Thinking of relying on Google Translate for your translations? Think again!

There is a lot of buzz out there about Google Translate and other machine or software translations which are cheap and instant. As a translation company we routinely get clients who wonder why translation services cost what they do and take time when you can do everything instantaneously with computers these days.

Well… it’s not that simple. Machine translation can handle some very simple sentences just fine. When you start getting into idiomatic, marketing speak or highly technical, industry specific language, machine translation still falls very short.

Language is dynamic, complex and highly nuanced. No machine or software has been built that can mimic the human brain and how it produces language. On a daily basis individuals produce speech creatively and instantly using more knowledge of tone, style, context and meaning than any software can compute.

Moreover, no software has been created that can capture how a statement needs to be culturally adapted in order to make it relevant for your target audience. Maybe that financial product you’re selling doesn’t have a counterpart in Germany. Perhaps “the grass is always greener” has no value when taken word for word in Chinese. Not to mention the fact that some Asian languages are so different from Western languages, they don’t even have tenses! Google translate isn’t going to tell you that and most of the time it doesn’t handle the line in the right way.

To explain the point, let’s do a little test run. For a recent translation we had a quote from a customer:

It doesn’t make sense to go with anyone else. 

The Chinese translation was:

看电影的伴侣非其莫属。 


Let’s head over to Google Translate for a demo on how machine translation compares:

OK… Hm. I’m thinking maybe there was something off in that line? Why don’t I click on the “Did you mean” link since I think that is giving me some sort of auto-correct suggestion.

Well, that’s clearly not right. At least it got the language right. I once dropped in Japanese and it detected Chinese since there were a couple Kanji characters.

So maybe we have one too many characters here and the period has been misplaced. I wonder how it would change if I deleted one character at a time from the end.

I just want to see something that resembles “doesn’t make sense.” That’s the key phrase here.

Deleting one character resulted in what? Let’s delete another.

Wow. One character and two words disappeared? And why is Google Translate giving me a hyphen? What’s that all about?

Hm. Nothing changed this time.

I deleted one character and now it went from “Cinema partner non-" to “Couples watching movies!”

Hmmm… 

To watch vs. to look. OK, those are similar. Fair enough.  

We’re still in sort of the same ball park here even though I deleted three characters. I wonder how “ball park” would translate in Chinese. Of course assuming Google Translate would pick up what I mean.

Wow. Deleting one character now changed it to “See power!”

This last image really is the best. It captures the exact reason why machine translation falls short, even today, with all our technological advances. See how one Chinese character has numerous possibilities for how it can be translated and how many different characters could be used for each of those terms.

This demonstration is not meant to say that Google Translate is wrong, but without a person to go through those terms and understand the context and the message you are trying to convey, how can you be sure that the right term will be chosen?

Additionally, when a sentence can change so much by deleting one character, do you really want to leave professional translations up to a machine? Asian languages can be particularly problematic because the structure, grammar and culture is vastly different and mistranslations, especially by a machine, are even more likely.


For more information on our translation services please visit: http://www.lingperfect.com/

Do you need market research translations? Work with a company who understands this industry.

Market research translation services
Many industries see market research services as a necessary tool for continued success. Market research translations will be a key component of your growth strategy whether your business is expanding into a new global market or looking to improve its current position in an international setting.

At LingPerfect, we offer market research translations to businesses around the world. Our Project Managers have forged strong relationships with certified, professional linguists, and together they diligently produce high-quality tangible results. Our people will manage your work with native-level understanding of the language and culture of your target market, allowing us to quickly and efficiently achieve your objectives.

How can market research translation help your business?

If your company conducts market research on behalf of other businesses, then you are already aware of the vast global market your clients are eager to develop. Extending international service offerings to your clients will further enhance your relationship as a global central point of contact.

It’s important to consider that when your target market speaks another language, the response to your messaging may differ from what you experience in your native language. This is perhaps the most important reason to consider building a partnership with a Language Service Provider (LSP) who has experience translating market research materials for use in international markets.

LingPerfect has specialists with the knowledge and experience to best tailor your content for use in new global markets.

What makes a good market research translation? 

Accuracy and experience are important for successful implementation of your international needs, but what is the most important factor that should be considered when choosing your translation partner?

Clear communication and project planning with an experienced translation provider who understands the market research industry. 

It’s easy enough to take text and have it translated into another language. Making sure your text reflects the right tone and nuances for the target market requires more finesse. A provider who strives to understand your goals, brand image, and requirements will be sure to bring that knowledge into the workflow. This will show that your LSP not only has excellent customer service, but the experience and knowledge to successfully complete your market research translations.

Any individual who is responsible for writing surveys knows how vital it is to get the wording perfect in order to get the most accurate results. You should work with an LSP who understand this well and works with other industry experts who deliver the results you need.

For more information on how we can help you with your market research translation needs, please visit: http://www.lingperfect.com/

How can you get the most value out of your translations?

So you want to go global? Maybe you are already global and need your website translated, or perhaps some contracts for office space in another country, or it could be you even have some international talent and you need to review qualifications and cover letters in another language. Where do you begin? How do you start things off right?

By this point, most companies realize that an online machine translation is probably not going to give them the level of quality and accuracy they need for making important business decisions. Smart businesses recognize that now is the time to develop a partnership with a top notch language service provider (LSP). The question then becomes– “How do I start this process and how can I be sure that I’ll get the best value out of my translations?”

Look at the chart – where do you fall? Everyone’s goal is to be right where budget, timing and quality all come together and meet in perfect harmony. How can you be sure you are best positioned to make sure your partnership falls in that area?

