How Borrowed Words Changed International Translation Services

During its development, English borrowed several terms from a wide range of other languages. These loanwords have contributed to the growth and development of the English language, making it richer and more versatile. Those borrowed terms’ historical and cultural references have proven helpful for translators and interpreters when trying to determine the nuances of different words. This frequent sharing and borrowing of terms thanks to international translation services and language interpretation services raises the question of where these loanwords originated.

 

International Translation Services’ Adaptability

By investigating the history of loanwords, it is clear that language localization services benefit significantly from a more thorough understanding of the target language and culture. Marketing experiences can be tailored to specific regions through localization. Localizers might get insight into a culture’s values, beliefs, and customs by studying its loanwords.

Borrowed words are also a great way to improve the flow of conversation when learning a second language. Second-language learners are able to gain confidence when they can communicate thoughts and notions that may not have exact counterparts in their first language.

Finally, English has become more prosperous and more versatile due to its borrowing from other languages. The widespread usage of English makes it a huge advantage to know the language when traveling internationally. Easily recognizable terms from English often stand out as clues to help visitors find their way. These terms have made English richer and more nuanced by allowing it to communicate ideas and notions for which there are no exact linguistic counterparts. Furthermore, more English speakers have been able to converse with people from various cultural backgrounds because of English’s vocabulary similarities with other languages.

 

International Translation Services Across Time and Culture

The English language has been shaped by its history and culture. For instance, the Normans brought the French language to England during the 11th-century Norman Conquest, which significantly impacted the English language and explains the origins of many legal, political, and culinary terms such as “culinary” and “bon appétit.” In addition, many French words have English equivalents, making translation and interpretation into French seem easy. However, it is important to note that there is more to French translation services and French interpretation services than just professional wordplay.

The variety of foreign words incorporated into English is one of its most remarkable aspects. Many common phrases and nouns are translations from other languages. To illustrate this point, think of the word “avatar”, a term borrowed from Sanskrit to use as the title of both a film series and a television show, that refers to a digital or online version of oneself. The Japanese term “karaoke” is another example. Even though the two words are very similar on paper, Japanese translation services may have trouble accurately rendering the word “karaoke.” Similarly, mispronouncing the word might lead to severe difficulties for Japanese interpreting services.

 

Loanwords And The Development of Other Languages

The process of borrowing words from other languages is essential to the development of every language. The abundance of loanwords in the English language has contributed to its growth and development, making it more affluent, more versatile, and more subtle. English speakers can converse with individuals from many walks of life because, in part, of the fact that they can borrow terms from other languages. Understanding the history of loanwords is an excellent way for translators, interpreters, and localizers to get insight into different target languages and cultures. This is how professional localization services ensure the highest accuracy in their translations.

 

 

Discovering Golden Week with Japanese Translation

Golden Week is one of Japan’s most significant and long-lasting festivals, celebrated by millions of people throughout the country, including Japanese and foreign tourists. Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day are the important holidays that fall inside this seven-to-ten-day holiday window. Visitors can make the most of their time in Japan during Golden Week by using Japanese translation services or applications that offer localized maps and translation. This holiday season is one of the best times to visit Japan and immerse yourself in the country’s rich culture and traditions. Therefore, Golden Week is one of the most important holidays in Japan.

 

Understanding Each Day With Japanese Translation

Showa Day, observed annually on April 29th, commemorates the birth of Emperor Showa and serves as a time for Japanese citizens to think back on the country’s postwar recovery. In Japan, democracy is celebrated on May 3rd as part of Constitution Memorial Day, which honors the Constitution’s adoption in 1947. On May 4th each year, people worldwide observe Greenery Day to honor Emperor Showa and his deep appreciation for the natural world. Flying koinobori (carp-shaped streamers) and eating kashiwa-mochi (sweet rice cakes covered in oak leaves) are traditional ways to celebrate Children’s Day, observed annually on May 5th. Through time and accurate Japanese translation services, the significance of these holidays can be portrayed for visitors to learn about and enjoy while visiting.

