Chinese Language Day and The Role of Chinese Translation
Each year, the UN seeks to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity by promoting its official languages through designated celebration days. Chinese was established as an official UN language in 1946. However, it wasn’t until 1973 that Chinese was included as an official working language at the UN. Read on to learn more about the Chinese language and the importance of Chinese translation services.
Cangje and Chinese Translation Services
The traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar is divided into 24 “solar terms“. Some of them have cultural traditions and history, such as Lunar New Year, Moon Festival and Qingming Festival. The sixth solar term is called 谷雨 (gǔ yǔ) which, with the help of Chinese translation, means “Rain of Millet“ and usually falls on April 20 on the Gregorian calendar, a day honoring Cangje, an important figure in ancient China. Cangje is believed to have had four eyes and four pupils, served as an official historian of the Yellow Emperor, and been the inventor of Chinese characters. Legend has it that upon seeing the characters, the deities and ghosts cried and it started to rain millet from the skies.
The History of the Chinese Language
Chinese is one of the world’s oldest languages. Its origins date back 4,500 years and has evolved through various centuries and dynasties. Before China’s unification under the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, every kingdom had their own writing system. The writing style, however, went through many iterations during his ruling and ended the ancient way of writing scripts.
Today, there are more than 100,000 Chinese characters, but only 10,000 are in use and most Chinese graduate students only know about 3,000-4,000 characters. To pass the Chinese proficiency exam, professional Chinese translators must know about 2,663 Chinese characters.
The Importance of the Chinese Translation Today
Chinese has over a billion native speakers, which makes it the most spoken language in the world. It is known for its complexity and beauty thanks to its tens of thousands of characters, each of them with their own order, pronunciation, and meaning.
But its importance goes beyond the sheer number of its speakers and complexity. Over the years, China has become a global powerhouse, making Chinese an important language of business, diplomacy, and cultural exchange and highlighting the important role played by translation and localization services.
Whether you want to expand your business abroad, enter the Chinese market, need your content localized, or require interpreting services, working with skilled professional language service providers becomes vital. Happy Chinese Language Day!
Eid al-Fitr And Why Arabic Translation Matters
Eid, with the help of Arabic translation, means “festival“ or “feast“. There are two major festivals in the Islamic calendar; Eid al-Fitr, known as the “Smaller Eid”, and Eid al-Adha, the “Greater Eid.” Read on to learn more about the spiritual meaning of Eid-al-Fitr, how it is celebrated, and how Arabic translation services matter in today’s world:
The Spiritual Meaning of Eid-al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan where Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown for a month, translates into “the feast of breaking fast.”
The holy month of Ramadan has an important spiritual meaning for Muslims; Ramadan is a way to learn self-control, patience, humility, and generosity. Eid al-Fitr is a spiritual celebration of the strength and endurance given by Allah. It is also a time for Zakat al-Fitr, which means “time for charity”, one of the main values in Islam. Arabic translation services help us understand that the Quran states: “[…] For those of you who believe and give charity – for them is a great reward.”
The Celebration of Eid-al-Fitr and Arabic Translation
Although Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the 10th month in the Islamic calendar, the exact date of the celebration depends on the first sighting of the crescent moon. This year, the celebrations start on April 10 and last for a total of three days, featuring special morning prayers with Muslims gathered in mosques for congregational prayers.
Celebrations of Eid include customs such as visiting family and friends, giving out gifts or money to children, and offering sweets to each other.
How Arabic Translation Matters In Today’s World
Arabic is among the six most spoken languages around the world and has over 420 million speakers. It is known as one of the wisest and strongest languages in the world and has most of its speakers in the Middle East and in North Africa.
A language as influential as Arabic clearly needs the help of language service providers. Arabic’s rich culture, huge number of dialects, and linguistic nuances can be difficult to translate into English. Working with skilled Arabic translators will ensure the language’s cultural meanings resonate with target audiences.
Interpreting services are just as important to today’s diplomatic, business, and media world, which all require the support of Arabic interpreting be it simultaneous or consecutive. Localization is another important area where it is important to know how to adjust content to or from Arabic. By paying attention to cultural design preferences, skilled Arabic localization services can properly adapt content and ensure its positive reception by Arabic audiences.
Language Connections Inc.
