Archive for January 27, 2012

Anthony | January 27, 2012
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Don’t be evil? Is Google flexing its muscle, or just manipulating the marketplace?

Google search engines are the new high street marketplace

Back in June when the online community was talking about Google+ and what it would mean to the world of search engine management, my take on the situation was, that Google couldn’t afford another failure, especially after the flop that was Google Buzz, (and you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking, Google what?)- They had to make it work.

I have previously predicted that despite Google’s supposed “fair” methods of working out which order pages appear in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), Google would have to start prioritising signals from Google+, forcing people within the marketing and online communities to embrace the social network whether they liked it or not.

Low and behold, in early January 2012, Google announced the “Search Your World” update, which prioritises search results based on content that you and your network of Google Plus connections have “+1’d”. This is yet another step to empowering the already super popular (please read – well funded, large marketing budget) brands while pushing down the smaller brands and one-man-band type websites, placing yet another hurdle to overcome when looking to achieve success in the online world. I liken this move by the search giant to the death of the local village high street, caused by the rise of giant supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.

When Google Plus was launched, they did a very good job of creating an air of exclusivity about it, only allowing a certain number of people to join at a time. This left people clambering for an invite and see what all the fuss was about. Within weeks of the release of Plus+, Google was boasting join-ups in excess of 64 million.

What Google haven’t been so forthcoming with is numbers of returning visitors and active users after sign up. I know that after the initial excitement (followed by extreme disappointment) many of the people who signed up, myself included, have never returned to their profile, choosing to continue with their Facebook and Twitter profiles which are already heavily populated with their friends, photos and other key information. So it comes so no surprise to me that Google launched their “Search Plus Update”.

However this still leaves me wondering how successful Google Plus+ will actually be? Like me, SEO and marketing professionals will suddenly start taking an unnatural interest in Plus+ again, fearing the impact on their careers. But will this bear any weight on the average, search algorithm oblivious Google user who frankly doesn’t know or care what their friends think and simply wants to surf the net. If people want to share content with their friends, surely they will continue to publish links on the Facebook walls and Twitter feeds?

It is only natural that the other major social network players are nervous – no doubt their backsides are going like a rabbit’s nose attempting to guess at Google’s next strategic move. So when I read in The Guardian that developers from Myspace, Twitter and Facebook have joined forces to create a browser add-on called ‘Don’t be evil’ not only were my suspicions confirmed, but I also found myself in agreement with their cause.  It would be interesting to see the number of people who install this browser add-on, but again this will most likely depend in the number of people who actually understand anything about the whole search situation, or even care. For people who are none the wiser they probably won’t even notice their SERPs are being weighed up by this, in the same way they don’t understand the hundreds of other intricacies that feed into why search engines present you with the results they do. Therefore I suspect that Google are banking on getting away with making such changes with minimal protest.

So where does that leave people within the translation services sector?  So many freelance linguists rely heavily on Google search results and online profile for the generation of revenue and work, in a highly competitive market. When the online marketplace rules are being changed so frequently, in order to manipulate the results, I have to stress that it is so important that individuals begin to pay more attention to announcements from Google and ask – what does this mean for my business? To finish with the analogy of the high street I used earlier, website owners need to treat their websites like their own shop floor, and constantly adapt it depending on customer feedback, new technology, and to negotiate the state of flux search engines operate in. This is not a passing trend, and many millions of people are already three or four steps behind.

Category: Localization, Technology, Translation, Translation Blog | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Anthony | January 26, 2012
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What does the Year of the Dragon mean for Chinese interpreters?

The Chinese are celebrating their New Year festival

 

This week the world celebrates Chinese New Year. 2012 is the year of the Dragon, when it is said in Chinese astrology, that big things and great fortune come to pass. For many Chinese interpreters working throughout the developed world, we predict that their services are set to become more valuable than ever, as the global community increases its reliance on China.

Despite a recent wobble in Chinese market performance, sustained by the persisting Eurozone crisis, there is little doubt that the tide of international prominence is turning towards China. European countries including the UK are desperately looking to court the Chinese, with most recently George Osborne offering the UK as an offshore platform from which the Chinese can trade their Renminbi currency.

The property boom in China may also be over, but the country remains the World’s factory, at a time when the developed and First World continues to readjust itself from the hangover of the 2008 financial crisis, with the economy growing at a rate of 8.9% per year. Other factors including strong company balance sheets, high levels of savings, favourable demographics, and ongoing urbanisation mean that international investors will continue to look at China as an ideal prospect, and business owners will still use the region as an offshore manufacturing base.

This of course offers great opportunities for linguists with Chinese as a language, based in the developed world. Not only can they facilitate smooth communication, they can act as a vital prism through which our differing cultures can be understood. The suspicion with which China views the rest of the world within diplomatic circles, and the wariness that Western governments show in their dealings with the Chinese leadership means that interpreters and translators have an invaluable role in keeping the channels of communication open and messages clear, especially as Chinese culture is increasingly embraced throughout the world.

The 20th Century is often referred to as The American Century, as the World’s first superpower emerged from the rubble of the European and Asian empires. It is beginning to look likely that the 21st Century will be dominated by the rising health and wealth of China. As the developed world comes to terms with this power shift, demand for Chinese speaking experts will only grow, offering a new avenue of work for the many Chinese people who have moved to the West to improve their knowledge and skills.

