Translation Blog

The Meaning of Piola

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:37:07 +0000

Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets ofBuenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language inArgentina (especially in and aroundBuenos Aires) andUruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a defining characteristic of the Rioplatense dialect. Add a dash of Argentine flavor to your Spanish vocabulary with the Transpanish blog’s ongoing feature highlighting some of the most frequently used terms in Lunfardo.

In Lunfardo, the word “piola” takes on a number of meanings, but it generally refers to someone who is clever, crafty or astute. Piola can also be used to describe someone who’s nice or friendly, calm or relaxed in nature, or something that’s cool or great.

When piola is paired with the verb quedarse, the phrase takes the meaning “to be/stay/keep cool.” The phrase hacerse el piola is also used, an expression that means to pretend to be/make like one is clever.

Related words in Lunfardo:

noun piolada: 1 cleverness 2 a case where one personally benefits from a situation without considering how others will be affected

Usage example: Mi amigo es muy piola. Seguro que te va a dar buenos consejos. // My friend is quite clever. Surely he’ll give you good advice.

The 1975 song Patente de piola by Eladia Blázquez features the word “piola” in the title and lyrics.

PATENTE DE PIOLA

La gente hace rato, no quiere más lola,
Con los avivados llamados los piolas
Y ni por asomo entres en su ley,
Porque de los plomos el piola es el rey.

Cuidado muchachos con tanta ranada,
Porque no nos hace ninguna gauchada
Y eso que parece risueño y pueril,
Puede ser a veces patente de gil.

El que nada en la piolada,
Vos sabés, se puede ahogar
En la clásica bobada de faltar
O de sobrar,

Pero para el porteño flor,
Es un loco berretín,
Un glorioso antecedente
De ocurrente y de pillín.

En la maratón del piola nadie cola quiere ser,
En el ranking del canchero, él primero y vos después.
Yo no se quién lo embarcó en la estupidez genial
La que él piensa que es señor, cuando es un chanta nacional.

Que aunque nadie le dé bola, él es piola y nada más.

Que loca manía que tiene el porteño,
Cuanta fantasía, que inútil empeño,
Muestra complacido, en cada ocasión
Que está recibido de vivo y piolón.

Un candor ingenuo lo caracteriza,
Y aquel que lo juna, se mata de risa.
Vive pregonando que raja de más
Y lo ven jadeando llegar siempre atrás.

El que nada en la piolada, vos sabés, se puede ahogar,
En la clásica bobada de faltar o de sobrar,

Pero para el porteño flor,
Es un loco berretín,
Un glorioso antecedente
De ocurrente y de pillín.

Que aunque nadie le dé bola, él es piola y nada más.

The Ethics of Translation

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:18:09 +0000

Just as professionals such as doctors and lawyers occasionally grapple with ethics, translators and interpreters will likely face a range of ethical dilemmas in the practice of their profession. Certain countries have established codes of conduct that set out guidelines for issues such as quality standards, impartiality, and confidentiality; however, the truly difficult decisions arise when linguists are asked to translate a text that clashes with their personal ethical standards.

Consider these situations:

A translator is asked to translate the election platform of a political party whose views the translator vehemently opposes.
A translator with pro-life values is assigned a translation project involving educational materials about abortion.
A translator firmly against animal cruelty is presented with advertising copy for a company operating in the fur industry.
A translator opposed to the business practices of XYZ Corporation is asked to translate information about one of the company’s product lines.

The role of a translator is to objectively render the message provided in the source language into the target language. Ideally, linguists detach themselves from the topic in order to achieve the highest degree of objectivity when reproducing the message. A translator should be able to produce a sound translation even when his or her views come in conflict with those expressed in the text; however, if the source text tackles an issue that the translator feels so strongly about that it precludes his or her ability to remain detached and professional, then the translator should turn down the project.

In addition, it’s important to remember that many subjects are distasteful or unpleasant (e.g. reports of human rights violations), yet information concerning these topics is often needed to help combat horrific practices, investigate crimes, etc. Translators must evaluate not only the topic of the translation but also its end use.

Virtually all professional translators draw the line at translating texts that describe illegal activity, but when the topic of the translation falls into an ethical gray area, the decision to accept or reject the project on moral grounds ultimately rests with the translator. With that said, individuals who rely on translation to put food on the table may be slightly more open-minded than those who can afford to turn down unsavory projects thanks to other sources of income.

All freelancers have the right to choose which projects they take on. If they do turn down a translation, they don’t necessarily owe the client an explanation; nonetheless, it can be helpful to let the client know the reason for the rejection. In many cases, the client/agency will be understanding and supportive; however, translators should be aware that by turning down a project, they run the risk of losing the client.

