Reading time: 5.5 min Translation is a very precise job. For a translator to prepare the best translation possible, it is not enough to know the source and target languages well, or to be knowledgeable about the topic. The translator needs as much information as possible about the source text, how it was created, the [...]
Reading time: 4 mins You have surely been in this situation before. Your company would like to order a translation. It has to be flawless. Your company does not employ in-house translators, so your task is to find a suitable translator to take on this complex text. How do you know the translator you have [...]
Reading time: 4 mins Euphemisms are part of our everyday language – just think of ‘that time of the month’ for ‘menstruation’. They relieve the force of a word that represents something traumatic, difficult to process, or taboo. Logically, everyone should avoid language that might offend or hurt others, but the real question is where [...]
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 is usually attributed to major technological and cultural changes in society, but every now and then, something affects us so dramatically that it influences our [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Reading time: 6 mins Throughout human history the English language has spread across the world and branched into a number of regional varieties, some of which may prove challenging to non-native speakers. The two main varieties, British and American English, differ in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and usage. In medical writing, the key [...]
Reading time: approx. 8 min In recent decades, English has become the lingua franca in all walks of life and (practically) all disciplines, from humanities to life sciences. Though most of us speak and understand it at least to a certain extent, there are always aspects of the language that give us trouble. Many speakers [...]
Reading time: 7.5 mins Everyone sometimes has to take medicine to keep their bodies functioning properly. This can mean either alleviating symptoms of an underlying condition that is yet to be discovered, or treating an illness. When we take medicines, however, we may not only notice the intended effects, but also other, often unwanted, [...]