 

Suggested Activities Via Japanese Translation

Golden Week is undoubtedly a popular time to visit Japan, as it attracts many tourists and tends to be more expensive than other periods of the year. However, visitors can still enjoy the festive season by having tools and services available to help them translate into Japanese. They can help navigate visitors towards places like the Tottori Sand Dunes and Kamikochi, two gems without large crowds. Traditional festivals, such as the Kanda Matsuri or the Sanja Matsuri, are held throughout Japan to celebrate Golden Week. Japanese interpreting services can help interpret the meaning and significance of the celebration. They understand the richness and are trained to share.

 

Visitors can also get a feel for the Japanese appreciation for nature by visiting one of the country’s many beautiful gardens or parks, like Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden or Ueno Park. For those who love food, sample some local cuisines in Japan, such as the Golden Week-only wagashi (Japanese sweets) or the grilled sanma (Pacific saury). However, grabbing food from the nearest convenience stores would also suffice and be cheaper for those wishing to save their spending on other activities. While Japanese food localization services are not something a Japanese translation agency can offer, food is one of the best ways to experience and connect with another culture.

 

The Importance of Language Services

Festivals honoring Japan’s deep cultural roots and long history are held nationwide in every city and town during the week-long celebration known as Golden Week. As long as tourists have Japanese language translation and Japanese language interpretation available, they can make the most of the festivities even though stores will be more crowded, and prices will be higher. There’s no such thing as starting preparations too early for Golden Week. Japanese translation firms provide Japanese document translation services that may be useful in the future while planning to commemorate Japan’s Golden Week and learn about the country’s incredible culture.

 

 

Understanding How to Make People Laugh With Localization Services

Humor can be a powerful tool that brings people together, but making people laugh across cultures can be challenging. Culture shapes our sense of humor and influences what we find funny, but different cultures have different values, beliefs, and communication styles that can affect how humor is perceived. Localization services offer a lens to help translate the experience and joy of humor without losing cultural meaning. Professionals who deal with language localization services need to navigate and explore humor across cultures and apply humor to bridge cultural divides and strengthen professional relationships.

 

Humor And Localization Services

According to some studies, humor is one of the most difficult cultural elements to translate. Different cultures have different humor styles, and what appears funny in one culture may not be as funny in another. For instance, in Japan, puns and wordplay are highly valued in humor. In Japanese translation services, translating the text alone will not convey the entire message. Accurate localization translation services are required to carry over the cultural undertones that international viewers may need help understanding.

 

Understanding Cultural Nuances And Humor

Other studies found that cultural taboos and sensitivities can also influence humor. For example, in many Islamic cultures, it is considered inappropriate to make jokes about the Prophet Muhammad or to depict him humorously. Likewise, jokes that touch on sensitive topics such as religion, politics, or gender may not be appreciated in some cultures. For Arabic translation services, this is an essential understanding. Localization agencies offer services to help identify these sensitive cultural topics and help companies navigate them when operating internationally.

 

It is essential for localization companies to understand cultural differences in humor to ensure effective communication, especially with clients. They do thorough research and work with professional translators and interpreters to facilitate effective communication between their clients and their customers. Since humor can touch on universal themes such as love, family, or everyday experiences, it can be a great way to find common ground. In the end, it all come down to working with your clients to understand their target audiences and develop appropriate content that resonates with them.

 

Bridging Cultural Divides With Localization Services

When using humor to bridge cultural divides, it is crucial to be thoughtful of cultural taboos and sensitivities and to adapt your approach based on audience feedback. Here are some examples of how humor can be used effectively:

 

Example #1:

In a cross-cultural communication workshop, a speaker from a high-context culture used a humorous anecdote to explain the importance of indirect communication. The story featured a man who was asked to pick up his boss from the airport, but instead of giving him a direct answer, he said, “I’ll try my best,” and proceeded to pick up his boss two hours late. The audience from a low-context culture found the story amusing and insightful, and it helped them understand the importance of indirect communication in high-context cultures.

 

Example #2:

In a global team-building event, participants were asked to share jokes from their culture. For example, one participant from Japan shared a pun that played on the words “green tea” and “debt,” which was well received by the group. The joke highlighted the importance of language and wordplay in humor and showed that humor could be a way to celebrate cultural differences and learn from each other. As a language service provider, you can facilitate these cultural exchange events to promote understanding and communication between different cultures.

