Feb 11, 2015 | Blog, Translation
AArabic Translation in Canada The crisis in Syria has resulted in the displacement of millions of people, both within Syria and in the neighbouring countries. The overwhelming majority (97%) of people who fled the country live in 5 neighbouring countries: Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt. So now some towns in these regions have as many refugees as locals. According to the Canadian Council of Refugees, the huge influx of new residents leads to enormous strain on the local systems. As a result, the schools are overflowing, and many Syrian children cannot attend local schools. Health services are stretched beyond capacity. Besides, the water supply is insufficient. So the Government of Canada has made a choice to support the Syrian people in their quest for democratic change. According to Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, Canada will resettle 10,000 more refugees over the next three year in frames of United Nations Refugee Agency’s global program of resettling 100,000 refugees worldwide. With such an inflow of Syrian refugees, Arabic translation services will be in great demand. Arabic Translation: Difficulties Translation from Arabic to English and vice versa may be problematic. Translators often find it difficult to bridge the cultural gap in rendering some Arabic utterances into English without distorting the meaning. The reason why Arabic – English translation is so confusing is that both Arabic and English belong to two absolutely different language families and have different cultures too. Often, a single English word is not enough to translate an Arabic word. Therefore, translators need to know this culture very well to give an adequate equivalent or descriptive translation. Arabic is a... read more
Feb 4, 2015 | Promotions
Jaroslav Dušek’s Motivational Quote Translation into English, French, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian What do you feel when trees start blooming after a long cold winter? Do you feel happy and excited because you know that a new, amazing period of your life will start soon? Summer always brings joy and hope. Therefore, find summer in yourself. Don’t think about anything material – think about how wonderful it is when you discover something new in yourself and when you start blossoming, too. Keep going, keep growing, and this will bring you luck and success. Help us with our motivational quote translation. So let’s translate this beautiful quote together into as many languages as we can! Don’t hesitate to contact us. Try to be a translator! Adapted Quote of Jaroslav Dušek in Czech: Naším úkolem je rozkvést, ne něčeho docílit. (Jaroslav Dušek, upravený citát) Motivational Quote Translation into English: Our mission is to blossom, not to achieve anything. (Adapted quote by Jaroslav Dušek) Motivational Quote Translation into French: Notre mission est de nous épanouir, pas de accomplir quelque chose. (Citation adapté de Jaroslav Dušek) Motivational Quote Translation into Dutch: Ons doel is te bloeien en niet om iets te bereiken. (Aangepast citaat van Jaroslav Dušek) Translation into Italian: La nostra missione è crescere, non raggiungere qualcosa. (Citazione adattata da Jaroslav Dušek) Translation into Japanese: 私たちの使命は、成長していくことであり、何かを達成することではない。（翻案引用句 by Jaroslav Dušek） Translation into Russian: Наша миссия в том, чтобы расцветать, а не добиваться чего-либо. (Адаптированная цитата Ярослава Душека) Translation into Slovak: Našou úlohou je rozkvitnúť, nie niečo dosiahnuť. (Jaroslav Dušek, upravený citát) Translation into Ukrainian: Наша місія у тому, щоби розцвітати, а не добиватися... read more
Jan 30, 2015 | Promotions
Automotive Translation in Canada Why is automotive translation such an important field in the translation industry of Canada? The answer is quite simple: Canada is currently the tenth largest auto producer in the world, producing 2.1 million cars a year. Top ten – isn’t it impressive? A lot of foreign automakers have their plants in Canada. These include, for example, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Hino, Toyota, Honda, and many others. Therefore, the Canadian automotive industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy, employing over half a million people. Moreover, a big number of international partners and clients all over the world make it essential for Canada to have highly developed, professional automotive translation services. Automotive Translation: What to keep in mind What exactly does an automotive translator work with? The range of automotive documentation is pretty wide. It includes technical documentation, various handbooks and catalogs. Furthermore, diagnosis and maintenance instructions, electronic databases, contracts and website texts. Manuals, for instance, describe vehicles in much detail. Very often manuals are huge documents, hundreds or even thousands pages long. Certainly, it would be perfect if a machine could translate such a beast. However, a lot of manuals are written in such a way that important terms and expressions are ambiguous and obscure for a machine. Therefore, professional translators with expertise in the automotive industry are in high demand. As there are a lot of repetitive segments in automotive texts, translation companies help their customers save their time and money by using translation memory systems and standardizing and activating the translation in cooperation with clients. Here at LingoStar, we are happy... read more
