The post Turning Raw Data Into A Story appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

1. Who is your audience, and what is your message?

   Your translator is likely reading your book for the first time, so pitch it to them. Point out specific themes, hooks, objectives, and selling points. Describe your ideal reader 鈥� their reading level and cultural knowledge. Let them know if your book is for children inside the United States, abroad, or both. This information will influence the choices your translator makes and help them produce a better translation. For example, it will dictate whether or not they need to explain cultural terms and traditions.

2. Should the title be translated literally or creatively?

   Discuss the title with your translator. You may want a literal word-by-word translation to establish a parallel vocabulary between the two languages. Or you may choose to change the title to make it more idiomatic and enhance its marketability. The process of transcreation, which is about recreating the experience rather than the words, is often needed in literary translation to prevent the book from sounding 鈥μ� well 鈥� like a translation.

   A great example of a transcreated title is the bilingual picture book (written by Carmen T Bernier-Grand, illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez, and published by Charlesbridge). The literal translation of 鈥渨e laugh alike鈥� into Spanish (鈥�nos re铆mos parecido鈥�) would sound like 鈥渨e laugh similarly鈥� to a Spanish speaker and is not very catchy. Instead, the author chose the Spanish title Juntos nos re铆mos, which means 鈥渨e laugh together.鈥� While not a direct translation, the translation is catchy, uplifting, and remains true to the book鈥檚 message.

3. Should the characters鈥� names be translated?

   This decision will depend on the book鈥檚 objective and intended audience. I recently translated a book in which the main character, Ellie, deals with her mother鈥檚 psychological trauma. We decided to translate her name to Elita in the Spanish edition for two reasons: 1) The name 鈥淓llie鈥� is hard to pronounce in Spanish, and 2) the book is intended to help children in therapy, so we wanted the reader to connect intimately with the main character.

   In some situations, however, branding may be an issue. Take Mikey Mouse, for example. Originally, Disney wanted readers in other languages to connect with Mickey Mouse, so they translated his name into those languages. But Hispanic children nowadays have no idea who El Rat贸n Miguelito is. Why? Disney stopped translating the name for publicity and marketing reasons. Mickey is no longer just a character in a comic strip; he鈥檚 a world-renowned brand that is not unlike Pepsi or McDonald鈥檚.

   That said, authenticity is also a factor when translating names. If your character represents a particular cultural background, you may need to keep the name to ensure your book remains authentic.

4. Could images get lost in translation?

   Picture books are special cases because both text and images tell the story. But will the images translate across cultures? Will kids in another country respond to them like children in the US? This is a great question to ask your translator. They can evaluate your images and ensure they send the right message to the target culture. And here鈥檚 another tip: be sure to have any words found in the images translated. Nothing is more jarring than immersing yourself in a Spanish-language picture book only to see a big banner in an image of a child鈥檚 birthday party that reads 鈥淗appy Birthday!鈥� instead of 鈥溌eliz Cumplea帽os!鈥�

5. Are there any cultural sensitivities to consider?

   Identify all sensitive topics in the book, such as death, illness, divorce, or family strife. How readers experience or respond to these topics may differ from culture to culture. Remember that some cultural sensitivities may be less apparent. For example, children in the US may address their elders or teachers in ways that may not be appropriate in other cultures. People in Latin America weave stories of monsters, ghosts, saints, and dead relatives into their daily lives, which US kids might find scary.

   Failing to consider cultural sensitivities can have dire consequences for your book. The cartoon Peppa Pig exemplifies how serious and unexpected cultural differences can be. In Australia, an episode of Peppa Pig because the beloved cartoon character befriends a spider and names him Mr. Skinnylegs. But kids in Australia are not taught to see spiders as cute or friendly because there are many poisonous varieties, so the episode was taken off the air. Take a lesson from Peppa Pig and ask your translator to flag any problematic cultural associations.

6. Do you need cultural padding?

   Like sensitive topics, some terms and traditions may not translate from culture to culture. Talk to your translator about your audience. How multicultural are they, regardless of the language they speak? Cultural padding means adding a few extra words to explain terms that are not common in the target culture. For example, your translator may need to describe a 鈥渟鈥檓ore鈥� or explain the concept of 鈥淪how and Tell鈥� at school.

7. Does your text include tricky elements, like onomatopoeias, songs, jokes, regionalisms, slang, or puns?

   Although you likely had a lot of fun inserting these are often the most fun parts of children鈥檚 books to write, these tricky elements will usually lose their appeal if translated literally. That鈥檚 because the rhymes and references will literally get lost in translation. It鈥檚 important to either localize or transcreate these elements. Localization involves replacing them with something similar in the target culture or language. Transcreation means writing something in the target language for a similar effect or experience. Discuss these tricky items with your translator and be open to their ideas about what might work best in the target language and culture. Ask for these solutions to be translated back into English to help you understand what the translator is trying to do.

Reach new audiences with translation!

Translation is all about reaching a new audience. The trick is to keep your potential readers in mind every step of the way 鈥� from the first draft of the translation to marketing the final product 鈥� as if you were writing the original. Your translator can be a wonderful resource throughout the whole process, so consider hiring them for more than the translation. They can serve as your cultural advisor as you answer these seven questions, finetune your product, and even prepare your promotional materials.

When authors and translators collaborate closely and work together with openness and trust, the translation process can be downright magical!

