First, video killed the radio star and now, it is taking over everything else. With the emergence of youtube, video has confirmed that it is here to stay. The use of video is also reaching the global world and there is a growing need to localize video files. In the world of translation, video comes with certain specifications. Clients have many options when translating a video dialogue. It is kind of a grey area that should be cleared out to help clients pick the best options for their needs.

There are three main techniques to translate a video dialogue:

1. Subtitling- This is the best known technique of the three. It consists of inserting the oral dialogue into words on the video file, without altering the audio file. Different countries have different ways of placing the subtitles on the screen: many Asian countries place them in the right corner of the screen as a column (as to simulate their writing format), while other countries place them in the upper-centered part of the screen, but the most common method is to place them at the bottom of the screen.

Elements that determine proper subtitling location:

•  How many words the audience will read
• Over what length of time
•  How fast the subtitles replace each other
•  In which country will the video be viewed

 2.  Voice-over- This technique does not completely replace the original voices, but rather new voices are recorded over the original ones. Here, the original dialogue is muted slightly to allow the voice talent to perform the translation, yet one can still hear the original voice recording.

 3. Dubbing- This is a complete replacement of the original voices. We do not hear them at all. A voice talent will translate the original dialogue transmitting the tones, emotions, and other elements of the original dialogue or speech.

If you have a need for video translation, contact us to talk more in depth about your specific needs and provide you with a free estimate. We would love to help you translate and localize your video so that you can communicate with the world.

In the translation industry there is proofreading, and then there is a more sophisticated and accurate form of reviewing a document at the client side known as “in-country reviewing”. In-country review is when a company sends translated material to a person (who most of the times already works for that company) to verify formatting and localization aspects. The main goal is for the material to be accepted by the local target audience. To ensure that this goal is reached, the reviewer must follow a series of linguistic and stylistic guidelines that are particular to the target language.

Who can do it?

Essentially anyone with knowledge of the product/service and more importantly with ample experience in the target language is considered qualified to perform an in-country review. It is essential that the reviewer has first-hand experience, or has a background in the target culture.

Remember:

• From the start- If you want to take full advantage of the benefits of an in-country review, incorporate him from the beginning of the translation project. It is helpful to make your in-country reviewer part of the glossary creation: this involves the creation of a list of designated source language terms paired with a list of corresponding terms in the target language. In the end, when the time comes to perform the review, the job will become more simplified and the quality will be superior, as the proofreader will be better prepared to make any corrections.
• Plan with enough time- It is likely that your in-country reviewer has other duties besides doing the review. Let the person know the deadlines ahead of time.
• The reviewer- When performing the in-country review, the reviewer should restrain from making changes based on personal preferences. This could be avoided if the person is involved in the process from the start so he is familiarized with his role.
• You the client- Make sure the reviewer has the appropriate set of skills to do the task and that the task is fully understood. Do not use someone from the target country just because you think they must speak the language perfectly.

An in-country review is an enriching step of the translation process. Although not always available for lack of the appropriate resource, performing an in-country review is an excellent approach for assuring quality in the localization process.

For the success of the in-country review, the reviewer should:

1. Have a thorough knowledge of the product of the company they work for

2. Know the target language and have a strong linguistic background

3. Be responsive

4. Understand the expectations, goals and guidelines of the project

 If one of these variables is not met your in-country reviewer, more than an asset, can become a burden for both the translation agency and your company. Setting the goal from the beginning and choosing the right person for the task will help you be successful with the quality of the localization effort in the shortest amount of time.

Common Sensor Advisory’s article “Clearing up the Top 10 Myths about Translation”, published on The Huffington Post, points out some facts that may be surprising to the laymen, and may help answer some of the questions we receive related to myths in the translation industry.

Common Sense advisory is a well- known company in the translation and interpretation world, focused on bringing insight to global market leaders through international business market research.

The article leads to the conclusion that translation is an ever-evolving profession, expanding and reaching new horizons through advances in technological. Technological elements, like machine translation and crowdsourcing, will not eliminate the professional human translator but rather enable translation providers to reach higher levels of service.

Among the myths of translation the author listed, we would like to highlight 3 important points that we have covered in previous posts:

Myth #1. An interpreter and a translator are the same thing. An interpreter works with oral language while a translator works with written language. Also, interpretation and translation require very specific and specialized skills germane to the task they perform.

Myth #2. A bilingual person is a translator. In the Spanish version of our translation blog we posted an article explaining that speaking and having proficiency in a language does not qualify a person as a translator.

Myth #3. The need for professional translation services is decreasing. Translation services generate new profits and forge new frontiers for companies seeking to compete and communicate in a global market place.

Follow the link to read the Top 10 Myths of Translation and feel free to comment and add any myths not covered in this article.

Your website plays an important role in the success and image of your business. So chances are you’ve invested substantial resources into perfecting its look, message, and ultimately its ability to sell your products. And, by now, it should be doing a great job. However, it still has tremendous unrealized potential.

Think about it. Even if your award-winning site is coming in at the top of all the search engines, it’s still missing a huge amount of potential customers. So, what’s the most effective way to reach them? Break the language barrier! Even if your focus is on domestic sales…it doesn’t matter. The web is a multilingual environment.

Let’s look at some numbers:

• Over 60% of Internet users speak a native language other than English.

• Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. They reached 16.3% of the total population by the end of 2010.

• People are three times more likely to buy a product available to them in their native language.

Knowing this, what’s the best investment you could make for your website today? The answer is a customized, search engine optimized, professional website translation.

Beware! Some companies are lured into using computer translations. This is risky business. Your company may save a few dollars with the initial investment but at a considerable cost to your image and sales. Translation is much more than changing words–– it’s about understanding your target audience. Culture matters. Respect this truism and your website will increase your bottom line.

That’s where professional translation agencies, like JR Language, come in.

Professional translation agencies offer complete translation solutions. They use professional translators who work in their native language and understand the variations in pronunciation, word usage, and range of cultural sensitivities across markets. This means, your business receives translation appropriate to the nuances of that particular language and culture.

You’ll get peace of mind knowing your company’s branding efforts, sales pitch, and copy will be accurately translated and localized for your target audience. This effort will increase your customer base, expand your business, and boost your profits.

Remember: website translation is a key marketing strategy for today’s successful businesses.

As mentioned on the post The Interpreter: the writer or the talker?, there are 6 ways in which an interpretation can be performed that are officially called types. Knowing each of these subdivisions will help clients have a clearer idea of what they need, resulting in a better communication between the client and the language service provider.

These types are:

1. Simultaneous interpretation- the interpreter is inside a soundproof booth (unless doing a sign language interpretation) and with the help of headphones translates the message of the speaker as fast as possible, almost at the same time as the speaker. If the event is too long, he/she may work in pair.
2. Consecutive interpretation- the interpreter starts the translation after the speaker pauses. There is short and long consecutive interpretation. In the former the interpreter only relies on his memory to perform the interpretation and in the latter, he takes notes.
3. Whispered interpretation- a type of simultaneous interpretation. The interpreter sits near the audience and almost whispers the message of the speaker. It is often used with groups of people where very few do not speak the language of the speaker.
4. Liaison interpretation- in a type of consecutive interpretation but, instead of conveying the message of one speaker it involves conversations among many speakers.
5. Relay interpretation- it is done when there is no interpreter than can work into different languages at the same time, but there are interpreter with different language pairs that can be combined. Check the following diagram:
   
6. Sight translation- in reality it is an interpretation but, instead of working from an oral text, it starts with a written one. This type of interpretation is more frequently used in hospitals and courts.

To learn more about interpretation, please read our Modes of Interpretation post.