If objectionable themes are likely to arise with a particular client, translators should consider adding a clause to their contract with that client, outlining the subjects the translator refuses to handle for ethical reasons. Another idea is to draw up a statement of principles, which summarizes the types of texts the translator will not accept on moral grounds. This statement may be sent to translation agencies or direct clients looking to engage the translator’s services so that his or her limits are clear from the very beginning.

Notes on Back-translation

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:32:19 +0000

What is back-translation?

The process of back-translation consists of translating a previously translated text back into the original language. Ideally, a back-translation should be performed by an independent translator who did not participate in the original translation. The back-translation may then be compared to the original text to check the accuracy of the initial translation. Even careful translators and editors make mistakes, and the back-translation process offers a second chance to catch errors, omissions, additions or misinterpretations of the text.

A back-translation will rarely yield a result identical to the original text. Above all, it’s important for the back translation to reflect the same meaning as the original document, even if the word choice or word order differs slightly. A back-translation should be very literal but still idiomatic.

When is back-translation typically used?

Clients often request a back-translation to check the quality of the translation when the subject matter demands an extremely high degree of accuracy, for example, in clinical trials. They prove particularly useful for picking up errors that may be easily missed by the proofreader but that can have dire consequences. Some ethics committees and institutional review boards (IRBs) require back-translations before granting research approval.
In the field of advertising, translators tend to get creative and embellish the copy, occasionally moving away from the meaning of the original text. In some instances, even slight deviations in meaning can cause serious legal problems for the agency or client. With a back-translation, the client’s legal department can detect these potential legal issues. In addition, back translations of ad copy can allow the client to get a better feel for how the advertising concept is being expressed in the target language.
A back-translation may be requested when the reviewer doesn’t know the target language, especially in the case of unusual language combinations (i.e. Spanish to Luxembourgish).

The argument against back-translation

Some translators consider back-translation to be a fruitless exercise. Rather than perform a back-translation, there are those who argue for the original translation to be reviewed by an experienced, qualified proofreader as well as an expert with technical background (e.g. a doctor or other medical professional in the case of a medical translation, a lawyer for a legal translation).

Latinos Spend More Time on Social Media than Other Groups

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:28:29 +0000

According to a market research study conducted by BIGinsight in February 2012, U.S. Hispanics spend significantly more time on social media than the average American Internet user. On any given day, 26.8% of Latino users are active on social media sites for upwards of six hours, while just 8.5% of all Internet users spend that amount of time on social media. While the big players like Facebook and Twitter garner plenty of attention from Latino users, interestingly, Hispanics are also more willing to visit some of the smaller social media sites such as Pinterest, foursquare and LinkedIn. For example, while just 4.9% of white users reported visiting LinkedIn on a daily basis, 15.5% of U.S. Hispanics log in to the site at least once a day. Understanding the social media usage patterns of Latino Internet users is vital to connecting with this key demographic and to creating meaningful relationships with customers.

For more information, take a look at this article by eMarketer.

Is Spanish a Sexist Language?

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:52:41 +0000

It seems that political correctness knows no bounds. With feminist groups and a handful of linguistic scholars leading the charge, so-called “inclusive language” has slowly crept into Spanish in the last few years. In other words, what once passed for perfectly acceptable and grammatically correct Spanish is now labeled machista or sexist, with some academics proposing changes to language usage in order to compensate. Assorted universities, unions and autonomous communities have even created style guides with new rules prescribing non-sexist language.

It’s true that the masculine gender predominates in the Spanish language when speaking in the plural form. For example, a room full of female attorneys would constitute the use of the word “abogadas” (feminine plural), but should one male attorney grace the room with his presence, the masculine plural form would be used. Likewise, the parents of three girls and one boy would refer to their children as hijos (masculine plural) despite the overwhelming female majority.

Overall it can be said that English is a more compact, concise language than Spanish; however, in certain cases, Spanish has the upper hand. For example, in English we must say “brothers and sisters” while the Spanish word “hermanos” captures the same meaning in a more succinct manner. Spanish will lose what little advantage it has in this sense if changes are adopted. Case in point, the word “argentinos” encompasses both male and female citizens of Argentina; however, scholars are suggesting the use of the more inclusive “argentinos y argentinas,” and indeed the nation’s president seems to have adopted this mode of speech.

Ultimately, these changes make the language more unruly and less pleasing to the ear. They also present a problem in terms of space, as these expanded forms of expression take up more room in written documents. Text expansion is already an issue when translating from English into Spanish; these new rules would only worsen the problem.

