4th Video: An Interview with a Canadian Entrepreneur in Chile

We went out there to look for foreigners doing business in Chile. What we found? A Canadian entrepreneur whose business is thriving. He owns a renowned bar and restaurant and he is about to open six drugstores in Concepcion. What does he think of Chile as a business platform, what are the pros and cons of our country and how bad is our English?

All that and much more in the following interview.

Interview by Pablo Gonzalez and Keister Jimenez

3rd Podcast - Interview

In this edition of our podcasts we offer you the possibility of listening to an interview in which one of the team members answers questions regarding our profession. She also tells us about herself and the reasons of choosing this degree. I hope you enjoy it. Interview

Word by word is not the best way to go

Sometimes, you are able to understand a certain foreign language, but not to express yourself properly enough in it. That is completely normal. If that is your case, we are here to help. In fact, many of the members of our team have already seen themselves in this situation. Today I want to talk about an issue that has happened in most cases. It can be resumed in the following question:

Why did you translate it this way? That’s not the same word that in the original.

First of all, let me assure you: we did it for a reason. It seems some people do not like paraphrasing but, actually, it is very rare to find a word by word translation. Why is that? It has been done this way because we usually use a functional scope. There are some cases when this is necessary, for example, when a word has no equivalent in the target language. Other times we take this decision after making ourselves the following questions: “What is the text trying to say? If I translate it word by word, will it make sense in the target language? Will it sound natural?” In order to translate, first we have to interpret.

Here is an example:

Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres. <-- Latin text

Gallia is all divided in parts three. <-- Literal (word by word)

Gaul is divided into three parts. <-- Idiomatic (non literal)

Gaul has three divisions. <-- Functional (more paraphrased)

We are not saying paraphrasing is the best option, or that it should always be used. We are saying that this is a valid option meant to improve the efficacy of the translation while maintaining the original message.

As Maria Schwartz said, an acclaimed translator of Russian fiction, history, biographies, and reviews, our team aims to “Creating translations that are faithful, not literal”. Of course, if you have reasons to want your translation to be as literal as possible, let us know. The more information you give us for facing a translation, the better. We are here to assist all your concerns.

By: Daniela Cid

To read a really interesting interview with Maria Schwartz, follow this link: http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2010/04/04/creating_translations_that_are_faithful_not_literal/

Falling in love with Sanhattan

According to CNN, our country’s capital, Santiago, is the third most loved city in the world. Several highlights await you: the Lollapalooza festival, the majestic Andes encircling the city and of course attractive business opportunities in Sanhattan, Santiago’s financial district. Read on and find out more about why Chile is the perfect place for you and your business.

1.      Financial Advantages

Every three years UBS publishes its Prices and Earnings study. The last version was published in 2009 and updated in 2011. The result is surprising and, at the same time, important for everyone who is interested in investing in Chile: Santiago is one of the cheapest cities for foreign companies. Chile obtained 45.8 points and therefore ranks 59^th out of 73 cities. The most expensive city is the Norwegian capital, Oslo, with 103.3 points.

Another interesting study called Global Office Rents, published by CB Richard Ellis Global Research and Consulting, states that rents in Santiago are among the cheapest in Latin America. The Chilean capital ranks fifth, and is even cheaper than Montevideo, Buenos Aires or Mexico City.

2.      Low Risks

The Sovereign rating published by the Country Risk Service of the Economist Intelligence Units in May 2012 acknowledges that Chile is a low-risk country, judging it with an A, meaning that it is a stable country with a strong capacity and commitment to honor obligations. Chile is the only Latin-American country rated with an A.

3.      Legal Certainty

In the Index of Economic Freedom, published in 2012, Chile obtains the 7^th rank out of 184 countries. And again, Chile leads the Latin American ranking. The index states that contractual agreements in Chile are the most secure in Latin America, that courts are transparent and efficient and that property rights are strongly respected, and expropriation is rare.

4.      You can count on us!

Of course, moving to a foreign country and setting up a company or establishing business relations there always implies a risk. But there is no need to worry, as we are here to help you. Whether you need to overcome the language barrier, due to lacking Spanish knowledge, or whether you need cultural advice in order to avoid faux pas, as professional translators we are prepared to lend you a hand. Just contact us and we will gladly assist you.

So, why wait any longer? Leave Manhattan and come over to Sanhattan – it’s only a flight away!

Some Places to Visit

The city of Concepción was founded by Pedro de Valdivia in the year 1550. Ever since its first foundation, the city has grown more than Mr. de Valdivia himself could have ever imagined.