By Gabriella Aldemann

About the Author

Gabriella Aldeman听is an English-to-Spanish translator for education nonprofits and children’s books, as well as a picture book writer. She is a member of The Society of Children鈥檚 Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and serves on the Public Relations Committee of the 情侣自拍. Follow her on where she plays with words and obsesses over coffee.

The post Want Your Children鈥檚 Book Translated into Another Language? Answer These 7 Questions First! appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

Respected Credential

ATA certification is one of the global translation industry鈥檚 most respected and recognized credentials. It is also the only widely recognized measure of competence for translators in the United States.听

Professional Competence

ATA certification offers qualified and independent evidence that a translator possesses professional competence in a specific language pair. It recognizes translators who have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality translation services.听

Earning Certification

To earn ATA certification, a translator must pass a rigorous proctored exam. The exam assesses the language skills needed to be a professional translator: comprehension of the source language text, translation techniques and written proficiency in the target language.听

Credentialed Interpreters

The Credentialed Interpreter (CI) designation in acknowledges interpreters who are certified by certain ATA-approved entities in fields such as medical, legal, and conference interpreting.听

Certified Languages

ATA certification is available in over . While the number of language pairs changes over time, certification is not available for all possible language combinations.听

Certification is not a requirement to offer translation services in the United States.听

Not Just a One-time Test

To maintain ATA certification, a translator must fulfill ongoing continuing education requirements. All members of ATA are required to abide by the organization鈥檚 code of ethics.

may use the designation 鈥淐T鈥� after their name and can apply their seal to documents they have translated.听

Legal Considerations

Language Requirements听

Some entities are required by law to provide translated materials. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin, which means that any program or activity that receives U.S. federal funding must provide services in a person鈥檚 native language.听

Be Aware听

You should consult an attorney to determine whether you are legally obligated to provide language services. In addition, you should be aware of laws or regulations related to translation or interpreting in any countries in which you do business.

Additional ATA Resources

This is the third article in a series of articles introducing the 情侣自拍鈥檚 Guide to Buying Translations Services, which was created to help those in need of translation services find the best provider for their project and work efficiently with the chosen translation provider. For the full guide, click here.

About the Authors

Eve Bodeux is an ATA-certified French to English translator specialized in tech marketing, commercial communications, marketing research and official documents. She is the Secretary of the 情侣自拍 and serves on the ATA Public Relations Committee.

Jamie Hartz is an ATA-certified Spanish to English translator and transcriber specialized in legal and commercial translations. She currently serves as the Chair of the ATA Public Relations Committee.

The post Guide to Buying Translation Services, Part III: ATA Certification and Legal Considerations appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

May 16, 2024, marks the Around the world, legal, medical, and scientific organizations along with governments, universities, and businesses will host events to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion.听

Is your business doing its part? Read on to learn how your company can get involved and create accessible digital content.

Why is GAAD significant?

We share this planet with , are people with disabilities limiting how they see, hear, move, speak, or learn. These disabilities can make it harder for them to consume digital content. GAAD serves as a global platform to raise awareness about digital accessibility and inclusion for this target group.

People also face an additional barrier when accessing digital content: language. Although there are currently spoken around the world, the majority of online content is written in only one: English. If you sell your products or services internationally, you have a unique opportunity to provide digital access in your clients鈥� native languages, eliminating linguistic barriers and fostering increased engagement with your brand.

What is digital inclusion?

When business owners think about accessibility, they usually focus on the physical barriers like stairs or doors. But in the post-pandemic world, consumers spend more time than ever online 鈥� working, learning, connecting, and immersing themselves in the online entertainment. An online environment can have as many or more access barriers as a physical one. It is critical for business owners to understand where obstacles reside within their digital assets, as well as the legal ramifications of not removing them.

The United Nations defines as 鈥渆quitable, meaningful, and safe access to use, lead, and design of digital technologies, services, and associated opportunities for everyone, everywhere.鈥� A growing number of assert that access to digital content is a civil and human right, whether it is in the form of websites, music, movies, audiobooks, video games, or technology.听

To that end, some businesses invest heavily in making their content accessible not only to reach wider markets but to fulfill legal and compliance requirements and reduce the risk of a lawsuit.听

How to address digital accessibility barriers

The internationally recognized (WCAG) provide a vast body of rules outlining how to ensure your company鈥檚 digital products and services fulfill the United Nation鈥檚 digital inclusion mandate. At the highest level, WCAG is organized into four general accessibility principles that can guide the way for online content creators:

1. Perceivable: Are my clients able to consume the spoken or written digital content in ways that fit their needs? For example, individuals who are hard of hearing benefit from watching a movie with subtitles in their native language. Similarly, those that are blind or low vision benefit from listening to an audio version of a translated book. Keep in mind that subtitles and audiobooks, just like other accessibility improvements, are broadly used by all consumers, not just those with disabilities.听
2. Operable: Are my consumers able to navigate through the website, recording, or other digital output using a mouse, keyboard, voice control, or other navigation devices? No matter if you have a carpal tunnel, use a screen reader, or are holding a baby in one arm, you should be able to navigate and complete any task in the digital space.
3. Understandable: Are my clients able to comprehend the meaning of the original or translated content in localized digital assets, movies, books, etc.? It is important to use language that correctly captures the richness of cultural nuance and accommodates people of all ages and abilities 鈥� including those with cognitive disabilities or low literacy skills, speakers of English as a foreign language, or non-English speakers.
4. Robust: Does my content work across different platforms (desktop, laptop, tablets, mobile) and for different assistive technologies like screen readers or navigation tools?