 

In conclusion, making people laugh across cultures is difficult, but with some effort and sensitivity, you can bridge cultural divides with humor. To build that bridge, high-quality localization and translation services can help ensure that no meaning is lost during translation or interpretation and that a joke’s essence remains unchanged.

 

 

Four Challenging Languages Within Language Translation Services

A new language can be challenging but also gratifying to learn. Depending on your history and learning style, you can study a language similar or different to your native one. Some professionals thrive on learning as many challenging languages as possible in the language service industry. Which begs the question: what are some of the most complicated languages to study? Many people from various industry backgrounds speak different languages within language translation services. Here are the top four most-difficult languages for native English speakers to learn.

 

Mandarin and Language Translation Services

Mandarin Chinese is regarded as one of the most challenging languages for native English speakers due to its tonal nature, grammar, and writing system. English isn’t a tone-based language, which means native English speakers will need to train their ears to hear the different tonal shifts to understand if a word means one thing or another. Also, Mandarin has an entirely different alphabet with complex characters to memorize and very different grammar from English.

 

Chinese interpretation services, in addition to keen listening skills, requires a deep understanding of Chinese culture. Learning the language involves understanding cultural concepts of Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese history and literature. Chinese translation services also need that same level of understanding to maintain the piece’s concept during translation.

 

Japanese and Language Translation Services

Japanese is another language that poses a significant challenge for English speakers. First, it has three writing systems (hiragana, katakana, and kanji), all of which are significantly different from one another and are used for various purposes, such as katakana being used for foreign words. Its grammar and sentence structure are also unique and drastically different from English. To add a cultural layer, Japanese also has a system of honorific language that reflects social status and can be challenging to master.

 

To capture the nuance and social status of Japanese while dealing with globalization, Japanese interpretation services need to know which honorific title to use interchangeably between English and Japanese in addition to having the cultural etiquette awareness in order to know how to accept a business card or how deeply to bow to show respect. Japanese translation services also need that rich cultural understanding to translate text accurately.

 

Learning Arabic

Like Mandarin and Japanese, Arabic is intricate due to its writing system, grammar, and pronunciation. One notable aspect of Arabic interpretation services is that Arabic has a range of dialects and registers, making it challenging to understand and use correctly. In addition to the pronunciation, the non-Latin-based script can make it challenging for native English speakers to pick up. However, for Arabic translation services, translators understand how intertwined the language is, both spoken and written, with the culture. Clearly, understanding a language is also understanding its culture and its people.

 

Learning Hungarian

Hungarian is a Uralic language with a different vocabulary from English and a highly complex grammar system. It’s considered difficult because it has 35 cases and a flexible word order that allows words to be placed in almost any order in a sentence. Additionally, Hungarian verbs can take up to six suffixes, making sentence structure even more elaborate. This is something that interpreters must get used to when working with Hungarian interpretation services. The grammar, tied with its unique sentence structure, takes some time to understand.

 

In conclusion, learning a new language requires time, effort, and persistence, regardless of the language you choose. However, some languages can be more challenging than others for native English speakers, due to differences in grammar, writing systems, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context. If you’re considering learning one of these difficult languages, be prepared to put in the time and effort to master its unique features. It’s worth the investment as a potential career when working with language translation services.

 

5 Benefits of Learning Multilingual Translation Services

Learning how to provide multilingual translation services or even just another language are incredibly valuable skills you can gain in today’s globalized world. Not only does it open doors to new cultures and experiences, but it also provides a range of cognitive, social, and career benefits applicable across various industries. Here are five key reasons why learning another language can benefit your life:

 

Cognitive Benefits Of Learning Multilingual Translation Services

Learning a second language can enhance creativity, problem-solving, memorization, and more. It requires you to think outside the box and find new ways of looking at situations and expressing yourself. You can apply creative thinking to other areas of your life, from work to hobbies to personal projects. It’s universal!

In the language service industry, cognitive benefits like enhanced concentration and a boost in multitasking are essential. Providing accurate interpreting services requires quick action and even faster solution-seeking thinking. The creative boost learning a second language provides makes the language industry services’ workflow completely smooth.