Concepción is nowadays the second largest conurbation of our country, constituted by the municipalities of Concepción, Talcahuano, San Pedro de la Paz, Hualpén, Chiguayante, Penco, Tomé, Lota, Coronel and Hualqui. Therefore there are plenty of places to visit in the center of the city and its surroundings as well. If you are considering to come to our city, here is a list of some of the places you will certainly find interesting and worthy of visiting.

·         The fishing cove of Lenga: located in Hualpén, this place is great for the gastronomic tasting of fish and shellfish. Nevertheless, not everything in Lenga is about the food. Hiking and water sports like kitesurf, windsurf and sailing are also a possibility, along with visiting the Estuary of Lenga, the habitat of wild birds like black-necked swan, coscoroba swan, cormorant, coot and pelicans.

·         Ironclad Huáscar: nowadays a museum located in Talcahuano, this former Peruvian warship was captured by the Chilean navy in the year 1879 during the War of the Pacific. Currently is one of the most appreciated historical relics of our navy.

·         Alessandri Park: the Parque Educativo Jorge Alessandri, founded on the year 1993, is located in Coronel. It counts with a wide variety of native wildlife and expositions. The admission is free of charge and it is open from Tuesday to Sunday.

·         Stom Museum: located in Chiguayante, this museum has collections of objects related to Chilean ethnic groups, history, optics and sound, and Mapuche silverwork.

·         Lota touristic circuit: this includes tours to the places of historical interest of Lota, the greatest coal mining city of our country during the 19^th century. There you can visit the History Museum of Lota, the buildings where the miners used to live, the Chiflón del Diablo mine and the Isidora Cousiño Park; all places related to the rich mining economy and social atmosphere of the 19^th century Chile.

·         Tomé: in its entire coast, Tomé offers several beaches of white sands and fishing coves, great places for tasting delicious fish and shellfish dishes.

·         Laguna Grande: located in San Pedro de la Paz. Although this lake is not suitable for swimming, it is the ideal place for water sports like kayak, sailing and rowing (there even is a rowing club that has won prizes in national and international competitions). Also, it is a beautiful spot for hiking and it is relatively close to the Amphitheater of San Pedro, where big musical and cultural events are held.

·         University of Concepción’s Campus: also called University City, this place is the cultural cradle of the region. Here you can see the different museums, sculptures, parks and squares. The most iconic buildings of the campus are the University of Concepción Arch (Arco Universidad de Concepción or Arco de Medicina) and the bell tower (Campanil).

Hope you have enjoyed reading this article! J

By Rocío Viveros Ibáñez.

Our Third Video: A short view on the Translation Process

Hi everyone! this is Translate-In-Chile's third video, so you can learn a little bit about the translation process. Of course this is only a short view of a process that actually takes several days! If you have any doubts or are in need of any translation or interpreting services please contact us in our e-mail adress translateinchile@gmail.com .

Thank you for watching!

Manners and Behaviors in Business Environment

The most important thing that foreign people ask themselves about business meetings when coming to Chile is: How should I behave in a formal situation? What should I do? What should I say?  As we all know, each country has its certain rules and etiquette that people should know in order to make the communication effective. If you want to learn more about these conventions, keep reading.

First, you need to understand how to behave during an appointment. As a recommendation, do not panic if you arrive and the person is not there. It is part of Chilean culture to keep people waiting for a while but, if the person is important, you cannot let them waiting for you. However, you can apply this only in a national company because in Chile there is a wide range of international enterprises and you should adjust yourself to the company cultural manner, for example, if there is a German company in Chile, you should take into account the German cultural backgroung.

After the greeting it is not recommended to go straight to the topic. Chilean business people like to have a polite conversation before about general matters topics such as family and Chile itself for example, and then you can address the main topic of the meeting. As an advice, it would be good for you to do a little research about Chile, so that you can talk about topics as wine, mining and activities that characterize the country during the conversation.

Lastly, but equally important, is dressing etiquette.  In business environments there are no formal rules of how you should dress but it is recommended to dress formally because appearances are very important in our country.  Talking about clothing, while on the one hand, men should wear suit and soft colored ties, on the other hand, women should wear skirt or trousers.

Something that is very important as well is to know how business relationships work in Chile. You need to know that in our country Chile relationships and status are vital, in fact, sometimes it is difficult to get a job in a company if you do not know anyone who works there. In Chile we talk about “pitutos”, that is when someone who knows you talks to a superior and tries to create a connection between the boss chief and the person that wants the job; the people that create the connection are often relatives, friends, etc. So, if you want to come here it would be a good idea to start making connections and getting to know people.