The intersection of digital accessibility and language is good for business

If you are questioning whether investing in digital accessibility in your customers鈥� native languages is good for business, let me share a few convincing examples.听

• 2023鈥檚 Super Bowl LVII featured a halftime show delivered by Rihanna in front of 123.4 million viewers across many digital platforms. However, there was another star performing alongside the music legend: Justina Miles, who interpreted Rhianna鈥檚 performance in American Sign Language (ASL), allowing deaf audience members to enjoy the halftime show in their own language. showing Rihanna on the left and Justina Miles on the right. Which side of the screen is your eye being drawn to, even if you don鈥檛 use ASL to communicate? Multiply this joyful experience by millions of viewers and you will understand the amount of positive publicity the NFL garnered based on the work of one unbelievably passionate ASL interpreter.
• Netflix has been heavily investing in making TV shows and movies linguistically accessible by offering subtitles in 20 different languages. Translators must follow very detailed rules to convey the tone and story lines to ensure subtitles are accurate and relatable in every language. Their work is so complex and impressive that it has gleaned It should come as no surprise, then, that Netflix鈥檚 shift to a more linguistically inclusive viewer experience is a contributing factor to the increased .听
• In July of 2022, NASA shared . They were visually stunning, revealing the universe far beyond our imagination. In the spirit of inclusion, NASA鈥檚 digital team partnered with professional linguists to skillfully craft alternative text (Alt Text) descriptions, allowing those dependent on screen reader technology, to visualize images in their minds. , especially the 1-Minute Listen version at the top of the page, will give you goosebumps when you hear the alt text being read aloud. NASA鈥檚 accessible way of sharing its work received an enormous amount of positive publicity from all over the world, including the , , and .
• , among them an audio description (AD) for the blind or visually impaired that describes what is shown on screen during video playback. My favorite short example comes from Frozen (). English is not the only language in which Disney+ offers its content. 鈥淔rozen鈥� was translated into 41 languages, while 鈥淢oana鈥� into 46, including M膩ori and Tahitian, to accurately and truthfully represent the cultures being showcased.
• The popularity of audiobooks in any language has skyrocketed in recent years, not only to accommodate those with low/no vision or cognitive disabilities but to anyone who prefers to listen to a book while driving or walking. that 鈥渁udiobooks have become a lucrative format for publishers. Digital audiobooks grew more than 500% between 2013 and 2022, reaching $839 million in revenue. For certain genres, like self-help and celebrity memoirs, audio sales can match or exceed print sales.鈥�
• Following a substantial increase in the popularity of video games during the pandemic, there is a growing demand among players to have an authentic experience in their own language. Gaming companies are happy to oblige, as these efforts directly lead to expansion into new markets and higher profits. But as many companies learned, video game localization must be done accurately by professional linguists who are subject matter experts. Translation errors or cultural blunders result in bad publicity and client disconnect. Gaming companies that invest in digital inclusion see dramatic revenue increases. For instance, Tencent generated $7,442 million in revenue in Q3 2023, followed by Sony with $3,410 million.

Make your digital assets accessible

The examples above have one thing in common: companies investing in accessible digital content in their customers鈥� preferred languages are not only following the letter of the law but are also seeing very handsome returns on their investments.

No matter what product or service you deliver, ignoring linguistic digital accessibility or opting for an automated solution without human validation will negatively impact your bottom line and your company鈥檚 reputation.

How can translators and interpreters help you deliver digital accessibility?

To generate an accessible, inclusive, multilingual online experience for your clients, you need the human input of professional translators and interpreters. They truly understand the intricacies of target language expressions and idioms, local humor and sarcasm, and cultural nuances. Working with translation and interpreting professionals is your gateway to digital accessibility compliance.

To find and engage professional translators and interpreters:

• Review the newly created guide located on the ATA Client Assistance page
• Read The ATA Compass article titled 鈥�How to hire a translator: a quick and easy guide鈥�
• Visit 情侣自拍 (ATA) directory: /directory/

By Gosia Wheeler

About the Author

is a Polish to English translator specializing in Technology, Digital Accessibility, and Digital Communication translation. She is a member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) and a certified Accessible Documents Specialist (ADS). She is also an active contributor to the TED Translators program creating Polish and English subtitles for TED Talks. The 情侣自拍 represents almost 9,000 translators and interpreters in more than 100 countries. To hire a translation or interpreting professional, please visit .

The post How to Build Digital Accessibility into Your Products and Services appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

Given that language professionals often work behind the scenes, it鈥檚 uncommon for the outside world to take an interest in what interpreters do. Ippei Mizuhara, the for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar player Shohei Ohtani, has been thrust into the spotlight and is finding it rather hot, facing a possible maximum of 30 years in prison for alleged bank fraud.听

Because of this story, more people than ever are learning about the exciting and important work interpreters do, but accusations that Mizuhara engaged in theft to fund his gambling addiction may throw public suspicion on interpreters and their work.

听

What do interpreters do?