 

Better Communication Skills And Multilingual Translation Services

Learning a second language improve your communication skills can also improve understanding or your native language as well. For example, it can teach you to be a more effective listener, improve your understanding of grammar and syntax, and help you communicate more clearly and effectively. These skills are indispensable in all aspects of life, from personal relationships to professional settings (especially for certified interpretation services). For interpreters, producing flawless interpretations requires deep grammatical and contextual understanding.

 

Expanded Travel Opportunities And Multilingual Translation Services

Knowing a second language can make travel more enjoyable and rewarding or spark it entirely anew. You experience a more rewarding trip when you can communicate with locals, navigate unfamiliar places with minimum help, and experience different cultures more fully. In other words, you become a more independent and confident traveler. Whether providing business translation services for companies or professional interpretation services, the confidence built can help ease you through conversations with clients from different cultures.

 

Enhanced Cultural Understanding

Language and culture are intricately linked, and learning a new language can help you better understand other cultures and ways of thinking. Many travelers have expressed how the power of studying abroad for even just three months can improve your second language speaking and listening skills immensely. Learning a second language can also lead to greater empathy, patience, and appreciation for diverse perspectives. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, especially due to global language services, the ability to communicate with people from different cultures and backgrounds is becoming increasingly essential.

 

Increased Career Opportunities

Knowing a second language can make you a more attractive candidate to employers, especially in business, education, healthcare, and tourism, especially in the language service industry. It’s cross-functional, allowing second-language learners to explore multiple industries alongside their language interests. For example, translation services for schools and healthcare translation services are very different verticals that both require significant language knowledge. Even though they both demand the same services, the education and the life science industries differ. Their industry-focused terminology needs precise translation to avoid confusion with the target audience. A linguist who understands educational or medical terms will produce higher quality translations. This is why multinational corporations and international organizations look for potential employees with language skills; it allows them to not only have high-quality translation, but also to communicate effectively with clients and partners around the world. Clearly, learning a second language can create domestic and international career opportunities.

 

Learning a second language can boost your professional and personal life skills as the world continues to connect globally. The benefits are numerous and far-reaching, from increased career opportunities to enhanced cultural understanding, better communication skills, improved creativity, and expanded travel opportunities. So why not start learning a new language today? The rewards are well worth the effort.

 

Celebrating Greek Independence Day And The Power of Greek Translation

Prepare your Greek flags and get your marching boots on because March 25th is Greece’s Independence Day, also known as the “Anniversary of the Greek Revolution”. Over 200 years ago, Greece liberated itself from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 after nearly 400 years of foreign domination. Throughout the country, people gather together to celebrate with prideful parades and traditional foods. It is also the Feast of Annunciation, a special Orthodox Christian celebration where churches hold services to commemorate Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would be mother to the Son of God. For Greeks, March 25th is a day loaded with fun and festivities. With the help of Greek translation services, let’s learn more about the traditions of this important day in the Greek calendar.

 

Grand Parades and Greek Translation Services

One of the biggest celebrations in Greece takes place in Athens. A grand military parade marches in front of the Greek Parliament building. People ranging from government officials to the average citizen come to watch this parade. It features soldiers in traditional Greek uniforms, military bands, and displays of weaponry. In addition to the military, schools participate with students walking with flags in their hands and dressed in traditional attire. Some visitors who speak languages other than Greek might have difficulty communicating with locals during parades like this one. Luckily, interpretation services can help bridge the language gap and allow everyone to fully engage in the day’s merriments.

 

Museums, Flags, and Greek Translation Services

In addition to the parade, Athens and other cities across the country host various cultural events and activities. For example, the Acropolis Museum in Athens has a ticket price of 10 euros (roughly 10 US dollars). For Greece’s double holidays, the price becomes zero, allowing citizens and visitors to visit their exhibits freely. On top of that, they also occasionally have special exhibits on display for this day. Double win! It is a special treat since many other museums and shops are usually closed to celebrate the national holiday. While those who appreciate the arts and mythology might have trouble reading ancient text without the help of professional translation or even localization services, it’s great to enjoy these without a fee.

Throughout Greece, everyone can see the Greek flag fly across the sky. It is one of the ways Greeks express their love and national pride. They are proudly displayed throughout the nation, the blue and white flag brightening balconies, cars, and public squares. Many also decorate their homes with blue and white ribbons and other patriotic decorations, embracing their heritage as it enters another year of independence.

