Analyzing the need

Apart from the fact that Russian is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the World Tourism Organization, it also ranks fifth in the list of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Russia hold a key position in the present global economy, being a strategic exporter of technology, especially in the Oil and Gas, as well as Defense sectors. Collectively, all this has increased the demand for Russian to English translation across the world.

Food for thought

“Translation is not a matter of words only; it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.” Not only is this view put forth by English Writer Anthony Burgess thought-provoking, it also questions the relevance of word-to-word translations. The wide variety of computer aided translations available today certainly save a lot of time, money and effort, and are of great help to professional translators, but sole dependence on them for executing a full-fledged translation project (for instance, one that entails website translation) is highly questionable.
With this thought in mind, let us ponder over the easiest available options for translating a Russian website into English.

1. Use a Russian to English bilingual dictionary: This is probably the oldest aid for translation and is an excellent aid for beginner or learners. But it is impossible to convert a Russian website into English solely using this age-old tool.

2. As the first step towards Russian to English translation, Romanization of the Russian words can be done, which means transliterating the Russian Cyrillic script into the Latin alphabet. This can be done via a number of websites, one of them being http://www.translit.ru/, which transliterates Russian letters into Latin letters. If you copy and paste a Russian word into the field, the website will give you a letter-to-letter Latin Alphabet equivalent. However, this only involves transliteration and does not imply proper translation.

3. The most popular and instant option of course is Google Translate (translate.google.com/) Even a layman who has no idea about translation can use it conveniently; one just needs to select the desired languages and enter words, sentences or paragraphs in the translation field. However the number of paragraphs that can be entered is limited. Moreover, there are two major disadvantages of using this tool. First, its underlying principle involves Statistical Machine Translation without application of grammatical rules, and second, it often uses English as a pivot language, which increases the ambiguity in the final translated version.

Here is an example of a mistake caused by overlooking the grammatical aspect as extracted from Wikipedia:
Пишет (3rd person: it writes) вам (dative: to you(all)) письмо (letter) семья (family) Дарьи (genitive: of Daria).
Based on the word order, Google translates: You wrote a letter to family Darya.[34]
Based on declensions (word functions), it means: [it's] Daria’s family [that] writes you a letter, exactly the opposite.
Google took you for to you, Daria for of Daria as well as to the family for the family.

4. One can log onto the website www. Dictionary.reference.com, and select the translator tab, which will display a field where you can enter up to a maximum limit of 2000 characters at one time.

5. Bing Translator (www.bing.com/translator): This has the option of translating entire web pages by selecting “translate this web page” in Bing Search results. One has the option of viewing the bilingual viewer in four different layouts namely top and bottom, side by side, original with hover translation and vice versa. However, the underlying technique of word-to-word translation often leads to errors.

6. Babylon Translator (translation.babylon.com/): This gives you the option of specifying your domain. There are about 400 options you can choose from ranging from arts, business, and computers to health, law, entertainment and sports.

The question of finesse

All said and done, there is no software or tool that can substitute the expertise of certified, professional translation of a Russian Website into English. The following points illustrate why:

• Only an expert human translator can understand the context and objective of the translator and execute the translation accordingly.
• Professional translation entails understanding the psyche and expectations of the end-user and translating the website accordingly.
• The question of finesse in translation means understanding lexical gaps, area-specific idioms, terms, terminology etc and conveying the real meaning as opposed to the literal/ word-to-word meaning
• For effective website translation, one needs to understand the political, social and cultural background of the end-user in order to deliver socially as well as culturally appropriate translations.
• The ambiguous word-to-word translation of machine churned versions is eliminated.

About the author

Sitara Sankar is a Content Marketing Specialist at TIIT Solutions a subsidiary of TridIndia IT Translation Services Pvt. Ltd- One of the top provider of Russian translation services. She is passionate about writing unique, innovative and engaging content on a diverse range of topics. You can catch up with her on Twitter @sitara_sankar.

