Poetry translation is perhaps the ultimate showcase for a translator’s creativity. Far from the black and white nature of technical documents, poetry, its intention and its meaning, is very much open to interpretation by its reader and of course by its translator. Critical interpretation is a factor in all types of translation; however poetry is a genre whereby the role of interpretation is extremely pertinent.

Casting a poem into another linguistic and cultural system is a complex decision making process as there are so many possible approaches to such a task. These different approaches stem from the translator’s unique interpretation of the source text coupled with their priorities and aims for the target text as well as those of their client.

Poetry translation can have a dual purpose, to not only recreate the original in another language, but to also satisfy the credentials for being considered poems in their own right. Thus, it is no surprise that the poetry translator is faced with the perennial conflict between remaining faithful to the source and pushing the outer boundaries of their creative license.

Should the translator respect the structure and form of the source text, therefore translating verse as verse and prose as prose and potentially risk altering the meaning or fail to evoke the intended emotions and thoughts among its readers, or should they concentrate on the latter and sacrifice the former? Ideally we would want to retain all aspects of the source including the meaning, form and effect; however, from experience this is near to impossible!

Unfortunately agencies such as the Translation People rarely have the challenge of managing a poetry translation project as:

• The general public and businesses do not generally have a need for poetry to be translated,
• If a poem is to be translated, it is usually a collaborative process between the original author and the translator (who is often a writer of original poetry in their own right) and is therefore commissioned by the publishing house of the original work.

Nevertheless, should you need a poem translating, then we are perfectly placed to help with our vast network of translators many of which specialise in literary texts such as poems.

Dave Williams, our in-house production specialist works with Adobe InDesign on a daily basis; here he looks at the advantages of creating documents for translation in this format.

InDesign has been around for 10 years and is one of the most popular Desktop Publishing packages on the market today. Adobe constantly updates and upgrades its software in order to keep up-to-date with the demands of today’s electronic publishing industry. They have recently released the 6th version.

InDesign is compatible with fonts for nearly all languages, which is really helpful to production specialists working with translated text. The Translation People have the latest version, many earlier versions and also the Middle Eastern version of InDesign. The Middle Eastern version allows us to typeset many of the languages spoken in the Middle East including Arabic and Hebrew; InDesign ME enables the typesetter to flip the text so that it runs right to left, to reflect the flow of languages such as Arabic, Urdu and Hebrew. This facility ensures that the client’s end Arabic/Urdu/Hebrew document looks as professional as the original in spite of the change in text direction.

The Trados plug-in is another cost and time-saving advantage of using InDesign for any documentation you hope to have translated. This plug-in allows text to be exported from the InDesign file into a Trados friendly format. Once the translation process is complete, the translated file can be imported back into the InDesign document and a foreign language version of the same layout is created. This speeds up the whole document translation process reducing time and cost for the client. The imported translation file still does require some typesetting as different languages have different text length, so some manipulation of the text, to retain the aesthetics of the original language document, is required.

At The Translation People if we are asked to create new documents with a view to having them translated into numerous languages, we would strongly suggest the use of InDesign as it lends itself well to translations, whatever the language.

In Scotland the Whisky industry is big business, distilleries are one of the busiest tourist attractions in the country and last year the Whisky Industry brought over a million visitors to Scotland, generating a massive £25 million in revenue. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that?

So how are distilleries reaching out to tourists and whisky fanatics alike? The Translation People may provide the answer. Over the years we have translated websites, leaflets, brochures and visitor guides into a multitude of languages for many distilleries all over Scotland. This is an excellent way of attracting more foreign visitors and introducing them to Scotland’s National Drink!

Arriving in a country where you don’t speak the language can be daunting, but finding information in your language offering drams of whisky and a little Scottish heritage can only be a welcome thing. The best ‘Welcome to Scotland’ we can think of!

So, how will this benefit the various Scottish distilleries? For starters they get a share of that £25 million pie tourists are bringing to the country every year, not to mention the fact that the Food and Drink industry is worth over £950 million per annum to Scotland. In the current economical climate businesses can’t turn down this kind of business, so publicising your business as a tourist friendly operation can only enhance sales and visits, even in this economic downturn people are still coming to Scotland on holiday and are still spending money!

