The difference between the right word and the almost right word is really a large matter — it’s the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
Mark Twain’s words still ring true for certified translation services more than a century after they were written.
Our world may be more technologically advanced and globalized, but we must learn lessons from our past: the bi-lingual Treaty of Waitangi signed in 1840 between the British Crown and local Maori leaders is a famous example of the disastrous consequences that can result from poor translations.
The English text of this treaty specified that the Maori would cede “all rights and powers of sovereignty” to the British Crown; however, the Maori text implied that the indigenous people were surrendering only governance-related matters to the British and were not signing over their autonomy. This mistranslation caused the bloody New Zealand Wars that lasted nearly three decades from 1845 to 1872.
Indeed, the difference between the right word and the almost right word is even more crucial now, especially in the business context.
When the world becomes a village, all its industries must work within a glorious cornucopia of diversity: of resources, knowledge, cultures, norms,, ideas, political systems, legal provisions, technical capabilities, and above all, languages.
Professional translation services prevent this synergetic global village economy from turning into a Babel of failure because of the many tongues its inhabitants speak. Certified translation and localization services ensure that documents, websites, and other assets can be easily understood in varied languages and dialects. The clients of language service providers operate in domains ranging from insurance and healthcare to retail, consumer products and entertainment, all of which have their separate, industry-specific translation requirements.
In the context of multinational businesses, even a small, seemingly innocuous error can lead to immense losses.
Thus, as enterprises go global, efficient and precise communication between them and their stakeholders in foreign markets takes precedence. Each market is bound to have its own set of languages and laws, and every region is underpinned by distinct cultures and idiosyncrasies. Businesses must cultivate a solid understanding of global conditions as well as a sensitivity to local cultures.
The work of translation service providers is key to this sensitization, and it is in the best interests of businesses to enlist the services of respected, professional, and certified translators when they expand into markets outside their immediate vicinity.
Of course, along with the knowledge of local languages, laws, and cultures, translators must also firmly grasp industry-specific terminology to ensure that translated documents convey exactly the same meaning as the original documents.
To illustrate, let us take the example of the manufacturing industry. Technical manuals must cross-cultural and language barriers and convey meaning in the local context with perfect accuracy. Even minor errors in translation can lead to erroneous products. In certain instances, such as with the production of automobiles or airplanes, a minor discrepancy in the most minute component can endanger lives and attract consequent lawsuits.
Similarly, poor translations can have profound repercussions on other industries such as insurance that require vendors and clients to understand each other in the most lucid manner possible. Additionally, insurers need accurate details of any events that may elicit an insurance claim. This process is by no means simple even in a monolingual context; it becomes extremely complicated when multiple languages and contexts are involved. Therefore, insurers operating in foreign markets and/or servicing a multilingual and multicultural client base need accurate translation and interpretation services with expertise in insurance-specific terminology to avoid costly errors.
It is equally obvious that translating services are the lifeblood of transnational market research, legal suits and arbitrations, and healthcare services. Regardless of their areas of operation, business enterprises would not be able to conduct their work seamlessly across different geographies without adequate localization in the context and purpose of their use.
Professional translation services allow for such localization and for the unerring transmission of meaning across cultures.
Protranslating prides itself in providing round-the-clock and around-the-globe certified translation services that are guaranteed to be accurate. The businesses with which we partner can rest assured that our team of more than 5000 people dispersed globally provides a vast network of knowledge of local languages, laws, and cultures for their benefit. Our proprietary, efficient, and client-oriented workflows are coupled with quality control processes that have earned us ISO 9001 and 17001 certifications. Our security focus has led us to become the first LSP to obtain a SOC 2 Type II report, and we are firmly on the way to obtaining our ISO 27001 certification. Constant technological innovations that optimize and integrate cutting-edge technologies, machine learning techniques, and expert human inputs allow us to provide timely and accurate translations with the highest degree of secure and in-context language localization.
Additionally, our industry-specialized linguists ensure that context-specific meaning is not diluted in the translation process. In the four-and-a-half decades of our existence, we have provided accurate translations of myriad documents to businesses operating in diverse industries:
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
- Legal
- Education
- Retail
- Entertainment
- Market research
Would you like to know more about the businesses we partner or the comprehensive language services we can provide? Contact us.