Often mistakenly called 鈥渢ranslators鈥� in the media, interpreters use their fluency in two or more languages to facilitate communication between speakers who would otherwise not understand each other in settings that range from the courts to the operating room and even to the major league dugout. In the translating and interpreting industry, translators write, interpreters speak, and some people do both.

Becoming a competent interpreter requires a good deal of training. Being able to speak two languages does not make someone a good interpreter any more than having two hands makes someone a good pianist. Interpreters need to not only perfect their听 language and terminology skills, they must also train their long- and short-term memory, note taking skills, and especially study and adhere to strict codes of ethics.

听

Interpreter ethics protect their clients

Organizations that use interpreters frequently, such as courts and hospitals, are generally familiar with the role of interpreters and their professional codes of ethics. For example, in most situations, the following standards apply, among others.

Interpreters should remain impartial and avoid conflicts of interest听

Interpreters aren鈥檛 supposed to be their client鈥檚 pal. That applies in two ways: (1) Interpreters should not get too personal with their clients, and (2) Organizations shouldn鈥檛 hire friends and acquaintances as interpreters. Furthermore, a client鈥檚 family member shouldn鈥檛 be used as an interpreter.听

Interpreters must limit the scope of their practice听

In other words, interpreters should participate only in matters involving the interpreting assignment. They shouldn鈥檛 provide counseling, legal or medical advice, or otherwise be involved in the client鈥檚 personal matters.

Interpreters must not work outside their scope of expertise

Interpreters who are not specialists in engineering, law, medicine, finance, or almost any other specialized field should not take interpreting assignments involving those subjects. Those jobs should be referred to another interpreter with the right expertise.

There are still other tenets in these ethical codes involving things like accuracy, honesty, professional demeanor, and more. When you consider those principles, it鈥檚 easy to see where things could go wrong if an interpreter does not know or apply these best practices, or if the hiring entity creates a situation that ends up requiring the interpreter to violate them.

听

What do Major League Baseball (MLB) interpreters do?

According to The Athletic, since 2016, all MLB teams two full-time Spanish language interpreters on staff. These interpreters are on the teams鈥� payroll and are hired for their fluency in English and Spanish and deep knowledge of America鈥檚 pastime. They often are former players themselves, but may not have past professional interpreting experience or formal interpreter training. This is the case of Manny Navarro, one of the Spanish interpreters for the .

MLB interpreters help players understand what鈥檚 going on during practice, communicate with other players and the media, and otherwise ensure they can meaningfully take part in everything their English-speaking teammates do. This is the very definition of language access. In some cases, however, they wind up doing much more, including finding housing, buying food or clothes, acting as a tour guide for players鈥� friends and family, and even acting as medical interpreters for players鈥� spouses when they give birth in American hospitals.

But as The Athletic also points out, it isn鈥檛 so straightforward for players who speak languages other than Spanish, such as Shohei Ohtani, a native Japanese speaker. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team with only one other Japanese speaker (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), hiring an interpreter isn鈥檛 so clearcut, and the MLB does not have rules governing the use of interpreters in languages other than Spanish. Ippei Mizuhara, for example, interpreting for English-speaking players on the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, which is part of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. Mizuhara then was hired by the Los Angeles Angels when Ohtani signed to the U.S. team and followed him to the Dodgers as well.

It seems that overall, despite a glamorous life next to world-class athletes, MLB interpreters are left to juggle life in a fairly isolated space. They face an inordinate amount of pressure from players, their families, fans and management as they intuitively define their roles while on the job, oftentimes resolving totally unprecedented situations. Without the proper safeguards and support, it is not terribly difficult to imagine the line between right and wrong quickly widening into a vast area of gray.听

However, as we have seen through this news story, the expectations for interpreters in the MLB tend to be quite different. The line between personal and professional is often blurred, and interpreters are known to join the teams in the locker room, at practice, and in public appearances. Informally, the job description of an MLB interpreter may also include helping the players they are interpreting for to blend with the team and forge bonds across the language barrier, as the Dodgers鈥� Will Ireton has been known to do, 鈥渉elping bridge this gap as somebody who they trust and who can actually serve the role as someone who was born in Japan and knows the language and the culture really well.鈥澨�

How could the Ippei Mizuhara situation have been avoided?

While it鈥檚 impossible to completely screen out a determined scammer, and even the smartest individuals and organizations can be fooled, going back to the ethical principles mentioned above and further principles outlined by organizations like the (NAJIT) and the (NCIHC), among others, can point to possible policies and preventive measures.

Impartiality and conflicts of interest

Mizuhara was already Ohtani鈥檚 buddy when the Dodgers hired him, and this type of relationship might have been encouraged. This resulted in a situation where Mizuhara was reportedly trusted to help open a bank account for Ohtani and allegedly gave himself full access to it, according to court filings.听

Limiting the scope of practice

It appears that in MLB organizations, interpreters may not have a specifically defined scope of practice and can or may be encouraged to perform a lot of general duties that are beyond those interpreters are expected to have. This informality can also open the door for abuse.

