Archive for the ‘Translation’ Category

September 3rd, 2010

How to Tell a Professional Translator from an Imposter? THAT is the Question

And Why Appointments Bi-Language Translators are ALWAYS the Real Thing

Finding the perfect translator to meet your needs is a doddle if you know the right questions to ask at interview.

Picture the scene:

A French translator, Jean Paul, arrives for interview on a bicycle, wearing a beret, and with a string of onions around his neck. He explains that he has lived in Paris (studying there at the Sorbonne), and worked in Toulouse, Marseille and Lyon. He would appear to be the ideal candidate. What’s more, he claims to speak and write English ‘flawlessly’ and wants to know when he can start work?

At interview, all seems to be going well until the moment of truth arrives:

“OK, Jean Paul, one last question. Are you ready?”

“Oui. Je suis pret.”

“What is the French word for chips?”

“Cheeps?” Jean Paul is momentarily thrown. His frown becomes deeper than the Seine.

“Yes, chips.”

“Cheeps?”

“Chips, yes. Do you need more time?”

“You mean French fries, non?” He asks, slightly bolshy now, a slender trace of a cockney accent suddenly emerging from nowhere! 

“No… We mean chips.”

“Core blimey! You’re ‘avin’ a laugh, aintcha, mate?” Jean Paul drops the French act altogether and is apoplectic, his face is rouge with rage, “The whole world and his dog knows chips aren’t called chips anymore, mate. Times have changed since the good old days of fish and chips and mushy peas on a wet Friday night in Poplar. Where’ve you been? It’s all cheese burger with French fries now. French fries with mayonnaise… My life, chips is SO old hat. Pommes frites might be used occasionally in a posh St Tropez care home, mate. But chips? Nah… In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that chips are extinct!”

“Not at a roulette table, Jean Paul, mon ami.”

“Eh?”

“I think you’ll find every casino in the world has a word for chips. Where’ve YOU been?”

“Oh… Oh, yeah… Right… I thought you meant-”

“Thank you for coming in today. Now ON YOUR BIKE!”

Good riddance indeed. But where to find a brilliant French translator now? A real one, you ask. Time’s running out. If you can’t find the right French translator soon, you’ll lose the contract. Sacré bleu! Oh mon Dieu!

Relax, when it comes to finding translators, you’re best bet is to leave it all to a bilingual and multilingual recruitment agency who are past masters at finding professional translators (for just about every language in the world). A recruitment agency with a whole database of translators on their books. An agency who can have the perfect translator working on your translation project within the hour. An agency like Appointments Bi-Language, for example!

Translators from Appointments Bi-Language are Available NOW
If you are a company or organisation in need of professional translators of the highest calibre, Appointments Bi-Language has much to offer you. Our Translation Services Division has a reputation for being the best in the bilingual and multilingual recruitment industry, with a bank of translators always standing by who are all:

  • Qualified
  • Experienced
  • Fully referenced
  • Highly capable
  • Contactable
  • Courteous
  • Able to work to quick turnaround times

We always aim to work with translators we’ve worked with before, and we can also provide qualified interpreters at short notice, if that’s what you need.

Get in Touch
Whether you require a translator to translate your website from English to Chinese, your white paper from French to German, your technical manual from Korean to Spanish, or your company newsletter from Japanese to Arabic, get in touch with our friendly team here at Appointments Bi-Language and we’ll solve your translation problems in a quick, no-hassle way.

Need something translated FAST? Click here to access our contact form.

The Appointments Bi-Language Translation Services Division – C’EST MAGNIFIQUE!

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Categories: Interpreters, Translation, Uncategorized

July 4th, 2010

IT’S HERE: An Interview with a REAL Kaixana Translator! (Don’t Miss This)

With the world having an estimated 6809 different ‘living’ languages, where on earth to find a translator of the rarest language of them all: Kaixana, a critically endangered language spoken by only one remaining villager on the banks of Brazil’s Japurá River?

The answer, folks, is right here at Appointments Bi-Language! (where else?). No wonder we’ve forged a reputation for being the multilingual and English job recruitment agency others can only aspire to be.

And with a standing like that, when a London-based Swiss millionaire with business interests in Brazil urgently required a Kaixana translator to accompany him to South America to try to convince the aforementioned villager to sell him her land, there was only one agency to call…

But Things Did Not Turn Out As Planned!

Our Kaixana translator, Jorge Hugo Gilberto Carlos Da Silva De Ipanema (of Lambeth North) explains:

Jorge: When the opportunity arose I was so excited. I’d spent night after night learning Kaixana from ancient textbooks and scriptures, never dreaming that one day I would be asked to actually fly to Brazil and converse with the last remaining Kaixana-speaking villager on earth. To try to reason with her… To convince her to sell up and spend her remaining years in a luxurious Rio apartment overlooking Copacabana beach…

ABL: So what went wrong?

Jorge: She simply wouldn’t sell. Even worse, she spoke fluent English having once worked in the underpants section of British Home Stores in Tunbridge Wells in 1976. What a wasted journey. What a waste of time. All that intense Kaixana study. The sacrifices I’ve made. The price I’ve-

ABL: And the Swiss businessman, Jorge?

Jorge: He married the woman! When he heard she’d worked at BHS, he talked for four hours on-end about their Y-fronts – the support they offer, the range of colours, the sheer comfort… Honestly, I felt like a spare part. Like a… How you say here in the UK? … A gooseberry?

ABL: Correct!