To avoid embarrassing mistakes while visiting another country, it’s critical to learn the culture. Observing Japanese culture shows this concept in action. Cross-cultural business communications (think websites, documents, adverts and product launches) need as much – if not more – attention to detail. Some of the most noteworthy concerns are translation mistakes, cultural incompatibility and bad associations with the way a brand or product name sounds.

Translation Mistakes
Translation mistakes are always good for a laugh (unless you’re the source of the joke). Not only do they literally send the wrong message, but they also imply you made a half-hearted effort to communicate properly and all you really want is their money.

Sometimes, it’s as simple as the wrong word being used:
• A telecommunications executive once told me their translator rendered “ground wire” as “earth wire.” This tends to happen when the translator doesn’t know specialized terms of a technical industry and turns to a dictionary for help.
• Languages with different dialects and regional variations can also lead to mistakes. For example, the word for bus in Latin American Spanish is “autobύs” while it’s “guagua” in Puerto Rican Spanish.

The original message or concept can also be skewed into something quite different. A Google search will bring up many of these popular anecdotes, both true and urban legend. All do a wonderful job of illustrating the point:
• “Please leave your values at the front desk” – elevator sign in France
• “This water passed by quarantine board” – water fountain sign in Chinese airport
• “Ladies are requested to not have children in the bar” – cocktail lounge sign in Norway
• “Our wines leave you nothing to hope for” – Swiss restaurant menu

Cultural Incompatibility
Brands and products have been introduced into other countries without knowing they’re incompatible with the culture. Slang is one culprit. When Clairol’s Mist Stick curling iron was introduced to Germany, they didn’t know mist is slang for manure – certainly a bad association for hairstyling! Lack of understanding leads to more blunders, as when Pepsodent introduced its whitening toothpaste to Southeast Asia. They failed to realize natives blacken their teeth on purpose which is viewed as attractive.

How It Sounds
It can be notoriously difficult to bring brand and product names into other countries because of associations with embarrassing words and phrases. Sometimes, the mistake is caught ahead of time. This was the case when a pharmaceutical company wanted to market a weight loss pill in France as “Tegro.” Fortunately, they discovered the name sounds like “tes’gros” or “you’re fat.” Other times, the product is released as with the “Fartfull,” a children’s desk from IKEA. The word means speedy in Swedish, while the connotation in English is apparent.

Conclusion
Culture is a powerful force that can’t be separated from any international communication. Translation mistakes, cultural incompatibility and association with undesirable phrases can have a very damaging impact on your credibility and that of your company, brand, product or service. Culture is here to stay so be sure your product, marketing and translation teams treat it with the detail it requires.

Author Bio
Patrick Hayslett blogs about translation and multicultural marketing at LinguaLinx where he works hard to help make industry concepts transparent and easy to understand.

Photo credit: Arek Olek via photopin cc

Germans have a penchant for Viking costumes. The chances are that you didn’t know that – in fact, the chances are that pretty much nobody knows that. But if you want to optimise a site for fancy dress costumes, it’s the sort of thing you could really do with knowing.

When we look at the Internet in foreign markets, though, it’s crucial we don’t just gather the assumptions we’ve learned from years of English-language browsing, and drop them all over French users – or, to be more accurate, les internautes. The way that the web emerged as a societal driving force is different from nation to nation and from language to language. Support for non-Latin alphabets is finally catching up; Russia still prefers Yandex to Google. But these are just the superficial things.

Within this, search patterns and trends are probably the most interesting element of the variation of web behaviour, and it’s all to do with language. It starts with keyword phrases; it doesn’t suffice to grab your keywords, translate English to German, and cross your fingers. We have our own research to do in terms of how German searchers phrase their questions. Do they use fewer words than English searchers? How specific and direct is their language? And, beyond that, what does all of this tell us about the way Germans use the Internet? If we can draw parallels from this, we can assess conversion habits and product catalogues in tandem.

The impulsive and rapid-fire nature of search queries says more about the instinctive roots of language than anything I have ever encountered. When we use Google, we rarely pause for thought. We know what we want, and our brain acts in whatever way it feels is likely to achieve it. By this point, the language of the ‘net is dictated by the language of its surfers, and certainly not the other way around. So when we write new copy for our sites, we’re reacting.

