Chinese Translation Service

Chinese translation services are generally in demand despite the downward pressure on China’s economy. In addition, Chinese translation services continue to grow due to the fact that more Chinese companies are venturing to other countries, which results in less dependency on its domestic market.

With many native Chinese attempting to be Chinese translation services providers, we need to be aware of the possible common errors that may arise in translating from Chinese to English. By understanding these errors, a customer who wishes to engage a Chinese translation services provider may also appreciate why proofreading and editing is sometimes required for the final English version. In addition, a Chinese translation services provider who understands these errors may avoid them and deliver better quality translations as well.

For a start, common errors do occur when nouns are being translated by junior Chinese translation services provider. Most Chinese translation services providers are aware that Chinese nouns do not have the singular or plural forms. However, Chinese translation services providers have to bear in mind that certain nouns referring to people have corresponding collective nouns. For example, the singular 朋友 (which means “a friend”) has the corresponding collective noun 朋友们 (which means “a group of friends”). Very often, the word朋友们 is translated by inexperienced Chinese translation services providers to just “friends” instead of the more appropriate phrase “group of friends” or “my friends”. Depending on the context of the document, a Chinese translation services provider may even translate it into “my dear friends”.

Another common error that can be made by some Chinese translation services providers is the inappropriate use of “of” particle and possessive case in the English translation. For example, the sentence 这是李太太朋友的书。which means “This book belongs to Mrs Li’s friend.”  is sometimes awkwardly written by Chinese translation services providers as “This is Mrs Li’s friend’s book.” Or “This is the book of friend of Mrs Li.” Although some Chinese translation services providers may argue that the poor translations are accurate, the latter two phrases can be quite painful to read.

Having shown some common errors, I need to stress that knowing all these common errors doesn’t make us expert Chinese translation services provider. We are still dependent on Chinese translation services providers to deliver good quality translations.

The issue is how do we ensure these Chinese translation services providers deliver good quality translations? The answer is to hire established translation company with companies, based in well inculcated English and Chinese environments, as Chinese translation services providers. An example of such translation company is the Singaporean global translation companies. The globally based Singaporean Chinese translation services providers have internationally accepted English and Chinese standards with experts in various fields.

Why is it better to choose the more established Singaporean translation companies as Chinese translation services providers? It’s better to choose the established Singaporean translation companies as they are likely to have more resources for proofreading and editing, and internal quality checks and control for Chinese translation services.

For now, I shall leave you with the above two points on common errors that are usually made by Chinese translation services providers. For the next article, I hope to share with you more on these common errors.

Japanese Translation Service

It seems that Japanese translation services are set to be on an upward trend as the Japanese economy is expected to grow in 2015. The need for Japanese translation services is still predominant as Japan's economy is third only to that of the United States. Leading Japanese companies, such as Sony, Toshiba, Canon, Minolta, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi that have infiltrated the world market in the past, continue to engage in Japanese translation services.

These Japanese translation services are not related to English languages only. They include Japanese translation services that can originate from non-English languages and translated into Japanese or vice versa. Hence, these days it is quite normal for Japanese translation services to involve non-English languages, such as Mandarin, Arabic, Bahasa Malaysia, etc .

As the need for Japanese translation services grow, so would the number of Japanese translation services providers. Therefore, it is important that we understand the unique issues involved with translations, in particular, into Japanese so that we can take them into account when hiring a Japanese translation services provider.

When engaging a Japanese translation services provider from English to Japanese translation, it is important to hire a native Japanese translation services provider. Why is it that important?

Firstly, the Japanese reflects their social hierarchy and cultural sensitivities in their written language. For example, the Japanese translation services provider would have to attach some kind of respect to certain persons and objects in the form honorific characters in front of their related characters. The type of honorific characters to be chosen as prefix by the Japanese translation services provider would also depend on the origin of the word. For example, if the origin is from Japan, then お(o) is supposed to be used by the Japanese translation services provider, while ご(go) is usually used if the word is from China.

Secondly, there are many minute and detailed differences in the Japanese vocabularies and verbs that require the Japanese translation services provider to be exacting in his translations, otherwise he or she may end up conveying different messages.

For example, under vocabularies, the Japanese translation services provider would need to use different terms to differentiate a cow or bull. For the female cow, it is called雌牛 (meushi), the male ox is called 雄牛 (oushi ), the young cow or bull is called 子牛 (koushi) and the parent cow or bull is called 親牛 (oyaushi).