Translators for Almost ANY Language

Do you need something translated for your business? Our London-based branch can offer you a wide range of translation services and has much to offer any globally expanding organisation. All our translators are fully referenced, and we will always aim to:

1. Recommend a translator to you who we have worked with before;
2. Provide a quick turnaround time at a competitive rate; and
3. Provide exactly the translator (or interpreter) you need at short notice.

Get in Touch

For further information and assistance about our translation service, simply e-mail: maria@appointmentsbilanguage.co.uk TODAY.

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Categories: Translation, Uncategorized

January 23rd, 2010

Why a Translator with Local Knowledge is TRANSLATION GOLD

Did you know that in Denmark it is considered highly insulting not to eat every morsel of your meal if you are a guest in someone’s house? (Whereas in British culture, to leave a couple of peas on your plate after a hearty Sunday roast is regarded as a compliment to the cook: ‘No, really, Mrs Crimble, that was so filling, so fortifying, SO mouth-watering delicious, I thought I’d better leave some room for your legendary sticky toffee pudding!’).

And are you aware that in Poland to not generously tip a public toilet attendant is the equivalent of tying them to a chair and slapping them about the face hard and repeatedly with a filthy (hasn’t been rinsed out since the 1980 Gdansk riots) mop?

And what about in Spain where to come straight to the point in a business meeting is as unthinkable as wearing a Man United home jersey at the Pamplona running of the bulls.

Where is all this leading? To the best translators in the UK, that’s where: Appointments Bi-Language translators – translators with in-depth local knowledge – top professional translators who offer more than the ability to translate one language to another. Much more…

Translation, translation, translation…
When it comes to adding value to a client’s business, you simply can’t beat local knowledge. That’s why so many companies large and small across London and the whole of the UK, in fact, turn to Appointments Bi-Language first when seeking expert translation from a professional translator – a translator who is not only fluently bi-lingual, or even multi-lingual, but also knows a thing or two about local customs and tradition within the realm of business etiquette, and socially, too.

Translation from professional translators
At Appointments Bi-Language, we can supply translations into or from almost any language and covering a vast range of fields including technical, financial, legal and commercial.

All our translators are fully qualified and referenced – to ensure our credibly as the UK’s No.1 bi-lingual and multi-lingual translation services recruitment agency is maintained.

We also always aim to use a translator who has worked with us before.

Whether you require translation services for direct online website translations, legal correspondence, employment contracts, company newsletters or another type of translation project, we can supply the perfect person for the job.

We can also provide qualified interpreters at short notice.

Fast translation translates to increased business
Appointments Bi-Language has contact details for world-class translators in London always at our fingertips – translators who can provide the quickest translation turnaround times possible and at the most competitive rates.

Now THAT’S local knowledge!

For further information and assistance about our translation services, please e-mail: olga@appointmentsbilanguage.co.uk.

Needs something translated perfectly and FAST? Let us take care of it

Categories: Translation

October 5th, 2009

10 Secrets about Translation Services that Every Client MUST Know

If someone sent you a CV on Garfield paper and with a note scrawled on the back which said: ‘Do bins, hoover upstairs and buy choccy HobNobs’, what would you do?

And how would you react in a job interview if the interviewee came out with:

“What is it that you actually do at this company?”

Or:

“Why do you need references?”

Or how about:

“On the last translation job I did, I invited myself to their Christmas do and must’ve snogged the entire senior management! Do you know if this client’s parties are any good?”

Or even:

“I remember during a translation job last summer, my little boy played his trumpet down the phone when a client rang one afternoon! People love all that.”

A professional translator vs. a not-so-professional translator. Is it a fine line?

Appointments Bi-Language are masters at sorting out the truly professional translators from, well, the others. We know the secrets to separating the wheat from the chaff, and now we’re itching to share those secrets with you!

Are you ready for this?

Here we go then:

SECRET ONE: The professional translator has a strong linguistic background which includes formal training, qualifications and actual translation experience. The not-so-professional translator claims to be ‘a natural’ who learned their trade in the ‘school of life’.

SECRET TWO: The professional translator realises the importance of having an appreciation of cultural as well as linguistic knowledge – for their work to be truly accurate. The not-so-professional translator didn’t think of that.

SECRET THREE: The professional translator works at it full-time. The not-so-professional translator does not.

SECRET FOUR: The professional translator is polite and enthusiastic from the moment they first take your call. The not-so-professional translator sounds bored and are ‘doing you a favour’ – when you do eventually get to speak to them.

SECRET FIVE: The professional translator gives you a timeframe for the job and is clear on pricing and terms of delivery. The not-so-professional translator is vague about fees, appears to have no real experience when it comes to negotiating with clients, and is evasive about meeting deadlines.

SECRET SIX: The professional translator asks the appropriate questions and comes across as knowing how the translation service process actually works (from both their and the client’s perspective). The not-so-professional translator gives you an e-mail address to send the file to and regards the job as theirs.

SECRET SEVEN: The professional translator is always contactable during normal office hours. The not-so-professional translator is not.

SECRET EIGHT: The professional translator respects their client’s privacy. The not-so-professional translator reveals confidential information about a recent job they have worked on, thinking it makes them sound impressive.

SECRET NINE: The professional translator has a genuine love of their craft and this comes across in spades. They also have an interest in writing itself and immerse themselves in their projects from start to finish. The not-so-professional translator simply wants you to write them a fat cheque.

SECRET TEN: The professional translator is willing to listen to and learn from criticism. The not-so-professional translator becomes aggressive when confronted with the lacerating truth that the ’service’ they provide translates to nothing more than shoddy work, missed deadlines, and, ultimately, lost contracts for clients who were in a desperate position and so felt they had no option other than to give them a chance.

Need something translated to the very highest standards? Contact us.

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Categories: Translation