Jan 30, 2015 | Blog, Translation
Psychology of Translation: Factors Which Influence Translation Work In our previous newsletters, we were talking a lot about the usability of translation, about localization and globalization, about differences in fiction and non-fiction translation and also about the way translation influences cross-cultural interaction and business. Today we would like to think about the things that influence translation itself, the psychology of translation. Translation is a complex process of converting a text from one language into another one. Therefore, to provide a good translation, knowledge of two languages is not enough. Translation requires that the meaning and the tone of the original text is preserved. This goes far beyond simplistic word-for-word exchange. Translation has to be natural and appropriate for the target audience, only then it can be called a successful one. However, a good translation does not depend only on the professionalism of the language specialist. There are some factors that affect quality and naturalness of translation significantly, and translators need to keep it in mind. The Psychology of Translation: Culture Firstly, culture is a factor that influences the naturalness of translation. It is said that people translate culture and not language. In other words, even great knowledge of two language structures and vocabularies will not help translators provide an adequate translation. So, language is not simply a system of signs and rules. Above all, it has its own history and cultural background, and not every native speaker of a language might know about all the nuances of his/her culture. This means that when you are looking for a professional to translate from, for example, French to... read more
Jan 28, 2015 | Blog, Translation
Agriculture Translation Agriculture is definitely a big industry in Canada. There are huge amounts of bountiful resources all over the country. Since it is such a large industry, reaching your target market effectively, even if it is through language barriers is an absolute necessity to thrive. Whether your company is in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, or even somewhere obscure, there is going to be a multilingual population that you must accommodate via agriculture translation to try and maximize your client base. Some common things that are translated include machinery user guides. Moreover, technical documentation related to transportation and logistics, shipping and packaging, as well as legal documentation. Here at LingoStar we have professional translators available for over 100 language pairs. Furthermore, we make sure that we enlist translators, specialized for your industry and location. This way, we can ensure that the content of your documents meets the specifications of your target demographic. A translator who is fully familiar with your specific industry will be privy to the various industry specific terms. Otherwise, they would be ambiguous and translated incorrectly by another translation company. LingoStar Language Services has a fantastic track record producing flawless translations for companies involved with agriculture all across Canada. We provide high-quality, professional translation, interpretation and localization services into over 100 languages. Furthermore, we cooperate with translators, voice-over talent, and many other language specialists all over the world. For more information, call us today at 604-629-8420 or send us an email at info@lingo-star.com. The photo by Nigel Lo, taken from... read more
Jan 26, 2015 | Promotions
Inspirational Message Translation into Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian Today we want to say this one more time: never give up! Even if it seems that something goes wrong, don’t concentrate on the failure. Take a day off from all your problems and negative thoughts. Tomorrow it will be better because there is always room for a new plan and a new start! So, check out today’s inspirational message and help us translate it and share it with the world! If you speak a foreign language, don’t hesitate to send us your translation of this message or proofread the existing translations! Contact us today! The Inspirational Message in English: If plan ‘A’ didn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters! The Inspirational Message Translation into Spanish: ¡Sí el plano “A” no funcionó, el alfabeto tiene 26 letras más! The Inspirational Message Translation into French: Si le plan “A” ne marche pas, il reste encore 25 lettres dans l’alphabet! The Inspirational Message Translation into Italian: Se il piano “A” non funziona, l’alfabeto ha altre 25 lettere! Translation into Russian: Если план “A” не сработал, в алфавите есть еще 32 буквы! Translation into Japanese: もしプランAがうまくいかなかったとしても、アルファベットはまだ残り25個もある！ Translation into Czech: Pokud plán A nefungoval, existuje dalších 41 písmen v abecedě! Translation into Slovak: Ak nezafungoval plán A, ešte stále je tu ďalších 45 písmen abecedy! Translation into Ukrainian: Якщо план “А” не спрацював, в алфавіті є ще 32 літери! Here at LingoStar, we provide high-quality, professional translation, interpretation and localization services into over 100 languages. We cooperate with translators, voice-over talent, and many other language specialists all over the... read more
Jan 23, 2015 | Blog, Translation
Community Interpreters’ Development The issue of cross-cultural differences has been a subject of debate for quite a long time. The first Critical Link conference in Toronto in 1995 dedicated much of its time to discussions about whether the role of community interpreters included cultural brokerage. In Canada, for example, community interpreting has been labeled as ‘cultural interpreting’ and in Italy and Spain as ‘cultural mediation’. All of these terms denote that interpreters have to assist people they are working with in cultural communication. Useful Tips for Community Interpreters Language is changing rapidly as every day more and more new words and phrases appear. Therefore, it is important for interpreters to upgrade their skills and to increase their knowledge of language pairs they specialize in. There are a lot of ways to develop one’s professional skills. Firstly, many colleges and universities provide courses which teach about various translation and interpretation areas. Secondly, it can be very helpful to become a member of a professional organization and attend lectures, workshops, and seminars. These are often sponsored by local chapters of such organizations. Attending these events helps interpreters to not only learn new information about the industry but also network, meet a lot of interesting people and colleagues and become a part of a community. Finally, every interpreter can increase his/her knowledge working individually and reading and learning new terminology. Professional development is necessary in this field because community interpreters always deal with different cultures and help people from these cultures communicate, establish contact and get closer to each other. A single mistake can lead to conflicts and unexpected problems. That’s why... read more
Jan 22, 2015 | Promotions
Vince Lombardi’s Motivational Quote Translation into German, Italian, Russian, Slovak, Japanese, Ukrainian, Spanish It is important to win, to achieve your goals, to be successful. However, what helps people become successful? Vince Lombardi gives you an answer: you need to WANT to win. Therefore, be positive, work harder, and you’ll be successful. Let’s make this list even longer! Don’t hesitate to contact us and send us translations of this motivational quote into languages you speak. The Motivational Quote in English: Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. (Vince Lombardi) Motivational Quote Translation into Slovak: Vyhrať nie je všetko, ale všetkým je chuť zvíťaziť. (citát: Vince Lombardi) Motivational Quote Translation into Russian: Победа – это еще не все, главное – желание победить. (Винс Ломбарди) Quote Translation into Italian: Vincere non è tutto, ma voler vincere sì. (Vince Lombardi) Quote Translation into Japanese: 勝つことが全てではない。だが勝ちたいと思うことが大事なのだ。―ビンス・ランバルディ Quote Translation into Ukrainian: Перемога – це ще не все, головне – бажання перемогти. (Вінс Ломбарді) Quote Translation into German: Gewinnen ist nicht alles, aber der Wunsch dazu ist es. (Vince Lombardi) Quote Translation into Spanish: Ganar no lo es todo, pero querer ganar sí lo es. (Vince Lombardi) Quote Translation into French: Gagner n’est pas tout, mais l’effort qu’il faut fournir l’est. (Vince Lombardi) Here at LingoStar, we provide high-quality, professional translation, interpretation and localization services into over 100 languages. We cooperate with translators, voice-over talent, and many other language specialists all over the world. For more information, call us today at 604-629-8420 or send us an email at info@lingo-star.com. Photo by Abigail Keenan, taken from... read more
Jan 19, 2015 | Blog, Translation