It’s all about communication, planning and a little bit of research. These are the key things to keep in mind:

1. What are you trying to accomplish with these translations? : As with many business ventures, keeping your goals in mind helps streamline and focus the process. Translations may seem like a small administrative task to simply get done, but it actually contains the voice, messaging, and branding that is supposed to connect with your audience. Knowing your goals and what you’d like to achieve in the work will direct your translation provider in choosing the right people for the job who will give the text the proper tone and style. 
2. How are you reaching those goals? : What processes do you currently have in place to reach your goals? Where do translations fit in this process? Are these translations one small piece of a big puzzle you’re working on? Or is international expansion a key initiative for your business and these translations are at the forefront of gaining access to a global market? Think about your process for completing the initiative and it will become more clear where translations fit within the steps and how high a priority they should be. It will also help you plan your budget and timing to complete them. 
3. What impacts your decision making process? : As drawn up in the image diagram, everyone wants to be in the middle where cost, quality, and timing converge. The reality of most situations is that you can only choose two of three. What is most important to you? Fast and cost-effective? High-quality and budget conscience? Fast and exact? Make sure you communicate with your provider where your priorities lie. 
4. What factors will come into play when choosing your translation provider? : Beyond the product itself, what other factors are you considering? The industry is such that many companies are free to share the same linguists and can provide comparable quality, pricing, and timing. What is most important to you in choosing the right LSP? Is it 24/7 service? Having someone down the street who will walk into your office at a moment’s notice to fully understand your work? Global offices? Industry experience and customer service? Professional and industry certifications for quality standards and procedures? You industry, your goals, and your priorities will determine which of these factors should be considered. Some of these may be dictated by regulatory requirements, and some may be personal preference, but not all translation companies will have the same characteristics or priorities. 
5. What did you like and not like about previous translation work? : Communicating any issues with a previous translation service let’s your new provider know exactly how they can make sure not to let those issues happen again. Regardless of what the situation was, be sure to communicate any problems and keep previous translations on hand to show examples. 

We hope you now have some food for thought the next time you have a need for translation services. Best of luck!

See more FAQ and tips and tricks on our website: http://www.lingperfect.com/FAQ.html

Translating Your Website: Best Practices

In today’s digital environment your website is one of your most vital marketing tools. In a globalized economy, connecting with customers around the world also means speaking to them in their own language. LingPerfect has extensive experience translating websites for many companies in different industries.

From our experience, there are a number of things to consider when preparing to translate your website. With these key steps we can work with you to manage the process seamlessly and successfully!

1. Determine your goals: What do you want to accomplish with this site? Who is your audience? What is the purpose? Is this an internal website for employees in your foreign offices? Is this site designed to bring in new customers? The answers to these questions will help you determine the appropriate budget, scope and method for translating your site. 
2. Define your Budget: When you think back to the amount of work and technical engineering that went into creating your website, think for a moment of how important it was to know that your investment would be worth the time, money and effort. The same applies to your international sites. In addition to tailoring the content, you will need to have budget and time set aside for addressing the technical build, images, graphics, videos, voice overs and other elements that made your original site a success. If you do not have in-house engineers who speak the language of your target market, you will also have to think about testing links, checking the layout and additional items to make sure the site is perfect. 
3. Define your strategy for non-translated data, URLs, partially translated pages: Our expert technical engineers can work with your team to ensure all elements of the site will be handled properly. This includes content that needs to stay in English for the functioning of the site. We can also work with your team to translate URLs and develop notices on the site if your target audience will be entering pages that are in English. There are many ways to go about managing this process and we can help develop your strategy prior to starting translation. 
4. Technical Preparation: Is your site going to be translated into a Non-Western font? For Asian languages and Arabic, you should consider preparing everything in Unicode before translation begins. 
5. Does your team need assistance separating code from translatable text?: Our engineers can work directly in your XML, HTML (and other files) to separate the text for you. This ensures that the coding is preserved and you receive the exact files needed for the build. Not only is this more efficient, but it avoids possible errors that occur when text is pasted in by individuals who do not know the language they are managing. 
6. Prepare for language expansion or contraction: Foreign languages will affect your layout. If you need to keep the text restricted within a given space, define the parameters at the start of the translation process. Translators can work within character limits, but they may need the “green light” in order to be more creative the text. 
7. How will you manage graphics with embedded text?: Graphics and banners with embedded text look great and have a way of making your website stand out from the crowd. Taking these embedded graphics into another language can be costly and time-consuming, but it could also be an important part of your marketing strategy. Our consultative approach will help you determine which graphics you would like to use and if certain graphics should be changed. Did you know the color red has very strong negative associations in Korea? It’s our job to know these things and we would be happy to offer consultation on the layout, colors and images of your website. 
8. Empower us with the tools to keep your branding and messaging true: When copywriters write, they are equipped with tools from their clients: style guides, brand guides and company information. These enable them to successfully create the right content. Translators will greatly benefit from having similar materials and understanding what you are looking to achieve with your website. 
9. Think about Search Engine Optimization (SEO): We can do more than help you translate your SEO terms. We do full research into determining which terms are the best for your target market. Direct translation of the terms from English will not produce the same results in your new market. 
10. Update your contacts, numbers and measurements: Before translating, it’s best to have updated contact information, phone numbers, addresses and measurements as part of the media pack. 

We look forward to working with you!

For more information on our website translation services, please visit: www.lingperfect.com