A Gallery of Bad Translations
Prior to initiating this blog, we published a online newsletter that contained a continuing feature entitled “C’est What?,” in which we brought readers various examples of humorously bad translations from around the world. Now the Los Angeles Times has an online photo gallery called “Horrible Translations” where there’s enough material to keep you entertained for [...] Read more »
Categories: Translation & Interpreting - Tags: bad translations
Beyond Translation: Transcreation
Transcreation is a relatively new concept and one closely tied to international marketing. Unlike “translation,” which involves taking an original text and producing a faithful and accurate version of the original meaning in a target language, “transcreation” means going beyond reproducing meaning to creating something that will have the same emotional impact in another culture. [...] Read more »
Categories: Translation & Interpreting - Tags: language and culture, multicultural marketing, transcreation
English: The Language of Business in Europe?
As we have noted in a previous article on Global Miscommunication, just because two people are speaking the same language does not mean that they are effectively communicating. For example, English may often be used as the language of business between countries in the European Union (EU), but continental Europeans may find that what the [...] Read more »
Categories: Language and Culture - Tags: British English, EU, European Union, international business
U.S. and Canada Enhance Economic Partnership
This past September, the U.S. and Canada issued an action plan containing initiatives to carry forward “Beyond the Border,” a dialogue instituted in February 2011 to investigate options for joint activities to enhance perimeter security and economic competitiveness for both countries. Details of the initiatives were described in a join press conference held by President [...] Read more »
Categories: International Business - Tags: canada, french translation
Could the Future Tense Affect Your Current Behavior?
Does the fact that English requires use of the future tense when talking about the future affect how we act today? Economist M. Keith Chen of Yale University suggests that it can. In a paper written earlier this year, Chen tests his hypothesis that the existence of a strong future tense in a language actually [...] Read more »
Categories: Language and Culture - Tags: future tense