Supporters of non-sexist language argue that existing Spanish syntax diminishes the importance of women and is tantamount to discrimination, essentially making women invisible within the language. Furthermore, by dictating that the masculine gender should take precedence, critics claim that the standard rules of Spanish grammar—under the guise of tradition— constitute a tool of female domination.

Without a doubt, language reflects the society from which it emerged. Spanish evolved, over the course of centuries, from Latin, a patriarchal language. Although women were considered second-class citizens when Spanish first came about, this fact doesn’t mean that women are bound to this same position in modern-day society. The Spanish language isn’t holding women back; machista attitudes and cultural traditions impeding women’s empowerment are the real issue.

Besides, it’s very difficult to establish a clear connection between gender discrimination and language. While certain languages, such as Chinese, may appear to be less sexist, the women in these societies are no more empowered than those who speak Spanish. In fact, they are less so. The bottom line is that language equality is not necessarily reflected in the feminine condition.

If Hispanics really want to fight sexism, they should start with concrete measures that guarantee rights like equal pay, reproductive choice, access to education, etc. for women rather than tossing away a part of their linguistic heritage.

The Meaning of Curda

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:59:19 +0000

Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language in Argentina (especially in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a defining characteristic of the Rioplatense dialect. Add a dash of Argentine flavor to your Spanish vocabulary with the Transpanish blog’s ongoing feature highlighting some of the most frequently used terms in Lunfardo.

In Lunfardo, the word “curda” refers to a drunkard, a bout of drinking or drunkenness itself. Equivalent slang terms for curda (in the drunkard sense) are lush, sot, sponge, wino, and boozer. Binge, bout of boozing, and binge drinking are acceptable translations for instances where curda is used to describe a drinking session.

Curda is often paired with a verb (e.g. le agarró una curda), giving it the meaning “to get drunk/inebriated/intoxicated.” When used in this manner, other possible informal English translations of the word include to get hammered, to get wasted, to get smashed, to get plastered, to get trashed, to get bombed and to get lit.

The Dictionary of the Real Academia Española states that this Lunfardo term entered the lexicon directly from the French dialect word curda, meaning pumpkin or squash. Another source¹ cites a Romani/Gypsy dialect word meaning drunk as the origin of curda, which, frankly, seems more plausible.

Related words in Lunfardo:

noun curdela: same meanings as those listed above

noun curdeli: same meanings as those listed above

Usage example: Sólo quedaba un pobre curda tirado en la calle. // Only a poor drunk remained lying in the street.

The 1956 tango La última curda by Aníbal Troilo and Cátulo Castillo features the word “curda” in the title and lyrics.

Lastima, bandoneón,
mi corazón
tu ronca maldición maleva…
Tu lágrima de ron
me lleva
hasta el hondo bajo fondo
donde el barro se subleva.

¡Ya sé, no me digas! ¡Tenés razón!
La vida es una herida absurda,
y es todo tan fugaz
que es una curda, ¡nada más!
mi confesión.

Contame tu condena,
decime tu fracaso,
¿no ves la pena
que me ha herido?
Y hablame simplemente
de aquel amor ausente
tras un retazo del olvido.
¡Ya sé que te lastimo!
¡Ya sé que te hago daño
llorando mi sermón de vino!

Pero es el viejo amor
que tiembla, bandoneón,
y busca en el licor que aturde,
la curda que al final
termine la función
corriéndole un telón al corazón.
Un poco de recuerdo y sinsabor
gotea tu rezongo lerdo.
Marea tu licor y arrea
la tropilla de la zurda
al volcar la última curda.

Cerrame el ventanal
que arrastra el sol
su lento caracol de sueño,
¿no ves que vengo de un país
que está de olvido, siempre gris,
tras el alcohol?…

The Absence of Certified Translators in the U.S. and Implications for Translation Buyers

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:50:01 +0000

Unlike most European and Latin American countries, licensure or certification for translators does not exist within the United States, neither at the federal nor the state level. In the case of interpreters, a program does exist to certify individuals so that they may work within the federal court system; however, interpreters in other fields are not subject to this certification process. Although there’s no official certification program for U.S. translators, they may seek accreditation through professional organizations such as the American Translators Association (ATA), which rigorously test translators before granting them a “seal of approval.” Without a formal certification scheme—and thus a lack of assurances regarding a translator’s competence—many agencies have developed their own certification procedures to vet potential translators.

In other parts of the world, only certified translators may translate certain types of documents, such as legal or medical texts, for example. However, in the United States, translators are not required to be certified or licensed in order to provide a certified translation. Any translators willing to take an oath before a notary public, attesting to the accuracy of the translation and their qualifications to translate to and from a specific language pair, can offer clients certified translations.