With regards to Japanese sentence construction, the Japanese translation services provider would need to use the exact Japanese verbs to express the subjective view, feelings and intentions of the speaker. For example, the Japanese translation services provider should know the slight difference between the conjugation of the same verbs in the 2 sentences, 雨が降る。and雨が降るかしら。which gives rise to entirely different meanings. The former simply means “The rain falls.” while the latter means “I wonder if it will rain.”

Very often, there are many rules as well exceptions in the Japanese language that requires the Japanese translation services provider to dedicate a team of translator as well as proofreader to translate very important documents, such as legal contracts. That is why it is important to consider engaging professional global translation company as Japanese translation services provider as it would most likely have a larger pool of Japanese translators, proofreaders and editors.

In my next article, I hope to share more examples of the uniqueness of the Japanese language which can only be fully understood by a Japanese translation services provider. In the meantime, I hope this article proves to be useful to some extent to readers who may be engaging a Japanese translation services provider or simply trying to understand the Japanese language.

Simultaneous Interpretation Malaysia

It seems Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia is gaining popularity in reaching the masses. Companies as well as politicians are leveraging on Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia as it has been found to be an efficient tool in communicating to large groups in their mother tongue languages.

Apart from being efficient, more Malaysian companies are venturing into Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia because it is an effective method for promotion as well. Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia creates the possibility for consumer products to be efficiently and effectively marketed to the general public.

Besides the cost of organizing a Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia, one of the concerns of conducting a Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia is the extent of work that goes behind the scene. Project managers who frequently have to manage a Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia may find it mind boggling, especially when it comes to handling large scale events such as conferences and conventions. However, Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia can be smoothly executed if certain key areas are considered, planned and resolved in a timely manner.

A well executed Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia often requires a project manager to consider the following:

a)    Engaging experienced Interpreters who have done Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia

Generally, the most established and globally based translation company tend to have the more experienced SI Interpreters to undertake Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia. In addition, a globally based translation company has to meet global International standards with regards to providing SI interpreters for Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia.

An established global translation company would also have a larger pool of SI interpreters for Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia, at least for those relating to local languages. This is due to the fact that an established global translation company conducts a higher volume of Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia that can justify for the larger pool of SI interpreters.

At the individual level, you can tell that an SI interpreter has experience in Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia from the profile that the translation company usually provides. The type and size of events for which the SI interpreter has conducted Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia in the past can shed some light on his or her experiences.

When would an SI interpreter be considered experienced enough to do Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia?

An SI interpreter for Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia would be considered experienced enough when he or she is able to:

- interpret the speech of the speaker from the source to the target language almost rather quickly; approximately after 4 to 5 words of the spoken source language.

- give a reasonably accurate meaning of the spoken sentences

- interpret without having to summarize and paraphrase

- interpret professionally without being bias

Note:  Project managers need to bear in mind that interpreting for the whole day can be mentally exhausting for the interpreter, especially for Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia. Therefore, a full day Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia would usually require 2 SI interpreters. The performance of the SI Interpreters will definitely be better as the interpreter can take turns to interpret for every 10-15 minutes or so in the Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia.

b)    Space for equipments and other peripherals for the Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia

The interpreters’ booths that come in various sizes, the control console, the transmitters and other peripherals are essential parts of the equipment for the Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia.

To give an idea of how much space an interpreter’s booth can take in the event for the Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia, you would need to imagine a cubicle of dimensions 2.5m wide × 2.3m high × 2.4m deep (8.2ft × 7.75ft × 7.87ft).

Even a simple table for the collection and return of headsets can take up a fair amount of space in the conference room. Hence, project managers would need to plan with the provider for the SI equipment for the Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia and conference room way ahead of the event in order to ensure smooth execution.

c)    Sufficient material pertaining to the topics to be presented in the Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia 

As no one SI interpreter can be an expert in every field and that every company of similar industry has their own brands and preferred terms, it is important that materials are shared with the interpreters before the Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia.

Despite the challenges that may arise from inception to implementation, project managers need to focus on the positive advantages of having Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia. The benefits of a well conducted Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia would definitely outweigh the costs in many aspects.

Finally… Although my thoughts in the above article may not cover every aspect of Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia, I hope at the very least, in may help in facilitating better cooperation between project managers and providers of Simultaneous Interpretation in Malaysia.

certified translation services

It seems to many that Certified Translation Services is simply about “certifying” a document.  However, not many would know that there are many ways that a certified translation services provider can “certify” your document after translation. The reason as to why there are many ways to providing certified translation services is due to the fact that different organizations require different kinds of certified translation services to be applied to different kinds of documents.

The simple rule to getting your document certified is to:

1)      Clarify with the person (who had required you to engage a certified translation services provider) and with whom you are handing your documents to.