The only way to react effectively and usefully is to know our way around. We can call in a professional translation team and carbon-copy our English website; it won’t do the trick. We need a more fundamental and ground-level appreciation of what drives different cultural groups to search the way that they do. When we understand that, we’re finally ready to deliver on some of those international SEO promises.

Image courtesy of Menlo Innovations from Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/menlopics/7593051418/

Are you looking for ways to help your children and provide benefits for their future education and career? One possibility that you may have overlooked is bilingualism. Beyond the ability to speak two languages, there are several benefits to learning a second language. From improvements in mental abilities to a more adaptable lifestyle, here are some reasons to consider teaching your child another language.

There have been several studies which have shown positive effects on the memory. With information being organized for two different languages, it should come as no surprise that there would be some improvement as the brain has to work harder in order to integrate all the information. Another effect on mental abilities is the improvement of executive function, which is what allows a person to focus on a task while discarding irrelevant information. Tests have been done that show an improvement in the ability to multitask in people who are bilingual. And, it seems the more fluent a person is in both languages the greater their executive control becomes. And finally, it is possible that bilingual people have a smaller chance of having dementia or that the symptoms are suffered later in life than that of a monolingual person. Fluency in two languages exercises the brain in short, keeping it healthy.

A bilingual child can have a chance at a more diverse education. There may be more exchange trip possibilities during school. This could allow a student to more easily go to another country that they might otherwise have been avoided due to a language barrier. Another language will also allow your child to read books in another language and gain a different perspective on the subject matter. This could be particularly useful in history or politics to gain a perspective from another’s point of view. And, of course, it’s another outlet for gaining knowledge of another culture. It doesn’t have to stop at bilingualism either. Knowing some languages can make it easier to learn other languages that share similar roots. In doing so, they can increase their knowledge even more. There are people who know multiple languages and your child can be among them.

A bilingual person may have a better chance at getting a job. There is a growing need for multilingual people particularly in healthcare and the business sector. In the rising global economy there is more need for interpreters and translators. The demand for Chinese, Russian and Spanish in particular is on the rise. More businesses both offline and online want workers who can speak another language, so there is a definite advantage for those who can. Bilingual workers are often paid more as well.

If your family or a part of your family is of a different ethnicity than that of your current location raising your child to be bilingual will not only help him integrate into your current country, but also still keep him tied to your familial language. Your child will be able to communicate with those around her as well as extended relations who may only know their own native language. Your child can remain connected to his family’s culture and history.

And, of course knowing another language can bring about a greater understanding of the diversity in our world. A bilingual person will have more flexibility and be better able to adapt. A child who understands something in two different ways gains a better understanding of the fact that things can be understood or described in multiple ways. Bilingualism can also broaden a person’s social circle. After all, two languages instead of one means you can communicate with people with of either language rather than only one. There is a greater chance of successful communication. This is especially true for interaction online where there is an even greater chance of meeting someone speaking another language. A child may also be able to feel more comfortable in multiple environments, knowing he or she can still communicate and that will continue to adulthood. It can help foster a greater willingness to travel to other countries. Knowing, understanding and accepting at a young age how diverse our world is, a child is more likely to grow into an accepting and more caring adult.

A child raised to be bilingual will certainly have some advantages. Whether a family is teaching their child their own native language and the language of the place they’re living in or whether a child is just learning a second language other than what the family knows, he can enjoy the benefits of bilingualism throughout his life.

Author Bio: An avid reader and blogger, Gwen is associated with Born in China, a Chinese learning centre that provides aid to learn Mandarin.

Image courtesy of albawaba.com

The world has evolved over the years and with each passing year we have been blessed with tools which are making our lives that little bit easier. When the future was talked about in the 80’s and the 90’s flying cars was often envisaged by the sheer mention of the 2010 and beyond.

Although we do not have our cars floating in the air just yet the world has evolved a lot over the last few years – and all for the better I would say. The world is a lot more educated than it ever has been and the biggest influence of this trend is down to the Internet.