 

Festive Foods and Greek Translation Services

Celebrations wouldn’t be celebrations without a special dish or two. Professional interpreting services are available for businesses who want to interact with their international customers and provide a fuller, authentic experience. The Greeks celebrate the Anniversary of the Greek Revolution with traditional dishes, such as bakaliaros. Bakaliaros (μπακαλιάρος ) means “fried cod” (thanks to accurate translation services) served with skordalia, a garlic potato side to go with the fish. This dish is prevalent because it can be made in large quantities, perfect for feeding large groups of people or having delicious leftovers for later. To top it off, Greeks enjoy a popular Greek liquor called “ouzo.” Ouzo is a clear, anise-flavored liquor created from grape must, which are the remainders of the wine-making process. It is often mixed with water and served as an aperitif or digestif.

 

Greek Independence Day is a time for celebration, reflection, and remembrance. Greeks across the country come together to honor their country’s history and culture and to enjoy traditional foods and festivities. Whether you are a visitor or a local, Greek Independence Day is a beautiful opportunity to experience Greece’s rich traditions and culture. Then, the next day, language service providers can work on projects, translating the news about other fun events for all to read and watch.

 

5 More Amazing Spring Traditions For The International Translator

With the warmer weather approaching, people in global translation services are taking advantage of the warmth! However, regardless of where any international translator or interpreter may be, festivals or celebrations are happening to welcome spring: the season of rebirth.

 

Spring Equinox In Mexico For The International Translator

All across Mexico, archeological temples from ancient cultures shine (literally). Although built by different civilizations, they all built their temples to be aligned with the weather, sun, moon, and stars. In Chichén Itzá, one of the most famous Mayan ruins in Yucatán, El Castillo Pyramid dedicated to K’uk’ulkan (or Quetzalcoatl) summons the feathered serpent to slither down its side. The sun’s rays light up behind the temple, creating a shadow of the snake. As the Earth moves, a shadow that appears like a snake climbs down the temple; a marvelous sight! The snake coming down represents the joining of heaven, Earth, and the underworld, as well as K’uk’ulkan descending to the lands to fertilize the crop in preparation for the harvest season.

 

Nowruz in Iran And The International Translator

Beginning at the spring equinox, Iran welcomes spring with Nowruz, a 13-day celebration of nature’s rebirth. Nowruz is also considered the start of a new year on the Persian calendar, which Arabic translation services will translate as “new day.” It’s a time for in greeting a new season, and they welcome an entirely new year. Nowruz is celebrated across the Middle East and Central Asia, with each country and culture adding its own additions to this holiday. One that remains consistent throughout is the Haftsin, a table spread of the seven symbols representing the rejuvenation of springtime. Each item begins with the Farsi letter “S,” which symbolizes hope, health, wealth, and prosperity for the upcoming new year.

 

Sham el Nessim In Egypt And The International Translator

While sharing similar themes to Nowruz, Sham el Nessim is a holiday as old as Egypt itself. It translates into “smelling the breeze,” representing the changing seasons and preparing for the upcoming harvest season. Families gather outside and sit on green grass, picnicking together while playing music or competing and games together. Another tradition people will partake in is painting and decorating hardboiled eggs. As a symbol of renewal and rebirth, people will write wishes on the eggs before placing them carefully around the house or in a basket. Of all the different activities to engage with on this holiday, egg decorating seems to be the most popular.

 

Songkran—Thailand

During Thailand’s hottest month of the year, April, people come together to celebrate the Buddhist new year by throwing water at one another and essentially having a nationwide water war. Companies who offer Thai translation services will explain how Songkran is Sanskrit for “pass,” or “move into.” Water is a meaningful symbol of Songkran. Not only does it pass through rivers and move into fields, but it represents the washing away of the old year and renews the spirit for the new. People will use water to pour over monks’ hands or Buddha statues to pay respects. Songkran is a three-day festival with prayers, family bonding, and lots and lots of water fights.

