Communication, confidentiality and efficiency are important for us too!

We live in a socially, politically and economically globalized world. Free trade agreements are in full bloom. Chile, for example, has signed up many FTAs with USA, Canada, and the European Union and its Member states. We buy machines from other countries; they buy raw materials from us. Huge enterprises, business groups, associations, etc. hold negotiation meetings everyday and nowadays everywhere too. Therefore, business people ought to be able to communicate their messages properly and in several languages. Here is where we play a key role, because if you are not a bilingual or multilingual person, you can always ask for our trustworthy and useful language assistance.  In many occasions we have the experience that, even though we had already made our minds about something, we end up doing the opposite. Well, maybe in business that can be a real problem, especially if the reason of this misunderstanding is related to language. You do not have time to waste. A project presentation, a speech, a training course, in any of these situations an interpreter can work as an efficient mediator. 

Confidentiality is a key aspect of our job. As translators and interpreters we are extremely careful with the information that customers shared with us before, during and after a language service. Do not doubt about it! For example, some clients ask to return all copies of their papers or they only provide them for a moment. You as client can let us know. 

Like we mentioned on previous blog posts, we want to do our best for you and in order to do so, we also need your help. We not only require of our expertise on the language and culture but we also need to have a good understanding of what is the objective of your message or what is it audience, what is the context. For example, we cannot offer the same translation of a text called “Fluctuating Commodity Food Prices” destined for the executive committee of your company to a group of students in training. This is because you do not talk with your boss in the same way that you do with family members, right? Simple questions, such as, Who? What? Where? Why? and When? can be really enlightening. 

                                                                                                              By Cristina Zavala Osorio

Our First Podcast

Down here in Chile more than 17 million potential clients are waiting for you! This podcast will help you to discover attractive business opportunities. Check it out!!
1st Podcast
Created By Nicole Schiller

English as Lingua Franca

As we all know, English is a language that has become almost universal and today it receives the name of English as Lingua Franca (ELF). When we say ELF we are talking about people who speak English as a way to understand each other but with different mother tongues and of course different cultural backgrounds. This tendency has become more and more common to communicate in businesses, international trade, technology and science. Nowadays, according to some statistics, non-native English speakers might outnumber native English-speakers. However, is this positive or negative?

This tendency has found several supporters. They affirm English accomplishes its function as a global language because it allows the communication in specific situations, such as business and international meetings with people that do not share the same language but are able to understand English.  This has been efficient so far, that is why there are some universities in different countries that are giving the lessons in English, so that students can get used to it. They also state that this has nothing to do with cultural background; they only use English to communicate and they do not adopt the culture that this language owns.

Nevertheless, while this tendency is welcomed by some people, it is also rejected by others. The ones that are against it claim that it represents a threat to the rest of the languages and cultures because it could eventually replace them. This is even a threat to Standard English because non-native speakers are the majority, which is why most of verbal exchanges are between non-native speakers. Apart from being a threat, they affirm that the culture that one language possesses cannot be left behind, which could lead to misunderstanding among the speakers because they do not know the language enough, so they would not understand it completely.

To sum up, we could say that English as lingua franca is useful and positive. It can help people with different mother tongues to communicate among each other, but also it involves some problems because people who speak the language do not have full awareness neither of it or its culture, which can lead to problems and confusions. However, one thing is true: English is the business language and if you want to take part in that world you should definitely speak English or hire an interpreter.

By Vanessa Urra

Translating/interpreting different senses of humor: A simple joke or an unceasing torture?

Does everybody laugh about another person’s physical appearance or the way somebody speaks? Is it funny for everybody to laugh when somebody falls to the ground? Or laugh about feminist or male chauvinistic jokes?

                Humor changes according to contexts and cultures. American sense of humor is not the same as the English or the German one. However, generally speaking, we laugh and make jokes about several topics: religion, politics, famous people, etc.

                But, what happens when we need to translate/interpret these kinds of jokes? Can we translate/interpret them literally? Will they mean the same for the other culture?

Clearly, it is not easy, but we have to make some decisions and modify the jokes so the other audience laughs. This is one of the hardest parts of our job, to create equivalences in both cultures.

Some obstacles are specific cultural references, for example, typical characters, places and beliefs; but also there are some polysemic concepts and play on words that may cause difficulties. To share a signs code is not enough. To understand allusions or references it is necessary that as much the sender as the receiver share the same cultural, historical and social knowledge. Also, it is very important to keep in mind that LANGUAGE and CULTURE are INDIVISIBLE.

