Medical Escort Interpreting Canada has 4.7 million residents who speak a language other than English or French at home. In a multilingual society misunderstandings regularly occur, and in many cases this is understandable and acceptable, but absolutely not in the case of medical care. Miscommunication between a doctor and patient can result in tragedy, that is why medical escort interpreting is a very important field which requires much accuracy and expertise. In January 1980, 18-year-old Willie Ramirez was rushed to a South Florida hospital in a comatose state. During the two days following his hospitalization he was treated for a drug overdose however the treatment showed no results. A routine neurological test ordered by doctors on the second day revealed an intracranial hemorrhage, the result of a burst artery which had been defective since birth – the true cause of the young man’s condition. Ramirez was then given emergency surgery to remove the blood clot. He survived the operation but was left quadriplegic, as the treatment came too late. At the heart of the misdiagnosis lay the language barrier – none of Ramirez’ Hispanic relatives spoke understandable English and the hospital was unable to provide an interpreter. The only clue to the young man’s condition was the Spanish word “intoxicado”, used by his girlfriend’s mother as she tried to convey the cause of Ramirez’ collapse to the paramedics. In Spanish, this word usually refers to food poisoning; the young man’s family believed he was sick because he had eaten an undercooked hamburger at a fast food restaurant earlier that day. Since the paramedics spoke no Spanish and no interpreter...
Editing, Proofreading, and Post-Insertion Review These three revision processes differ slightly from each other. Editing Editing involves reviewing the content, overall structure, clarity and style of a document. It is the first step following the translation. It consists of rewriting the translation while taking into account the meaning, tone and style of the original text, as well as keeping the target audience in mind during the rewriting process. The translation should read fluently and not sound like a translation. It is important that it sounds natural to a native speaker. The editing process is time-consuming, and can sometimes take as long as the actual process of translating. The editing must be done by a different translator than the one that has done the translation. This is because the second translator will be more objective during their editing process. Proofreading Proofreading goes hand in hand with the editing process. The proofreading process is about checking the punctuation, grammar and spelling of the document. It implies making smaller changes in the translation, for example, making sure that the tenses used are consistent, or that the formatting of the translated text matches the original. A spell check or grammar check function is used to catch any inconsistencies. Post-Insertion Review The post insertion review process involves reviewing the translation after the desktop publishing (DTP) process. In order to do this, the translator must compare the original source text, translation and design file with the translation inserted into a graphic format (i.e. brochure). The translator has to make sure that the translation has been copied to the right place on the page and that...
Translation in Vancouver Schools It is evident that there are an increasing number of children in schools in Vancouver that don’t speak English. Over the years, non-native English speakers have increased in numbers throughout the school boards, and are having a tough time coping with the lack of translation services available in their schooling. The District Panel Advisory Committee has been asked for help numerous times by parents as the population of minority groups has grown at a rapid pace. Recent studies have shown that in some schools in Vancouver as many as 40% of the students need ESL support! Some of the more common languages spoken by the children like Mandarin and Cantonese receive a decent amount of help; however, the rarer languages with obscure dialects are often neglected and the child is essentially helpless. The School Board is recommending that parents contact their principal in order to arrange for third party services to offer translation in Vancouver schools offered at the expense of the administration. This would not only solve the issue at hand, but would also help more foreign students reach their full potential via their schooling and education. Procuring the services of a professional language services agency would definitely be a step in the right direction to ensure that all students are receiving the help they need in their education. Here at LingoStar, we have countless qualified native speakers and interpreters located all across Canada for any type of job, and we can provide language services in over 100 languages as well as English. Call us today or send us an email for a free...
Translation Services Differ Company’s reputation and credibility: It is easy to google “translation services” or “document translation in Canada” but how can you really be sure you are working with an experienced and successful language services company? The first thing you can do is make sure to check the reviews of any company before you choose them. The last thing you want to do is book an interpreter for a huge presentation and then realize that the company has only received 3 reviews and they are all negative. Also, most reputable companies have a list of successful companies they have worked for before with testimonials. This is usually on the company website already, but can easily be provided by asking for references and testimonials. Any upstanding company will gladly oblige (like Lingo-Star). Does the company use native speakers: Upon a first glance, the pricing between different language service companies can vary greatly. However, what you need to be aware of before proceeding with a translation is that native speakers are the ones you want translating your documents. Just because somebody can speak Spanish, it doesn’t mean that they will be qualified to precisely translate your document unless they are native speakers. There are countless incidences where clients will opt for the cheaper more attractive route, only to be given a poor quality document that would be embarrassing to present in a meeting or on their website. We don’t want you to experience this so we highly suggest you switch to Lingo-Star and take advantage of the fact that every single one of our translators is an actual native speaker...
Translation and Search Engine Optimization Nowadays the key to success for most companies is undoubtedly their visibility on the Internet market. When customers need a service or a product, they just type some words in a search engine and this will provide them with a list of pages relevant to their search. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) directly affects the visibility of a website by choosing the most effective keywords, so that it would appear at the top of the result list for its sector. Some tips to conduct a successful optimization include: – The choice of strings of two-three words instead of single words, as they are more specific and less competitive. Ideally you should try to think from the customer’s point of view and guess what strings they would use to search for your website; – A good keyword density. The higher the keyword density is, the more relevant to the search a page is; – The place of keywords. Keywords situated in URLs, file names, page titles and headings are easier to find than normal text, therefore they could significantly boost the page’s ranking if put in the right place. Last but not least: keyword localization. Localized strings help international users find your website; therefore their translation must be accurate. Simply using Google Translate is discouraged, what you need is a translation based on a specific context that can be adapted to a specific audience. Consequently, it is essential to give translators the means to understand the purpose of the keyword and the freedom to rephrase when necessary. This will make your business international and successful. Here...
Trends in Voice-Over Translation Businesses and organizations entering international markets naturally spend considerable time crafting their message and translating that message with care until the most fitting words and expressions can be found. Yet the act of translation is enhanced by voice-over translation professionals, artists that lend elements like tone and expressive nuances of voice to deliver the carefully-wrought message with an actor’s sensibility and a translator’s ability to convey meaning directly and accurately. Just as new technologies have complemented the field of translation services, voice-over translation has benefited from various trends that many companies with international interests may want to consider when they seek this viable service. It used to be that the main end of translation was to simply convey meaning between two languages. This is still the heart of translating services, but translated communication involving voice-over technique has advanced to encompass no small degree of art. While some will say that translation has always enjoyed an artistic component, it now features voice-over translation professionals who are also performers. Voice-over experts, for example, can embody a character that can bolster a marketing message. The voice-over translator may convey empathy in some way or create a connection with the audience that goes beyond translated speech. Performance elements aside, today’s voice-over translation and its translators are also increasingly supported by digital solutions that shorten or alternatively lengthen the performed translation. When a corporate video voice-over is needed, it’s important that the voice-over performer remain in sync with the video. Luckily, the technology allows for more ease of the syncing process. The result is a seamless representation...