By Vanessa Urra

Marketing, mistranslations, localization and humor

 1. 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace, known for his tough interviewing style, drew a sharp rebut from Boris Yeltsin because of an interpreter’s error. The confusion arose when Wallace asked Yeltsin if he had a "thin skin" when it came to public criticism, but the translation had Wallace describing Yeltsin as a "thick-skinned hippopotamus". Yeltsin was not amused: "An experienced journalist like you", Yeltsin said, "should express himself in a more civilized fashion. But this may be the interpreter's fault, and if so, he is the hippopotamus!"

2. During its 1994 launch campaign, the telecom company Orange had to change its ads in Northern Ireland. "The future's bright … the future's Orange". That campaign is an advertising legend. However, in the North the term Orange suggests the Orange Order. The implied message that the future is bright, the future is Protestant, loyalist... didn't sit well with the Catholic Irish population.

3. In 1988, the General Electric Company (GEC) and Plessey combined to create a new telecommunications giant. A brand name was desired that evoked technology and innovation. The winning proposal was GPT for GEC-Plessey Telecommunications. A not very innovative name, not suggestive of technology and a total disaster for European branding. GPT is pronounced in French as “J’ai pété” or “I've farted”.

4. Gerber, the name of the famous baby food maker, is also the French word for vomiting. It becomes a bit limiting when you go global... Gerber is therefore not in France, and although Gerber has a French Canadian web page, it says "Les aliments pour bébés Gerber ne sont disponibles pour l'instant qu'aux États-Unis" (French for: The baby food ain't here, try the U.S.)

5. In the late '70s, the American computer company Wang was puzzled about why its British branch refused to use its latest motto "Wang Cares". However, to British ears the motto sounds too close to "wankers".

6. The Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux tried to sell its goods in America but didn't help itself with the slogan, "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."

7. Mazda's Laputa seems like an odd name for a minivan. The Mazda Laputa was introduced in Japan in 1991. Spanish speakers immediately think of "puta", the word for prostitute. With that in mind the ads claiming that "Laputa is designed to deliver maximum utility in a minimum space while providing a smooth, comfortable ride" and "a lightweight, impact-absorbing body" are humorous. Distributors in Santiago, Chile asked Mazda to rename the vehicle.

8. In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."

9. An American t-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I saw the Pope" in Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I saw the Potato."

10. No, Powergenitalia is not the company responsible for all that spam offering to help you with organ extensions or to invigorate you with Viagra-powered vitality. It is also not the Italian division of energy giant Powergen. When numerous English-speakers on the web took note of the web site www.powergenitalia.com, Powergen felt obligated to announce that they had no connection with the site and in fact had no Italian offices, so that people would not think that it was their Translation Marketing Mistake. No, they left that distinctive honor to the marketing folks at Powergen Italia, an Italian maker of battery chargers. The website now switches you over to the more aptly named for English-speakers, http://www.batterychargerpowergen.it.

Taken from Marketing Translation Mistakes: http://www.i18nguy.com/translations.html

By Pablo González 

Translator: Much more than a solitary profession

When we think of a translator the first image that comes to our mind is a person sitting in front of a computer translating from a source language to a target language, absolutely concentrated, alone and avoiding distractions. Besides the fact that translations are generally “for yesterday”, can provoke that this professional does not have enough time to eat, take a shower or even sleep properly. Any noise or interruption is not welcome during the working time of a language facilitator, particularly if he or she is working in an urgent translation project. That is why, it is consequently said that it is better to be single and live alone if you are a translator.

When I first heard that a translator needs social networks, my immediate thought was, “of course, a translator works alone and social networks are the only way of having connection with the outside world”. I could not have been more wrong…

In spite of the fact that a translator seems to be an antisocial worker because of the aspects mentioned above, he is not. The necessity of promoting himself is a vital part in the quest for clients. In other words, in order to find clients, a translator needs to build networks where he or she can contact colleagues, other professionals and clients.

Firstly, having contact with other translators is an advantage because it is likely that one day he or she needs assistance and a counterpart’s hand with more experience is always appreciated or he or she can assist a colleague, creating a reciprocal source of help. Secondly, establishing a network with professionals of different backgrounds and areas of knowledge is always a plus because you never know when you could need their assistance and/or they can offer you a job. In terms of having contact with clients or potential clients represents an advantage, since the former ones may need your services again and the ones to come can give you the possibility to work with them.

Apart from colleagues’ assistance, translators also utilize some other tools to speed up their work such as Trados, online dictionaries, databases and subtitling software if he is devoted to subtitle work, which make this activity much easier.