When translating, we face two kinds of problems: Linguistic problems and sociocultural or situational problems. For example, within linguistic problems, there are phonological considerations. If in English you have:

A Chinese diplomat attended a gala reception in Washington Senate. A lady, trying to make polite conversation, asked:

"Dr. Wong, What 'nese' are you? 

Chinese, Japanese, or Vietnamese?". 

- "Chinese" -he replied- "and you,

   madam? What 'kee' are you? "Monkey,  

   donkey, or Yankee?".

You cannot translate/interpret it literally into Spanish; it won’t have the same phonological effect.

And regarding sociocultural problems, when in two cultures jokes refer to similar topics and they are treated similarly, there is no much problem. For example: a situation which includes a Spanish man (Paquito), a Chilean (Juanito) and an Italian (Pierino). The translator can choose another name depending on the target audience.

                The most important principle is that the translator/interpreter should comprehend all the linguistic and extra-linguistic information in the source text so he or she can find the functional or pragmatic equivalence over the formal one.

By Estefanía Sanhueza Vásquez

Our First Video: The Differences Between Simultaneous and Consecutive Interpreting.

As interpreters (as well as translators) we know that sometimes it is difficult to understand the difference between simultaneous interpreting and consecutive interpreting. For this reason, Translate-In-Chile has created this short video, not only to show what we can do, but also to clarify the differences between these two types of interpreting, in order to help you be better informed in what you need and what you can obtain from us.

Thank you for watching!

                                                                                   Video Edited By Lorena Reyes

Cultural differences

Not only language is a key ingredient when going abroad on business. Being aware of cultural differences might contribute to the success of negotiations and the ignorance of them may lead to many misunderstandings or even to the end of a meeting.

Firstly, according to anthropologist Edward T. Hall, there are mainly two types of cultures: the high-context culture and low-context culture. People in high-context cultures rely less on the explicit content of a message than on the context of the message, for example, South America,  while low-context culture rely more on message content than on message context when communicating, for instance, North America and Western Europe[1]. Therefore, do not be surprised if Chileans (a high-context culture people) communicate with you in a way that is too informal for you or if we use a lot of body language or start talking about our families. We are just trying to be friendly but without missing the purpose of the message, because interpersonal relationships are really important for us. 

Secondly, Chileans are not as straightforward and concise in telling what they want as you might be used to, so you should be aware of that in order to get the message without getting bored or lost. Like I said, that does not mean that we lack of a clear objective or intention.

Another cultural difference you should bear in mind is that your personal space might be quite different than ours. 50 centimeters of distance between the interlocutors can be enough for us, but for you this might seem as an invasion of your private space.

Finally, to prevent other awkward situations it could come in handy to know that here, at least in informal situations, we say hello with only ONE kiss on the cheek (not two as French) if a woman is involved, and among men with a handshake or a hug. In formal situations, we usually limit ourselves to give only a handshake. 

All these are just a few of the many cultural differences you may come across. Keep visiting our blog if you want to know more!

By Cristina Zavala Osorio

[1] Boveé, C.; Thill, J. Business Communication Essentials

A bit of Chilean slang

If you are a person who is capable of communicating in Spanish and dealing with the language in a large spectrum, there may be some things you have to know before you arrive in Chile. Our country is well-known because of its great amount of slang and idiomatic expressions typically used amongst our people.

Here you have a list of the most common phrases and words used in Chilean Spanish with its explanation.

A calzón quitado: To speak openly about any matter.

Sacar la vuelta: To procrastinate and avoid work.

¿A dónde la viste?: This sentence suggests that the person who says it does not believe in something.

Agachar el moño: Action of resignation when you are scolded by a superior in rank or somebody who deserves respect.

Cabro: A way of calling a young man. There is also the feminine version cabra.

Carrete: Party.

Al seco: To drink a beverage without stopping.

Paco: A form to refer contemptuously to the Chilean police.

Al tiro: Immediately.

Caleta: A lot of.

Andar con caña: To have hangover.

Paleteá: A favor.

Baba: Saliva.

Luca: One thousand Chilean pesos (around US$2).

Bacán: Cool.

Rajarse: It means that somebody pays the entire bill.

Leseras: Silly things.

Balza o barsa: A person who exceeds with his actions the confidence given by somebody else.

