Translating and legalising documents are two of the most complex tasks a translator is likely to tackle. The reasons vary but often come down to complex technical jargon and the lengthy bureaucratic processes required to…
The Problems That Come with Translating Poetry and How to Succeed
The task of translating poetry has given rise to countless musings on how best to translate poems into different languages over the centuries. The ultimate goal of poetry translators is to convey the original…
Dreaming in Other Languages: What Does It Mean and Why Do We Do It?
Dreaming in different languages is perfectly normal. There are many reasons why someone might dream in different languages and there are various theories about what it all means: read on to…
Neologisms, by definition, are new words that permanently enter spoken language. Many of the new words invented each year don’t stand the test of time, and are perhaps best described as fads that fail to…
The most studied languages in the world are not necessarily the most spoken languages in the world. Italians were recently shocked to find out that their mother tongue is the fourth…
World of work: which languages are the most sought-after?
Which languages are the most sought-after in the world of work? Is it even possible to rank them? Perhaps it would be best to focus on specific industries? You might be unsurprised…
Learning languages is never easy, especially if you want to become fluent. However, it’s widely believed that some languages are harder to learn than others.
What are false friends? They are essentially tricky words or phrases that you need to look out for when translating from English into another language. Below are some English words…
Differences between translation and interpretation
Interpreting is a type of translation work that is done orally on the spot. Unlike translators, interpreters have very little time at their disposal and must provide live translations that allow foreign parties to…
How does we determine whether or not a word is ‘beautiful’? In reality, there is no set way to do so, instead, we rely on a sort of ‘feeling’ that certain…
Most translators will be aware that certain cultures can be particularly sensitive to specific concepts, perceiving them in entirely unique ways. Often, this ‘sensitivity’ to specific items, emotions or situations…
While some languages are continuing to gain new speakers, others seem destined for oblivion. In most cases, the latter includes ancient languages spoken by very small and isolated communities, whose inhabitants are…
How to get the most out of a foreign language negotiation
Carrying out negotiations in one's mother tongue involves substantial communicative and diplomatic effort. And when the negotiation is due to take place in a foreign language with the help of…
The most famous examples of transcreation in the history of advertising
Transcreation is a real art, and those tasked with transcreation must ensure that the translated advertising slogan is just as effective in one language as another, while also maintaining the same rhythmic and…
Funny film title translations: the worst translations in the history of cinema
The title of a film is its primary selling point. The cast, director and plot are key to longer-term box office success, but it’s usually the title of a film…
The most translated websites in the world include a surprising entry in first place
What are the most translated websites in the world? You may be surprised to hear that the most translated website in the world is not Wikipedia or Google. At the top of this…
The top 10 most translated books in the world: ranked
If we were to ask you what the most translated book in the world might be, you’d likely get it right: The Bible. This ancient text, together with the Quran, is one of…
Advertising errors: epic translation fails that have made marketing history
Translating adverts is a very delicate task, primarily due to the cultural implications that need to be considered in order to avoid producing a disastrous translation that could have a very negative impact…
Restaurants and translation errors: when the menu is hard to digest
Translation errors on restaurant menus are par for the course, just like parmesan on macaroni pasta with tomato sauce (or ‘macarons to the sauce of tomato,’ of course).
International Business Etiquette: the dos and don’ts of doing business
Are you wondering why your Turkish contact arrived half an hour late to a company meeting? Do you have a left-handed colleague who was sent by the company to negotiate…
What are the most commonly spoken languages in the world? And which are the most in-demand?
What are some of the most commonly spoken languages in the world and which are the most important? The answers are complex, especially from a translator's point of view!