What you should know about a Translation Quote On a daily basis we receive a multitude of translation quote requests for various services. These can range from the translation of transcripts, office presentations, birth certificates, technical instruction manuals, among countless others. It is important that the client takes a few things into consideration upon asking for a quote. Translation Quote: What to keep in mind – If cost is an overwhelming issue, the 3 step translation process can be altered accordingly; translation, editing and proofreading is our process, however, proofreading and editing can be skipped to be able to lower the cost. This is a viable alternative when you do not need a translation for business purposes, but rather just to understand the text. – When quality is a priority we will always ensure that all 3 translation steps are done. – When requesting a quote for translation we ask that you provide us with the original source file. If a client sends an un-editable file, it will result in higher desktop publishing (DTP) services formatting costs which will unnecessarily drive your quote price up. – Take into consideration that when translating a document into certain languages, expansion can occur where there are more words in the target language, which normally requires DTP work. A good example of this is Spanish, which has approximately 20% more words than its English counterpart. – Be aware of which dialect you need for your target language of the translation you need. Some languages have several dialects, and knowing which specific one you need for your translation is essential for it to be translated properly to... read more
Jan 16, 2015 | Blog, Translation
French, Italian, Slovak, Ukrainian, Japanese, Russian, and English Translation of a Quote by Petr Casanova Never give up! Even if you think you haven’t achieved your goal, just look back, and you will see how much you have already done and how much you have already learnt. Isn’t it a real success? So it is time to share this positive message with as many people as possible. You are more than welcome to send us your translation of the quote or proofread the existing translations! Just contact LingoStar and make your contribution! Original Quote in Czech: Velikost úspěchu se neměří tím, čeho v životě dosáhneme, ale co cestou překonáme. (citat Petr Casanova) English Translation of the Quote: The greatest success is not measured by what we achieve in life, but what we overcome on our path. (by Petr Casanova) Russian Translation of the Quote: Величина успеха измеряется не нашими жизненными достижениями, а тем, что мы преодолеваем на нашем пути. (Цитата Петра Казановы) Ukrainian Translation of the Quote: Величина успіху вимірюється не нашими життєвими досягненнями, але тим, що ми долаєемо на нашому шляху. (Цитата Петра Казанови.) Slovak Translation: Najväčší úspech sa nehodnotí tým, čo v živote dosiahneme, ale ako si poradíme s prekážkami na našej ceste. (citát: Petr Casanova) Italian Translation: Il successo più grande non è dato dai risultati ottenuti, ma dagli ostacoli superati durante il percorso. (Di Petr Casanova) French Translation: Le plus grand succès n’est pas mesuré par les résultats obtenus, mais par les obstacles surmontés dans le chemin. (De Petr Casanova) Japanese Translation: 最も偉大な成功とは、人生で何を成し遂げたかではなく、過去に何を乗り越えてきたかで評価される。（By ベトル・カサノバ） Here at LingoStar, we have qualified translators in many different fields... read more
Jan 14, 2015 | Blog, Translation, Translation News
Anita Moorjani Quote Translation Every single person on this planet, in every single corner of this beautiful world, is an important part of something big and wonderful. Therefore, what happens in our lives and in the life of humanity is not just something random. It is supposed to be exactly like this. And all of us can make a contribution to make this world even better. So, let’s share this beautiful idea with as many people as possible! Help LingoStar translate today’s positive message or proofread the existing translations. Don’t hesitate to contact us and send us your quote translation. We are looking forward to hearing from you! Original Quote in English: Everything is exactly how it should be in the grand scheme of things. (by Anita Moorjani) Quote Translation into Czech: Vše je přesně tak, jak má být ve velkolepé souhře záměrů. (citát Anita Moorjani) Quote Translation into Japanese: 全ての事は、壮大な世界や人生の中でそうあるべきようになっている。（By アニータ・モージャニ） Translation into French: Tout est exactement comme il doit être dans le grand schéma des choses. (de Anita Moorjani) Translation into Russian : Все именно так, как и должно быть в общем порядке вещей. (Цитата Аниты Мурджани.) Translation into Slovak : Všetko je zariadené tak, ako má byť vo veľkolepej súhre zámerov. (citát Anita Moorjani) Translation into Ukrainian : Все саме так, як має бути у загальному порядку речей. (Цитата Аніти Мурджані.) Translation into Italian: Tutto è esattamente come deve essere nel grande schema delle cose. (di Anita Moorjani) Here at LingoStar, we have qualified translators in many different fields of specialization. They are not only proficient in different languages, but also concentrate on different cultures and specific dialects. They... read more
Jan 12, 2015 | Blog, Translation