Basilar: To dance or party.

Cabreado: To be tired or annoyed for some reason.

Bici: Bike.

Pailón: A stupid man.

Caerse al frasco/litro: To drink alcohol excessively until intoxication.

Bolsear: Action when a person is in a party or wherever and everybody buys something and him or her only consumes. Also, asking for things or food without any consideration.

Brígido: Terrible.

Lata: Boredom.

Rayar la cancha: To clarify the rules.

Empinar el codo: To drink alcohol.

Cabeza de ajo: A person with gray hair.

Lorear: To look or observe.

Cabeza de músculo: It is said in relation to a man obsessed with his physique and spends hours in the gym.

Pega: Work.

Ganarse: to place oneself in a certain area.

Manyar: To eat.

Cahuín: A malicious comment.

There is numberless amount of slang expressions in the Chilean Spanish but we wanted to provide some of the most common ones in order to enable you with sentences or words of our street Spanish. It does not matter if you have a high, intermediate or beginner level in Spanish or  if you have not planned to come to Chile yet ; we do hope this list of slang helps you.

 By Anibal Mansilla

How to get a tailor-made translation?

There is always a first time for everything and getting started on something new can be quite tough. But don’t panic! If you keep in mind the following suggestions you should be on the safe side, even though you might be hiring a translator for the first time.

1.      The best way to assure a translation meets your needs is to contact a professional translator directly. Translation agencies often don’t allow direct contact between translator and client even though communication between them is crucial. Think about it: If you are sick, would you send someone else to the doctor or would you rather go there yourself and describe your symptoms personally?

2.      When asking for a quote it is advisable to send in the entire document you need to be translated. This way the translator is able to give an exact estimate of the amount of time they’ll need for the job and based on an analysis with specific CAT-tools you might even get a discount for repetitions.

3.      Talking about money: Normally quotes are calculated based on the word count. The actual rate depends on many factors, for example the text’s difficulty, the file format and of course time is an issue, as it is common to charge extra for urgent translations or having to work over weekends or on holidays.

4.      Often the translation of a document is the last step in a complex process. Nevertheless you should think about it in an early stage of your project. When planning, remember that a professional translator is usually able to translate about 2000 words a day.

5.      Communication is the key! Talk to your translator; let them know what the purpose of your translation will be. Professional translators aren’t only language experts; they can also offer advice on cultural differences. If client and translator work hand in hand, the cultural barrier can be easily overcome and your translation project will be a real success.
                                                                     
                                                                                                                         by Nicole Schiller

The importance of a good translation

Let’s be honest. When in need of a translation, many people do not look for translators. Some ask teachers, native speakers, or sometimes just someone who can speak the language. If you are thinking of this, stop for a minute and let me explain to you why you should not do such a thing.

Teachers, native speakers, and people who know a foreign language are just that, teachers, native speakers and, well, you get the point. Teachers are indeed professionals; however, their training is focused on teaching a language. A Spanish native speaker may have tons of knowledge about Spanish, but that does not imply that they are necessarily able to express this knowledge in another language correctly. Same applies to the third category. Translators and interpreters are trained to translate accurately. Our job is not just to translate word by word, we express your ideas. All this taking into account several other factors, such as cultural context, intention of the speaker, who is our audience, etc.

Now, some of you may be thinking that non-professionals charge less. This may be true, but let me ask you, have you ever bought the “alternative” version of a product because it was cheaper, just to see it failing little time after? I believe we all have fallen into this, and that we understand the feeling of disappointment with the low quality of the product. If you hire a non-professional, your product is likely to be of low quality, and therefore, a disappointment. We won’t let this happen to you.

Also, there are times when you cannot risk your product/message to be misinterpreted. I will explain myself with an example. You received a manual for medical software. The manual, which seems to have simple vocabulary, is translated wrong. As a consequence, four people died. This happened in real life, in March of 2012 in a hospital of Lorena, France. Mistakes can be dangerous in other areas too; they may be not “life or death” errors, but they can sure cost the sealing of a deal for a diplomatic or a business man.

So, next time you need a translation, remember this questions:

Am I willing to risk my product/message to be of low quality? Or will I go straight to the people who can assure good results and fewer headaches?

We look forward to working with you.

By Daniela Cid

Some practical insights!

First of all we will address some misconceptions in order to have a clearer image of our work and secondly we will show you how we can help you.

v  Erasing some misconceptions:  

-All our language knowledge does not imply that we do not need some tools; dictionaries and encyclopedias are our best friends and now and then we have to check them.