But it’s not just information for tourists that can be translated. It is just as important to translate essential documents related to whisky production; whether this is export legislation, spirit/whisky evaluations, brand management presentations, press releases or even internal staff documentation. Facilitating communication and ensuring complete understanding by clients, suppliers and employees is an excellent way of improving profitability and efficiency within your company.

Many distilleries have already realised the importance of translation in order to maximise profits and are already benefitting from working with more people through translation and reaping the rewards at the same time.

Telephone interpreting is a 24/7 service involving a “conference call” between an interpreter and two individuals who do not speak the same language. The interpreter works on a consecutive level to ensure clear communication between the parties. This service is generally required when short but important pieces of information need to be communicated immediately. It is a relatively new service but technology is already moving forward to facilitate the process. For example, in the recent past when two of the parties were in the same location, conversations would be carried out via speakerphone but dual handsets are now available.

Bodies such as the Police, Primary Care Trusts, the Health & Safety Executive and the Immigration Service are the types of organisation which benefit from telephone interpreting.

The prospect of making a telephone call can be nerve-wracking for a non-native speaker and the experience can be equally difficult for the telephone operator on the receiving end. The first obstacle to overcome is identification of the language required by the caller and for this help sheets are available to assist with language recognition. Additionally, phonetic translations in the relevant language for “Please hold the line while I locate an interpreter” can also be found to let the caller know what is happening.

Telephone interpreting can bring substantial savings both in terms of cost and time when compared to those required for traditional interpreting (where the two parties are brought to the same physical location). Interpreters can carry out several assignments in one day so their rates are often lower and can be broken down into shorter “chunks” than the usual half- or full-day. The charges are normally based on the time spent on the call. Also, in the case of sensitive discussions, some individuals would rather that the third person (i.e. the interpreter) were not physically present (this may particularly be the case for individuals from particular religious or cultural backgrounds). Finally, telephone interpreters can be called upon almost instantaneously to help with urgent discussions.

However, telephone interpreting has its drawbacks. Some individuals may only feel confident about the interpreting process if the interpreter is physically present and experts estimate that anything up to 70% of meaning is conveyed by body language which is inherently missing from telephone conversations.

As a basic rule, the more complex the communication, the more likely the need for face-to-face interpreting. Likewise, if the interview is going to be long, if the caller is vulnerable or if sensitive information or bad news is going to be disclosed.

Effective communication can be made difficult for a telephone interpreter particularly if the line is bad, or if a speaker’s non verbal cues help to further convey the intended meaning of their speech. However, a qualified telephone interpreter is trained to pick up on non verbal language such as voice intonation, emphasis, breathing and tone. For this reason, it is essential to use qualified telephone interpreters which The Translation People can provide.

Telephone interpreting should certainly be avoided if children or individuals with hearing difficulties are involved in the conversation. The Translation People would recommend that face to face interpreting be given preference in such situations.

In legal situations involving a person who does not speak the native language of that country, an accurate interpretation is vital to prevent misunderstandings between defendants, prosecutors, lawyers, judge and jury. Highly skilled interpreters should be employed to ensure a fair trial.

A court interpreter needs to possess not only a deep understanding of the languages, in which they specialise, but also a certain level of knowledge about the justice system and criminal procedures. It is essential that court interpreters remain impartial and interpret what is being said precisely, without allowing their own personal prejudices or values to seep in.

A study completed in Japan found that 6,992 foreigners were sentenced in 2007 and that 40 different foreign languages were interpreted in court during the same year. The Japanese courts currently have over 4,000 interpreters registered who cover 58 different language combinations, including the frequently requested Chinese, English and Korean.

Japanese courts hold occasional study meetings in order to maintain a high standard of interpretation. However, in Japan there is currently no system of certification through which they can ensure an interpreter’s knowledge of a language or their comprehension of legal terminology. Conversely, in the UK, the IoL (Institute of Linguists) offer a Diploma in Public Sector Interpretation (DPSI). In order to obtain this highly regarded Diploma the interpreter is required to specialise in a specific subject matter: Health, Law or Local Government. The DPSI offers the end user the assurance that the interpreter they are employing has the appropriate knowledge and experience to interpret their dialogue correctly.

Court/legal interpreters are present during the whole legal process: when the defendant is charged, during subsequent interviews and at the court appearance. Should you require a court interpreter, please contact The Translation People for a comprehensive estimate.

