A definition of dubbing would be:
1. In film or television, the operation of replacing the original dialogue track with the spoken translation in another language.

To achieve the dubbing of a television series or movie, it is necessary to undergo a process that is arduous and fun at the same time. First, the script goes to a translator for a translation, then the manager must add the annotations for the sound, music and special effects that serve as support and complement the voice actors. The voice actors, in general, rehearse 3 or 4 times before recording the new script, listen through headphones to the original voice, in order to replicate the intonation and expressions. The translation is often corrected in order to select synonyms that are pronounced similarly to the word of the original audio.

Dubbing has many detractors, especially in countries where it is not a common practice. It is usually argued that it devalues films and television programs. Comedians such as Steve Martin and Ben Stiller lose portions of their humor when their voices are dubbed into another language, since much of their humor arises from intonation and exactly how they express their words.

In many cities in Europe, dubbing is considered as a barrier to multilingualism. In countries where subtitles are preferred basic knowledge and understanding of English are statistically much higher than in countries where dubbing is normally used.

Proponents argue that subtitles interfere with vision and obstruct the image. Some people think that reading them is a distraction (people have to be highly concentrated reading the subtitles and at times miss what is happening on the screen).

If you want more information on dubbing and subtitling services at Trusted Translations, visit Multimedia Translation.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/doblaje-de-peliculas-y-series-2010-06-24.html)

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Today we would like to make a brief description of the different types of fonts, according to culture.

The “fonts” have a wide variety of items such as letters, characters, digits, symbols, ideograms, logograms, etc. Common examples of “fonts” used are Arial and Times (New) Roman.

There are thousands of fonts, but only some meet the “Unicode” standards for characters and for that reason they are grouped into”pan-Unicode” fonts. For this reason, if you choose a font that does not have those features, its graphical representation will not be successful, or simply see something else: a different character.

There are many different writing systems around the world other than those used in most Western countries. Such systems have different rules as to how the various elements combine. This is the reason that these different writing systems require intelligent solutions from information technology. To name just a few visual representations of a certain character code:

* Diacritics (accents): for example, in Spanish or French, in addition to numerous other languages around the world.
* Forms: as in the Greek and Arabic alphabets, where letters can change form depending on their place in the word.
* Ligatures: a combination of characters in a single form.

In future articles, we will see the different aspects that make up the various cultural varieties.

For more information on translation and localization in different languages, available in Translation Services.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/las-variedades-de-fuentes-como-aspectos-culturales-2010-08-25.html)

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Audio files can come from different sources, for example:

* Recordings of meetings or conferences
* Oral statements
* Telephone conversations
* Lectures
* Interviews
* Focus groups
* And much more!

In general, the time required for a transcript varies according to the project, taking into account certain factors: length of the file, topic, people involved in the conversation, dialogue, background noise, among others. This means that transcribing a biology lecture given by a teacher in a school is quite different than transcribing a poorly taped conversation between two people with few linguistic resources or a declaration where words specific to the particular field are used, but crude or rude vocabulary could also be incorporated.

So if we take into account all these factors, how do you calculate the time required for a transcription? And another important question is how to charge for a transcription?

Roughly, it is estimated that four minutes of transcription are required for each minute of audio. That means that one hour of work is required to transcribe 15 minutes. It is also estimated that 1 minute of audio contains between 120 to 180 spoken words. That is, an average of 10,800 words per hour, provided that the speaker has a “normal” rate of speech. Always take into account the factors mentioned above to calculate the necessary time required for work as precisely as possible.

Once the transcriber is finished, the text is passed to the translator to do their job.

For more information on transcription services from Trusted Translations, visit Transcription Services.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/la-transcripcion-y-traduccion-de-archivos-de-audio-o-video-2010-08-23.html)

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And all these cultural elements are also evident in the various professional practices, such as in the use of technology.

Cultural differences require that Information Technology immediately respond to the diverse needs of the culture in question.

Sometimes you need a certain hardware, software, or a special keyboard. The same goes for the screen or interface. That means that not only the “output” but also the “input” must be adapted.

In this context, information technology must provide flexible solutions to achieve a communion between these two aspects that coexist under the same sky: on the one hand, global integration, on the other, cultural respect.

