Here is a short glossary of some terms, jargon and acronyms used in the translation and interpreting services field in New Zealand and Australia. AALC The Australasian Association of Language Companies Inc. A representative body for language service provider companies (LSPs) in Australia and New Zealand. AUSIT The Australian Institute of Interpreters and […]
How accurate is Google Translate? – what it’s good for and when not to rely on it
It’s pretty widely known these days that Google Translate is far from perfect – its translations can have issues with accuracy and some pretty weird wording. At other times though, it is so good it can’t be faulted. This often perplexes people – why was it accurate last time, so inaccurate and clumsy this time? […]
The 5 step language translation process
Professional translators stick like glue to this 5-step language translation process. They know if they don’t … their translations won’t always be up to scratch. That’s because translating is a mentally demanding task. So demanding that a thorough and disciplined translation process is needed to perform it well. The best-practice language translation process involves these 5 […]
Translators and interpreters – is there a difference?
Translators and interpreters are often considered one and the same. They translate languages. In a similar way the words translation and interpreting are often used interchangeably. However at a technical level these terms are not synonyms. For us in the language services field, translators & interpreters perform quite different roles. Translation = written language The word ‘translation’ has various […]
Translating technical texts – do you need a specialist technical translator?
When a technical text needs to be translated to a high standard how do you decide if the translation can be handled by a “generalist” professional translator, or if a specialist technical translator who is an expert in the relevant field is needed? This article provides guidelines for answering that question – the “rules” we […]