Problem
Who translates for Google?
Answer
If you look up Wikipedia and the About us pages on Google and Duolingo and BUSUU and other language sites you will find the answers to your questions.
After I had been using Google translate for a long time, several times a day, I saw an option to translate and eventually clicked on it, tired it once, then started receiving a reminder or request.
I volunteered to help with Google translate, on translations from French to English. I expected this to be a doddle, for somebody like me. Not so. Most of the phrases and sentence requiring translation are those which are not dealt with by dictionaries and are challenging.
Firstly, technical terms and phrases. Then modern terms you get on websites are not in dictionaries so you need each piece to create the complete sentence picture.
You must get these right. The correct translation is not just fun, and useful; it is a responsibility not only to learners of language but consumers and businesses. Get the translation wrong and you risk misleading the consumer. You could get the website company into trouble with customer goodwill, wasted time in correspondence, loss of finance or trouble with the law.
The legal terms can be ambiguous in the English, as are long sentence. Translate from a language such as French into English what looks like a series of phrases which must make sense individually as well as in a whole sentence: For example: 'You may claim, for damaged goods, but goods damaged, in transit, require claim against the carrier, but, where faulty in manufacture, and on despatch from us ...'
Sentence structure is often different in other languages. For example, the adjective after the noun in one language but before it in another. (French - Moulin rouge - red windmill.) German sentences have the verb at the end.
I can speak fairly fluent French but it would take too much of my time to translate that into French if not being paid. Correcting somebody else's translation from French, or supplying a complete translation, requires some time.
Luckily, you have the choice of clicking on 'skip'.
I can probably add the symbol for Google to illustrate this page. But first I would have to read their entire legal page to discover under what conditions I could use it.
In theory translating the written word is easy, easier than simultaneous translation at a conference, you have time to check every word.
The Joy Of Conferences
In practice I found working at a conference much more enjoyable. Working at home I had to invest in huge expensive dictionaries, £25 or more for each language. It was more stressful because a company's new business in foreign markets depended on my getting translations in several languages ready in time for the client meetings.
At a Conference I was getting free accommodation and meals, fun networking. Everybody was terribly impressed and grateful for me for translating everything from the restaurant menu to conference handouts and speeches. When I didn't know a word I could dash up to half a dozen people and get the important words translated.
Most journalists didn't need every word of every sentence, just the gist of the main points. They wanted to know who was who, quick enough for them to race up to the head of the company to thank them, compliment them and request information on a specific product such as a new car, and get that vital business card!
What I loved the most were thank you speeches. I love acting out, astonishment (with raised eyebrows and open mouth), gratitude, apologies with hand on heart.
My Experiences Include:
Conferences and Celebrations
Translating and Correcting French into English for translation handouts at Indian Legal Conferences.
Simultaneous Translating French into English and English into French at Motoring and Tourist Events in France.
Websites And Marketing
Editing Indian and Nepalese into correct English for Websites.
Editing English for Korean companies.
Job Applications
Translating Spanish and Portuguese into English for CVs and covering letters.
Translating Japanese into English for CVs and advertisements.
Conversation and Daily life
Translating and explaining supermarket and product labels for Japanese spouses in the UK.
Editing Hebrew translations on packaging and instructions for beauty products.
Translating English into French, German and Spanish for business presentations.
Speech Translation
Bilingual speeches in French and English for Toastmasters International speakers groups in the UK.
Translation into English of French slides on wine during a slide show for a French presenter.
Bilingual thank you speeches in French and English for English groups overseas.
Writing and translating bilingual English and French speeches for a bride and groom.
Translating English into French for guests at a barmitzvah.
Translating English into French and French into English at a dinner for English accommodation hosts paid for by French guests.
Wine & Holidays
Translation of requests for accommodation from English to French and replies from French to English.
Translation of slides on French wine for presentation in English.
Translation of letters to French vineyards from English to French for English speakers.
Translation of French wine bottle labels for Spanish and English speaking adults studying wine for exams.
Travel Translations
Translation of Greek names on road sign posts and plane exit doors.
Translation of Hebrew Names on Doors.
Translation of Chinese city names on road signs and railway stations.
Translation of French and Flemish (Dutch) signs on Belgian road.
Translation of signs for toilets and ladies and gents in Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Romanian.
Author
Angela Lansbury travel writer and photographer. Teacher of English and other languages and translator into English and for packaging into other languages, websites, and conference paper and conference translations.