Staying within the interpreter鈥檚 expertise

Japanese language services to Ohtani should have been broken up into specialties, rather than being largely handled by one unspecialized person. Considering the size of Ohtani鈥檚 salary and how common it has been historically for pro athletes to come to financial ruin from mistakes and lack of guidance, Japanese-speaking professionals, or at least private bankers with separate, specialized interpreters, should have been watching over Ohtani鈥檚 finances with adequate checks and balances. If Ohtani still wanted Mizuhara involved, a responsible banker could have advocated that Mizuhara be given read-only access to Ohtani鈥檚 accounts. Thus, any transaction would have required Ohtani鈥檚 explicit approval. None of this should have been handled by his general interpreter.

听

The upshot

One unfortunate aspect of America鈥檚 monolingual culture is that when matters enter a foreign language, vigilance and quality standards can slip. Once a foreign language is added to the mix, things become mysterious, and American individuals and organizations can get lax, especially if they鈥檙e just feeling their way through the situation, as they so often are. Organizations that want to keep their employees safe鈥攊ncluding major league sluggers鈥攕hould draft and adhere to strict professional interpreting policies that include working with qualified providers. If your organization isn鈥檛 sure where to start, professional associations like the 情侣自拍 can help.

By Ben Karl, James Kirchner, Christina Guerrero-Harmon, and Jamie Hartz

About the Authors

Ben Karl, MBA, CT is an ATA-certified translator and English copywriter specializing in corporate communications, marketing, and UX from French and Mandarin into English. He serves on ATA鈥檚 Board of Directors, chairs the ATA Advocacy Committee, and sits on the ATA Membership Committee and the Chronicle Editorial Board.

Christina Guerrero Harmon, MA, CT is an ATA-certified translator (English to Spanish) and a certified Spanish court interpreter for the state of California.听 She serves on the ATA Advocacy Committee and on the board of NAJIT鈥檚 Society for the Study of Translation and Interpretation.

James Patrick Kirchner is a past president of the Michigan Translators/Interpreters Network (MiTiN), a chapter of the 情侣自拍. He has translated for over 30 years from Czech, German, French and Slovak into English. He has an MA in linguistics from Wayne State University and a BFA in Fine Arts from the College for Creative Studies, both in Detroit. Before becoming a translator, he worked at major advertising and communications companies.

Jamie Hartz, MA, CT is an ATA-certified Spanish to English translator and transcriber specialized in legal and commercial translations. She currently serves as the Chair of the ATA Public Relations Committee.

The post Shohei Ohtani鈥檚 Japanese Interpreter Under the Microscope appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

When translators talk about the current iteration of AI/MT, they often comment, this time feels different. What鈥檚 different? The fact that everyone knows about, and can easily use, the new generation of AI/MT tools. Translators have leveraged technology for a long time, in the form of translation memory tools that 鈥渞ecycle鈥� terms, phrases, and sentences from old translations (done either by that translator or by someone else).听

But these tools, like the software tools used by many other professions (think accountants, web designers) were fairly opaque: expensive to purchase, and not simple to learn to use. By contrast, anyone who knows how to use a website (so: anyone!) can hop on DeepL or ChatGPT and paste in their text.听

Just because you can translate with ChatGPT or other AI tools, should you?听

Translators love to fixate on and make fun of AI/MT鈥檚 (frequent) hilarious errors. I translate from French to English, and I recently had a client ask me to review a translation in which their MT engine “translated” the name of the Swiss town “Aubonne” as “Augood.鈥� The truth is that, although AI/MT is now quite accurate for 鈥渋nformation-only鈥� translations, most professional translators can identify an automated translation after reading the first couple of sentences.听

Just like every human鈥檚 writing style, every AI engine has a writing style, and it鈥檚 easy to spot! AI has very little understanding of nuance, subtlety, humor, or any of the other aspects of really good writing; it鈥檚 much faster than a human translator when it comes to 鈥淔rench word=English word鈥� translations, but AI stumbles when it comes to well-crafted writing.听

Here鈥檚 the real question: is MT or AI-powered translation the right fit for your work? If you just want to know what something says in your language, or if you鈥檙e just trying to convey factual information in another language that machine translation engines handle well (don鈥檛 try this with less common languages!), AI/MT with a human reviewer can be a great option.听

A fast human translator can translate about 3,000 words in a typical workday. ChatGPT can do that while you grab a coffee, and 鈥渇ree鈥� is obviously everyone鈥檚 favorite price. If you鈥檙e just trying to understand the basic terms of a contract, or if you want to write a quick, non-mission-critical e-mail, machine or AI language translation听 can save a lot of time and money.

At the same time, I鈥檓 seeing an increasing number of translation clients who come to me, asking, 鈥�You don鈥檛 use automated translation software, do you??鈥� They ask this for a few reasons:

1. They’re afraid, probably correctly, that confidential documents uploaded to an online AI/MT system may end up on the AI provider’s servers.听

I know that the paid versions of most MT engines promise not to do this, but I still think that clients worry about it, particularly in certain sectors. I translate for a couple of international family law firms, and here we’re talking about evidence documents that contain people’s most personal information: the details of why their kids were taken away, transcripts of phone calls between them and their abusive ex-spouse, the details of their investment portfolio and how it might be divided in a divorce, etc. etc. Those clients want as few eyes as possible on their documents.