Qualities of a Good Translator Translation is one of the most interesting and important professions. Not only do translators convert a text from one language to another, but they also make cross-cultural communication possible. As a result, they eliminate cultural barriers and misunderstandings. To become a professional translator it is not enough to simply know two different languages. So what are the qualities of a good translator? First of all, a lot of translators work as freelancers and have to communicate with people. It is crucial for them to be highly respectful and to be able to pay close attention to their clients’ interests and needs. The ability to listen to what other people say helps translators do their job in the best way. Secondly, for a translator it is necessary to have project management skills. A language specialist who is working with a translation agency doesn’t usually face this problem. However, freelancers depend on themselves. They need to effectively manage their projects and meet the timeframes they have committed to. Thirdly, a translator must realize that too much work is not necessarily a good thing. Every translator needs to be honest about whether he/she is able to take on more projects. If translators feel they might possibly miss a deadline if they accept more projects, they should decline new jobs and focus on the work that they already have, so that they translate it professionally and to the highest quality. Here at LingoStar we help translators manage their time and projects so that they don’t miss deadlines and can provide flawless translations quickly. We cooperate with professional translators all... read more
Jan 9, 2015 | Blog, Translation
What Do Translators’ Professional Ethics Include? Translation is more than just simply converting texts from one language to another. Specialists in any field have professional ethics to uphold, and translators are no exception. In their guide to obtaining credentials, NAATI, the national standards and accreditation body for translators and interpreters in Australia, list a number of general principles that every translator and interpreter should follow. For instance, these principles require professional translators to respect their clients’ right to privacy and confidentiality; disclose any real or perceived conflicts of interest; decline to undertake any work beyond their competence and level of accreditation; relay information accurately and impartially between parties, etc. Every organization of translators and interpreters has its own rules and regulations which members have to follow. For example, the Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia (STIBC) has established principles for professionals in BC. These requirements say that members should not make misleading statements about their level of proficiency; they should respect all copyrights and other intellectual property rights. In addition, they cannot use their professional role to perform functions that lie beyond the scope of a language professional. Violation of these regulations can negatively affect not only the quality of their work, but also their future career. Furthermore, in today`s world of globalization, the concept of accountability is especially important in the career of a translator. Accountability means that translators and interpreters are responsible for the consequences of their behavior. Therefore, they need to think carefully about the decisions they make, both textual and non-textual. Finally, they also need to keep in mind that their choices can... read more
Dec 19, 2014 | Blog, Language Services, SEO, Tips, Translation
Translation of a Website and SEO: How Important Are They? Dear language friend, the holidays are here and the LingoStar team wishes you and yours all the best this holiday season! We hope that the upcoming celebrations bring joy, happiness, and love. We also hope that you enjoy this newsletter and find a lot of useful information regarding the translation of a website to help your business prosper in 2015. Have you ever wondered why certain websites immediately pop up in Google when you are searching for information, and others fall behind even though they contain more useful content? It is not just a random ranking. The way websites are ranked is a result of the work of web developers and language specialists. In today’s world of globalization, where websites play such an important role in business and communication, it is crucial to always improve your website, so that it meets the interests of the target audience. What makes websites successful and attractive for international communities is website translation. The company that invests in the translation of its website gains credibility and trust and draws clients’ attention. However, translation of a website isn’t as simple as it seems. To target a specific audience, companies should create a strategy for search engine optimization (SEO). This is a wonderful tool that helps websites become visible and more appealing to customers. Search engines like Google rank web pages, videos, and other content based on what it considers to be most relevant to users. When translating a website, it is not enough just to translate its content into other languages. To... read more
Dec 18, 2014 | Promotions
