International Translation Day - More Than Just Words
On 30 September, we celebrate International Translation Day. A day dedicated to the translators, interpreters and language professionals who help people around the world understand each other.
And while we may be slightly biased, we think that’s worth celebrating!
Translation is everywhere. It’s on the packaging of the products you buy, the instructions that come with your latest gadget, the subtitles on the programme you’re watching and the website you visit when planning an overseas holiday.
In business, it can be even more important. It could be an employment contract that needs to be understood by a member of staff, technical instructions for machinery being exported overseas, a legal document, a product label, website or a marketing campaign being launched in a new country.
In all of these situations, getting the words right matters.
More than swapping one word for another
If only translation were that simple! Languages are full of expressions, humour, cultural references and words that don't have an exact equivalent in another language.
An engineering document for example needs someone who understands engineering. A legal contract needs knowledge of legal terminology. Marketing copy needs to capture the personality and meaning of the original - not simply translate it word for word.
Just as you are a specialist in your industry, professional translators and interpreters are specialists in theirs.
What about AI?
Technology has certainly changed translation.
Online tools and AI can be incredibly useful when you want to quickly understand the gist of something. But when accuracy, context, tone or specialist terminology matters, there's still a very important role for experienced language professionals.
After all, you probably wouldn't want the gist of your employment contract, safety instructions or legal documents to be correct. You'd want them to be correct.
Helping the world understand each other
At Talking Heads, we've been doing exactly that for more than 27 years, working with professional linguists across over 150 languages.
From a few lines of copy to complex technical documents, interpreting a meeting to subtitling a video, every project has the same fundamental purpose - helping one person understand another.
So, this International Translation Day, we'd like to raise a metaphorical glass to translators and interpreters everywhere.
Because whether you're translating two words or 20,000, it's never just about the words. It's about making sure the meaning travels with them.
