RECENT POSTS
COVID-19 terminology
Reading time: 7 mins Rarely are we able to witness such rapid development of a language, especially of its vocabulary, as we have in the last two years. Terminological development [...]
Scope, Cost, and Time: Translating in the Iron Triangle
Reading time: 7 mins Due to strict regulations across life sciences industries, a company cannot compromise on quality, miss deadlines, and risk incurring additional expenses because they have chosen the [...]
OLDER POSTS
Translation feedback: why and how to give it
Reading time: 5 mins According to Merriam-Webster, feedback is “the transmission of evaluative or corrective information about an action, event, or process to the original or controlling source”. In the translation sector, this essentially means evaluating a translator’s work and, through practical examples, helping them improve, or letting them know they have done a fantastic job. Fellow linguists (in their role as revisers, editors, or proofreaders) can do this, as can translation agency project managers or [...]
Ethics in medical and pharmaceutical translation
Reading time: 5.5 mins Cross-cultural communication is closely connected to social responsibility, a concern shared by most translators and interpreters. To help meaning traverse languages and cultures well, follow industry-specific ethical guidelines. These are a form of social responsibility. Medical interpreters deal with ethical dilemmas in their day-to-day work. When interpreting spoken language in medical environments, interpreters have to be mindful of cultural differences, impartiality, maintaining calm and respect, and many other values. This is [...]
Tone of voice is important in translation
Reading time: 4 mins Every company needs to ensure that its brand is appropriately represented in all its communications. Most companies have a brand guide for this, which describes how their brand should be represented in writing and visually. Typically, this includes company values, logo, colour palette, and typography, examples of appropriate graphics for publications, and tone. Tone of voice is key One of the most important aspects of communicating a brand is tone of [...]
Commonly misspelt medical terms: Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Lapp lactase deficiency
Reading time: 6 mins We have all experienced it: you are trying to write a word, but suddenly do not remember the correct spelling. None of the versions you write down looks right, and you end up googling it to find out the spelling you have been looking for. You are definitely not alone. This is so common it even has a name: wordnesia. Wordnesia is not the only reason why someone might have a [...]
How to obtain a good user interface in translation
Reading time: 5 mins For any device to work correctly and safely, it must have a clear user interface (UI). As the manufacturer or distributor, you need to ensure that the device interface is understandable and user-friendly in all your target markets’ languages so it can be used safely and correctly. Translating the user interface is much more complicated than it sounds and can be highly challenging. Translators will often be faced with a list [...]
Resources for medical and pharmaceutical translators: International classification of diseases (ICD) and International nonproprietary names (INN)
Reading time: 6 mins For a translator, choosing a specialisation is not easy – it involves evaluating your capabilities and interests. Specialising in medical and pharmaceutical translation can be a conscious decision, or due to unforeseen events and life circumstances. All medical translators share a love of languages and of everything medical. This does not mean that they have superhuman knowledge of the entire field. After all, knowledge is not something we are born with, [...]