Help LingoStar Translate the Positive Message and Share It with Everyone! How many times have you tried to force things to happen, only to overthink everything and get stressed out? Sometimes it is better to relax and remember that all of us deserve a reward every once in a while. There are moments when good things come to your life naturally. Help LingoStar share this idea! Help us translate this positive message or proofread the existing translations and send them to LingoStar. We are looking forward to hearing from you! Positive Message in English: Be the passenger in your life, not the driver. Things will come to you naturally. Japanese Translation of the Positive Message: 人生の乗客となれ。運転手となるな。物事は自然とついて来る。 Russian Translation of the Positive Message: Будьте пассажиром по жизни, а не водителем. Все придет к вам само собой. Czech Translation of the Positive Message: Chovejte se v životě jako spolujezdec, ne jako řidič. Váš život se pak bude odvíjet přirozeně. Ukrainian Translation of the Positive Message: Будьте у своєму житті пасажиром, а не водієм. Все прийде до вас само собою. Italian Translation of the Positive Message: Nella tua vita sii il passeggero, non il guidatore. Ogni cosa verrà da sé. French Translation of the Positive Message: Dans ta vie sois le passager, pas le conducteur. Chaque chose viendra naturellement. German Translation of the Positive Message: Seien Sie ein Passagier und nicht ein Fahrer in Ihrem Leben. Alles will zu Ihnen natürlich kommen. Spanish Translation of the Positive Message: Sé el pasajero de tu vida, no el conductor. Las cosas te llegarán naturalmente. Want to get more positive messages? Check out on... read more
Dec 16, 2014 | Blog, Interviews
Jan Kasparec Painter in Vancouver Dear readers, We are launching a new series of interviews with interesting Czech and Slovak people living in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We would like to introduce you to people who inspire and teach us to open up to new horizons, and share their experiences about life in Vancouver, BC. Please welcome our first guest, Jan Kasparec (35), a young and talented painter who works in the Commercial Drive area in Vancouver. His colourful art showcases a spiritual world of fantasy inspired by nature. Jan himself radiates peace, harmony and happiness from the inside out, and this is projected through the bright stars in his blue eyes. Plus, ladies, he is very sexy. Jan Kasparec, what are the three main reasons you paint? What are you inspired by? When I first took on painting professionally, I was very driven and honest, but I was trying to paint images that would sell. I quit my day job because I felt that I had been only fulfilling someone else’s capitalist dream, but I worried about how to survive as a painter. Nevertheless, my reasons for painting have since changed dramatically. Last summer I experienced an inner transformation that has altered my approach towards life, my expectations and desires. I no longer wish to be a rich and famous artist. I wish to paint to feel joy and to create joy for others and to awaken people through my art. Painting has given me so much, I am so thankful for each new day before I go to sleep. Painting has opened up doors to a present moment,... read more
Dec 15, 2014 | Blog, Interviews
Jan Kašparec malíř ve Vancouveru Vážení čtenáři, na těchto stránkách bychom rádi odstartovali sérii rozhovorů se zajímavými Čechy a Slováky žijícími ve Vancouveru. Rádi bychom vám představili osobnosti, které nás mohou inspirovat, učit novým poznatkům, a třeba i ukázat, jak je jejich životní cesta ve Vancouveru utváří. Naším prvním hostem je Jan Kašparec, nadaný mladý malíř (35), který žije a tvoří blízko Commercial Drive. Jeho dílo okouzluje svou barvitostí, spoustou fantazie, z obrazů dýchá viditelná inspirace v duchovním světě a přírodě. Navíc Honza působí velice přirozeně, uvolněně, s radostným pohledem na svět a jiskřičkami v očích. Prostě nitěrně šťastný člověk. A dámy, ještě navíc je sexy. Jaké jsou tři hlavní důvody, proč maluješ? Co tě inspiruje? Když jsem začal malovat profesionálně, maloval jsem poctivě a zapáleně, ale snažil jsem se prorazit a maloval věci, které se prodají. Když jsem se rozhodl přestat chodit do běžné práce a budovat kapitalistický sen někoho jiného, do malování se mi vloudila starost přežít. Ovšem moje důvody pro malování se dramaticky změnily v nedávné době. Letos v létě jsem prožil vnitřní proměnu, která změnila můj přístup k životu, očekávání a touhy. Už nechci být slavný a bohatý umělec. Chci malovat pro radost vlastní a pro radost ostatních. Chci lidi probouzet skrze své obrazy. Malování mi dalo tolik, že denně před spaním děkuji za každý den. Malování mi otevřelo dveře do přítomného okamžiku. Malování mě naučilo trpělivosti, vytrvalosti, odvaze a víře. Co se týče inspirace – té je všude přehršel. Žijeme v překrásném, leč umírajícím světě. Inspirace pro mě znamená napojení na zdroj a sílu, která vytváří život v každém okamžiku. Ve Vesmíru žádný problém neexistuje, ten je jen... read more
Dec 11, 2014 | Blog, Translation