For example:

a)      If it is an application for admissions to an overseas university that requires you to translate and engage certified translation services for your documents, then you would need to clarify with the admissions officer as to how he or she wants the certified translation services provider to certify your documents.

b)      If you need to submit translations of your personal documents which requires certified translation services to a bank officer for loans purposes, then you would need to clarify with the loans officer of that particular bank as to  how he or she wants the certified translation services provider to certify your documents

2)       Then convey the instruction to the  certified translation services provider

In the first example cited above with regards to University Admissions, different Universities of the same country may enforce different set of rules for accepting certified translated documents that has been done by a certified translation services provider. For example, both New Zealand Universities in Wellington and Auckland requires the translation to be certified by any certified translation services provider. However, the former University requires a copy of the original document with stamp ”Original Sighted” to be included in the certified translation services. 

In the 2^nd example cited above with regards to loans application, different banks require different types of certification to be done by a certified translation services provider. Usually, the Headquarters of the different banks would set realistic rules on a country by country basis as to how they want the certification to be done by a certified translation services provider. After all, they can’t turn away their customers simply because of certified translation services that can’t be done within the specific local country.

There may be many certified translation services providers who may claim to have the ulitimate authority to providing certified translation services within the country they are based and seem to know what you need even before you present your documents. However, a responsible certified translation services provider will listen first to the purpose of the certified translation services and then apply the appropriate certified translation services to your needs. 

The truth is the organization that is supposed to receive your documents with applied certified translation services has the ultimate say and authority over how your translated documents are to be certified. 

In my next article on certified translation services, I hope to provide more examples of certified translation services and share with you the differences between them. Meanwhile, I do hope that the above written article proves to be useful to you to some extent.

Translation Services Malaysia

Despite the dramatic politics in Malaysia, translation services in Malaysia is still rapidly developing and keeping abreast with the rapidly growing Malaysian economy in Asia. Translation services in Malaysia continue to grow as Malaysia maintains its marketing oriented and pro-business government policies to attract Foreign Direct Investments.

More technical translation services in Malaysia are now being offered in the more established and global translation company as Malaysia becomes more involved in technical industries, such as biotechnology, photonics, innovation and R& D industries.

Apart from technical translation services in Malaysia, more global translation companies are adding other related translation services in Malaysia. These complimentary translation services in Malaysia include Interpretation, transcription, website localization, Multilanguage typesetting & desktop publishing, dubbing, voiceover & subtitling, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) content writing and copywriting.

The quality of translation often depends on the translation company’s ability to provide quality checks, such as proofreading and editing resources, relating to the various given translation services in Malaysia. Hence, it follows that globally established translation companies tend to be able to produce better translation services in Malaysia.

As the Malaysian Government is gaining momentum in boosting domestic demand to wean off its dependence on exports, a greater need for Bahasa Malaysia related translation services in Malaysia emerges. It is now common to see a wider variety of European, Mediterranean and Asian languages being translated into Bahasa Malaysia to woo the locals. This is due to a closer global environment whereby foreign companies are engaging translation services in Malaysia to tap into the domestic market.

Malaysians are also becoming more adventurous as noted from some companies providing translation services in Malaysia . It is common to see Malaysian Muslims enjoying foreign food, such as pizzas and sushi, and travels to foreign countries, such as Japan and China. Travel agents, with the help of translation services in Malaysia continue to assure Muslim travelers of the availability of Halal facilities and food in these countries. Hence, more companies are engaging translation services in Malaysia and importing foreign products and services to satisfy the local appetite.

A more educated and confident Malaysian business community is also increasing its needs for translation services in Malaysia as more local companies expand their operations into the overseas market. Translation services in Malaysia from Bahasa Malaysia to French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese are commonly sought after by Malaysian companies as Malaysians rise to provide international branded goods and services.

Having stayed in Malaysia for more than 5 years and having observed the trend for translation services in Malaysia , I do believe that Malaysians are just too resilient to allow politics to affect their growing desire to reach out to the international community. With this connection to the global community, I do believe and that the demand for translation services in Malaysia will continue to grow.

Chinese Translation Service

Chinese translation services continue to be in demand although China has reduced their growth target for 2015. At 7%, the world’s second-largest economy is still expected to expand faster than any other country, maintaining the demand for English to Chinese translation services.

Chinese translation service providers have presented new exclusive, diverse brands and quality and value for money luxury products into China for which the Chinese has an acquired passion. That is why foreign exporters are still engaging Chinese translation service providers to market or introduce their luxury products in China.

