Love And the Weak Links ** You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the by-line is included. Notification of publication would be appreciated. Please send notification to mgalindo@translationsandmore.com ** Many words have more than one meaning in both the language they are being translated from as well as the language into which they are being translated. Take the word "love" for instance.
For an English-speaking audience you might say, "You will love our product" and your message would automatically be understood as meaning the reader would enjoy and appreciate the product very much. But a mistranslation of that same simple word could mean something entirely different in another language. Clearly you would like people to enjoy your product but you do not want to encourage them to have an amorous relationship with it. This is especially true if your product has sharp edges. The most hilarious examples of such translation gaffes have to do with selecting names of products that mean "something wonderful" in their original language and "something very offensive" in translation. But the most pervasive and potentially dangerous examples are in technical or instruction manuals where meaning must be absolutely clear in order for a product or for equipment to work properly and safely.
Instructional design is a highly developed art and companies devote a great deal in time and resources to make sure that the training they provide to employees or customers will result in safe, efficient and reliable practices. I do not mean to offend your intelligence, but the weak link in that instructional process is the link between the language of the designer and the language of the end user. Yet this critical juncture is too often given much less attention and fewer resources that it deserves. This is especially true when poorly understood instruction can have disastrous safety, productivity and business consequences. For some funny mistranslations click here... http://funnies.paco.to/Translations.html At GPI our specialized translators pride themselves on translating both words and meaning. That commitment results in clients whose messages and manuals are clear, instructive and persuasive in any language. It also means that GPI aims to maintain a hands-on approach, a closer relationship with its clients. In that ongoing contact and relationship a common language and understanding grows that assures the transfer of meaning from our clients to their employees or customers. When clients keep sending us work, or refer us to their associates or colleagues, we feel their love. Rest assured this love is mutual. No weak links. Well, you know what I mean.
See you soon ! Martha. ********************************************************************** About the Author, if using, please include: Martha E. Galindo, President and CEO of Galindo Publicidad, Inc. A multilingual translations agency, selected twice as a Florida 100 company. Author of “How Do You Say…?” an eNewsletter designed to help you improve your business communications in other languages, Subscribe http://www.translationsandmore.com/subscription.html GPI, Inc. Request a free project quote- http://www.translationsandmore.com/contact.html ***********************************************************************