All things dealing with language technology, translation-related tools and best practices in the localization industry.
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At this point, there is no real question as to whether or not Earth’s language diversity is dwindling, as it already clearly is. But there is a question as to how much of this phenomenon is due to increasingly powerful machine translation (MT) tools such as neural machine translation (NMT) versus how much is due to natural processes.
Translations need to encounter a layer of “cultural” translation. Beyond literally translating words or phrases, linguists must also be cultural experts who can examine how a specific group of people will respond to a given word or phrase. At CSOFT, we use cultural and subject matter experts to ensure that every translation is accurate.
With the spread of English, many assumed that Esperanto would die out, yet today, because of the visibility it’s gained from the digital revolution, the language is still adding followers. The popular language-learning mobile application, Duolingo, added Esperanto to its catalog of languages in 2015, and it quickly gained more than 600,000 active users. Today, Esperanto is spoken by nearly 2 million people as a second language in 115 countries.
Complacency is easy and comfortable, but in marketing, it alienates consumers. Always ensure that your product and marketing materials are localized and match the tastes of consumers in your target market. If you find that your product still lacks resonance, reflect on your strategy and retool it. Allow yourself the fun and excitement of learning how to integrate your product into a new and interesting foreign culture. Who knows? You might even make some money in the process.
Anyone interested in learning more about China should begin with learning the language, as studying changes in the pronunciation, shape, and meaning of each Chinese character is a great lesson on ancient civilizations and cultures. To get started in your studies, here are five amazing facts about the language and its history.
An in-country review (ICR), also referred to as an in-house review, is an essential step in life science translations. With translations for industries such as medical, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnologies, accuracy is of the utmost importance. Generally, in-country reviews will be undertaken by someone on the client’s side.
Several years ago, clinical trials in India were a booming business. After becoming fully compliant withTRIPS in 2005, India was seen as a favorable place to conduct clinical trials as they boast a huge genetically diverse population, as well as a multitude of skilled health professionals. Additionally, it is estimated that India based clinical trials offered a 35-60% cost reduction compared to western based trials.
Pop culture references have always evaded dictionaries for some time after their initial adoption, and now due to the voracity and speed at which the internet consumes and discards new slang and references, machines can’t quite keep up. Ayan has pointed to “odd spellings, hashtags, urban slang, dialects, hybrid words, and emoticons” as being the major hurdles for NMT.
Do a quick search and you will discover a plethora of websites and articles filled with information for translators and interpreters in the life sciences. One of the principal challenges of translating for life sciences is the highly scientific terminology and lexicon associated with the industry. This vast network of information is constantly undergoing changes, growing, and being revised as new information is available. Here I have complied a list of just a few of the great resources there are out there.