In short, when referring to translation we do not only refer to, according to some, a monotonous activity, but also to the importance of details, passion and a very profound process of setting up contacts to become well known and gain a good reputation as translators.

We work without people, for the people and with the people.

By Aníbal Mansilla

Something about Chilean business and beauty

Chile has a lot of business areas that can be of your interest, among them, copper mining, agriculture, wine and fishing.  Chilean exports are increasing. Last year, for example, the country exported US$71 billion in goods. Exports of minerals and agricultural products still dominate the export basket.  Over the last decades, Chile has signed several free trade agreements with different countries which give its goods and services a preferential access to international markets.

If you come here on business, it may be useful to know that general office hours in Chile are from Monday to Friday, from 8.30 am to 6 pm and that banks are only open to the public from 9am to 2pm.

However, Chile is not only a good place for doing business; it is also a country with natural beauties.  From the Atacama Desert of the north to the massive glaciers of the south, and with the Andes mountain range bordering one side and the Pacific Ocean bordering the other, Chile offers its geographic diversity as one of the principal attractions for travelers. Here you can go hiking, skiing, rafting, canoeing and much more within the same country.

Here some useful information if you decide to come to Chile. Firstly, the international airport is in Santiago, the capital city, and it is called Arturo Merino Benitez. The airport is about 30 kilometers from the city center. It's easy to get a taxi or transfer from the airport to the city center. From Santiago you can travel around the country by plane, bus, car; or even hitchhiking.

Secondly, the Chilean currency is the peso. One US dollar is equal to around $500 Chilean pesos. You can exchange cash and traveler’s check in casas de cambio (exchange houses). Look around for competitive rates.  Try to avoid changing money at the airport exchange because they give have the lowest rates.

And remember:  if you need any language assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. We are language facilitators at your service.

I hope this information has been useful and that you will visit Chile soon.

Sources:

http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/Business.htm

http://www.businesschile.cl/en/content/diversifying-chile%E2%80%99s-exports

http://www.tourismchile.com/

By Cristina Zavala Osorio

Types of Interpreting

Hi everyone! The last time we talked about interpreting, we showed you a video that clarified the difference between modes of interpreting: simultaneous and consecutive interpreting. (You can watch that video here: http://translateinchile.blogspot.com/2012/05/our-first-video-differences-between.html )

Now, in this post, we will discuss about the different types of interpreting, and what we can offer you in Translate-In-Chile. There are four main types of interpreting:  whispering interpretation, conference interpretation, public service interpretation and, finally, sign language interpretation; and we will explain them here.

Firstly, we will start with whispering interpretation. In this case, when two or more people require interpreting assistance, the interpreter sits next to them and whispers into the language that they require, keeping them aware of what is going on. This can be used in a meeting, a lecture, a courtroom or any other similar environment or any other environment such as a courtroom. This technique does not require audio equipment and it is mostly done simultaneously.

In second place, we have conference interpretation, which is one of the most known types of interpreting. Conference interpreting can be done simultaneously if the required equipment is available (a booth, microphones and headphones) or it can be done consecutively, in which case the speeches last several minutes and then the interpreter takes notes before rendering the message for the audience. This type of interpreting enables all members of a formal meeting or conference to follow a lecture or a seminar. This also allows people to participate in the meeting, because the interpreter can work in the rendering of questions and answers as well.

Thirdly, we have another type of interpreting, which is called public service interpreting. This occurs when interpreters work in the local community, for example at court, police stations, in hospitals or airports, helping people to have access to these services without being excluded because of language barriers.

Finally, there is another type of interpreting that is a little different from the ones we named before, because it is done by a special type of interpreter. This is sign language interpreting, which is done, of course, by a sign language expert that could work on any of the types of interpreting mentioned above and also helps deaf people to gain more access to any service that is available to the general public. As we normally see, sign language interpreting is mostly done on television shows, and it can also be helpful in social events, theatre plays, etc.

So, as you can see, in interpreting first we have to set the different modes: simultaneous or consecutive; and then, we can differentiate the types of interpreting that we have shown you on this post. We in Translate-In-Chile hope you will find this post helpful. If you have any doubts or are in need of any of these interpreting services, please contact us. Our e-mail is translateinchile@gmail.com

Thank you for reading.

