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Why Spanish Translation English Spanish translation is often overlooked - English is so extensively spoken that often native speakers of English think if there is a real necessity for translating documents, Web sites, or even advertising into Spanish and other languages. Executives are used to speaking in English, and being understood, wherever they go in the world. They send out letters, brochures and documentation in English, and apparently, they are perfectly well received at the other side, even in countries that speak Spanish. The answers they receive are sometimes written in faulty English, with flawed grammar or spelling, and on the phone the speakers may sound "funny", but that's all. There is mutual understanding, and that's what counts. But the true picture is: there are billions of Spanish speaking people who do not understand English at all, and there are hundreds of millions who understand it only partially. Partial understanding is an even more serious problem, because it gives the appearance of understanding, but the real comprehension is flawed. This can be very disruptive for business. The reason why Spanish translation and web site localization are so vital is that the relevance of Spanish is outstanding • Spoken by 500 million people As the media has known for decades, there is no substitute for speaking to people in their own language. Since the first decades of the 20th century, there has been a strong offer of media products from the English speaking countries (the U.S. mainly) into most Spanish speaking countries of the world: movies, magazines and TV programs. There would have been no way for their success other than having them properly translated and localized from English to Spanish. Spain numbers Population:
40.2 million (2003) Spanish speaking countries’ reality - Although the adoption of e-commerce in Spain and Latin America has not taken place as quickly as in the U.S., Australia and the U.K., the reality is that in every Spanish speaking country there is a section of the community with access to the Internet and spending power. There are also businesses that are always willing to introduce products from other parts of the world. Mexico numbers Population:
100.4 million (July 2000 est.) Argentine numbers Population:
38,740,807 (July 2003 est.) Internet users in Spanish speaking countries
Spain: 7.9 million (2002) 3 different ways
to Spanish translation 1- Translation software - You can use a software package for Spanish translation if you want to have a rough idea of something written in Spanish. Automatic translation has progressed enormously in the last few years, but obviously cannot be compared to a human Spanish translator. Just do an experiment: have any sentence in this site translated into Spanish by an automatic translator, and then have the result translated back into English again. You see? a Spanish translation software is useful for gisting the meaning of texts, no more. 2- Spanish translation by your bilingual assistants - Most of the bilingual (or tri-lingual) assistants are not prepared for successful Spanish translation and localization. There are 21 countries where Spanish is official language, each one with their own concept about how Spanish must be spoken. In the same way that just any doctor cannot perform cardiovascular surgery, just a few bilinguals are equipped for translating delicate business transactions, manuals or advertising. Your bilingual assistant can be great to help your Spanish speaking customers in one-per-one contact, but failing in translating a sales letter can make a big hole in your business presentation. 3- Translation by a Spanish translator - A professional Spanish translator knows the way a specific country or region speaks and uses Spanish. A professional Spanish translator is a dedicated expert. He or she is constantly investigating the most effective ways of conveying your meaning into a specific Spanish speaking country's language and culture. A translator is a specialist in intercultural communication. He does not translate words, he translates meaning, and he does so in the manner that is more culturally appropriate to the reader. In this way, he serves in the best possible way both the original sender of the message (you) and the target audience. 4- Translation by a Spanish translation agency – A proven translation agency brings you peace of mind: high quality translation service, project management and 100% guarantee. With an agency based in Latin America you can get low prices too. (If you think some of this info violate copywriting rights please let us know) Links (Spanish) Posicionamiento en buscadores / Optimización para buscadores English to Spanish Web site translation and Search Engine Optimization by Miguel Ángel de Alzáa Spanish translation by iSpeak.net Other links: Music Posters I Movie Posters |