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April Fools’ Day Traditions And The Role Of Localization Services
The human desire to prank someone transcends cultural boundaries. April Fools’ Day is a celebration centered on jokes and pranks. It is believed the day dates to ancient Rome, where it was celebrated as a festival of jokes around the spring equinox. Here are some of the unique ways different countries celebrate April Fools’ Day and how localization services play a role in spreading its joy.
April Fools’ Day Traditions in Japan and Localization Services
“April Kanashimi no Hi“, which translates into “April Sorrow Day“ thanks to Japanese translation. Even though the name suggests a somber occasion, the day is celebrated with pranks and jokes, just as in the western part of the globe. The holiday was first introduced to Japan by newspapers, which printed humorous news stories on April 1 and tricked their readers into believing something that wasn’t true. Over the years the holiday has taken on a distinctive character where pranksters set up fake spider webs, fill shoes with flour or salt, and pretend to be someone else on the phone.
April Fools’ Day Traditions in France and Localization Services
If you’re in France on April Fools’ Day, make sure to watch out for people sticking paper fish and exclaiming “Poissn d’Avril “, which translates into “April Fish“ with the help of French translation. France also has a tradition of broadcasting made up news on April 1st and revealing what was true on the next day. Fake news topics feature headlines such as “the rotation of the earth slowed down by wind turbines” or “Archaeological excavations found the village of Asterix“.
April Fools’ Day Traditions in Latin America
Even though the day for jokes and pranks in Brazil is on April 1, many Latin American countries and Spain celebrate it in December as “El Día de los Inocentes“, or thanks to Spanish translation. “Day of the Innocents“ was originally a Catholic feast where Herod’s tale of slaughter became seen more as a joke and altar boys pulled pranks on each other. Today, the festivities known as “Los Enharinados“, which with the help of Spanish translation and localization services translates into “The Flour-Covered Ones“, is celebrated with townspeople gathering and engaging in a massive food fight and raising money for charity.
Conclusion: April Fools’ Day Traditions and Localization Services
Clearly, translation and localization services can help people around the world understand the celebrations and festivities of other countries with appropriate consideration for cultural differences. They can also ensure there’s no room for misinterpretations or misunderstandings, especially when skilled localization service providers are involved.
Language Connections Inc.
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Boston, MA 02135
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French Translation And Its Role In International Diplomacy
March 20th marks French Language Day, a day observed by the United Nations to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity by raising awareness and respect for the history, culture, and achievements of each of their six official languages. Read below to learn about French translation and its significance for international diplomacy:
Background
With over 300 million speakers, French stands as the 5th most spoken language in the world. 29 different countries speak French as their official language. French matured from the Gallo-Romance dialects of northern France and became the state language of France in 1539, replacing Latin. Interestingly, as the home to 31 Francophone countries with various dialects and local forms, no other continent has as many French speakers as Africa does, which often requires aid organizations operating there to seek the help of professional translation and localization services.
The History Of French Translation
France’s contributions and role during the Enlightenment Era and its colonial history have allowed for the language to be spread worldwide. After the French Revolution in 1789, the French language became the main pillar for propagation of republican ideals, which emphasized liberty, equality, and fraternity. In the process, French became the formal language for academia and linguistic resource publications.
France is known for the literature of its great writers such as Victor Hugo and Molière. With the help of interpreting and translation services who know how to properly localize content, the French culture and its historically valuable contributions can be shared and celebrated across the world.
French Translation and International Diplomacy
A language as widespread and as commonly used as French has become a fundamental part of international diplomacy and is frequently used by organizations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Red Cross. These organizations all facilitate peace, promote human rights, and strive for sustainable development around the globe. As one of the UN’s official languages, French is indispensable in facilitating collaboration between international governments and communities.
Using French in higher settings, such as diplomatic matters, requires the support of skilled language service providers. There are more than 70 different French dialects spoken around the world. Translators working with political or legal documents for the UN must have a broad apprehension of different French dialects and their nuances. One of the most used dialects in the entire sub-Saharan Africa, differing itself from European French by its pronunciation and vocabulary, is Français Populaire africaine which, thanks to French translation, translates into Popular African French.
Understanding these different dialects is also important for interpreters. The UN assembles frequently in order to discuss ways of improving and implementing their ideology. These conferences benefit from simultaneous interpreting services, which allow meeting attendees to understand what’s been said and contribute valuable ideas to the conference in real-time.
