Translating For Google And Conferences

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.

South Korea Going 'Coin less' not Chinless - I typed c o i n l e s s

Problem
South Korea is trying out a no coin system. This will make your wallet and pocket lighter. Fewer coins to have to recognise. Less embarrassment

On the other hand all those coins you find in pockets and bags and down the back of the sofa will be worthless.

Even if they refund the money at a central bank, the cost of going there will outweigh the fare money.

As for those jars of coins with the word for tips, or the charity boxes in which you can slip the odd coin, the collect of the pennies at charity shops were everything is priced at something and 99p as a marketing ploy to make it sound cheaper, and the customer says, Keep the Change.

All the items with prices pre-printed will need new packaging.

I used to wonder why some book printing systems would not allow you to print the price on the cover. I thought, 'but the customer wants to know the price and doesn't like to ask. The customer is more likely to buy if the price is marked and sounds cheap.'

Beggars will now be asking for a dollar.

You will no longer have coins for your coin collection.

Will they still issue high value commemorative coins? We will be watching the results of the experiment in Korea with interest.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Update on Packing For and from Singapore, For and From UK

Tiger Balm
Marianna says on my Facebook post:
'We can now get Tiger Balm in the UK from Boots stores, but it doesn't seem as "strong" as the Far East version.'

Tiger Balm - from Singapore Tiger Balm reminds me of other products. It does seem to resemble Vicks Vapour rub. Very effective for clearing your nose when you have a cold.

Sudocrem Sudocrem - from UK From the UK I take a small pot of Sudocrem antiseptic healing ointment. The magic ingredient is zinc. You may be able to find local equivalents in countries such as India and the Philippines, but without knowing the local brand name, it's hard to make yourself understood.

Zinc Ointment You can buy zinc ointment overseas. Try photographing the label to show a pharmacist. If you encounter a language barrier, it's much quicker to show the UK label, or just take a small size pot with you.

Photograph Pill Packaging
Also take a photo of the packet of all your medications. That is easier to explain, if you need extras when you extend your stay, if your luggage is lost, if you forgot to pack your medication, or you need to explain pills when stopped at security. 

Oops - you have pills lasting until your last day, Saturday, but you arrive at your destination on Sunday. (When pharmacies in the UK are closed.) 

On one trip, I was sent to the drug store at Changi Airport. I had extended my stay an extra day for a Saturday night party. I had one extra pill but would be without a pill next morning. I did not want to arrive jet-lagged without a pill. What if the flight was delayed? 

How big is the pill?
I had carried my pills in a plastic dispenser marked with days of the week. I was asked whether I wanted 50 or 100 mg pills. I knew the pill size, but what is inside the packet? The kind pharmacist allowed me to open it, but each pill was sealed behind foil. 

A copy of your description, or the outside of your pill packet, tells you the answer.

Angela Lansbury

The bottle(s) you buy at the airport (alcohol brands decisions)

After many trips overseas I can recall all my problems, only one problem on one trip in ten, but one problem too many. These include:
1 At airport of departure country not knowing my duty free allowance.
2 Leaving behind my duty free package in the overhead luggage locker.
3 Taking somebody else's by mistake.
4 Somebody else taking mine by mistake.
5 Leaving my duty free in the boot of a taxi from the airport which had lots of bags belonging to the taxi driver.
6 Not buying any duty free because I don't drink then realising my host would have liked a bottle for the welcome dinner when I reached their home.
7 Not knowing whether the drink at the airport was a saving worth the extra cost of a porter/taxi or the inconvenience of carrying the extra weight.
8 The airport duty free tote bag had flimsy handles which cut my wrists and broke, when I could have brought a bag with good handles from home.
9 Packing a bottle in the middle of my suitcase and it broke leaving me with no drink and stained and smelly clothes.
10 An opened bottle half drunk at destination leaked on the way home.
11 Regret not buying more of bargain when I realised after we separated at airport that one of the family (husband wife and teenage son) had a third allowance.
12 Lots of drink at home, not sure if we have lots of rum but no vodka or vice versa.
13 Not knowing which brand to buy because we don't normally buy that sort of alcohol.
14 Great offer of a free umbrella with one drink and a free set of glasses with another. Have to decide in a hurry if we really need the product and is the free gift free or is the drink overpriced to include it.

Before you go to the airport plan your purchases. Who needs gifts? How many are travelling? How much can you carry? Who are you visiting? Do you need gifts for hosts at your destination? Do you know what is rare or valued in that country, company, family?
   Check your duty free allowance. Write it down on a piece of paper in your bag's front pocket.  Assuming you plan to carry a duty free it in a bag, have it attached to something you will not leave behind, such as a large first name label, umbrella, coat with a belt.
Solutions to the above problems. Solutions:
Check your home country duty free allowance. (For outgoing journey journey.)
Check your destination(s) duty free allowance. (For return journey and leaving destination on side trips and stopovers to a third country or circular trip with hops.)
Check your home drinks cabinet to see what you need and what you have too much of from previous trips.
Check your calendar - is there a family wedding, funeral, exam celebration, New Year's Eve party, dinner party, family reunion or other event at which you will need drink.
Do you have foreign guests who will drink something you don't have (e.g. sake for Japanese visitors).
Do you need a spare in a country you are visiting (e.g. Chinese or Japanese where you might be presented with a gift and need to reciprocate.)

Would a box of five miniature bottles or perfumes enable you to present something to all the family or all the colleagues instead of singling out the host?
Do you need a presentation box or wrapping paper or a birthday card or wedding congratulations card from home to re-wrap the gift at destination?

List your home drinks supply, oversupply or needs in a small hand back diary kept in a regular place such as right hand pocket, or on mobile phone, so you can find the list easily. Check your local paper or cut out the page with supermarket offers. It might be cheaper or easier to buy from home before leaving (especially if in a hurry or stuck in traffic). Keep the newspaper cutting with you.

Instead or as backup you could use your phone or computer to take a picture of your home drinks (or family or host's drinks shelf), or your supermarket shelf, and email this to yourself, then read it an airport lounge or in a cafe at the destination.

Find out if your host/ family are not fussy and just want 'the cheapest whisky' or 'any bottle of plonk. Or do they have a yearning for something special, my favourite is such and such a brand - if you can get it / I only drink ... / 'I've never tried a malt whisky', 'sake would make a change', 'ooh - this is an expensive bottle! Thanks so much.'