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Guide to Chinese dialects

When the translation project includes a Chinese-speaking population, mistakes can happen when choosing the Chinese dialect: For example, is Traditional Chinese in Hong Kong the same as the Taiwan version? Or, errors made by specifying the target language as Cantonese for a text translation, which is a spoken dialect, not a written version. To clarify the issues, the chart and notes below give an overview to help identify the correct version for each project:
Chinese-speaking country: Mainland China, Spoken Language: Mandarin, Written script: Simplified Chinese
Chinese-speaking country: Hong Kong SAR, Spoken Language: Cantonese, Written script: Traditional Chinese
Chinese-speaking country: Taiwan, Spoken Language: Mandarin, Written script: Traditional Chinese
Chinese-speaking country: Singapore, Spoken Language: Mandarin, Written script: Simplified Chinese.
Notes: Per above, although mainland China and Taiwan both speak Mandarin, the written scripts they use are different. Taiwan and mainland China are governed by different governments, and several decades ago, the government of mainland China began advocating Simplified Chinese to improve handwriting efficiency (Simplified Chinese characters have less strokes). So, the same word is written with different characters in mainland China and Taiwan.

Besides this major difference, language is constantly evolving, which creates differences in the same language over time in different countries. The difference is particularly significant in fields like IT and medicine, because terminology in these fields were newly defined by different groups of specialists, and most of these terms were created after the 1970s.

Also, even the written scripts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and mainland China are different, because before the handover in 1997, Hong Kong was under British government control instead of Chinese government. As seen in the chart, the written scripts used in Taiwan and Hong Kong SAR are both Traditional Chinese, but they are not completely the same. This is because Hong Kong people have adopted both terms from mainland China and terms from Taiwan, and they also have some terms defined locally.

And, the spoken language used in Hong Kong SAR is still the same as the spoken language used in the Canton province of China, and not like the rest of mainland China. So it is incorrect to request a written target language as Cantonese because Cantonese is a spoken dialect, and, while the Canton province of mainland China uses Cantonese as the spoken language, the written language used there is Simplified Chinese, rather than Traditional Chinese (which is used in Hong Kong).

Since there is plenty of room for confusion, so to make sure your project is translated into the correct target languages, it is important to identify the target market and to indicate the target language correctly.

5 tips – How to improve the translation quality

There is no such a thing as a perfect translation. It usually takes some time and effort of multiple individuals until the final translated texts are in excellent shape. Here are few tips on how to have your translations significantly improved.

1. Use Editor, Proofreader or both. To minimize the chances of an error or omission in information or language, it is better that 3 pairs of expert eyes look at all content from beginning to end: translator, editor, and proofreader. Each linguist should be a professional, experienced translator and a native speaker of the target language.

2. Optional Third Party Validation. In some cases, like translation of medical and legal documentation, you can request an additional person to review your final materials.

3. CAT (Computer Aided Translation). Ask your language provider to use CAT tools, such as Trados, SDLX, WordFast or similar TM (Translation Memory) tool for consistency. Using one of these tools, the same phrases are translated identically and the terminology is used consistently even if different translators work on different portions of the document. TM tools also decrease the translation time, resulting in faster turnaround and decreased cost to the client.

4. Back-Translation. Many medical companies request to use this method for improving the quality of the translated materials and checking for any errors or oversights that could’ve occurred during the original phase of translation. It is customary to have the back-translated documentation reviewed by the source language speakers and that’s why this method has become questionable and it isn’t so popular.

5. Standardize Your Business Terminology. It is estimated that approximately 15 percent of all globalization project costs arise from rework, and the primary cause of rework is inconsistent terminology. A glossary containing the key terminology helps in reducing the inconsistency in translation. Apart from using general purpose glossaries available on the web, a translation company can and should create its own glossary that contains frequently used terms specific to the projects undertaken by the company. Translation tools using Translation Memory (TM) automatically suggest suitable words and phrases from the glossary, even as the translation process is underway.

7 Myth-busting Facts about Language Translations

Translations are an essential part of any business strategy to expand overseas. Businesses who don’t offer their customers information in their native languages may be losing ground to foreign competitors. Here are seven of the most common myths about translations and the facts that dispel them.

Myth #1: Anyone who speaks another language can translate.
Fact: Just because you speak English doesn’t make you a writer. The man in Sales department who took French in college may be able to translate some written correspondence, but more complex documents, such as marketing materials and the website should be handled by educated professional linguists.

Myth #2: Translating is just substituting one word in the source language with another in the target language.
Fact: English has approximately twice as many words as Spanish. Exchanging one word for another just won’t work. A skilled translator makes sure that the nuances and details of the original text are present in the translated version as well.

Myth #3: Free on-line translations are accurate and good enough for me and my business.
Fact: Computer or machine translations lack the ability to identify nuances or even, in some cases, to correctly identify words. Therefore it should never be used for serious translations of any business documents, such as marketing materials, financial reports or legal contracts.

Myth #4: Translations can be done in a couple of days.
Fact: If it took you two months to write manual, it’s going to take time for someone to translate it, someone else to edit it, and a third person to proofread it. Each project is unique: the number of words in the original document, the complexity of the subject matter, and the quality of the writing in the original all affect turn-around time. Reputable translations services companies will explain this to you.

Myth #5: Translations are too expensive and I won’t get my money’s worth.
Fact: Translations cost less than the development of your original documents and allow you to reach many more customers than you can in English. Translations deliver a high ROI on a relatively small investment.

Myth #6: Most internet users speak English, so I don’t need my website translated.
Fact: Only about 30% of internet users worldwide are English speakers. Usage studies show that customers are four times more likely to purchase from websites in their language and they will spend twice as long on translated sites.

Myth #7: In this economic climate, we shouldn’t be investing in translations.
Fact: In a downturn, a great marketing strategy is to expand in foreign markets. Decreasing demand at home does not translate into shrinking sales abroad. Make your website and product information accessible to your foreign customers by offering them in their native languages.

How to prepare your existing website for translation

Full localization of your English language website is a complex process that involves translating the site into your target audience’s language as well as localizing (adapting) its contents, style, graphics, and cultural conventions – such as currencies, dates, units of measurement, etc. But by following these few simple steps, you should be able to get your site ready for translation in no time.

1. Proofread and finalize the source text before submitting it to be translated. Make sure the original text is easily understood by a native English speaker. Last minute changes, revisions or corrections may delay the translation process and incur additional cost.

2. Confirm what doesn’t need translating and which words need to remain in English.

3. Allow for text expansion or reduction of up to 30% of the original. This is important for websites, brochures and any other translations that will be used in a published form. You may need to add more pages.

4. Provide as much explanation and background material as possible, including a glossary of terms or previous translations (if existent).

5. If you have ready pre-written website in a single Word document (or multiple documents), you should send it to us to significantly speed up the production time and to reduce the costs.

6. And last but not least, ensure that you can be easily contacted in case of queries that arise during the translation. Your interest and engagement in the translation process will not only ensure a better translation, but will also help you understand your target market and speed up the production time.