There a few points to take note in the translated Chinese version which has undergone Chinese translation service. A marketing material needs to undergo proper English to Chinese translation services would take into account existing cultural nuances in China; and to avoid cultural taboos in the translations. For that matter, an established translation company which is an English to Chinese translation service provider is able to translate the original document into appealing Chinese marketing content for new exporters into the Chinese market.

It is also worthwhile to engage a competent Chinese translation services provider who would be able to advise you on any inappropriate literal translations and propose an alternative phrase for the targeted Chinese readers. For example, a competent Chinese translation services provider would advise the client that a scene with a newly wed couple carrying an umbrella between them is inappropriate in China as the word umbrella (傘, sǎn) sounds similar to 散 (sàn) which means to break up.

Another point to take note is that it is alright to let the experienced English to Chinese translation service provider use proverbs and idioms to make impressionable statements in order to better connect to the Chinese target audiences. Proverbs such as “不入虎穴，焉得虎子” (Bù rù hǔ xué，yān dé hǔ zǐ) is sometimes used during Chinese translation service to evoke some response among the audience. It literally says “You can’t get the lion’s cub if you don’t venture into the lion’s cave”. However it simply means “Nothing ventured, Nothing ventured”.

Chinese translation services into English are regularly sought after by Fortune 500 Chinese companies that have branches in non Chinese speaking countries. Exporting Chinese companies engage Chinese translation services providers to assist in the translation of company registration forms, immigration papers, marketing materials, company policies, material safety data sheets and research materials. These translations that are done by Chinese translation services providers have greatly helped the Chinese exporters to sell their products in the global market.

It is not uncommon to engage Chinese translation services providers for translations into non English languages, such as, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Bahasa Malaysia, French, German and vice versa. These Chinese translation services can easily be offered by an established translation company that is based in a country which has Mandarin and English as its official language in schools. Singapore is a hotbed for Chinese translation services as the education system and environment supports the learning of languages such as most Asian languages as well as European languages.

As China plays a significant role in the world economy, it is my hope that this article will encourage more readers to engage with the Chinese in trade or simply understand their culture through translated documentaries by Chinese translation services providers.

Japanese Translation Services

Japanese translation service is on a rebound with Japanese companies benefitting from the decline in oil prices and strong economic strengthening policies. The demand for Japanese Translation Service is also increasing with the increase in exports due to the depreciating Yen.

All seems upbeat. But how do Japanese translation service help businesses in general?

Japanese translation service assists businesses in the export and import of goods. In addition, companies engage Japanese translation service in localising their operations and disseminating information to the locals about their products and services.

Japanese translation service providers continue to serve importing companies in Japan, whereby Japanese translation service is used to introduce overseas international brands into the Japanese market. Global luxury goods such as LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Kering and Cie Financière Richemont find their way into the Japanese market via English to Japanese translation service.

Japanese Companies also engage Japanese translation service providers to translate their product manuals and marketing materials into English for exports of their products and services.  Other services relating to Japanese translation service can refine the final products of translations as well. Such complimentary Japanese translation service includes Japanese Typesetting and Graphic design; and Japanese Voiceovers and Subtitling, to captivate the audiences with delightful artwork or voiced videos. Once the Japanese translation service providers have provided the translation, the translated scripts can be inserted or voiced into their selected media.

Apart from using Japanese translation Service for imports and exports of goods, foreign companies have planted their branches in Japan to leverage on established Research and Development centres. With the help of Japanese translation Service providers, these foreign based branches are able to keep their eye on developments in Japanese innovations. Examples of Japanese innovations for which Japanese translation Service providers have help to share to the world, are technologies relating to hybrid vehicles and mini vehicles. Recently, Japanese translation Service providers have helped in the introduction of the research and development of technologies relating to the “reduction of carbon dioxide emissions” and “intuitive driving” in Japan.

An important point to note is that most Japanese documents that require Japanese translation Service involve heavy technical terms, including scientific, technological and legal terms. These types of documents require a Japanese translation Service provider, preferably a global translation company, that has sufficient resources e.g. talented and competent Japanese translators, proofreaders and editors in various technical fields. A Japanese translation Service providing company that is based in an environment where there are established education system promoting both English and Japanese languages such as Singapore would be an ideal Japanese translation Service provider. It is interesting to note that many Singaporeans make excellent Japanese translation Service providers as it is common for them to have studied English and Japanese and to have worked in Japan.

As Japan makes an economic recovery, so will its research & developments contribute more to the rest of the world.  There are still room for more overseas companies to forge relations with Japanese companies. Perhaps a Japanese translation service provider can facilitate the process?

Although the above article appeals to those who are interested in Japanese translation Service and it is just an opinion, I hope it will provide an idea about Japanese translation Service and which Japanese translation Service to engage.