Tim Mowl, The Translation People’s principal Technical Illustrator reflects back on how illustration has changed through his time in the business.

The week before I completed my illustration course at Blackpool College they bought their very first Apple Mac. This was the first stage of a mini-revolution in the illustration world.

For the next six years I continually worked on illustrations for the aerospace industry. These were produced on a drawing board using a set square, ellipse guides, a ruler, pencil and Rotring ink pens. We sorted through piles of engineering drawings in order to find and draw all the relevant parts. After a pencil illustration had been produced on tracing paper, by measuring directly from the engineering drawings, you would put a piece of see-through ink film over the top and using the ellipse guides and an ink pen would copy over the pencil illustration below to produce the final artwork.

Producing full colour cutaway illustrations was even more time consuming. After a pencil illustration was produced you then had to cut out acetate sheets and place them over the relevant area. The illustrator then used an airbrush, attached to a compressor spray, to paint and slowly build up the colour layers. My sister in law and her business partner produced a full size colour cutaway illustration of the Ford Sierra when it first came out. It took them four months to complete and ended up in the foyer of the Natural History Museum in London. If the client had asked for another one from a different viewpoint it would have taken another four months.

Since the development of computer illustration software processes have definitely changed. Initially, you still had to interpret and draw from the engineering drawings, but gone were the ellipse guides and ink pens, which obviously speeded things up enormously. Today, as designers draw in 3D you can export these files directly into illustration packages and use them as a basis for your final illustrations thus almost completely removing the need for hard copy source information. I must admit to a sense of disappointment, as there was a certain satisfaction in producing complex illustrations the old traditional way.

The most dramatic effect was the change in producing colour artwork. You can now import a 3D model and, with a reasonably small amount of work to clean it up, rotate it to produce the view you require and set the colour rendering running. A few hours later you have a full colour high quality illustration. If another illustration is required from a different angle, the illustrator just rotates the model and re-renders. Gone are the weeks required to produce these manually, but with them also goes the skill of the airbrush artist.

As the world opens up to new modes of communication with many companies broadening their horizons and diversifying to conduct business across the internet, the written word remains an extremely important mode of communicating with clients. The professional services offered by translators and those specialising in language services are becoming key to how international companies operate.

Translators can offer a variety of services, including but not limited to the provision of printed translations and marketing and website translations which need to read as if they were written in the target language in the first place. In the current economic climate, how businesses communicate with clients and market their services is becoming crucial to their survival. Professional translators can produce documents to the same standard as a copywriter and to the exact requirements of their client.

Most companies do not have the time or the expertise to accomplish these tasks in-house and therefore, it is no surprise that translators are very much in demand. Technology may be evolving, but the power of the written word to convey your message in a variety of languages cannot be underestimated.

If your company is exhibiting at an international trade show it is vital that your marketing material is read by as many people as possible. Employing professional translation services could potentially double your readership, allowing you to reach a new audience and ensuring maximum exposure.

Your exhibition documentation could determine how delegates view your company, so it is essential that any translated marketing material is of the highest quality. Professional translators work only into their native tongue; using their services gives you maximum peace of mind and ensures your translated material reads as if it were written in the target language in the first place. Providing written material to business prospects, in their native language makes your marketing material much more persuasive. Although some of your readers may be fluent in more than one language, by translating your documents you demonstrate that your company is prepared to go that extra mile for its clients.

At larger exhibitions, you may also be competing against a large number of rival businesses. Having your displays and marketing material translated may well prove to be the unique selling point that differentiates you from the competition and wins you the business. Document translation allows your company to reach new markets and broadens your appeal.

When paying to have your website translated into another language, you should always make use of professional translation services to ensure that the job is completed accurately.

A low quality or unintelligible translation reflects poorly on your business; your website is not only a means for selling your products and services, but also an advertisement for your company.

Quite often, problems arise when those commissioning the translation don’t know how good the end product actually is. If you yourself are not a native speaker of the language into which the website is being translated, you will most likely be blissfully unaware of the shortcomings. However, customers who encounter clunky wording and incomprehensible sentences will leave your site in favour of your rivals, defeating the point of having your website translated in the first place.

Translations must be carried out by qualified professionals. If you cut corners and rely on machine translations the results could be extremely detrimental to your business. A good professional translator’s work will not stand out as being a translation at all; it will appear as if it had been written in that language in the first place.