Who translates for Google?
Answer
If you look up Wikipedia and the About us pages on Google and Duolingo and BUSUU and other language sites you will find the answers to your questions.
After I had been using Google translate for a long time, several times a day, I saw an option to translate and eventually clicked on it, tired it once, then started receiving a reminder or request.
I volunteered to help with Google translate, on translations from French to English. I expected this to be a doddle, for somebody like me. Not so. Most of the phrases and sentence requiring translation are those which are not dealt with by dictionaries and are challenging.
Firstly, technical terms and phrases. Then modern terms you get on websites are not in dictionaries so you need each piece to create the complete sentence picture.
You must get these right. The correct translation is not just fun, and useful; it is a responsibility not only to learners of language but consumers and businesses. Get the translation wrong and you risk misleading the consumer. You could get the website company into trouble with customer goodwill, wasted time in correspondence, loss of finance or trouble with the law.
The legal terms can be ambiguous in the English, as are long sentence. Translate from a language such as French into English what looks like a series of phrases which must make sense individually as well as in a whole sentence: For example: 'You may claim, for damaged goods, but goods damaged, in transit, require claim against the carrier, but, where faulty in manufacture, and on despatch from us ...'
Sentence structure is often different in other languages. For example, the adjective after the noun in one language but before it in another. (French - Moulin rouge - red windmill.) German sentences have the verb at the end.
I can speak fairly fluent French but it would take too much of my time to translate that into French if not being paid. Correcting somebody else's translation from French, or supplying a complete translation, requires some time.
Luckily, you have the choice of clicking on 'skip'.
I can probably add the symbol for Google to illustrate this page. But first I would have to read their entire legal page to discover under what conditions I could use it.
In theory translating the written word is easy, easier than simultaneous translation at a conference, you have time to check every word.
The Joy Of Conferences
In practice I found working at a conference much more enjoyable. Working at home I had to invest in huge expensive dictionaries, £25 or more for each language. It was more stressful because a company's new business in foreign markets depended on my getting translations in several languages ready in time for the client meetings.
At a Conference I was getting free accommodation and meals, fun networking. Everybody was terribly impressed and grateful for me for translating everything from the restaurant menu to conference handouts and speeches. When I didn't know a word I could dash up to half a dozen people and get the important words translated.
Most journalists didn't need every word of every sentence, just the gist of the main points. They wanted to know who was who, quick enough for them to race up to the head of the company to thank them, compliment them and request information on a specific product such as a new car, and get that vital business card!
What I loved the most were thank you speeches. I love acting out, astonishment (with raised eyebrows and open mouth), gratitude, apologies with hand on heart.
My Experiences Include:
Conferences and Celebrations
Translating and Correcting French into English for translation handouts at Indian Legal Conferences.
Simultaneous Translating French into English and English into French at Motoring and Tourist Events in France.
Websites And Marketing
Editing Indian and Nepalese into correct English for Websites.
Editing English for Korean companies.
Job Applications
Translating Spanish and Portuguese into English for CVs and covering letters.
Translating Japanese into English for CVs and advertisements.
Conversation and Daily life
Translating and explaining supermarket and product labels for Japanese spouses in the UK.
Editing Hebrew translations on packaging and instructions for beauty products.
Translating English into French, German and Spanish for business presentations.
Speech Translation
Bilingual speeches in French and English for Toastmasters International speakers groups in the UK.
Translation into English of French slides on wine during a slide show for a French presenter.
Bilingual thank you speeches in French and English for English groups overseas.
Writing and translating bilingual English and French speeches for a bride and groom.
Translating English into French for guests at a barmitzvah.
Translating English into French and French into English at a dinner for English accommodation hosts paid for by French guests.
Wine & Holidays
Translation of requests for accommodation from English to French and replies from French to English.
Translation of slides on French wine for presentation in English.
Translation of letters to French vineyards from English to French for English speakers.
Translation of French wine bottle labels for Spanish and English speaking adults studying wine for exams.
Travel Translations
Translation of Greek names on road sign posts and plane exit doors.
Translation of Hebrew Names on Doors.
Translation of Chinese city names on road signs and railway stations.
Translation of French and Flemish (Dutch) signs on Belgian road.
Translation of signs for toilets and ladies and gents in Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Romanian.
Author
Angela Lansbury travel writer and photographer. Teacher of English and other languages and translator into English and for packaging into other languages, websites, and conference paper and conference translations.
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