Translation News

  • International Translation Day Prompts Reflection - Since 1953, International Translation Day has been celebrated by people all over the world on September 30th. While such a day doesn’t seem like one worth celebrating, translation is actually very much a part of everyone’s lives, whether they realize it or not. Even if you’ve never sought out professional translation services or even typed […]
  • Google Offends Azerbaijan with Translation Errors - There’s no doubt that automated and computerized translation services are convenient when you’re doing a simple translation of a lyric you heard or something someone said to you in passing. However, time and again we are reminded that these automated translations often contain errors, and their translations shouldn’t be considered final. Even Google translate can […]
  • Japanese App Translates Phone Conversations in Real Time - In the United States, a recent trial release by AT&T allows English-speaking customers to speak with Spanish-speaking customers in real-time with a text translation app. The technology is sure to bridge common language barriers in the United States. Because Japan has similar language issues in their country, they have developed a very similar app called […]
  • Translation Problems Causing Chaos in UK Courts - Professional translators and interpreters are vital members of the court in some cases. If a plaintiff or defendant can’t speak the native language of the country in which they are being tried, the trial will not be fair and the outcome will be meaningless. When those translators fail to translate the hearing accurately or are […]
  • Translations for YouTube Videos Now Immediately Available - Whether you’re on YouTube watching a historically significant news video or a video of kittens in a box, it helps to know what the people in the clip are saying. YouTube gives us access to millions of videos from around the world, so we often find ourselves watching those in foreign languages. Instead of clicking […]
  • Chinese Train Stations Undergo Translation Overhaul - Currently in China, each train station offers an English and Chinese translation for each station location. That way, English-speaking travelers can make their way around more easily, and Chinese commuters can go about their day undisturbed. However, the Ministry of Railways has announced a major overhaul to this system. Instead of the two translations for […]
  • Vancouver Schools Lack Translation Services - In most cities, there is one language that is considered the native one, and maybe a one or two others that many residents speak. However, these other languages are usually the minority languages. Some cities, such as Vancouver, Washington, have a lot more languages that are spoken on a regular basis, and there are too […]
  • New InterpreTravel App Has its Flaws - For the most part, everyone knows that human translation is far superior to automated or computerized translation services. Humans are able to find out what context the original words are in, and they can use that content to more accurately determine what information is being relayed. Many people and businesses around the world fall victim […]
  • The Perils of Translating a Speech on Live TV - Usually, professional translators have a few days or at least a few hours to translate important information for the general masses. However, a recent speech by Aung San Suu Kyi was broadcasted in an arena in Indiana, and the entire speech was in Burmese. The speech was translated in real time so that captions were […]
  • Finnegan’s Wake Soon to be Available in Chinese - Finnegan’s Wake, a novel by James Joyce, is considered one of the most difficult literary works in the English language. People find it difficult to read for a myriad of reasons, including a straying plot, idiosyncratic language, and strange portmanteaus. Some critics believe Joyce’s unique style for the work is supposed to imitate sleep and […]
  • The Popularity of ‘Gangnam Style’ Needed No Translation - Popular music can reach beyond the bounds of language barriers and affect people around the world with no translation at all. This phenomenon is exactly why a YouTube sensation named PSY became popular around the world, especially in the United States, for his hit “Gangnam Style.” Though his song is entirely in Korean, PSY has […]
  • Digital Comic Books Strike Translation Deal - While paper editions of comic books tend to be more popular if they are old and wrapped in their original plastic, comic books in a digital format are circulating among today’s youth. While you might not see kids on the bus catching up with Betty and Veronica or rapidly turning the pages to the latest […]
  • Children’s Literature Themes Come Across in Any Language - Adults are picky about the books they read. Often, translations of popular books in other countries don’t become popular in the United States because readers find it difficult to connect with the characters. The English translation of a story about a woman’s strife in Africa to keep her family healthy is interesting to many people, […]
  • Translation of Bulgarian Play to Premiere in New York - While his play is the first Bulgarian play ever to premiere at a major theater in New York, Ivan Dimitrov was only making his first attempt at drama. His first Bulgarian play ended up winning a contest in Shumen, Bulgaria. He took his prize money and put it towards creating an English translation of the […]
  • World Renowned Translator Dies at 94 - It’s easy to forget what an important role professional translators have in the history of language. Sharing stories and literary works between different cultures would not be possible without them, and we’d therefore miss out on many important pieces of global history. Some of the most widely read stories in the United States are actually […]
  • New Service Combines Live Translators and Technology - While many people agree that having a live translator on hand is preferable over using a computerized translation service, it’s not easy or cheap to drag a professional translator along every time you go abroad. Services such as Google translate and pocket translators work when you need a single word translated, but they’re far from […]
  • Two Mistakes You Should Avoid on your Chinese Translation - Creating a Chinese translation version of your company’s website is a brilliant idea. By creating a Chinese version, you are making your site accessibly to the most populous culture in the world. Of course, the reason that many businesses don’t go through with this process is that it’s not easy. There are many versions of […]
