Archives de Tag: mistranslation

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Translating your Press Releases is Crucial to your Global Footprint

If you’re wondering whether it’s a sound decision to translate your press releases, please read on. You’ll see how crucial it is for you to translate this type of content in several languages, including French (a language used worldwide).

Good PR vs Bad PR

Your PR communication greatly helps boost your visibility, your sales and your image. Without it, chances are nobody would know who you are, what you sell and why people should choose you over your competitors. As we live in a society of round-the-clock news, it is paramount to be heard and visible in the media (TV, radio and social media). But, you shouldn’t make the mistake of communicating in English only.

To ensure the widest coverage possible, you should know that offering multilingual content is necessary.

English Only Is Overrated

Did you know that search engines categorise content according to the language used? Also, people are more likely to read your PR releases if they’re offered in their very own language (remember this famous quote from Nelson Mandela: « If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart »).

Although English is widely spoken, especially among journalists, it is no guarantee that all nuances and references can be understood by non natives. Remember that reading in a foreign language requires extra effort and everybody can make mistakes when interpreting your content.

To ensure that foreign journalists use your PR content, and pass along your message worldwide, you need to address them in their own language.

Offer content that they can be readily used, copied, pasted and talked about.

Don’t let journalists translate the content themselves. You’d run the risk of mistranslations and a potential PR nightmare!

A Sound Investment

Competent and reliable translators aren’t cheap but it is a very sound investment for your company. Your message needs to be accurately conveyed from the start. Think of all the translation-related disasters that forced some companies to spend millions on new campaigns to repair the damage! Think of the companies that are now having difficulties entering certain markets because of communication and language blunders!

As a conclusion, the cost of damage control could certainly be far greater than hiring a professional translator.

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A Quick Guide to Purchasing Translation Services

Following my post on « 5 myths about the translation industry », I thought it would be good to do a follow-up and offer some sound advice to future (or existing) buyers of translation services.

1/ Determine the purpose of your documents that need to be translated

Is it to attract potential clients (commercial, promotional material) or to send updates to your employees and investors (informational content)? This is crucial to determine the register and terminology applied.

2/ Your budget should not be the only factor weighing in when choosing a translator

The most common mistake would be to accept the cheapest quote. Such a choice could potentially cost you a lot more in damage control (see previous post mentioning translation blunders high-profile businesses had to face)! You can have two among the three options: quality/fast/cheap. Choose wisely.

Also, make sure that you are only sending the most important documents for translation. No need to have it all translated in bulk. Stick with one vendor so that overtime, you’ll have the possibility to request a discount on repetitive sections that emerge in the database created by the translator.

3/ Make sure you send all the necessary documents and reference files to your translator.

Communication is key to a successful partnership. If you have glossaries, reference files, or any other support material that could help your translator in applying the proper style and terminology, do send them along with the source file.

It would be completely counter-productive to get back to your translator after the project has been delivered in order to complain about the wrong use of terminology. Do yourself and your vendor a favour and prepare the project in a sensible manner. You would both benefit from it!

4/ The difference between a real mistake and a perceived error

I’ll be straightforward with that one: you may have learned the language in school, but you shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that it allows you to make a sound assessment of the translation. I strongly suggest that you have the files proofread by a professional linguist. A third neutral opinion is the best compromise in order to settle any disagreements. Wouldn’t you agree?

If you wish to implement some preferential changes, let the translator know. But please, bear in mind that preferential changes are, by definition, completely subjective edits that should not be used to question the overall quality of the translation. A mistranslation and a stylistic choice are two very different notions.

I hope this will be useful in your quest for translators. If you have any questions, I’d be more than happy to help you out!