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The Story of St. Patrick’s Day and the Importance of Latin Translation
Celebrated by many Irish and non-Irish on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day is perhaps best enjoyed by visiting the nearest Irish pub, attending a parade, and enjoying festive drinks and food with friends and family. Even though St. Patrick’s Day’s not an official holiday in the U.S. and was a solely religious celebration 40 year ago, it was the American incarnation of the holiday that increased its popularity. Here are some interesting facts about St. Patrick’sDay and of the role of Irish and Latin translation services:
Who Was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death in the year 461. Though many think he was Irish, he actually wasn’t. He was born in Britain and at only sixteen was kidnapped and imprisoned by Irish raiders, where he had to work as a slave for an Irish druid before he managed to escape after nearly six years of captivity. After escaping, he studied religion in Europe and returned to Ireland almost 15 years later as an ordained minister. While it is believed he was responsible for introducing Christianity to Ireland, his actual mission was to minister to Irish Christians and help non-Christians convert. He became well-known thanks to the way he connected the traditional Irish culture and rituals with his practices.
St. Patrick’s Works And Latin Translation
St. Patrick wrote two works in Latin. One was called “Confessio“, meaning “The Declaration“, which we are able to understand thanks to Latin translation. The other one was “Epistola“, which translates to “Letter to the Soldier of Coroticus“ . The most famous symbol around the world representing St. Patrick’s Day is the shamrock. It is said that St. Patrick used the shamrock’s three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish pagans (thereby adapting a theological concept for a different culture in a similar way to how localization services are used today). To this day, his gravesite is unknown, although many claim it’s most likely he’s buried at Down Cathedrale with other saints such as Columba and Brigid.
The Importance of Latin Translation
A historic figure with such great impact in spreading the message of the holy book of Christianity deserves to receive more acknowledgement. His works can be spread around the world through the help of language service providers who know the nuances of the Latin language and can make sure nothing is lost in translation. While Latin is dead as a spoken language (meaning no interpreting services are required), classics scholars help keep the language alive by translating St. Patrick and other authors from early history in order to illuminate our understanding of their lives and modes of thinking.
Language Connections Inc.
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UN’s International Women’s Day 2024 And Language Services
Even though progress has been made in implementing women’s rights, there’s still a lot of ground to cover until society reaches gender parity. International Women’s Day is a celebration of the economic, political, and social achievements of women without discrimination toward anyone’s nationality, language, culture, economic status, or political agenda. Commemorated on March 8th each year, this year’s theme is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”. Read on to see how language services, including translation, interpreting, and localization services, helped promote equality and progress for women’s rights.
Language Services And The UN’s Fight For Equal Rights
After World War II, equal rights for men and women were enshrined in the UN’s raison d’être, outlining the “fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion “, and promoting international cooperation. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, was the first global acknowledgement of basic, inviolable rights and rudimentary freedoms that apply to everyone. The declaration, for the first time in human history, clearly outlined the basic civil, political, economic, and social rights that all should be able to benefit from. These essential tenets of the UN’s existence are now available in over 360 languages, a testament to the power of translation services.
Ending Violence Against Women
One in three women and girls experience violence throughout their lifetimes, making it one of the most widespread human rights violations. In 1993, violence against women and girls was recognized as a violation of human rights and measures toward preventing this type of violence were introduced. That same year, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women was adopted by the UN General Assembly, marking it as the first global instrument to address and define forms of violence against women explicitly.
The Importance Of Language Services For Women’s Rights
There has been definite progress in acknowledging and adopting women’s rights as human rights over the past few decades. One of the main ways women’s rights are promoted so well is through the support of language service providers. With the help of skilled translators, the UN’s raison d’être, The Universal Declaration of Human Right, and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women were translated into several languages, making sure each country understands, acknowledges, and ensures equal rights for all.
Interpreting services also play an important role in securing equality around the world. For instance, in 2013, at only 16 years old, Malala Yousafzai held an empowering speech on education and girls’ rights at the UN, advocating for the right to education. This speech and her stances on promoting educational access to girls made her the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in human history. Such a powerful speech with such a strong message coming from a young girl trying to fight for her own and all girls’ rights cannot and should not go unrecognized, which is why interpreting services became crucial to the process of sharing her words with the world during her time at the UN. Clearly, language services, including education translation services, play a crucial role in spreading the message of equal rights around the world.
Language Connections Inc.