Unfortunately, the absence of certification for language professionals in the U.S. means that nearly anyone, regardless of experience, education or aptitude, can pose as a translator. In addition, many translators refer to themselves as “certified” in an attempt to increase their marketability. Given that there’s no licensure or certification program in the United States, it’s wise to question the qualifications of those claiming to be certified translators (i.e. who certified them?). It’s important to note that there are many highly qualified, experienced translators who are neither accredited nor certified by a particular institution.
What can translation buyers do given the lack of translator credentialing programs in the U.S.?

Inquire as to whether the translator is accredited by a professional organization for translators.
Thoroughly check the translator’s references.
Work with a translation agency that has taken the time to put together a trusted team of qualified translators.

Should Translation Apps Be Used by Emergency Personnel?

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:57:09 +0000

Every second counts in an emergency. In everyday life, a language barrier can produce frustrating or even comical results, but in critical situations, first responders can’t rely on pantomime or guessing games to determine crucial information about non-English speaking patients’ status or medical history. Doctors at clinics and hospitals frequently use staff medical interpreters, telephone language line services, and in some cases, video medical interpretation systems to help them interact with non-English speaking patients, but emergency personnel in the field rarely have access to these language aids.

A language barrier at the scene of an emergency poses several difficulties. First of all, when emergency personnel encounter a non-English speaking victim, they automatically lose precious time in assessing the patient because of the lack of fluid communication. Even if the patient speaks some English, the likelihood exists that a first responder will misinterpret information, as a person suffering a medical emergency will probably have more difficulty than normal communicating in a second language due to the stress of the situation. Misinformation about the patient’s status could actually be more harmful than no information at all.

Interested users can now download an app version of Google Translate—one of the web’s most ubiquitous machine translation tools—that functions on Apple’s mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. In all, 64 languages are supported by the app. In addition, a speech-to-text function is supported for 17 languages, allowing for quicker and more efficient input of text to be translated, and users can listen to translations spoken aloud for 24 languages.

Machine translation may be used in a pinch until qualified interpreters can be brought to the scene or the patient can be provided professionally translated medical information, but such apps must not be considered a substitute for a professional translator or interpreter. As previously discussed on this blog [see “When Never to Use Google Translate”], machine translation has its faults and should never be the sole resource for medical translation or interpretation in life-or-death situations. Inaccurate translations delivered by an app in an emergency situation can actually do more harm than good to the patient. Ideally, instead of fiddling with their smartphones, emergency personnel (paramedics, police, etc.) should be completely free from the worry of interpreting what the patient has to say so they can focus on doing their job: administering first aid.

The Importance of Quality Translations to the Pharmaceutical Industry

admin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:54:55 +0000

In a global economy dominated by the English language—the world’s current lingua franca—obstacles to the clear communication of scientific information abound. With an increasing amount of clinical research and pharmaceutical manufacturing taking place around the world in numerous languages, quality Medical translation services can break down these barriers, expediting the process to bring a drug to market and paring down the clinical trial process. The need for language services may arise during a number of stages, including research and development, submission to and review by regulatory bodies, production, and product marketing.

A company that understands the importance of technical translation possesses a clear competitive advantage. A skilled technical translator, with in-depth medical knowledge and sound translation skills, is critical for the approval of a drug or medical device by a regulatory agency. A poorly-done translation can lead to rejection of the drug by the regulatory body, or worse yet, delays in bringing the product to market or drug recalls. Each one of these setbacks adversely affects the company’s bottom line and has the potential to place consumers’ health at risk.

In a nutshell, when it comes to matters of health and safety, it’s never advisable to scrimp on quality.

Teaching Spanish to U.S. Students through Computers

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:18:53 +0000

As the U.S. Hispanic population continues to grow in size and influence, knowledge of Spanish is quickly becoming a more crucial skill for Americans. To that end, an interactive program is being launched at select schools to test out a new model of Spanish language instruction. With the aid of specialized software, students are able to study the language at home on their own computers. The software provides a personalized approach to learning that combines reading, writing, listening, speaking and vocabulary building. Some activities require the student to orally describe pictures or photos while others involve written communication in Spanish, and the software will not allow the student to progress to the next exercise until the current lesson has been satisfactorily completed. The program provides an incentive to students to study a foreign language because many perceive it to be easier and more enjoyable than traditional classroom methods. If the pilot program is successful, the language-learning software will be introduced to schools around the country.

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The Meaning of Piola

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The Meaning of Curda

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Should Translation Apps Be Used by Emergency Personnel?

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The Importance of Quality Translations to the Pharmaceutical Industry

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