The Internet is the speedway for information and data is always passing through it to all corners of the globe we live in. Tim May has been quoted as saying “National borders aren’t even speed bumps on the information superhighway.” The world is connected by the Internet which has made tools like the fax machine absolutely obsolete. The speed in which people converse with one another is at an instant and with the odd censorship’s administered by various governments the Internet still is the bedrock for people to have their individual voices aired.

The Emergence of the Internet
Businesses have traditionally run by being reliant on a customer base that is within reach in terms of geographical locality. Brick and mortar businesses have always been setting up shop near the presence of customers or where there is a hub of activity, i.e. shopping centres or markets.

When the internet was introduced in the 90’s it was at first only consumed by the education institutions and the large business corporation. However, as hardware prices got lower at the close of the 90’s and the cost of an internet connection being more affordable the consumption of the Internet rapidly increased.

The Internet was further enhanced as a result of the evolution of businesses. When more and more businesses had success on the Internet it led to social networking sites being setup which formed as the catalyst for more people becoming aware of the Internet and having a desire to have an Internet connection simply just to use these online services, for example MySpace.

Now that they were on Facebook and had an internet connection they began to use the Internet for other things as well which included shopping online.

Using the Internet for International Growth
The lure of the internet is too much for anyone to ignore and is generally the ideal way for small businesses or start-up businesses to get a foothold in more countries than just the country they reside in.

However before beginning to trade all over the world the starting point should be to conduct market research. Expensive, I hear you say. Well market research in foreign countries does not actually mean you have to spend millions with an international marketing company who does the research for you.

First of all create a list of 15 keywords which best describe your product so people in your country can find your website in UK. A simple spread sheet will serve well in this instance which you can use to note all the various sections of your marketing strategy.

Once you have the keywords then make a list of all the countries you think your product can be popular in. Now is the time to go into the next step of the research, by using a language translator tool like Google Translate. The tool can be used to translate all the keywords into the language of the first country you are going to look in.

After all the keywords are translated then it is the stage to use the Google Keyword tool. The Google Keyword tool can be used to evaluate, by selecting the specific country and the language which will give a search volume indication as to how many people in that country are typing in terms which are related to your product. Make a note of these numbers and then type them in the respective Google search engines specific to the countries. This will help a user to evaluate the competition and the amount of opportunity there is for a specific product.

Repeat this process for as many countries as possible and you will generally get an idea of which country is best to invest in to market a certain product. Market research can quickly be done but you can further cement your opinions by contacting the locals in those countries but the Internet will always be the most cost effective way to conduct business, especially as the boundaries are squashed as low as they currently are.

Author:
Rehan keenly advocates the use of technology in doing business. He enthusiastically looks at ways businesses can expand their customer base by trading internationally. He is very keen on businesses using professional translation services to make a more tangible interaction with their customer base.

Irvin Studin, editor-in-chief of Global Brief Magazine, has stated “Canada’s capacity to achieve meaningful results in the coming decades will in many ways be determined by language policy”.

Bilingual fluency

Studin, who is also program director and assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto, believes Canada’s current linguistic performance is an underachievement when looked at from an international perspective.

In recent years, Canada has seen a small decline in bilingual fluency, particularity English-French, whereas it has become a common standard in many European countries, and arguably an expected requirement. As Canada struggles with bilingualism among political, business and intellectual leaders, other countries such as Belgium and India are pushing forward into trilingualism and quadrilingualism.

The inherent danger is that Canada could stop itself from becoming a major international power in business and politics if it fails to improve language education in its school curriculum.

Linguistic education

Studin has called for “strategic seriousness” in improving language education across all provinces in the country. At present, National and international priorities are not completed with the correct degree of urgency and precision, as provincial priorities are given more attention.

The assistant professor has called for the Prime Minister to improve linguistic education across the board so that Canadian Foreign Policy can succeed: in 2007 Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared that Canada aimed to become a “leader in the Americas”. This challenge is an impossible task when Canadian individuals and those in power are not Spanish or Portuguese speakers, as Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the United States.

