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

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

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