Additionally, here are 5 benefits of working with a certified translation company:

1. Professional Translation Companies Handpick Translators

Contrary to popular belief, working with a professional translation company is not the same as opting for an online software that is used for the purpose of translations. In fact, the main difference is that an online software will have bots doing the work for you, while an actual company will handpick translators who speak the language of your choice, in order to ensure that the translation is accurate.

2. Professional Translation Companies Maintain a Standard

Translation companies will always ensure that the work that they do for you is pristine and immaculate. They will leave no room for mistakes since they will ensure that the work they are doing for you is well worth the money that you will be paying them. Not just that, they will always ensure that you receive the best quality possible and will not take any risks in this department.

3. Professional Translation Companies Can Accept Large Amounts of Work

When working with a professional translation company, business owners do not have to worry about the amount of work that they are sending forward, since these companies can handle large volumes of work at the same time. So whether you want a couple of blog posts translated, or an entire website, a professional translation company can always tackle the task efficiently.

4. Professional Translation Companies Will Save You Time & Money

Many business owners make the common mistake of assuming that they will be spending a lot more if they decide to work with a professional translation company. However, the opposite is true. By opting to work with a professional translation company, you will not have to worry about the accuracy of the work, which will automatically save you a lot more time as well as money.

5. Professional Translation Companies Offer Certified Translations

Due to the fact that professional translation companies have a variety of actual people working under the hood to conduct the translations, you will always receive certified translations. This also means that the people you are catering to will always be able to understand the content of your website or online material that you post in their language.

These are just a few reasons why you should always opt to work with a professional translation company instead of opting to rely on free online software. The results will always be worth the hassle and the content will always be up to the mark, helping your business grow exponentially.

Categories
Marketing

Epic Translation Mistakes Made by Big Brands

Achieving success in international markets depends on a large number of factors. For companies to succeed in a global marketplace, they need to work on strategies that align with the larger interest of the target markets.

Companies invest a lot of money, time and effort in building their brand’s reputation. But when it comes to global expansion, there is a very delicate balance in terms of timing and understanding the cultural nuances that need to be maintained. Any mistake here and the brand names takes a serious beating.

Exporting your brand abroad is a major challenge and the path is strewn with pitfalls. Companies need to be really careful not to offend the socio-cultural sensitivities of the target audience. Each country has its own system of beliefs, values ​​and principles. When a company launches an advertising campaign abroad, it must take all the necessary measures not to “shock” the target market, and therefore discredit its brand.

Easy? Not really! Translating a slogan or exporting your brand abroad is not easy. The translation represents a challenge for any linguist, since it requires creativity and imagination. But not just that – the translator must also understand the culture of the target market so as not to make mistakes that could discredit the content of a brand.

While some brands have understood the lesson, and today favor the use of the services of a professional translation company, others, on the other hand, learn the lesson after burning a pile of cash and facing humiliation in new markets …

Here are our top 7 marketing translation mistakes!

  1. General Motors’ “working car”

When Chevrolet launched its advertising campaign for the Chevy Nova in South America, the brand did not immediately realize that “no VA” means “does not work “, “does not start” in Spanish.

This miserable situation provoked mockery from the Spanish-speaking population and this error in marketing translation was the primary cause of the disastrous sales of Nova in Latin America.

The brand finally decided to rename it to the Caribe (“Caribbean”) model, and sales finally took off!

  1. KFC wants to cut your fingers

The fast food brand KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) made a fairly significant marketing translation error when it set up in China in 1987.

Indeed, KFC translated its slogan “finger licking good” (“good to lick their fingers”, in French) to “we will cut your fingers “or “eat your fingers “in Chinese.

Not very reassuring…

  1. The brand that “fears”

The Scandinavian brand Electrolux probably made one of the worst linguistic mistakes by creating an advertising campaign whose slogan was “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux “.

The brand obviously did not realize that the sentence “it sucks” has a very different meaning in English!

  1. The marketing translation “Do you make milk?”

The ADA (American Dental Association) wanted to export its “Got Milk? In Mexico to encourage the consumption of cow’s milk.

Unfortunately, not everything went as planned since the slogan was translated into Spanish as “Do you make milk?” Or “Are you in the lactation period?”.

Another translation error that cost the brand a lot of money…

  1. “Kekoukela?

Coca-Cola, the international brand of refreshing drinks experienced the joys of translation errors when it came to finding a slogan for its advertising campaign in China.

By literally translating “Coca-Cola” to “Kekoukela”, the brand did not realize that this term meant “toad stuffed with wax” in certain dialects … Not really tempting!

The translators then found the expression “Kokoukole” which, meanwhile, means “happiness in the mouth “.

  1. A very innovative airline

The American Airlines airline gives us another good example of an advertising flop with the campaign launched in Mexico to promote the new leather seats of its aircraft.

When trying to translate “Fly in leather”, the company made a mistake by entering “Vela encore” which means “Fly naked”. Why not!

  1. The Honda “Fitta”

The automotive sector is often affected by translation errors!

In 2001, the famous Honda brand decided to market the Honda “Fitta” in Europe. The brand hadn’t realized that “Fitta” was a common slang word in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

The name of the car was eventually changed to Honda “Jazz”.

These classic translation mistakes show one thing for sure – finding success in international markets depends on careful planning in terms of the market entry strategy and communication that is in line with the cultural nuances, backed by thorough research about the market and its target audience.