Central components

Studin’s key point is that “the prescription for Canada ought to be multilingualism in three or four tongues, with real French-English bilingualism a must”.

Just as teaching French to English speakers in Canada has allowed Quebec’s native French speakers to have a coequal status in government services, multilingualism will allow Canada to have coequal status on a global scale.

Studin completes his argument for a new national language strategy by imagining an aboriginal prime minister in 2100, perfectly speaking French, English, Cree, Mandarin and Arabic, with capabilities in Spanish, Russian, German, Hebrew, Ojibway, Portuguese and Persian. In this future, he sees Canada being complemented by the international political and business community for linguistic sophistication.

Moving Forward

Business and politics has indeed become a global conceit, spanning all major languages and cultures. It is a logical step to recommend that countries with international ambitions, such as Canada, should improve their linguistic skills as it will become vital to speak several languages to compete in the marketplace.

Today Translations offer business translation services that allow international companies to communicate accurately and without misunderstanding, increasing the chance of success. Business acumen is not only about being fluent in a language, which is why our team of translators are also experts in cultural knowledge so you will approach your target audience in the correct manner.

“We live in a world with a global economy.”

How many times have you heard that one? It’s a cliché that’s becoming increasingly true, especially for those who engage in business over the internet. In a global market, you have to reach as many people around the world as possible or risk missing out on a large number of potential customers.

Many companies lose some of those potential customers by setting up their search engine optimization in only one language. The default for many businesses is to create an English-only SEO campaign because so many people around the world speak the language. What most people don’t realize is that 75 percent of the world doesn’t speak English at all, and only about five percent of all internet users in the world use solely English-based sites. Instead, they prefer searching for information using their native tongue.

This translates (no, that’s not a pun) to a potential loss of up to 95 percent of would-be customers!

Clearly, that is a number that’s just plain unacceptable. But what’s the answer? A multilingual SEO campaign.

That means translating your website content into as many of the most popular languages worldwide as you can so that you are able to attract “local” business from around the globe. Of course, that’s easier said than done, because language translation is rarely a 1-to-1 process. Here are several issues that you may run into when trying to utilize a multilingual SEO service.

They use language translation software. As powerful and sophisticated as many of our programs and computers are today, the nuances of language still seem beyond what they can handle. This is especially true for translating from English to many European languages, where a single word may have multiple meanings, all of which depend upon details like context or pronunciation. Obviously, that’s something that doesn’t translate easily, so an overly literal translation can make your painstakingly-written content seem like an incomprehensible mess and turn people off.

Their translators aren’t native speakers. In many ways, this is similar to the problem you have with translation software. People who don’t grow up speaking a language or who aren’t at the very least thoroughly familiar with current speech patterns and colloquialisms for the various countries that will receive the translation, can end up rewriting something that looks like broken French, Danish, Chinese, etc. to the locals. Usually even mid-range human translators do a better job than programs, because they can at least use their judgment in determining the intention behind the words. Even human translators only go so far though, so there’s even more to consider.

They don’t work with local search engines. Yes, Google is the king, and many people use it around the world. What about those internet users for whom English isn’t their first language? They prefer using local search engines in their native tongue. The best way of optimizing your page for these search engines is to know precisely what kinds of factors they measure so that you can plan your SEO campaign instead of hoping to find a “one size fits all” model. Without research and planning, you’re likely to miss much more than you hit.

These multilingual SEO issues can also affect elements like pay-per-click advertising (PPC) because your ads target potential customers based on the search terms that they use. If your PPC search terms are all in a single language, you’ll never get any hits from customers who fit your profile but just happen to be using a foreign tongue.

Obviously, there are a variety of complications involved in trying to promote your business in the global market, and lots of things that you need to start thinking about. Ultimately, though, it comes down to one big question: can you really afford to miss out on all of those markets that don’t speak your language? If the answer is no, then you not only have to engage in multilingual SEO practices, you have to do it well.