2. They, too, are word people.听

The best and the worst thing about translating with ChatGPT, DeepL, etc. is that an AI/MT tool doesn鈥檛 spend half an hour thinking about the difference between three potential article headlines. DeepL doesn鈥檛 lie awake at night pondering the difference between the words 鈥渋nquire鈥� and 鈥渄elve into,鈥� or the difference between 鈥減rofits rose significantly鈥� and 鈥減rofits skyrocketed.鈥� When your business wants to inspire an emotional response in a reader; persuade or convince someone; when your business鈥� reputation or legal risk are on the line, you really want a specialized human translator on the job.听

3. They’ve been burned in the past.听

Many clients want a personal relationship with a translator (whether that person uses AI/MT or not) because they’ve been burned by a different model. Translation agencies fill an important role in the language industry. If you have to translate patient safety information about a medical device into 27 languages, you鈥檙e probably going to want to work with an agency. And it’s also true that clients who want consistency, a single point of contact, someone who’s going to know the right questions to ask and the right advice to give, are better off with a freelancer.听

As an example, I was translating some materials for one of my French university clients (they have “international programs” that are taught in English, into which they accept students who speak zero French). And I asked them, had they thought about any services or programs for their international students’ parents? Parent relations are pretty much nonexistent in the French university system, and I think they thought I was joking, until I gave them the example of my own daughter’s university, which hosts welcome events for parents, a family weekend, and maintains a parent Facebook group. This French school is a high-priced private university, and I told them that many American parents funding their kid’s education would be looking for this type of thing. AI doesn’t know this!

There are lots of pros and cons to AI, but I honestly think that, “Is there a difference between AI and human translation?” (yes, of course there is!!) is the wrong question, and that we’re better served by asking, “Is using MT or AI for translation the right decision听 for the job?”

By Corinne McKay

About the Author

Corinne McKay is an ATA-certified French to English translator and a Colorado court-certified French interpreter. A full-time freelancer since 2002, she served on the ATA Board for seven years, including as ATA President from 2017-2019. She is the author of How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator, a how-to guide with over 15,000 copies in print.

To hire a translation or interpreting professional, please visit .

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There are strong opinions on each side but also some helpful general trends. For example, younger people are more likely to watch TV , even for content in their first language. Viewers in the US and UK prefer subtitles for video translation into English, lean toward dubbing. Ultimately, though, when it comes to the debate over subtitles vs. dubbing, it鈥檚 really a personal preference.

Whether for entertainment, educational, or training purposes, both subtitling and dubbing are wonderful for expanding access, and they each have their own requirements. Let鈥檚 take a look.

Subtitling vs Dubbing: What鈥檚 the Difference?

Subtitling and dubbing are the two main audiovisual translation types. Much like interpreting vs. translation, one is aural and one is visual.

Subtitles are the text translation of the spoken audio that viewers see at the bottom (or top) of the screen.

Dubbing is essentially a voice-over translation. It鈥檚 an audio track that replaces the original spoken audio.

Subtitling vs Dubbing: Why Choose One or the Other?

Subtitling and dubbing each have their pros and cons, and the answer is often dependent on what your audience expects and what they鈥檒l follow most easily.

This question extends beyond entertainment. Companies are increasingly reaching out to multimedia translation agencies to make their content, such as marketing or training videos, more accessible. Subtitles are often considered more affordable (since you don鈥檛 have to then hire a voice actor and produce the audio), but they might leave out anyone who has trouble reading because of their eyesight or educational history. In that case, dubbing videos into the target language is a great solution that meets your target audiences where they鈥檙e at, making them feel included and valued.

How Video Translation Works: Subtitling vs. Dubbing

There are some key differences in creating these two audiovisual translation types, including an additional dubbing translation step. It starts with the linguist translating a verbatim source-language transcription (called a dialogue list). Their translation is then adapted into a script for voice actors to record.

Here鈥檚 a comparison between the video localization workflows for subtitle and dubbing translation:

How Video Translation Works: What Happens After Translation?

As mentioned above, a dubbing translation is not actually intended for audiences 鈥� the translated dialogue lists are for adapters. That means there鈥檚 still one more step in the video localization process before the dubbed product is ready for public consumption. For multimedia translation agencies or other translation professionals offering dubbing or subtitle translation services, understanding this final step is beneficial.

Voice actor , who鈥檚 currently working on an animated kids鈥� series, was kind enough to answer a few questions about what happens to my translations after I hand them off and they鈥檙e adapted into scripts.

Q: What鈥檚 the actual process of recording a video translation voice-over like?

A: I listen to (and watch) the original first, line by line. Then the sound engineer will beep me in with three beeps that essentially act as a 鈥�1-2-3-go鈥�, and I record my English line while watching the original back again to help me match it, often with the original language playing quietly underneath.

Q: So, do you get the script in both languages or just one?

A: It depends on the project. Sometimes, I get the full script in the original language with the English translation underneath each line. This is helpful when it comes to lines where matching the lip flaps is difficult because I can see if the original line is clearly too long or short.

Q: Do you ever have to adjust the script with the engineer to get the best video translation?

A: Sometimes we may have to puzzle over something together when the English really doesn’t match; we鈥檒l cut or add words or make other small adjustments (if we have permission to do so).

Q: Of the languages you’ve dubbed for, did you notice any difference in how the English matches up to the original in terms of the video translation audio?

A: It’s been a while since I’ve worked on anything besides French, but I think Japanese was easier to match. It has more consonant sounds and a staccato rhythm that feels more similar to English. French sometimes feels very quick and runs together like it’s made up of primarily vowels.

