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Google Translate is No Longer Available in China – Here’s Why

google headquarters

google headquarters

It’s official – Google Translate is no longer available in Mainland China. That means if you’re an English speaker who plans on visiting the country soon, you’re going to need to find a new way to engage with the locals.

This article will tell you why Google Translate has been canceled in Mainland China and evaluate what it means moving forward. Let’s get started.

Google’s Tense Relationship with China

Google has had a tense relationship with the Chinese market for some time. In 2010, it discontinued its search engine in China due to the nation’s strict government censorship of online activities.

Other popular Google products, like Maps and Gmail, haven’t been officially banned from the country. But the Chinese government has effectively banned them in practice by making them impossible – or at least highly difficult – to use.

Now, one of Google’s last remaining functional products in Mainland China – Translate – is leaving the country as well.

Why Google Translate is No Longer Available in China

The official reason why Google Translate is leaving Mainland China is its low usage. The company says that its Translate tool isn’t getting enough engagement from users in China, so it doesn’t make sense to maintain and improve it from a developer allocation perspective.

Conspiracy theorists may suggest that there’s something else behind this decision that isn’t being talked about. However, the simplest explanation is often the right one, and that seems to be the case here.

The Chinese internet is dominated by large Chinese companies like Baidu and Tencent. These businesses (and others like them) account for the vast majority of Chinese internet usage in fields like search and translation.

Google’s presence in China is very limited nowadays. The company doesn’t have the same larger-than-life presence in Mainland China that it does in the United States, and so it’s rare for a Chinese citizen to choose Google Translate over a comparable service on a platform they’re already using on a daily basis.

What This Means for Google and China Moving Forward

Google Translate leaving Mainland China is another step towards Google leaving the country entirely. Some of the company’s phones are still made in China, but the company is shifting much of this production to places like Vietnam. That’s about all that the company has going for it in China – for at least the time being.

If a user in China attempts to access Google Translate, then they will be redirected to the company’s Hong Kong Translate tool. However, this is barred from use in Mainland China. So it’s effectively impossible to use Google Translate in China without circumventing the law.

China has clearly shown a preference for using Chinese-made products by companies from China. That means Google and many other tech giants in America may no longer have a role to play in the Chinese market.

The future is never 100% predictable. This could change if, for example, there is a change in the Chinese economy or government. But for now, it’s another step away from tech integration between China and the West.


Dell Releases Toad for Oracle Localized for the Chinese Market

There’s a simple reason why a lot of different business fail today – poor economy that’s affecting the whole world. But, there’s also a simple way to save your business, which many don’t consider. No matter how much we’re afraid of changes and find it difficult to adopt them, this is a sacrifice we need to make in order to save our business and withhold a certain quality of life.

The obvious thing to do when it comes to improving your business and helping it survive the tough competition is a change, and not any kind of change – you need to go online. But, be aware of the fact that having a website and a Facebook page isn’t enough anymore, because that doesn’t make you any different from the rest. Doing consistent research and always being updated will help you determine which pieces of software you should adopt and which to dismiss as irrelevant. Check out what Oracle has prepared for the business world, which shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The Oracle Family

Every leader who plans on creating a strong foundation for the future of his or her business must’ve heard of Oracle. They’ve been releasing many useful tools that upgrade the way to do business by making it more efficient, especially if a business is strictly related to having and maintaining a database. So, if you’re not ready to give up and let the economic crises consume you, you should consider using this piece of software.

Toad for Oracle

Being a part of Dell Software’s Information Management group, you can expect some big things from it before even checking its reviews. What makes this so special is that it’s capable of connecting a wide group of specialized experts that can all communicate and help each other solve their problems. If we take a look at the past, we can remember the former idea of creating an open source website, like Wikipedia, for example. This is very similar to that, with only one exception that makes it unique – exclusive.

Toad

Now in Simplified Chinese

The twenty-fourth of July was when Oracle released a new edition of Toad for Oracle translated to Mandarin. Being aware of the fact that up to this date, Toad for Oracle had over two million users, and only then was it released on a new market that counts a large number of potential users. Along with a completely localized installer, personalized interface, and all documentation, this new product came with about 6-8 hours of free training for the new users. They’ve stepped up here, haven’t they?

The perfect time to strike the market

Higher and more efficient IT equipment should be considered necessary in China – their pricing for labor increases by about 10 percent each year. This requires that all establishments, at least the ones that want to stay in business, need go to the next level when it comes to the IT products they use. The modern way of working with a database has most of the standards already set – it needs to be fast, there’s no room for mistakes, and efficiency is considered a priority. All those things are implied when using Toad for Oracle. It’s expected that the growth of database management will be increased by 9 percent in China only in 2014, and Oracle will represent an amazing 43 percent of the whole market.