About the Author:

Patrick Del Rosario is a Filipino business and finance blogger. He works at Open Colleges, one of the pioneers of Online education in Australia and one of the leading providers of diploma of management.Aside from blogging and being a business ninja, Patrick is an aspiring photographer. If you want to feature his writings on your site, connect with him at Google+ or drop an email at patrick@oc.edu.au.

Special thanks for imagery provided by evolvingweb.ca

This New Year you’ve decided to learn a new language, and you’re being smart about it – you’re starting early and you’ve set yourself a couple of goals, perhaps more than a few. As they say, fail to prepare and prepare to fail.

Image courtesy of lululemon athletica from Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/30011527@N05/3876552794/

But, could you be setting the wrong goals? All of these additional goals could be putting roadblocks on your path to learning a foreign language. Are you making any of these six big mistakes?

1)       Setting Goals That Are Too Big or Too Small

It’s important to set the right sized goals; goals that are too big or too small

Setting goals that are too small won’t challenge you enough, and could give you too much confidence while setting goals that are too big could leave you exhausted and disheartened, perpetually chasing goals you can’t quite achieve. Measure your capabilities and try to keep pushing yourself.

2)       Setting Goals That Are Too Vague

The worst type of goal however isn’t one that is too big or too small, but one that is so vaguely worded that measuring your progress is next to impossible.

Be specific when you’re setting your goals. Creating detailed, deliverable goals will take you halfway there since they create a map for you to follow, and you’ll just need to follow that map. A strong goal is a goal you can accurately measure.

3)       Making A Bad Action Plan

A great plan can equal great things, plan, and plan well.

Think back to the introduction to the article, where I mentioned the old adage “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”? Well, I want to edit that slightly “Fail to prepare well, prepare to fail”. If you want to do something amazing like learn a new language, you should make an amazing plan.

4)       Failing To Find Your Motivation

Motivation can be a big problem; you need to take a look at the consequences and rewards of your plans and find what motivates you.

What are the real benefits of learning a foreign language for you? Is it that holiday abroad or for your dream job? That is what waits for you once you can master this language. Sit down and write down the bonuses of learning your language and the negatives of failing. Keep the list, every time you find yourself struggling take a look at this list.

5)       Taking Criticism To Heart

Learning a foreign language is tough and you’ll make mistakes on the way. The biggest mistake you can make would be to take any criticism to heart.

Many people will criticise you on the path to fluency in your chosen language, what’s important is that you take the helpful advice and ignore the unproductive criticism. These discouraging remarks could hurt your conscious and before you know it you could find yourself feeling too self-conscious to continue.

6)      Unwilling To Compromise

One of the most important ingredients for success is your willingness to compromise.

Being willing to give up something for your language learning success will go a long way toward helping your chances. With a busy working life it can be difficult to find time to put in the studying time to learn your new language. You might need to compromise on your goals due to everyday commitments or you might have to sacrifice one of those commitments for the sake of your language learning. You need to be ready to face up to those responsibilities and ready to sacrifice and compromise as necessary.

Author Profile | Geoffery Cheung is a language blogger specialising in writing about foreign languages.   He writes for sites like Lingaurama – Business English Courses, to find out more click here.

There are many benefits to being a Freelance translator over working in-house for a corporation. While the idea of a full-time salaried job might be enticing there are downsides that can hinder your translation career that you should be aware of. If you are considering a freelance career versus an office job with translation opportunities, review these considerations before sending out those resumes.

Your talents will be used solely for translation

Many translators settle for in-house jobs where their language and translation abilities are only used a small percentage of their time, and sometimes this isn’t even their fault. Corporations that need translators will often overestimate the hours spent in translation, as well as the productivity time they consider for your translation. If you are interested in learning a new skill or getting into a new industry this can be a great option, as well if you are seeking a job with benefits and a steady paycheck. However be aware that your language skills may be a rather small percentage of your 40 hours a week.

You will build a reputation in several different industries

Instead of working for a software company translation documentation, as you might with an in-house position, working freelance will give you the opportunity to work for dozens of different companies each year. Freelancing to several different companies will give you exposure and a chance to build your reputation as a translator and a writer that can lead to incredible contacts in several industries. Also, it will increase your vocabulary exponentially by providing you with translating everything from pharmaceuticals, health and beauty products, training manuals, and dozens of more areas.

