The Art of Business Translation

Introductioncapture the sense in which the original text or
In today's global economy, doing business withphrase was worded. In the world of finance, for
overseas clients and forging cross-borderinstance, there are terms like 'return on
partnerships is very much in evidence. The needinvestment' or 'capital appreciation' which may not
to have clarity in business communication andeasily be translated directly into other languages. A
interpretation assumes great importance,high degree of accuracy is necessary when
especially when the spoken or official languages oftranslating financial documents, and it is important
business partners are different. The grammar andto pay close attention to the content, both in
syntax of different languages are often veryletter and spirit, or the consequences may be
different, and most languages have a number ofserious.
idiomatic phrases and business jargon that do notConsider some of these words and phrases and
lend themselves to an exact translation into othertheir French and German equivalents:barbed fitting
languages.: "raccord à queue cannelée"
Business translation services(French)shelf life : "durée de vie sur
The number of translation service providersétagère" (French)easement : "servitude
available on the web has vastly increased infoncière" (French) or "Grunddienstbarkeit"
recent years, and is an indication of the rising(German)the assembly of owners:
demand for business translation services. You will"l'assemblée des copropriétaires"
also come across a range of translation software(French) or "Versammlung der
solutions on the Web, that generate instantStockwerkeigentümer" (German)
translations of text between different languageThus it is all the more important for people from
pairs. However, you must bear in mind that thedifferent language-speaking countries to be able to
translated text output can at best be a literalcommunicate effectively and with a complete
translation, and may not be grammatically or evengrasp of the terms of business when entering into
factually correct.business partnerships. It is just as important to
Consider, for instance, the following sentence inbear this in mind irrespective of whether it
French:happens to be a sales letter or a legal document,
"Chaque formule est pensée non seulementin order to avoid misunderstandings at a later
pour garder la peau saine et en bonnedate.
santé, mais aussi pour nous plonger dans unChoosing a good translation service
univers de sensations bienfaisantes. Les texturesIn international business dealings, it is vital to enlist
Alpeor sont étonnantes, vraiment loin desthe right service provider or translator for
classiques émulsions chimiques."document translation work. It is possible that even
When translated to English using translationa qualified translator may not provide the best
software, it would read as:quality of translation if he/she does not have
"Each formula is thought not only to keep thesome exposure to the business domain. It would
healthy skin and in good health, but also to plungebe worthwhile to identify a reputed agency that
us in a universe of beneficial feelings. Alpeorhas translators with subject matter expertise
textures are astonishing, really far from thewho are familiar with the usual business and
traditional chemical emulsions."financial terms.
A better way to express it would be:Conclusion
"At Alpeor, every formula is devised not just as aVast volumes of business are being conducted
way to keep the skin clear and in good health, buttoday by organizations with counterparts located
also to fill you with a sense of well being. Alpeorat points in the far corners of the globe. Effective
textures are truly astonishing, and are far aheadcommunication and information exchange
of the chemical based emulsions of the past."between business partners is a vital aspect of
Business terminologyinternational business. To overcome the barrier of
Every business has its own peculiar terminology orlanguage is simple, yet complex in a sense, and it
technical jargon, which is not easily intelligible tohinges on being able to find a good service
the lay person. When such terms are literallyprovider to deliver a high quality and standard of
translated to a target language, the meaning maytranslation.
well get completely lost. It is often difficult to