By Lorena Reyes

Sources: http://www.nationalnetworkforinterpreting.ac.uk/index.php/for-students/what-is-interpreting/different-types-of-interpreting, National Network for Interpreting, University of Leeds

CONCEPCIÓN: THE BUSINESS TOURISM CAPITAL

Concepción is the second largest city in Chile, with more than a million inhabitants, only exceeded by the capital Santiago with more than five millions. From an historic, political and economic perspective, it is also one of the most important cities in the country along with the port of Valparaíso and, of course, Santiago. Since its foundation back in the sixteenth century, it has always represented a counterweight for the almighty capital. In the twentieth century Concepción became highly industrialized, with thousands of people from all over the country coming to work in fisheries, coal mining, steel industry, oil refineries, forestry and  the manufacturing industry. As the city was striving, a lot of progress was made in education and many universities were created to supply professionals to its rising economy.

Today, Concepción stands as one of the most interesting places to do business in Latin America thanks to the permanent investment in general infrastructure, hotels, entertainment, public transport, security and services. According to a recent study made by the América Economía Magazine*, Concepción holds the 24^th position among the 50 best cities in Latin America to do business. In fact, according to official data, more than 80% of tourists come to Concepción for this purpose, and every year the city receives an average of 500,000 visitors.

Therefore, the service provided by specialized and skilled translators and interpreters becomes crucial. There has been a great deal of improvement in Chilean’s English proficiency during the last 20 years. Nevertheless, it is always advisable to let professionals take care of communication issues. Their job will ensure high levels of reliability and accuracy, which are fundamental aspects when engaging in a negotiation process. In addition, they often become cultural advisors, tourist guides and why not, friends.

*http://rankings.americaeconomia.com/

By Pablo González

Spanish-English false friends: clarifying the issue

Maybe you have noticed that many words from Spanish resemble words in English. This is caused by the Latin cultural background that both of these languages share. Nonetheless, such resemblance not always implies that the two words have the same meaning in the respective languages. We, the people from the linguistics field call this phenomenon False Friends.

Even though false friends can be considered to be a real problem whenever you are trying to learn a foreign language, you should not feel distressed by this difficulty. We, the Translate-in-Chile team are willing to lend you a hand to overcome this obstacle in a very gracious fashion. Let us get started!

The following table has five columns: the first one for the Spanish word, the second for its meaning, the third for the English similar word, the fourth for its meaning, and the fifth for the word in Spanish that better conveys the English meaning.

Note: some words resemble others that are different parts of speech. For example, an adjective could be compared to a verb, a verb to a substantive, etc.

Spanish word	Spanish meaning	English word	English meaning	Better word
Actual	Current, at the present time	Actual	Existing in reality	Real, verdadero
Asistir	To attend, to be present	To assist	To help	Ayudar
Bizarro	Brave, courageous	Bizarre	Strange	Extraño, raro
Carpeta	Folder, portfolio	Carpet	Large rug	Alfombra
Compromiso	Promise, commitment	Compromise	Agreement	Acuerdo
Constiparse	To catch a cold	Constipation	Difficulty in emptying the bowels	Estreñimiento
Contestar	To answer	To contest	To quarrel	Discutir
Delito	Crime, offense	To delight	To cause pleasure	Deleitar
Desgracia	Misfortune	Disgrace	Shame	Vergüenza, escándalo
Disgusto	Annoyance	Disgust	Revulsion	Repugnancia
Embarazada	Pregnant	To embarrass	Cause to  be ashamed	Avergonzar
Emocionante	Thrilling	Emotional	Emotionally affected, upset	Emocionado, sensible.
En absoluto	Absolutely not	Absolutely	Totally	Completamente
Éxito	Success, hit	Exit	A way out	Salida
Fábrica	Factory	Fabric	Cloth	Género, tela
Ganga	Bargain	Gang	Group	Pandilla, grupo
Minorista	Retailer	Minority	Small group	Minoría
Molestar	To bother	To molest	To assault sexually	Abusar sexualmente
Once	Eleven	Once	On one occasion	Una vez
Pretender	To expect, to try	To pretend	To fake	Fingir, simular
Realizar	To carry out, to make	To realize	To become aware	Comprender, darse cuenta
Recordar	To remind	To record	To convert into a permanent form	Grabar, capturar
Ropa	clothing	Rope	Thick string	Cuerda, lazo
Sano	Healthy	Sane	Reasonable	Cuerdo, en su sano juicio
Sensible	Sensitive	Sensible	Wise, prudent	Sensato
Suceso	Happening, event	Success	Good outcome	Éxito
Tuna	Fruit of a cactus. Also, a musical club that represent the traditional Spanish colonial musicians.	Tuna	An edible fish	Atún

Thank you for reading! ☺

Source: Article Obvious…But Wrong, from the webpage http://spanish.about.com

By Rocío Viveros