Have You Been Using Those English Words in the Right Context?

English is well known is being a very rich language with a vocabulary that is full of nuances. It can be a hard job translating an exact meaning from English into other languages, or vice versa, even if these languages seem to share a lot in common. But how many of us have been using some of our very own words wrongly over the years without realising? Here are some examples of some words in English that routinely get used in the wrong context – by native English language speakers, so spare a thought for NAATI translators whose job it is to translate from and into English regularly!

Mistake #1 Ironic

The word “ironic” is one of the most abused words and to be honest it’s a hard job using the word off the cuff with the right meaning. It actually means: “something that is not what you might expect”. However, many English speakers use it to mean things like “a coincidence” or even “something funny that happened.” It is rather ironic that so many English speakers get confused about their own language.

Mistake#2 Peruse

When the word “peruse” is used correctly it means that someone is very carefully looking at something, looking at something in detail. Yet time and time again, the word is wrongly used in the very opposite context. To be honest, it is not a very commonly used word at all these days, which is probably unfortunate for translators who work for translation services who probably wonder how they are going to translate a word that they know has been used wrongly. Hopefully, if the translator is a professional and is good at his or her job, they will peruse the document they are going to translate quite thoroughly rather than merely glance at it!

Mistake #3 Compelled

The typical error in the use of this word is to confuse a strong desire to do something and being forced to do it. If you have been compelled to carry out an act, then you have been made to do it. What has made you do it may be some external force (e.g. the slaves were compelled to work all day and night) or an internal force (I felt compelled to get up early every morning). The words “compelled” and “impelled” here are easily confused.

Mistake #4 Nauseous

If you complain that you are feeling “nauseous” while on a boat in choppy seas, then you are wrongly using the word. In fact, it is the sea state that is nauseous, i.e. causing you to feel sick. You are, more correctly, feeling “nauseated.”

Mistake #5 Travesty

If you say that a “travesty of justice” has been carried out, describing a trial that you think has been badly carried out, then you are, surprise, surprise, using the word correctly. It is often used instead of “tragedy,” perhaps because the words sound almost the same, but in fact they are not synonymous.

All About Translation and Translators in 2016

With translation becoming one of the fastest growing career choices across the western world over the last few years is there anything new about this often hidden industry in 2016?

The growth in translation services in Australia is not likely to stall over the foreseeable future as the numbers of travellers, businesspeople, refugees and migrants continues to grow. This is certainly not a trend that is confined to Australia as reports from the U.S., for instance, show a massive 46% increase in the demand for translation services over the last five years and government agencies predicting that this growth is likely to continue for at least the next 10 years.

The demand for human translators rather than cheap or free machine translation tools doesn’t mean that anyone with fluency in another language other than English can become a translator. In fact, despite the growth in demand for services generally, actually getting work can be quite competitive.

In Australia, partly driven by official government policy, most translators working as freelancers or employed by translation services in Melbourne or other city in Australia are most likely to be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).  As far as many organisations in Australia are concerned using a translated document that has been translated by a NAATI translator provides peace of mind that the translation is of good quality and is an accurate copy of the original.

The importance of NAATI seems unlikely to change in the immediate future and anyone thinking about a career shift into the emerging future of translation and translation services in 2016 should be looking for training in translation techniques which will eventually lead on to a recognized certificate and accreditation.

Some people who have built up experience in another field may find that the translation service industry is appealing. If they have legal, medical, scientific or technical experience, then they may be able to use their knowledge to advantage as a translator. Many translation projects require a more specialised knowledge and are likely to be more rewarding financially than basic document translation like certificates and licenses.

What is changing the face of the translation industry across the world is the increasing use of technology. While computer aided translation tools are unlikely to completely replace human translation for years yet, they are certainly helping to lighten the workload and translate text which is highly repetitive. This is yet another example of where translation training is important if you want to get your foot on the ladder as firmly as possible.

An International Reputation for Your Business is Important

The internet and the growth in international trade has made the world smaller in some ways but from a business perspective it has increased competition because if a business doesn’t open its products to the international market it’s likely to lose its grip in terms of price and economic gain as well as its potential to grow. 

Ebay and other international marketplaces, such as China’s Alibaba enable businesses to market and sell their products to a global market. These sorts of marketin

g campaigns are far cheaper for the results they bring on a grand scale than any other marketing possibilities.

How can you help your international reputation?

First impressions of a business are important and one way you can make a great impression is by translating your website and product information into a variety of different languages. You will for sure be able to win a whole host of new customers if you are able to provide much needed information about your product in potential customers own language.  

You don’t need to translate your complete website but only vital product information which may drive visitors to your site. Chinese sellers that are frequently found on Ebay can claim success in their marketing campaigns because they have bothered to translate Chinese product descriptions into English from their source language which is likely to be Mandarin. 

If you have products that you think the Chinese population would like go ahead and use the Alibaba online advertiser to market your products but don’t forget to get your product descriptions translated by a reputable NAATI translator who will provide the most appropriate translation for your desired market and in Mandarin the preferred language used in mainland China. This sort of translation will boost your reputation as it shows that you are seeking to market your high quality product and you have faith in the Chinese as potential customers.

If you are seeking a good translation for your products in Mandarin seek help from translation services in Brisbane who have English Mandarin translators available on daily basis and can provide a service that is as good as immigration translation services which have to be perfect.