Toad for Oracle is getting so much attention for a good reason – they are capable of connecting you with a strictly oriented group of people sharing your expertise, so you can communicate with them with no one reason to worry. Your data will stay private, and it’ll be shared only with people you intend to share it with. Besides, accurate and efficient communication is very important in business today, and Toad for Oracle can guarantee it. If you need to make the workflow of your company more productive, this innovative piece of software is the right solution to your problem.

For further information, you can contact Dell Software on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube, where you’ll be greeted with more useful information.


品牌名称的含义

对于任何一个消费品企业来说,创造一个鲜明的品牌形象至关重要,而品牌形象的很大部分体现于其品牌名称中。大多品牌都只是以其创始人命名,然而,其他一些品牌名称的来源则有趣得多。一些品牌名称从古代神话中汲取灵感,一些是完全编造出来的,而还有一些则全为偶然而得。我们搜集了全球几大著名品牌,来看看它们是如何命名的。相信,您会惊诧于其中很多品牌的名称来源。

meaning of brand names_ZH

 

使用以下嵌入代码在您的网站添加此信息图:


Blogger Provides Amusing Literal Translation of Chinese Names for European Countries

 

Linguistics expert and blogger Haonowshaokao has recently come up with a map of Europe that boasts amusing literal Chinese translations of names for European countries. “This is not a serious translation by any means,” the blogger explains. “I’ve translated the names in a pedantic, literal way, character-by-character, which wouldn’t make sense to most Chinese people,” he told Buzz Feed news.

Where did inspiration for the map come from? Well, Haonowshaokao, who is originally from the UK, studied applied linguistics in London. After living around the world teaching English, he eventually moved to Beijing, where he now lives with his wife and children. He’s always been amused by words and by language and thought the map would be an opportunity to have a bit of fun.

Literal Translations

Of course, the map’s main source of humor is its amusing literal translations. France, for example, is translated to “Lawland,” while Italy is translated to “Meaning Big Profit.” Germany is “Moral Land,” and Ireland is “Love Your Orchid.” Haonowshaokao’s wife, who is a native Chinese speaker, helped him to develop to the clever translations.

All in Good Fun

The map did attract criticism, with some calling it diminutive of the Chinese language. However, Haonowshaokao insists it is all in good fun. “I don’t want to make fun of Chinese people or the Chinese language, it’s just a funny way for me to remember the names of countries as I learn the language. Chinese people don’t really think of America as Beautiful Country or the UK as Brave Country any more than we think of Turkey as a bird,” he explained. “Any language unlike your own looks strange from the outside, but I hope people can use this as a stepping stone to learning Chinese rather than laughing at it.”

Sources:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/here-are-european-countries-with-literal-translations-of-the


The China Academy of Translation Officially Opened in Beijing

 

On July 29th 2014, the world witnessed the launch of The China Academy of Translation in Beijing. The opening ceremony was attended by the likes of Zhou Mingwei, head of the China International Publishing Group and first official president of the academy, Cai Minghzao, the State Council Information Office chief, as well as over 150 government officials, professional translators, professors and members of the media. It was well-received and garnered quite a bit of attention from both local and foreign academics and translation experts.

The event marked a new age for China’s foreign relations and a clear break from its reclusive policies of the past. The academy is the only such establishment in the country and a testament to the big efforts that China has put into opening up to the rest of the world. Even with its borders open for a good part of the last century, the Chinese language barrier has kept the country somewhat secluded – its rich culture and storied history are still somewhat of a mystery to outsiders.

China Plate

China sharing its culture with the world

The main goal of the academy is to enable improved communication with the rest of the world as well as to serve as a key instrument in bridging cultural differences on a global level. It will involve domestic experts and those currently living abroad, and will be a training ground for aspiring translators. It has been a long time coming, but it seems that one of the oldest civilizations on earth has slowly started to shed its reputation as a xenophobic culture. It also means that internet websites delighting in the extremely poor Chinese-to-English translations seen on signs across the country – known as Engrish on the web – could be put out of business within the next few years.

China Speech

The academy’s mission statement

The China Academy of Translation president has outlined several points that the organization will strive to address.

The academy will play the role of a workshop where a large number of translation industry experts can brainstorm ideas for the improvement of industry standards and practices, and be the go to place for licensed and administrative associations, providing guidance and advice.

The next issue it will tackle is the creation of official guidelines for translating all the major keywords related to the most important topics in modern Chinese culture.

Another big priority is identifying and educating a substantial number of promising young talents in an effort to build up a society of skilled translators. This would enable them to create a large collection of common expressions with features unique to the Chinese language, such as terms that are difficult to understand outside their cultural context and archaic terms like the ones used in traditional Chinese martial arts, philosophy and medicine.

