| The global market for language translation services | | | | language. This creates difficulties when trying to |
| and website localization is currently estimated at | | | | translate from English to other languages and vice |
| about $13 billion. The field of language services is | | | | versa. |
| assuming great importance in the expanding global | | | | For instance, the word 'plain' can have different |
| economy, and is also evolving into a very precise and | | | | meanings in English, depending on the context in |
| specialized profession. Governmental policies also play | | | | which it is used: |
| a part in some cases, and result in pushing up | | | | (i) A woman is described as being plain to say that |
| demand for translation services. A recent news item | | | | her looks are not above the ordinary |
| in the Belfast Telegraph refers to the issue of the | | | | (ii) It may be used in the context of a language as in |
| high cost to the Irish exchequer on account of | | | | plain English, meaning simple, everyday usage of |
| translation services. The costs of translating press | | | | English |
| releases, speeches and documents within the | | | | (iii) It may refer to a level area of land as in 'the |
| Department of Health in Northern Ireland over a | | | | great plains.' |
| five-year period are estimated to have crossed | | | | The importance of product, promotion and website |
| £150,000 - a direct outcome of Irish devolution. | | | | localization |
| Global reach | | | | In order to be able to successfully launch and sell |
| When businesses translate their brochures and other | | | | their products in international markets, it becomes |
| promotional materials, they gain instant access to a | | | | necessary to localize them, or in other words, to |
| worldwide audience and a huge potential market by | | | | adapt the promotional materials (and the products |
| spending just a couple of thousand dollars or less | | | | themselves) to the language and special forms of |
| towards translation costs. With e-commerce | | | | expression, cultural habits, and conditions of the local |
| becoming a worldwide phenomenon, it makes good | | | | markets, while also staying in line with the local |
| business sense to go online in multiple languages and | | | | legislation. |
| let the world know what you have to offer. | | | | Translation as well as graphic processing of |
| Issues in translation | | | | documents (using applications like FrameMaker, |
| Translation service is one area where it's often | | | | PageMaker, QuarkXpress, Corel, Photoshop), and |
| difficult for the business owner to assess if the | | | | adapting them to suit the technical requirements and |
| service provider has done justice to the job. The | | | | language standards of the target audience, are some |
| simple reason is that most often the buyer of the | | | | of the areas in which providers offer localization |
| service is not multi-lingual himself, and will have to rely | | | | services. Translation, dubbing and subtitling of movies |
| heavily on the provider's assurance that everything is | | | | and audio recordings, and sound editing and |
| in order. | | | | post-production of audio recordings are some of the |
| It is no longer enough for service providers to just | | | | special services in demand in film and media |
| hold a certificate as professional translator in a | | | | production. Website localization services involves the |
| language pair; subject matter expertise is becoming a | | | | localization of software and multimedia applications. |
| very crucial asset to a good translator. There is a | | | | Translate and localize for success |
| crying need for talented translators in the fields of | | | | As businesses target customers from different ethnic |
| medicine (in hospitals), law (in law firms and as court | | | | and language zones, it often happens that the target |
| interpreters), in the field of property development, | | | | audience does not respond to the marketing |
| software development and in international commerce. | | | | campaign or even find a use for the products |
| Sometimes, important documents are badly | | | | offered unless they have been localized to suit their |
| translated, and the buyer is ignorant of the lacunae in | | | | needs. It is important to provide supporting |
| the work delivered. Translation errors often come | | | | information in a language they can understand, and in |
| about because of polysemy which means that a | | | | a way that is in tune with the local business |
| single word may have different meanings in a given | | | | environment and practices. |