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International Mother Language Day and Language Services
On February 21, 1952, student activists in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) gathered in opposition to the government’s decision to impose Urdu as the sole official language of the country, leading police to open fire on the demonstrators. This incident played an important role in East Pakistan’s struggles to become independent and sparked a movement advocating for the Bengali language and culture. In 1999, the celebration of Mother Language Day, initiated by Bangladesh to commemorate the 1952 tragedy and promote linguistic and cultural diversity, was accepted by the UNESCO and has been observed annually ever since. To commemorate this special day, here’s how language services and localization services play a key role in the global education system:
International Mother Language Day and Language Services
Currently, over 250 million children and young people don’t attend school, and almost 750 million adults have no basic literacy skills. To fully support and promote native language education as well as the learning, literacy, and acquisition of additional languages, this year’s theme of the InternationalMother Language Day is “Multilingual education – a pillar of integrational learning”. Scientific studies clearly show that learning in one’s native language plays an essential part in success at school since it boosts self-esteem, awakens curiosity, and clears the way for cognitive development. For an multilingual educational system to work as smoothly as possible, it’s important to work with experienced translation services to make sure all educational materials are translated properly by skilled translators who have a broad understanding and knowledge of different industry-specific terminology. Translating educational materials requires the help of veteran education translation services to ensure that every student reading through their materials can understand the lessons and can follow instructions without any issues.
Language Services And Cultural Diversity
The primary goal of InternationalMother Language Day is to advocate linguistic and cultural diversity, multilingualism, as well as to safeguard endangered languages. Linguistic diversity highlights the value of fostering cultural understanding, promotes peace and sustainability, and enhances social inclusion. With the help of translation and interpreting services, endangered languages can be made accessible and understandable for all. Localization services can also help adapt one culture’s content into another’s, making sure all relevant information is accurately conveyed with no room for misinterpretation.
Conclusion
InternationalMother Language Day aims to protect languages in jeopardy of extinction, encourage the use of native languages, and underscore the importance of a peaceful coexisting. To share these ideals across the world, language service providers play a crucial role.
Language Connections Inc.
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Boston, MA 02135
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How To Express Love In Different Cultures With Localization Services
It only takes three letters and eight words to let someone know you love them. Sometimes, even something as simple as just a few words can take up an enormous amount of courage to say out loud. Maybe it’s not only about what we say, but how we express ourselves to reassure our loved ones we actually do love them. Here’s how different cultures convey their feelings and how localization services can help us decipher these different traditions:
Expressing Love In China With Localization Services
According to a Chinese legend, a woman lost her husband in battle after he joined the army. Heartbroken to have lost the love of her life, she cried on a tree near the local mountains. After many decades, her tears turned red, just like the beans on the tree. Over time, people started to call these tears, xiāng sī dòu (which, with the help of translation services, means “Love Peas”), representations of true love.
Nowadays, these peas are used to craft jewelry and gifts for significant others to let them know you love them. Even if you lack the courage to express your love with words, you can make sure to show your emotions through small presents that can carry a deeper meaning than words could ever describe.
Expressing Love In France With Localization Services
The French rarely say I love you. They prefer to communicate their love and affection through hugs, cuddles, and kisses.. Thanks to localization services, we know that public displays of affection are considered fortunate consequences of love and are encouraged in society. Translation and localization services show that the expression “I love you” can easily be replaced by kisses when, for instance, you want to say good-bye to a friend or family member. Another way of displaying you appreciation to your loved ones is by saying je t’embrasse (which with the help of French translation services translates into “I kiss you”), at the end of a phone call. Expressions and gestures as such underline the deep affection and appreciation people have for the people they love without having to use words to describe their feelings.
Expressing Love In Colombia
Unlike in France, expressing your emotions and showing affection verbally is very important in Colombia. Using expressions such as “te quiero” (translated to “I love you” with the help of Spanish translation services) to show your love is very common. It’s also not unusual in Colombia to gift presents, dedicate songs to each other, or share a meal together to show your affection and let your friends, families, and significant other know you care about them. Localization and translation services show us that even though it might be difficult to speak about our most intense feelings, letting the people around us know about them is of great value to all. After all, no one is forever and everyone deserves to know they’re loved.
Language Connections Inc.
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Boston, MA 02135
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3 Oscar Nominated Movies in 2024 and the Role of Subtitling Services
For over 96 years, the Oscars have been a pleasant reason for many to gather in front of their television and watch their favorite celebrities walk down the red carpet showcasing their custom-made designer outfits and get awarded one of the most prestigious prizes in the entertainment industry. Even though there is still some time before the Oscars will be held, its nominees have already been announced, including many exemplary foreign films. What better way to share the message, story, and talent displayed on screens than with the help of subtitling services!
