What Is Translation?

The Straight Story

Mr. Hasbrook had that wonderful dream again, where he sat in the comfy chair and soaked up all there was to know about handling his next translation project.

It's Not Enough To Be heard.
You want to be understood! So you tailor your message to fit the audience: use language that motivates, ideas that persuade, words that sell.

But what if your audience doesn't speak your language?

Translation adapts ideas from one language into a language foreign from the original; it's foreign because it's "different." It has its own structures, nuances, idiosyncrasies. And it's spoken by people who don't think (or eat, drive, or shop) like you and me.

They Speak English, Don't They?
English is spoken around the world. It's the language of technology, airport towers, and pop culture. It's the second language of millions - but it's not second nature.

Ever tried to read a manual poorly translated into English? Then you know what foreign customers have to go through when they face inadequate translations. Speak your customers' language and you have their attention.

People want to hear and read their own tongue. They feel respected and it puts them at ease. It's also exceptional for customer relations. If you were confronted by two packages in a store and one was written in your language and another was written in one foreign to you, which would you buy? Unfortunately, too many products are exported with poor localization or none at all.

Whom Do You Trust?
When you want a brochure or manual written, you don't have a sales person or clerk write it (even though they speak fluent English). You hire professionals. You need translation pros, too: wordsmiths who have gained the proficiency to smoothly transpose one language into another. That's where NOW Translations comes in.

Ah, NOW Translations. I've heard so much about you life savers.

Back to Understanding Translations