Q: Have you ever dubbed for live action? How did that differ from animation?

A: I have, though it was British English to American English. In some ways it was easier, because the words are literally the same. But you absolutely have to be more precise to match a human being versus a cartoon character.

Q: Have you ever come across something that felt like a potential cultural misunderstanding?

A: Oh, all the time. I recently had a line that was translated as, 鈥淐鈥檓on, git!鈥� even though it really didn鈥檛 make sense for the character. But mostly, when working on kids鈥� shows, we get a lot of lovely moments about the power of friendship and teamwork, which I think is universal.

Thanks, Nathalie, for letting us peek behind the (sound-dampening) curtain!

Video Translation and Subtitling: Find the Right Pro for Your Subs or Dubs

Whether you鈥檙e a millennial who watches everything with subtitles or one of the 60% of Germans who prefer dubbing to subtitles, we can all agree that subtitling and dubbing translation are highly specialized fields that require a lot of cultural knowledge, linguistic creativity, and technical skill. And both serve to help everyone access multimedia in a way that speaks to them. If you鈥檙e looking to expand access to your audiovisual content through dubbing or subtitle translation services, you can find professionals to help you do it with ATA鈥檚 Language Services Directory. Filter your search for members of the Audiovisual Division to more quickly find the right professional for your multimedia translation needs.

By Olivia C. Caputo

About the Author

听is a Spanish to English audiovisual translator. She works primarily in subtitling and multimedia accessibility, English copy editing for brands and marketing, and some literary translation on the side. She is also an active volunteer for the 情侣自拍. The 情侣自拍 represents almost 9,000 translators and interpreters in more than 100 countries. To hire a translation or interpreting professional, please visit.

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What Goes Into Spanish to English Document Translation?

Step 1: Receiving a Translation Request and Providing a Quote

The translation process for me begins when I receive an inquiry from a potential client in my email inbox. To provide an accurate quote for their translation, I need to see the Spanish documents to be translated into English and understand the client鈥檚 requirements, such as timeline and formatting.

I take into account the client鈥檚 specifications for the project in putting together my estimate. I know that time is a precious commodity these days, so I try to respond with a quote within a few hours.

Step 2: Confirming the Project

If the client is happy with my quote, they will provide confirmation that they want me to proceed with the translation. I will then collect payment up front, or we will sign a contract specifying other payment terms.听

At this point, I let the client know any other questions I have about their goals for the translation. These might include:

1. Who is the target audience?
2. Are there any other materials I should maintain consistency with (such as other similar documents, a website, other marketing material)?
3. Other specific details, like preferred date format or how to handle proper names.

Having completed this step, I can finally begin work on the translation itself.

Step 3: Understanding the Context

The translation process starts with a thorough understanding of the source text. This means first reading the text as a whole as if I were a member of the target audience. Next, I will put on my translator hat and read it again to identify any potential translation challenges. These may include challenging terms or expressions, cultural subtleties, stylistic factors, or even questions regarding meaning or ambiguities that I need to clarify with the client.

Step 4: The First Draft

Armed with a thorough understanding of the original text, I can now start translating the text from Spanish into English. My focus is on conveying the true meaning of the original Spanish鈥�without removing or adding anything鈥�while also capturing the essence, tone, and style of the original content.

Step 5: Cultural Localization

To transmit the full meaning of the original text, it is important to consider the cultural context behind the words. The translated text must be as relevant, appropriate, and engaging for the English-speaking audience as the original text was for the Spanish-speaking audience.

In this step, I determine the best way to handle things like idioms, jokes, units of measure, pop culture references, and more. For this reason, it is important that the translator is well-versed in both the source and target cultures, taking into account that culture is often highly regional (that is, a cultural reference that resonates with English speakers in the US may not land with English speakers in Australia).

Step 6: Refining and Perfecting

At this step, I have the bones of the translation, but there are still several rounds of meticulous editing and proofreading to go. This stage is all about polishing the text to achieve grammatical perfection, consistent terminology, and natural fluency. My goal is to produce a translation that reads as if it was originally written in English.

Step 7: Ensuring Quality

The last step is a comprehensive quality check. I review the translation against the original Spanish text, ensuring no meaning has been lost or altered. In many cases, I work with another Spanish to English translator to proofread my work to ensure that the translated content meets the highest quality standards.

Step 8: Delivering the Translation

Once the translation is complete, I simply email the final product to my client in the format they requested. For official document translations, I also send a Certificate of Accuracy.听

Clients often ask me if they need to send me hard copies of the original documents, or request that I mail them printed versions of the finished translations. The good news is that in 2023, we can complete the entire process of Spanish to English translation online, with no need to exchange paper copies.

The Reality of Good Spanish to English Translations

And there we have it鈥揳 journey through a Spanish to English translation from start to finish, culminating in the arrival of a meticulously crafted English translation to the client鈥檚 inbox. This is just my process; every translator has their own workflow, but I wanted to give you this peek behind the curtain to show the dedication and care required to produce a quality translation. As a translator, I am committed to breathing life into my client鈥檚 messages, ensuring they resonate just as powerfully in English as they did in Spanish.听

Whether you’re translating a website, legal document, or marketing content, it’s crucial to engage professionals skilled in Spanish to English translation. Our expertise ensures that your message has the impact you intended. You can find a qualified Spanish to English translator in the .