Some aspects are easier to identify and, therefore, to solve than others, such as special needs in terms of the keyboards and screens. While some other elements are less obvious and more complex to address, such as the different ways of processing information, which vary by country.

This is the great challenge of IT, to move forward seamlessly while integrating globalization and culture.

We will delve further in this matter in future posts.

For more information, please visit Translation Services.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/tecnologia-y-aspectos-culturales-2010-08-20.html)

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The first stage is translation, the second stage is edition and the last stage is to review, also known as proofreading. That is why when the client reads TEP on the billing for a translation project, this acronym means: Translation, Edition, Proofreading.

In this last stage, the final reader of the project is to unify criteria of the editors in the event that more than one editor was involved in the project. In this case, the main task is to give consistency and cohesion to the final product.

On the other hand, as in many projects there are images that have text and, therefore, the project has moved to the Department of Graphic Design, also a function of the final reader or proofreader to control the text of the images that have been inserted in the document.

The final reader is not responsible for editing the project again. Their task is not a second edition, but to give a complete, unifying view of the whole, as in previous phases the professionals worked on a part of the project and had no general view of the entire project.

In projects of a large number of words or services from the Graphic Design Department or the Department of Technology, the final reader’s unifying work is essential.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/etapa-de-revision-final-2010-08-18.html)

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Due to the massive immigration of foreign women married to Korean men, the Government has decided to revise regulations to allow more housewives to work as interpreters or translators in private companies and government agencies to take advantage of their native languages and their knowledge of the Korean language.

The only requirement for these women to gain such employment is to pass a test in Korean and obtain a Level 4 in the language. The Government is considering the possibility of facilitating the process by  allowing those women who qualify at Level 3 to work as “auxiliary” translators or interpreters.

In this case, the idea is to change the rules to suit people’s language level.

The situation in Ghana is the opposite, as the country encourages its people to study foreign languages for effective communication with its neighbors.

In this other article, we see the case of the African country that seeks to promote development and cooperation on the continent, increasing trade and better access to the job market for its citizens by encouraging reading and writing.

These two cases, although different, are alike in this: both want to promote the learning of foreign languages in order to survive. More and more countries are joining the industry of translation and interpretation with different needs, but with a common goal: bridge the cultural gap and break down language barriers imposed by globalization.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/%C2%BFama-de-casa-e-interprete-a-la-vez-2010-08-16.html)

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Supporters of this kind of technology increasingly complain because the release of video games are not accompanied by a good translation or localization. That is why certain steps need to be taken to ensure that the final product has the same quality as the original. The steps are:

1. Familiarization:

It is essential that all material to be localized is known before starting the real work, for example, text files, artwork, among others. At this stage, the translators can even try the game in the original language to get a broader view of what the whole game really means: story, characters, dialogues, menus, bonus material, etc.

2. Localization:

This stage can last from weeks to months. It all depends on different factors, for example, the volume of text file types, the number of translators, localizers, and editors involved in the project, etc..

3. Programming:

Sometimes, the editors do not have programs on their computer- This is why the game’s original developer is the one who implements the text that was translated, localized or edited. This process can take less than a month to be completed.

4. Quality Control:

Quality control of a project begins once the developers have created a version of the game can be played. At this stage, it is verified that there are no spelling and grammatical errors, inconsistencies or text that does not make sense, system problems (sound, graphics) and others.

5. Approval of manufacturer:

Manufacturers have people working for them who verify that the contents of the localization match the requirements and needs of the original game. Generally, you only need less than a month at this stage, if there are no major problems with the content presented.

If you meet and follow these steps, you will surely achieve an optimal localization of the game that will satisfy fans.

For more information on localization, click here.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/localizacion-de-videojuegos-2010-08-12.html)

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Today we were interested in commenting on the benefits that a free operating system offers.

As with everything, Linux can present some difficult points in its use, such as surviving the learning period and adapting to this new platform, for those accustomed to working with Windows; having to deal with installing the system, since it is not common to find new computers with the system already installed; trying to fill in for hardware support where it is lacking, since some are created exclusively for Windows systems.

But the benefits greatly outweigh these minor inconveniences.