To add to these efforts, a number of training programs will be created that will allow expert translators from China and abroad to interact, exchange ideas and keep up with the latest language trends. This will involve starting teaching programs for translating more exotic languages like Thai, Vietnamese and some Indonesian and African languages for which there are currently very few competent translators in China.

The academy will also create prestigious and nationally recognized awards for professional translators in an effort to raise quality standards within the translation industry. Improving the current translator evaluation system is an important step in advancing the translation industry and achieving higher levels of quality.

China Congress

A big leap forward for China’s foreign relations

The keynote speakers were academic heavyweights and respected authorities – presidents and vice presidents of various universities, translating associations and institutes – Tang Wensheng, Yan Guohua, Zhong Weiheand others.

China already plays a big part in the global economy and is economic and political force to be reckoned with. With the opening of the China Academy of Translation, China has now made its first big steps towards becoming an important part of the global culture. The academy will serve as a focal point of China’s efforts to modernize and improve the Chinese translation industry, which is just an interlude to the country opening up to the world, sharing its culture and promoting cross-cultural relations.

 


China creates overseas campuses to further education options

 

This blog has previously discussed China’s globalization efforts, and even how companies from other countries are considering setting up shop in the Asian powerhouse. More recently though, China is changing its university offerings, and creating schools in countries such as Laos and Malaysia (know more about selling in China).

According to an Associated Press article, China is working toward improving its secondary education options by creating more institutions in other countries. The goal is for the country to garner more globalization clout and encourage businesses to expand to China.

Programs Abroad

Palamy Siphandone is a 19-year-old student who is taking part in the program in Laos, and she spoke with the AP over the phone about her reason for participating.

“There are a lot of companies in Laos that are from China,” Siphandone said. “If I can speak Chinese, I get more opportunities to work with them.”

The news source explained that China has typically offered language lessons in foreign countries, but it was mainly to assist the Chinese nationals living in the area. Having campuses that offer degrees designed to promote the country’s culture and language though are new but are gaining support.

Chinese Translations

Chen Mei, a university official for the Laos branch of Soochow University, told the AP that part of the national policy is that “the internationalization of education comes with the globalization of economy.” He added that his campus is looking to raise money to increase its student size to 5,000.

As this situation proves, understanding language and culture is essential, especially in the business world. For entrepreneurs who are branching out into new countries, partnering with a firm that specializes in document translation services can be helpful. With technical Chinese translations, a company can rest assured that nothing is overlooked in the move and a business can start off strong.


Healthcare Industries Benefit from Professional Translations Services

 

47 million American citizens are unable to speak English or do not speak English as their primary language. This often produces communication problems in situations where clear communication is important, such as in healthcare and health related industries.

Though translation technology is far from being perfect, advanced translation tech is very useful in hospitals and pharmacies where live translation help isn’t always immediately available.

How Can Medical Translation Tech Impact Healthcare?

Healthcare can be positively impacted by translation technology in many ways, but there are a few very practical ways it can help improve healthcare and also help people communicate better with their doctors to prevent serious mishaps and misunderstandings.

Translation services through translation technology significantly reduce cost for hospitals and other medical centers. The money they save by using text-to-text and text-to-speech technology for translation between doctors, nurses, and patients can be spent on other medical equipment and services.

Translation technology can also reduce wait time for patients, as well. It’s not uncommon for people to have to wait up to twenty-five minutes on top of other wait times just to get a translator, unless the hospitals employs a full time translation staff. The wait time can be even longer for uncommon languages.

The languages that most United States hospitals have access to are likely to be either Spanish or Chinese. Chinese translation has been growing steadily more popular in the United States due to business relations with China. Finding a translator is what hospitals have an especially hard time with.

That’s why translation technology is becoming especially popular in hospitals where stacks of paperwork are filled out every hour. It’s still important for paperwork to be filled out correctly and accurately, or else fatal mistakes can be made.

Translation Tech Offers More Privacy

Hospitals aren’t just saving money and getting paperwork done faster by using translation technology though.  The personal side of healthcare is also affected. By using a professional translator as a middleman, doctors are often in danger of getting lost in translation through small miscommunications and misinterpreted answers.

Patients can also be hesitant to talk about personal health information with people other than their doctor. This could force people to leave out crucial details to avoid embarrassment. Having a written translation of a patient’s records and health questionnaires can allow a doctor to see if the questions are really being understood or not.

Also, exams will take less time, and personal information stays only between the patient and physician.


Chinese Language Teacher Honored with Award

 

Yinjie Qian, the Chinese language teacher at Olympic Heights High School in Florida has received the 2012 “Teacher of the Year” award from the Florida Chinese Teachers Association. Qian is originally from China, but she has lived in Florida for sixteen years now, and she continues to teach her classes Chinese songs, skits, and poetry in an attempt to get them to learn fluent Chinese.