The importance of a good Chinese interpreter will only increase in the years to come, and 2012 could be the year when it all began.

 

 

 

Category: Cultures, Interpreting, Languages | Tags: , , , ,
Anthony | January 11, 2012
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Herculean effort from Linguists required for 2012 Olympics

The eyes of the world will be on London in 2012

 

With less than 200 days to go before the 2012 London Olympics opens with a star-studded ceremony, many of the preparations for the athletes and the organising committees are now into the final stages. Over 205 different nations from across the globe will be represented by athletes at the Games, as well as a large flotilla of coaches, nutritionists and support teams taking part in the Games.

This year isn’t just one of the biggest in the lives of the Athletes and Londoners – it is set to be a massive year for linguists and language service providers (ALS link) of all disciplines, as they communicate the greatest show on Earth to a watching audience.

It is predicted that 3.5 billion people are set to watch the games on television during the month of August, with an estimated 350,000 people visiting London to see events unfold at the Olympic park, on the London Docklands.

With the event providing such a high level of international interest, the demand for top quality linguists is huge. In Beijing in 2008, every official document, rulebook, and instruction was produced in over 55 languages . Not to mention the amount of interviews with athletes, coaches and VIPs that need to be interpreted for transmission to the watching global audience.

While all the eyes in the UK will be on the growing hopes of a talented Team GB, UK-based linguists could be the unsung heroes of the games.

Following the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the Chinese State honoured more than 1,700 linguists for their work and ‘outstanding contributions’ during the games. The following passage demonstrates what a fantastic opportunity it is for a Linguist to become established in the industry, gaining a valuable once-in-a-lifetime experience.

    “A team of more than 1,700 translators and interpreters, including 400 professionals and 1,300 volunteers, provided simultaneous interpretation, consecutive interpretation and written translation for some 2,000 international conferences and press conferences in up to 44 languages during the games, said Zhao Huimin, an official with the committee.

    “They helped more than 11,000 athletes and some 25,000 registered media workers from some 200 nations and regions, he said.”

In addition, besides the events at Olympic Park, there is also the Festival of Britain with over 300 cultural events running alongside the main attractions, while British tourism experts are expecting a further influx of tourists to see the Queen’s jubilee in before the Olympics in June 2012.

Although it may not feel like it on these gloomy mornings in January, for UK-based linguists there is much to look forward to in the summer of 2012.

Category: Cultures, Interpreting, Languages | Tags: , , , , , ,
Emma | January 9, 2012
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The Need for Chinese Translation

Below is our first guest blog of 2012 from Saira Akhtar, a freelance writer and blogger (Saira’s blog can be accessed here: www.translationr.com). Saira discusses the growing importance of good Chinese translation as the country grows in economic and cultural strength and international influence:

 

China is not only known to have the largest population in the world but it is also finally being recognized as a leading frontier when it comes to its products. We can find the works of the Chinese people in almost every part of the world, and there is a growing need for a Chinese translation.

Translating one language to another has always been considered a hard job. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to interpret Chinese into English or vice versa. Chinese is regarded as one of the most difficult languages, when it comes to translation as the languages are based on very different systems.

If you are required to translate Chinese papers into English as part of your job there would be no time for you to learn Chinese first. This is the reason that there are a variety of facilitates obtainable on the sell today that can surely assist you in such scenarios.

But do we really need to go to the trouble to translate the Chinese language? You might find it unnecessary now, but this will change in time and the language barrier can really be a pain. It can be frustrating and a source of miscommunication. In this era where China is slowly influencing many aspects of western life, we should know a thing or two about their language. Here are some of the things that increasingly require translations from Chinese.

1.       Chinese movies – Nowadays, the Chinese movie industry is getting awards for its brilliance. People are interested on what the Chinese can offer for movie buffs. For example, Chinese movies like “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” or “House of Flying Daggers” were popular around the world when these movies were released despite the language barrier. But thanks to subtitles in a wide range of languages being added a wider audience has been able to enjoy the film.

2.       Equipment made in China – China is known for its innovative craftsmanship and its products are consumed worldwide. The creativity is  superb, which is why people are using Chinese products. Chinese people are very loyal to their roots and most of them are not fluent in speaking or reading English so it is understandable that their inventions are written in Chinese. For this reason, some manufacturers translated some of the Chinese characters into English to accommodate the much larger market.

3.       Talking to a Chinese citizen – Due to the fact that Chinese people are everywhere, knowing a little something about their language can give you an upper hand . If you are in the field of business and you are engaging a deal with a Chinese person, it is better to know their language, rather than relying too much on any assigned interpreters. This might be the purpose of an interpreter, but if the client sees you as someone who will make an effort to bridge the language gap, this will definitely impress your client.

Learning a language like Mandarin or Cantonese does take a lot of time and dedication. But this should not discourage you – it is never bad to learn something new. You never know when you can use the knowledge that you get from learning Chinese.  Get to know more on Chinese translation.

Category: Business Management, Cultures, Translation | Tags: , , , , ,