* We have at our disposal the source code to modify and/or distribute it for free.
* We rely on a robust, transparent and flexible system: we can configure it according to our needs to maximize its advantages to our benefit.
* We have a huge community of users who are willing to voluntarily give help to those who are just starting.
* There is a lot of software available and free to download and install from the official sites of each distribution and through installers integrated into the system.
* We have extensive documentation on each software, manuals, books, guides, developed by the various GNU/Linux communities.
* We have excellent safety management of each software, as each product is tested and released under strict standards of control.
* We find great compatibility between versions, and also various options both in distributions and in packages.
* We are able to participate in a project that meets our demands or to promote our own project and invite the community to join.
* Another point that is important: we have full control of the system.

Based on all these benefits and many others not mentioned in this article, distributions have been developed that are better adapted to the world of translations. About these distributions discussed in future articles.

For answers on this and other translation issues, please visit Software Translation.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/linux-mas-ventajas-2010-08-11.html)

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The creator of the kernel, or core component of these operating systems, was Linus Torvalds in 1991, and his name along with the GNU toolset (GNU’s Not Unix) gave rise to the wide variety of operating systems “Linux” or “GNU Linux”, as it is also known.

It is one of the most popular “free” operating systems, since all the source code can be used, modified, enriched and redistributed freely, by and for their community.

A member of the community is anyone who develops under the terms of the GPL (GNU General Public License) and other licenses.

The core or “kernel” developed by Linus Torvalds is the software component responsible for interpreting and interacting with all the hardware components that make up the PC and the set of tools from the GNU project or other projects such as GNOME or KDE offer all the advanced functions that the user can perform their daily tasks, such as browsing the Internet or reading emails.

At the same time, since for each type of task is more than one free program available, some users began to package the kernel with the application package of their choice. These set of applications are called “distributions” and their aim is to provide varying forms to suit the needs of a specific community. Some of these distributions we can mention are “Ubuntu”, “Debian”, “Mandriva”, “Fedora”, etc.

According to some technology reports, an area where Linux is winning the battle is in its use as a server, since it is estimated that 80% of major Internet servers in the world use some of its variants.

While its largest market is for IT professionals, there is a gradual and steady increase in the use of Linux in the market for family PCs (Ubuntu), handhelds (PDAs), mobile phones (Android), etc.

Below is a brief listing of the numerous equivalent programs for Windows and GNU/Linux, which we will expand on later.

In a following article, we will go into detail on the relationship of Linux and the world of translations …

Web Navigators:

GNU/Linux: Firefox
Windows: Internet Explorer

Email Clients:

GNU/Linux: Evolution, Thunderbird
Windows: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express

FTP Clients:

GNU/Linux: Gftp.FileZilla.
Windows: Proof FTP, CuteFTP, FileZilla.

Instant Messaging Clients:

GNU/Linux: Pidgin, aMSN
Windows: MSN

For more information, please read this article on CAT Tools for Linux, or direct your inquiry to Translation Services.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/sistemas-operativos-linux-introduccion-2010-08-07.html)

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On this point, it should be noted that comments on the edition should address errors which have been overlooked by the editors, for example, a spelling mistake, a typographical error or a failure to work according to a client’s glossary given to the editors in advance of their work.

There are situations that are considered errors, but are not. And this is where I want to address in this article: the fact of using one expression instead of another of equal meaning without altering the original meaning of the text or change the register of the document is not a mistake, it is a preference.

The idea that should be reflected in the translated document is that it can be drafted in several correct ways, using synonymous terms and expressions.

Why use “pursuant to” instead of “in accordance with” in a contract? It is a matter of preference. This is a clear example of two synonymous expressions that do not alter the meaning of the idea being expressed.

Accordingly, when analyzing a translation project and, therefore, analyzing the work of the editors, errors of preference should be clearly distinguished from issues that are not errors.

In the event that, for various reasons, the final version must include certain terminology that is approved by the customer, it is necessary to know the terminology “preferred” BEFORE the editing stage so that the delivery version reflects these preferences.

(Spanish version: http://blog-de-traduccion.trustedtranslations.com/criticas-a-la-edicion-2010-08-10.html)

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