Past Lives and Subtitling Services
Nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Original Screenplay, Past Lives is a melancholic, tranquil love-drama between two childhood friends from South Korea who lose touch for decades after one of their families decides to emigrate to Canada. This serene story revolves around the Korean Buddhist concept of In-Yun – the connection, faith, and destiny of two people, which we can better understand thanks to Korean translation services. This movie demonstrates that some love-stories are not meant to happen, that some encounters in life are not meant to last, and that wanting to experience one thing means leaving another behind. Using professional translators for subtitling who understand the various nuances of the Korean language and culture allows this story to come to life for all audiences regardless of language.
The Holdovers And Subtitling Services
Nominated in five different categories, The Holdovers tells the heartwarming story of a grumpy homeroom teacher and a teenager going through depression during the 1970s. When the homeroom teacher gets assigned to supervise a handful of teenagers during Christmas break at a boarding school, life becomes a living hell for all until the opportunity to leave arises for some of the students. Stuck with only his unhappy, awkward homeroom teacher, the cook, and the janitor at school, the student soon discovers he has more in common with his teacher than he ‘d like to admit. Overall, this films shows how much of an impact a person can have on another person’s life and how taking matters to your own hands can make all the difference. The work of skilled translation and localization services allowed the filmmakers to share this beautiful message with people from across the world.
Poor Things And Translation Services
Nominated for a remarkable 11 Oscars, Poor Things tells the postmodern story of the well-known tale of Frankenstein by replacing the traditional monster with a young erotomaniac with the brain of an infant. The story follows a young woman brought back to life by a scientist after she commits suicide and commences the journey of self-discovery. Even though this masterpiece can be unsettling, it shows how much it means to keep the child in us alive and demonstrates that being different isn’t necessarily a strange thing but rather a source of empowerment. A strong and encouraging message as such needs the support of translation services to make sure global audiences understand its difficult themes.
Language Connections Inc.
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3 Intriguing Japanese Novels and The Role of Literary Translation
Sometimes it’s not easy to talk about our emotions, let alone admit them. Being able to capture emotions in words and make readers relate to them is a talent that many Japanese novelists seem to have mastered. Here are 3 intriguing Japanese novels that demonstrate the critical role played by literary translation services.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Literary Translation
The novel Before The Coffee Gets Cold, written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, tells the story of a café called Funiculi Funicula located at the heart of Tokyo that allows its customers to travel in time, provided they follow certain rules. Under these rules, visitors to the café must drink up their tea before it gets cold, people who haven’t been to the café can’t be visited, and if something different happens in the past, the present won’t change. The desire of wanting to go back and see a loved one for one last time, the urge to make up for past mistakes, and the longing to bid farewell in a proper manner often overrule even the desperate need of wanting to change the present. Kawaguchi gives us an insight into all the different emotions these situations can make us feel. Fortunately, through Japanese translation services, this novel becomes a great reminder for us to appreciate the people around us more and not to take them for granted.
The Memory Police And Literary Translation
Written by Yoko Ogawa, The Memory Police is about an unnamed island where everyday objects, such as roses, hats, birds, ribbons, and more disappear. The inhabitants of the island are no strangers to the constant disappearances and to their memories of these objects fading because the memory police make sure what’s disappeared remains forgotten. However, there are only a few who can recall what’s disappeared. After a writer notices her editor still has memories of objects that have already disappeared, she commits to hiding him from the memory police and helping him escape his fate. This novel perfectly captures the balance between the ability to forget and remembrance. With the help of Japanese translation and localization services, readers will discover that this novel emphasizes the blessing of forgetting certain memories as well as the curse that remembering everything can bring to people.
Klara and The Sun
Klara and The Sun, written by none other than the Nobel Prize Winner in Literature Kazuo Ishiguro, is a dystopian science fiction novel narrated by Klara, a robot created by humans to provide company to children. The story follows her experiencing life with humans as an “AI friend” to a sick girl, who had her genetics altered to achieve better academic performance. Klara describes her perceptions of human behavior, revealing that she often appreciates the world more than even the human characters in the story. Fortunately, localization services can help us better understand the ending to the narrative, making it clear that always striving for something better can cause us to be displeased with everything. Clearly, language services ranging from literary translation to interpreting services play a key role in conveying human emotions into different languages, regardless of the medium of communication.