Another thing is that even though we can help someone with a small thing such as a song translation that does not mean that we can do it anytime, anywhere and for free (just like any other profession.)

-We are happy doing what we do but as any other job it has its pros (getting to know other cultures and learning about different topics) and cons (living in front of a computer most time of the day and usually of the night.)

-Translators and interpreters are experts in one or more languages and with their knowledge can simplify your life in many ways. For example, if you come to Chile and you do not speak Spanish a tall we can be your voice and your guide through your first experience here.

-As much as translators would love to be as hasty as a machine, we are not. Therefore do not always expect to have your text done overnight.

-Usually translators charge on a per word basis but per page and interpreters per hour.

-Finally, once again we would like to highlight that translators work with written texts (essays, books, articles, etc.) whereas interpreters with oral texts (speeches, oral presentations, etc.)

v   Some of our services (among others):

We offer you many possibilities as you can see:

-General or specialized translations or interpretations:

From English to Spanish and from Spanish to English

From German to Spanish and vice versa.

From French to Spanish and the other way around.

-Cultural guidance

-Editing or proofreading work

More importantly, we can offer you a service according to your needs. For example, if you have a business meeting and you are the only one who does not speak Spanish one of us can be your personal interpreter during the meeting, which we call “whispered interpreting”.  As you might see your needs and especial requests are important in order to provide you the best service.

If you have any question or if you want to know more about rates, do not hesitate to write us an email!
                
                                                                                                         by Cristina Zavala Osorio

Misconceptions of being a translator

Hello everyone!

Now that we have introduced ourselves, and now that you know what we actually are, let me show you what the world of the misconception of being a translator is like. We are not doctors or architects, nor celebrities of the show business, which is the reason why society doesn’t know us and sometimes confuses us with our closest pals: English teachers. This is not that faaaaar away from what we do, at least the two of us are involved in languages, but our target and audiences are totally different.

Let’s have fun together with the top ten list of misconceptions!

With friends and relatives:

1-      What does a translator do?

2-      Do you need a dictionary? Weren’t you a translator?

3-     Ah, you are a translator, can you translate this tiny little word that appeared in my engine’s paper, I don’t get it, but for you must be a piece of cake!

4-      If you know languages you should be able to understand all the English songs! How lucky you are!

5-     Can you do me a favor? Please, can you help me with my English homework? (you end up doing somebody else’s homework)

6-     Do you work at home? Do you consider that a job? You can be in bed all day! Again, how lucky you are!

With a client:

7-      We need you to finish this 500 pages paper in three days, can you?

8-      We won’t pay repetitions

9-      I think that the fair price of this 500 pages paper is $100.000, right?

10-   I’d like you to translate this 8 hours conference, but we can’t afford the other translator, it’s out of our budget, but you must be capable to do it on your own, aren’t you? (the client takes the speaker out to the most expensive restaurant in town)

By Kei Jiménez

Welcome!!

Hello, Hallo, Bonjour, Hola. Firstly, as translators and interpreters of the Universidad de Concepción we greet and welcome you to our blog.

We are a group of twelve students from one of the most prestigious universities in Chile who are passionate in learning languages and, on above all, in building bridges to connect people from different backgrounds, nationalities and cultures. Our team of four translators and eight interpreters shares the same passion in the process of learning and using language as a tool to connect with/and others. Among the languages we know are Spanish (our mother language), English, German and French.

On the first hand, the members of Translate-in-Chile are around their twenties; therefore we are a complete new generation of translators and interpreters. This newest generation of professionals are updated and closely linked to technology and social networking. Besides, youth provides another pretty important quality which is highlighted in our team; we are very creative and versatile because of the different preferences each member of this group possesses. Nevertheless, we are a sharp and forward-thinker team. We like chatting and joking about different things without losing efficiency in our work

On the other hand, the task of a translator consists of passing from written text to written text one language to another language. Secondly, what an interpreter does is to pass a speech in a foreign language into another language.

Our goal is not to translate word by word but to express the idea, the essence of a message, to be properly decoded by the audience or readers in each case. As a matter of fact, our teachers have always asked us to produce a final version which cannot be recognised as a translation.

Therefore if you need our services do not hesitate to contact us. There will always be somebody available and capable of assisting you in your needs.

By Anibal Mansilla