By Ingrid Holm

About the Author

, CT is an ATA-certified Spanish to English translator specializing in medical translation and subtitling with over 15 years of experience, as well as a business coach for other freelancers. She is also an active volunteer for the 情侣自拍. The 情侣自拍 represents almost 9,000 translators and interpreters in more than 100 countries. To hire a translation or interpreting professional, please visit.

The post The Spanish to English Translation Process: A Translator鈥檚 View appeared first on 情侣自拍 (ATA).

Here鈥檚 a breakdown of the main points to help you understand how machine translation works. Read on to find out when it can be a very effective tool鈥攁nd when it can cause problems.

Should I use online machine translation tools like Google Translate?

Machine translation is very helpful to get the gist of what something in another language means. So you can use it if you don鈥檛 need 100% accuracy. It鈥檚 fast and free. But be aware that online translation tools normally don鈥檛 guarantee privacy, so any text you paste in or upload shouldn鈥檛 contain private or confidential information.

The stakes are typically higher for businesses, researchers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other institutions. They need a high level of accuracy, especially if the translation will be used by the public. Additionally, confidential data should not be publicly shared on the web. It would be a serious misstep for these users to entrust their data to an online machine translation tool.

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How does machine translation work?

The reason you鈥檙e hearing so much about machine translation these days is that the technology has greatly improved since its origin in the 1950s. There are different types of machine translation out there, such as 鈥渞ules-based鈥� and 鈥渟tatistical-based鈥� machine translation. But today鈥檚 neural machine translation (NMT) has really changed the game. It鈥檚 an AI technology that uses large language models to break data into segments for processing. It suggests context-based translations predicting which words will come next. Neural machine translation uses data sets that have previously been professionally translated from one language into another.

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What are the pros and cons of machine translation?

Like ChatGPT, machine translation works extremely fast and can produce very fluent output. For some language pairs and topics that are highly visible on the internet, MT has enough data at its disposal to provide impressive results. But, like ChatGPT, machine translation can have hallucinations, which are mistakes or omissions. The result may sound good, but upon closer inspection there may be missing or incorrect information.

Additionally, specific factors make machine translation more complex than other kinds of AI output. Machine translation engines need vast amounts of professionally (human!) translated data as training material. For some languages, this is lacking. Machine translation engines also struggle with language pairs that have very different word order and structure (such as English and Japanese or English and Arabic).

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Can machine translation help with my translation project?

This is one of the most common questions we get from translation buyers, and the best answer is: Ask a professional translator or translation agency. They can best assess your translation project to determine whether it is a good fit for machine translation. If so, they can suggest an appropriate MT engine. The 情侣自拍 provides a free searchable Language Services Directory for locating a professional translator.

Custom machine translation engines provide more reliable results than online machine translation tools when it comes to terminology. That鈥檚 because the data used to train the machine translation engine corresponds to the type of information being translated. For instance, a machine trained on legal data will not provide relevant results when used to translate medical or pharmaceutical texts. Custom MT engines also aren鈥檛 publicly available, which means access is limited and confidentiality maintained.

Keep in mind that machine translation output should always be reviewed and edited by a human translator. This process is known as post-editing.

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How accurate is machine translation?

Machine translation can be very successful in calculating the likelihood of a certain translation, but it cannot actually understand the purpose of the text. It鈥檚 like the autosuggest feature for texts or emails: frequently, it predicts phrasing correctly, such as 鈥淗ow are you?鈥� But the more specific the context, the harder it is for the technology to make a correct prediction, such as 鈥淗ow are you going to get to the theater tonight?鈥� The more complex the material, the more likely it is that a machine translation tool will introduce errors or omissions. A human translator can understand the nuances of language and how to translate it for a particular audience.

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Will machine translation replace human translators?

Not anytime soon. Machine translation is inadequate in many fields, especially those that require a great deal of creativity such as advertising, marketing, and literature. It also has other limitations. If you鈥檙e going to use MT, we recommend only using it in certain contexts and in collaboration with a human translator.

Keep in mind that translation involves intercultural communication. Many cultural factors vary greatly from one culture to another. These aspects of language can include familiar or formal forms of address, expressions of emotions, and social customs. Some cultural references may need to be explained or adapted for the target audience, a process known as localization. This is an aspect of translation that MT is not equipped to handle, so a human translator鈥檚 judgment is crucial.

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Does this mean I shouldn鈥檛 use machine translation?

No, it doesn鈥檛. Machine translation tools can be very helpful in certain situations, such as when you鈥檙e finding your way around a foreign city. But when the translation will be shared, studied, or published, machine translation is best left in the hands of a professional human translator. Human translators have the skills and knowledge to understand what is being communicated. They can leverage machine translation together with terminology databases, computer-assisted translation software, and a wide range of quality assurance tools to craft a useful, understandable, well-written translation.

A professional translator鈥檚 expertise in language and culture ensures that a translation will be understood and appreciated by users, instead of potentially confusing or offending them.

By Kate Deimling

About the Author

is an ATA-certified French-to-English translator and an English-language editor. Her specialties include translating for the art and museum worlds and for luxury brands. She is also an active volunteer for the 情侣自拍, which represents thousands of translators and interpreters in more than 100 countries. To hire a translation or interpreting professional, please visit www.atanet.org/directory/.

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