  • Journal Translation Gives Unmatched Insight into American History - Many of the earliest accounts of North America are not in English because explorers from around the globe documented them. Back then, these explorers had very few resources with which to record their findings, so the chances of even uncovering these journals is highly unlikely. However, The North American Journals of Prince Maximillian of Wied, […]
  • Chinese Literature Translations Provide Inaccurate Representations - When you read a new literary translation from another country, you can only assume that the piece is an accurate representation of culture in that society. For example, if someone from another culture were to read The Catcher in the Rye or The Great Gatsby, they’d get a relatively good idea about what our culture […]
  • New Website Makes Education and Translation Simultaneous - When you need to translate an entire webpage, you’d usually use one of many quick online translation services that generate a computerized translation. While you might get the general gist of the site, you’ll miss out on any subtleties or innuendos in the language that could really add to the content. A new start-up website […]
  • McDonalds’ Failed Attempt at Foreign Outreach - For companies that are nationally recognized, every move they make is in the public eye. McDonald’s especially is constantly under scrutiny in the United States as it fights against backlash from health professionals and organizations such as PETA. For that reason, their most recent billboard translation blunder is all over the news. You’d think that […]
  • A Pair of Glasses that Shows You Subtitles - When traveling abroad or meeting people from foreign countries, modern technology has made it easier than ever to communicate without language barriers. Instead of learning the language before we visit a country, we can simply bring our smartphone along and translate the conversation as we are engaged in it with one of the many translator […]
  • Language Debate Sparked by Voting Ballots in WI - The United States is a melting pot of many different cultures and peoples. While English is the official language of the United States, nearly one in every five Americans speak another language at home. Whether or not these citizens speak English does not change the fact that they are still citizens, and they have the […]
  • Bible Translator Finally Recognized for his Efforts after 44 Years - Whether or not you’re interested in religion, you can’t help but realize what an arduous task translating the Bible must have been for those who did it. The Bible in its full form has been translated into 450 languages, and sections of it have been translated into more than 2,000. Obviously, most of these translations […]
  • D.C. Makes Language Translation a Priority - In 2004, a law required government agencies in Washington D.C. to work on the translation of important documents and services into several languages.  Unfortunately, though the law technically made it a priority, it was not considered one until now.  After a report showed that 58% of non-English speakers in the region had trouble understanding D.C. […]
  • Translation Error Fuels International Tensions - Although professional translation is an important and useful service, it is never more important than when the words being translated can ease or spur international tensions.  On August 30th, the president of Egypt, Muhammad Morsi, gave a speech which was translated into several languages.  Unfortunately, Farsi interpreters got part of their translation wrong, replacing the […]
  • Translation Volunteers Make an Impact on Online Education - When Amara was founded in 2010, its intent was to provide free professional translation services in the form of subtitles to online videos in order to “break down political, social, and cultural barriers” around the world.  Since then, their translation volunteers have added subtitles to over 200,000 videos in 100 different languages.  Their success has […]
  • Contemporary History of Brazil - What is Considered Contemporary? Contemporary history in Brazil is considered to be from 1985 until present day. This is because of the end of the military rule that had controlled the country from 1964 until 1985 and the return of civilian government. In January 1985, the shift towards democracy reached its climax when Tancredo Neves […]
  • Universities in Portugal - Universities in Portugal   In 1290, the very first university founded in Portugal was in Lisbon by King Dinis, which he called Studium Generale. During the first 247 years of its operation, it moved several times between Lisbon and Coimbra.  Eventually, it settled in Coimbra and remained there as The University of Coimbra.  The University […]
  • Music in Portugal - Music in Portugal   The history of Portuguese music began with strong influence from Ancient Rome’s musical tradition.  It was also influenced by the European traditions.  Classical music in Portugal was strongly defined by composers such as Pedro de Escobar, Duarte Lobo, Carlos Seixas, and many more.  During this period, organist music was extremely popular […]
  • Tourism in Brazil - Thriving Tourism in Brazil   The tourism industry in Brazil is continuously growing. It is an important part of the economy for many areas throughout the country. In 2009, Brazil had 4.8 million visitors. It is considered to be the top destination for tourists in South America and the second most popular in Latin America […]
  • European Integration in Portugal - European Integration into Portugal   Prior to 1974, when democracy was introduced to Portugal, the country was controlled by a fascist dictatorship, which kept Portugal from being able to join the rest of Europe.  Also in 1974, the Carnation Revolution opened many new doors for Portugal. In 1981, Portugal signed an agreement that allowed the […]
  • The Educational System in Portugal - The Educational System in Portugal   In Portugal, education is structured into four categories: pre-primary education, basic education, secondary education and higher education.   Pre-primary education: is optional for children aged three to five years old. Pre-primary education is offered for free in state-run nursery schools. Citizens must pay tuition for any privately run nursery […]
  • Religion in Brazil - Brazil’s Many Religions   Brazil’s population is much more adherent to religion than most Latin American countries. When the Brazilian Constitution was created, in 1889, Brazil did not have an official religion. It, instead, states in their Constitution that all are given the right to absolute freedom of religion. According to the last census (2000), […]
  • Portuguese Colonization - The Beginning of Portuguese Colonization   Some of the earliest colonists recorded in Brazil are Joo Ramalho and Diogo Álvares Correia. At this time, the Portuguese wanted to secure its highly profitable Portuguese Empire in Asia. Because of this, they didn’t do much to protect the newly discovered lands in the Americas from foreign intruders. […]