Funny Mistranslations When traveling, translation is important because it removes linguistic barriers and helps tourists get around. Quite often, people will notice funny mistranslations in their native language. Most of them are translations of signs in hotels, restaurants, and other public places where tourists spend time. Let’s laugh at a few examples! Note in the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: “You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday”. Menu in a Swiss mountain inn: “Special today – No ice-cream”. Sign posted in Germany’s Black Forest: “It is strictly forbidden on our Black Forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for this purpose”. Some mistranslations have actually affected an entire country’s customs. For example, in Japan there is a beautiful Valentine’s Day tradition that started due to a mistranslation. In the fifties, chocolate companies began encouraging Japanese people to celebrate this day of love by giving their partner chocolates. However, a mistranslation stipulated that women should give chocolates to men. To this day, this is exactly what happens on February 14th! A single mistranslation created a whole new nice tradition which brings happiness to so many Japanese people. Men in particular! Just imagine how many wonderful mistranslations you can find not only travelling around the world, but also walking around your own neighbourhood. If you see some, or your country celebrates a custom because of a mistranslation, don`t hesitate to share them with... read more
Dec 4, 2014 | Blog, Translation
Positive Message Translation to French, Spanish, German, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Japanese Christmas is getting closer and closer, and it is a perfect time to think about all the wonderful things and miracles that have happened in your life during the year. Yes, they were miracles indeed, not simple coincidences. Help LingoStar translate this beautiful message and share it with the world! Positive Message in English There are no coincidences, only miracles. Treat every day as your miracle and it will take you a step closer to happiness. French Translation of the Positive Message Il n’y a pas des coїncidences , seulement des miracles. Vis chaque jour comme ton miracle et il t’emmènera un pas plus près de la félicité. Czech Translation of the Positive Message Neexistují žádné náhody, jen zázraky. Považujte každý den za svůj zázrak a dostanete se o krůček blíže ke štěstí. Slovak Translation of the Positive Message Náhody neexistujú, každá náhoda je malý zázrak! Považujte každý deň za zázrak a dostanete sa o krôčik bližšie ku šťastiu. Russian Translation of the Positive Message Не бывает совпадений, есть лишь чудеса. Думайте о каждом дне как о чуде, и это на шаг приблизит вас к счастью. Japanese Translation of the Positive Message 偶然など存在しない。奇跡だけだ。毎日を奇跡としてとらえれば、幸せに一歩近づく。 German Translation of the Positive Message Es gibt keine Zufälle, es gibt nur Wunder. Halten Sie jeden Tag für ein Wunder, und es will Ihr Glück ein bisschen näher bringen. Spanish Translation of the Positive Message No existen las coincidencias, sólo los milagros. Trata todos los días como un milagro y te llevará un paso más cerca de la felicidad. Italian Translation of the... read more
Dec 4, 2014 | Blog, SEO, Translation
Peculiarities of Game Localization Have you ever wondered why some foreign computer games are unpopular in your country, and others are hugely popular – and have even built up a cult following – so much so that people prefer playing the game to living their real life? Of course, some games are destined to be ‘international stars’ because of their high-quality content and graphic design. However this is often not enough: computer games also need to cross cultural boundaries and attract multiple target audiences like many books, films, TV shows, and websites do. Digital games are a global, multi-billion dollar industry, and many game producers and art directors, who are perfectly confident in local game releases, worry about foreign editions in non-native languages as it can influence the overall success of the product. For the game to achieve as much success abroad as it has achieved in the country of release, companies must employ localization, which is a complex process. Video game localization includes translation of text within the game (eg. characters’ dialogue, on-screen instructions, etc.), the game’s instruction manual, packaging, and promotional material. In addition, dialogue needs to be culturally adapted and voiced by native speakers of the target market in order to come across as authentic. However, many aspects of video game localization begin long before translation is actually needed. First, localizers need to decide where the game will be sold, and which languages it will be translated into. For example, localization might include a game developer’s decision not to invest in a Japanese localization as he or she can predict that the company will not benefit... read more