Students Excel Because of Hardworking Teacher

Qian didn’t start out at Olympic Heights as the Chinese language teacher. She first began her career at the high school as an ESL teacher, and she didn’t form the Chinese language program until 2006.

During 2006, Quian earned National Board Certification and quickly took the lead in forming the Chinese language program that would soon enable hundreds of students to learn Chinese and Chinese translation.

“Nothing is more gratifying than seeing my students’ achievements,” said Qian after she received her award. Many of her students have gone on to receive Chinese language scholarships, top awards at the State Chinese Competitions, or nominated as Pathfinder candidates all under her tutelage.

The program, which started out as a single class, has grown to include multiple levels as well as an AP class for students who wish to learn professional translation skills. One former student continued Chinese all the way through college and has just earned an internship in China.

Quian Continues Her Education

Though Qian has already revived the “Teacher of the Year” award and passed the National Board Certification, she continues to take classes and further her education. She spends the summers in China, taking extra teaching courses, and she has been invited to speak at the Florida Foreign Language Association Annual Conference.

In addition to this, Qian has also been asked to help grade AP Chinese exams by the College Board. With so many of her students going on to college to pursue business and legal translation skills, Olympic Heights High School and all of Florida are very grateful to Qian for her gifted teaching, and they recognize a talented educator when they see one.

Qian ended her interview by saying, “Many teachers at our school are dedicated and hard-working. To me, they are the unsung heroes and role models I often draw inspiration from. My students are also the source of my driving force. Their energy and enthusiasm for learning have always inspired me to better prepare them for their future.”


East Coat Students Win Chinese Language Scholarship

Students in College

Two students at Northeastern University have won scholarships to study the Chinese language and culture in China for eight months. They had previously been studying Chinese business translation, and because of their work and effort, they have been chosen to continue their studies abroad.

Chinese Scholarship Awarded Through the Fulbright-Hays Group

The scholarships from the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program are awarded through the U.S. Department of Education, but students can sign up for the scholarships through their individual schools. The winners are young men, one a sophomore and the other a junior at Northwestern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

During their stay in China, they will work on their Chinese translation skills, study in a Chinese college, and intern at Chi­nese companies within the Xi’an High-Tech Devel­op­ment Zone. The Northwestern students won the scholarship along with fourteen other students in the New England area. They have already participated in a summer immersion program called Dia­logue of Civ­i­liza­tions.

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Skills Beyond the Language

During the program, they not only learned more about the Chinese language and culture, but also demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to express their thoughts clearly and articulately.  The language program director at Northwestern described the students by saying, “While they are busi­ness stu­dents, they are curious about all aspects of Chi­nese cul­ture.

They didn’t just focus on the Chi­nese busi­nesses and ignore the social and cul­tural his­tory. I think that’s what makes them really stand out.”


Chinese Tourism to Increase in 2013

About one billion tourists were abroad in 2012, and that amount is projected to increase during 2013. Some noticeable differences in the tourists this last year were that there were more Chinese tourists than ever, and they spent an average of 30% more than other tourists.

In light of this, more than thirty different countries are planning ways to lure in more Chinese tourists during 2013. The tactics include everything from providing Chinese translation at major landmarks to simplifying visa norms.

Countries Vie for Chinese Tourism

Restaurants, hotels, attraction sites, and more are all recruiting people to provide Chinese business translation services for the expected tourists this year. With debt problems widespread across the globe, people have high expectations for this year’s tourist season.

China has recently experienced a job boom, and the middle class is expanding. People have more disposable income, and other countries are fighting each other to be the place where they spend it. The U.K., the U.S., and Australia are all hoping Chinese tourists will give some life to their flagging economies.

Main Touristic Cities

Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Korean, and Japan are popular neighboring countries, and they have already begun rewriting their tourism policies in anticipation of 2013’s Chinese tourists. In the Philippines, Chinese tourists make up the fourth largest market for tourism.

Over the summer, there was a territorial dispute that interrupted tourism, but it has picked up once again and more plans are being made to attract Chinese nationals. In America, Chinese tourism increased by 30% in 2012, and now the United States is looking to increase that number once again in 2013.

Many different landmarks throughout the country are making an effort to hire people who are able to provide professional translation services in Mandarin, and the U.S. government has introduced an expedited visa process.

Go Big or Go Home

Attracting Chinese tourists seems to be on everyone’s agenda for the New Year. Even countries like Gambia, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan are making marketing efforts to get their share of Chinese tourism. Basically, the only country that has not had any increase in tourism from China has been Japan, though not from lack of effort.

A dispute over the Senkaku and Diaoyu Islands has been the main reason for the decrease in tourists. However, they are still one of the thirty or so countries making tourism policies right and left trying to take advantage of China’s thriving economy.


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