 

Sechseläuten—Switzerland

Sechseläuten (which global language services translates into “The six o’clock ringing of the bells” from German) is a centuries-old tradition in Zurich where people wear historical costumes, and the festival is full of flowers, music, and the Böögg. The Böögg is considered the main character of this festival and sits on top of a pyre, representing the current winter. When the clock of the Grossmünster church strikes 6 pm, the pyre is lit. Once the fire climbs up to the head of the Böögg, it explodes with fireworks. It’s said that the larger the Böögg head, the better the summer.

 

Through these celebrations, people of different languages and background can come together to share in an experience. Whether or not people celebrating speak the same language, the thrill and energy of the festivals ring true. Language service providers bridges gaps between people and companies who wish to engage in an international celebration. The different cultures around the world celebrate spring, and it is worth looking into professional language service company to provide accurate translation services, interpreting services, and localization services so that clients can truly and effectively connect with their new market.

 

Women And The History Of Professional Translation Services

Professional translation services have always been a necessity since humans developed multiple languages in order to bridge the linguistic gaps between societies. This Women’s History Month, let’s take a look at many of the talented women who served as translators and interpreters throughout history.

 

Catherine Parr And Professional Translation Services

Catherine Parr was the Queen of England in the 1500s and was married to Henry VIII. She was an extremely well-educated woman who was also the first woman in English history to publish a book using her real name. She also provided professional human translation services by translating religious documents from various Romance languages such as Latin Spanish, Italian and French.

 

Anne Dacier And Professional Translation Services

We all are familiar with the literary classics The Iliad and The Odyssey. But, the reason these classics were able to spread globally was partly due to Anne Dacier, as she helped spread these texts into the French world. Anne was a native French speaker who learned Latin and Ancient Greek and later went on to become a Greek-to-French translator. In addition to her on site interpreting services, she provided professional translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey from Ancient Greek, allowing these classics to spread throughout Europe.

 

Sacagawea And Professional Translation Services

Sacajawea is a widely-known native American interpreter who became a suffragist symbol in the early 20th century. She traveled with Lewis and Clark and provided French translation for their expedition and for various Native American tribes.

 

Grace Bagnato And Her Life In Translation

Grace was the first female court interpreter in Canada. She was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to Toronto with her Italian parents. Later in life, Grace not only learned her parents’ mother tongue, Italian; she also learned other immigrant languages such as German, Ukrainian, Yiddish, and Polish. She did this to provide foreign language translation services for all the newcomers in Canada.

 

Banafshesh Keynoush And Her Life In Translation

Bansfshesh is extremely impressive, providing simultaneous interpretation for 4 Iranian presidents. However, before this, she earned her Bachelors and Masters in English and went on to teach herself interpreting by listening to the BBC. She did this because there was no program in Iran at the time to study language interpretation services. She is now an independent consultant who advises various international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank.

 

3 Embarrassing Professional Translations That Failed US Presidents

Being president comes with a lot of responsibilities, one of them being constant communication with other countries’ leaders and occasional speeches to their people. These speeches are very often memorable, yet sometimes not for good reasons. Here are 3 cases where professional translations failed US presidents, causing great embarrassment to them and the US and showing why choosing professional translation services is absolutely essential.

 

President Carter’s Professional Translations Mistake In Poland

One of the most famous cases where a professional translation service failed a president was in 1977 when President Jimmy Carter traveled to Poland for a news conference. At this conference, the Polish crowd thought that President Carter expressed his sexual desire for Poland, which of course was not what he intended for the Polish audience to hear. What happened was that President Carter’s translator used Russian terms when attempting to interpret in Polish, which led to the audience believing that President Carter harbored erotic thoughts for Poland. At this same event, Carter’s interpreting service failed yet again and interpreted President Carter’s sentence “I left the United states this morning” into “I left the United states, never to return.” Of course, this was, once again, not his intended message.

 

President Carter’s Professional Translations Mistake In Japan

Another case where poor President Jimmy Carter was disappointed yet again by his national interpreting service was in 1981 when he visited a small Methodist college in the Japanese countryside. President Carter was simply telling a story and then the audience burst into laughter. Confused, Carter turned to his interpreter and they revealed that they didn’t interpret his speech correctly and told the audience to simply laugh at the funny story President Carter told, thus demonstrating the value of professional interpreting services.

