You Are What You Say
** 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 **A "living" language is one that people use - as contrasted to, say, Latin, a "dead"
In Spanish the word "confianza" implies more than the English word "confidence."
language now used only for historical research, botanical descriptions or other arcane applications. Because Latin is no longer in daily, ordinary use its words, phrases and colloquialisms are the same today as they were at the time of the Romans. The language of a people is as dynamic as their culture - it changes to accommodate the needs of discourse or description or even mere whimsy. Native speakers adjust to these changes on a daily basis and incorporate new usages into their personal language without thinking much about it. No one with the least familiarity with popular music in the United States, for instance, thinks that the word "rapper"
refers to someone knocking on the door.
"Confianza" goes beyond "confidence" to tell of an unshakably firm belief in someone.
"Confianza" goes to the spiritual marrow in a way that "confidence" does not. The translator who does not know this difference can easily misinterpret meaning and diminish its power.
In French the phrase "contre-coeur", could easily be literally interpreted as "against the heart." Or "against the wishes of the heart." The use of the phrase is dependent on the context - sometimes "contre-coeur" simply means "reluctantly." But, given the seriousness with which the French take all matters of the heart, linguistic or otherwise, the translator had best know the context and usage well before fixing the meaning in another language.
In the United States there is a useful phrase to describe extreme frustration with traffic and other drivers that degenerates into violence - the phrase is "road rage."
The Chinese have a useful variation on this theme that has even broader application than gridlocked traffic. Their word is "Majie" - which means a curse directed at the street. When it is inappropriate, difficult or impossible to direct one's anger at the source of that anger, the frustrated Chinese curses the street.
Frustration is vented, no one is hurt or offended, and life goes on. But a translator unfamiliar with the term might easily give the term a meaning it does not have. Every culture has such expressions that can easily lead the unfamiliar into trouble.
How does the company or organization trying to communicate clearly in foreign languages and linguistic customs navigate safely? Well, tenga confianza in your professional translation services provider. They will serve you well if they use native speakers who constantly monitor the language and use it in their own daily lives. If not, the term, "Majie" may come in handy.
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 by the University of Florida. 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 ***********************************************************************