You have the benefit of a flexible schedule

Working at home and setting your own hours can be a great alternative if putting on a business suit every day and sitting in a cubical from 8-5 sounds as dreary to you as it does to me. Freelancers have their job description in their name, Free! Most of the time, translators are free to set their own rate, own hours, and their own wardrobe of pajamas and fuzzy slippers if they so desire. While you’ll still be required to adhere to deadlines that are required while working on translation projects, working from home when you have time can be the best reason to freelance. Many single parents, full time students, and those with second jobs can’t dedicate eight hours a day to an in-house position, however enticing a salary might be, they find that their productivity soars in the comfort of their own home!

Many freelancers make much more

While with an in-house position you will be on either an hourly rate that caps at 20 or 40 hours a week, or a salary that doesn’t allow for overtime privileges, a freelancer’s compensation depends solely on how much they are willing to work! Even though it can be competitive to receive work through online forums or companies when you are first starting out, providing quality work quickly will lead to those companies reaching out to you for all their translation needs. As you build a reputation and resume, your rate for translations per word, or per document can raise and you will be making hundreds of dollars a day through your commissions. While you may be struggling with the fact that an in-house position can provide you with health benefits, be aware that there are several health insurance companies that will work with self-employed workers to find a rate for benefits that will work within their freelance salary.

Lucy Markham is an avid blogger and worked as an academic and career counselor for three years while earning her B.A. in English from the University of Florida. She is currently pursuing her M.A. in Education from the University of Utah.

For a business to succeed today, it needs to be able to market itself to a global audience. This includes major business centre like Hong Kong. The area of Hong Kong has long been a major point of trade for the west, and through its 156 years of British colonization there remains a 95% ethnic Chinese population. It is for this reason that any business that is seeking to open offices or services in Hong Kong, will find it beneficial to have reliable translators, which can help them with the documents that they will need to start in business in Hong Kong.

The British occupation of Hong Kong starts with the “Opium War” of 1839. It was the mark of the first Anglo-Chinese wars, and the beginning of a 156 British colony that bought western business to the island of Hong Kong. This was over British traders having their opium confiscated by the Qing Dynasty, which would bring about the signing of the Treaty of Nan king. This treaty is the beginning of modern western trade in the east, and what would later bring about the importance of Cantonese translation on the island of Hong Kong. It was through these treaties that British obtained free trade, “unequal treaties” between British Government and China.

The “Unequal treaties” would become a turning point for British trade on the island of Hong Kong, and the beginning of a 156 year occupation. It was during this occupation that Hong Kong became one of the biggest financial centres in the world, and the location of many major corporations in eastern Asia. It became industrialized during this period, and has many of the same public services of other British territories. Hong Kong was to become one of China’s major foreign investors during its British occupation, which further increased the need for Cantonese translation of documents.

The Opium War of 1839 may not be current, but it set forth a lot of the modern customs for doing business in China today. The British held control of the island of Hong Kong until 1997 when the city was transferred to the People’s Republic of China. This makes trade and business today, part or entirely governed by China, and enforces the importance of business’s needs to be able to have documents translated into Cantonese.

Cantonese translations can help in doing business in China, as well as negotiating relations in mainland China. The country of China is rapidly growing and is the ultimate power over Hong Kong. There are many problems and differences in beliefs and policies between Hong Kong and China. It is today that translations of documentations to the Cantonese language are more important than they have ever been before.

Today the island is a “Special Administration Region” of the People’s Republic of China. This gives the island certain rights to self-government, but the documentation need to be translated into Cantonese. If you have the need for business licenses, insurance, visas or any other type of document, you will benefit in having a translator translate you document. Hong Kong today is still one of the biggest financial centres in the world and a great place for any western business to expand to the east. It maintains its status and laws, which are mostly based on English law and has its own governing officials. The viewpoints of China and the government of Hong Kong differ vastly on many points and it remains a place for business for many East Asia corporations.