 

President Truman And Japanese Professional Translations

This case is perhaps the most infamous professional translation mistake in history. When the Allies were close to victory in World War II, the United States sent Japan terms for their surrender in an attempt to end the global conflict. When the press inquired Japanese Premier, Kantaro Suzuk, about the terms, Suzuk responded with the Japanese word “Mokusatsu.”

Improper Japanese translation arguably sparked the US’ vicious next move. There are two meanings behind this word, the first being “no comment/withholding comment,” and the second being “a treat with silent contempt.” International news agencies decided to use the word’s second meaning, which was perceived as a threat by the Americans and led to the decision to drop the atomic bomb.

 

True Professional Translations Are Essential

Many presidents have utilized interpreting, translation, and localization services and not all of them were failures. For example, the United States’ first President George Washington often had a translator by his side to interpret for members of the French and Dutch communities during the 18th century. Professional translations have been a need for centuries, and they are very often the hidden factor behind many of the most pivotal moments in history. However, one must invest in the best translation services. Luckily, Language Connections has a global network of industry expert translators and interpreters in 200+ languages to ensure that nothing is lost in translation.

 

Valentine’s Day: Cultural Traditions And Global Translation Services

With Valentine’s Day soon approaching, it’s interesting to recall that there are so many ways to express love that often vary depending on the culture! Let’s explore Valentine’s Day throughout the world as well as the different ways each culture expresses “I love you” using the power of global translation services.

 

Valentine’s Day In Japan And Global Translation Services

In Japan, Valentine’s Day is a time where women give chocolate to all men in their life instead of just their romantic partners. Thanks to Japanese translation services, we know the hierarchy of chocolate giving in Japan. Whereas “Honmei” chocolate is meant to be given to a woman’s true love, “giri” chocolate is meant to be given to the other men in the woman’s life.

Why is it only women giving chocolate?: thank an error in translation from the 1950s. When a marketing executive brought this European idea to Japan, it was mistranslated in such a way that it seemed that only women give chocolate gifts to men. Therefore, the chocolate business is extremely busy in Japan during Valentine’s Day!

 

Valentine’s Day in France And Global Translation Services

We are going to look at France through a historical lens and examine a very interesting tradition the French practice every Valentine’s Day. The French celebrate Valentine’s Day with “une loterie d’amour” which (thanks to French translation services) we now know means “a lottery of love.” This entails single people standing outside houses, signaling other singles in the area to go outside where they can eventually pair up. However, not everyone is able to pair up equally. As a result, the women left behind often make a fire and burn images of the men who left them.

 

Valentine’s Day in China And Global Translation Services

Valentine’s Day is quite different in China compared to other countries. For starters, China’s Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th Chinese lunar month. As a result, it typically falls in the month of August. The day itself is not called Valentine’s Day. Thanks to Chinese translation services, we know that China’s Qixi Festival means Double Seventh Festival, their day of love. This festival has been celebrated for the past 2,000 years since the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). In rural areas of China, you can see traditional festivities of the Qixi Festival such as women threading a needle under moonlight, young women sitting at a table of offerings displaying their needlework and praying for a good husband, children honoring the ocean by picking bunches of wildflowers and hanging them on the horns of oxen, and making and eating “skill fruit” (fried thin pastries).

 

Valentine’s Day in Egypt

Egypt absolutely adores Valentine’s Day. Thanks to Arabic translation services, we know that Egyptians attempted to create a version of this holiday translated as “Hearts Day,” although that holiday has died down in terms of popularity. Now, Egyptians celebrate Valentine’s Day similarly to how Westerners do with shops filled with chocolate, flowers and teddy bears.

 

Valentine’s Day in Germany

Germany’s Valentine’s Day is very interesting, it involves a pig handing out flowers on Valentinstag which, thanks to German translation services, we know is the literal translation of Valentine’s Day. The significance of a pig holding flowers is that there is a balance of luck and lust in love.

 

Valentine’s Day in Korea

Similarly to Japan, it is mostly women who give men chocolates on Valentine’s Day as a symbol of love. However, these men reciprocate these gifts a month later. Thanks to Korean translation services, we know of a holiday called “White Day” which takes place exactly a month after Valentine’s Day. On this day, men traditionally give the women who got them a gift white gifts in return such as white chocolate and white clothing.