In some respects the Chinese translation
industry is still playing catch-up with the rest of the world. The
European Union is now China’s largest trading partner in front of the
US. However language translation between China and its European trading
partners is slowed down by a three-stage process involving first having
to translate into English and then from English into the European
language. This problem occurs in both directions. There are very few
courses in the Chinese language offered in most European countries and
in China not many courses in languages other than English – which almost
everyone regards as the language to use in the export/import area.
Apart
from the slowness of communicating this way, there is the increased
danger of information getting “lost in translation”. When will this
problem be rectified? Not soon it seems, in spite of the huge importance
of China as a trading partner !
We remain gladly your partner
for translation work in all Asian languages. Don’t hesitate to ask for a
non-binding and free-of-charge cost estimate.
Did you
know? LEFT BRAIN, RIGHT BRAIN
LANGUAGE LEARNING
The left side of the brain is where we
do most of our rational thinking, the right side is where most of our
“creative” activities take place. According to recent research by
Professor Antony Kong of Florida University, learning to speak or write
the English language has the side of our brains engaged. However,
learning to read or write the very differently written and spoken
Chinese language, for example, requires more activity in the right side
of the brain.
This situation is illustrated by Professor Kong’s
research with stroke sufferers who are having to re-learn how to speak
and write. The conclusion of this research was that stroke sufferers
often lose the ability to speak or remember events but now difficult or
easy it is to re-learn language can depend on which part of the brain
was affected by the stroke and which language is being learnt.
Did you know?
The
world’s most translated book is the Bible. Parts of the
Bible are said to be available in around 2,400 languages including 680
in
Africa, 590 in Asia, 420 in Oceania, 420 in Latin America and the
Caribbean,
210 in Europe and 75 in North America. The United Bible Societies are
presently
assisting in over 600 Bible translation projects. The Bible is available
in whole
or part to around 98% of the world’s population in a language in which
they are
fluent.
Author: LIZ SEYMOUR
Translation Bloopers
Some
classic examples of bad
translations from around the world!
Norwegian lounge
– Ladies are requested not to have children in the
bar.
Rome doctor –
Specialist in women and other diseases.
Swedish furrier –
Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin.
Budapest zoo –
Please do not feed the animals. If you have any
suitable food give it to the guard on duty.
Belgrade
elevator – to move the cabin push button for wishing
floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should
press a
number of wishing floor. Driving then going alphabetically in
national
order.
In an Austrian
hotel catering to skiers – Not to perambulate the
corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.
On the menu of a
Polish hotel – Salad a firm’s own make; roasted
duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people’s
fashion.
From the Soviet
Weekly – There will be a Moscow.
Exhibition of
Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and
sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.
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