Translatix Inc., Los Angeles, CA (2025)

10/10/2025

Media and Marketing Translation: Connecting with Culture

In today’s world, brands reach people across countries with just a click. Translation is key to global communication. But translating ads or media isn’t just about changing words; it’s about feelings, persuasion, and culture. A slogan can be a hit in one language but fail in another. That’s why translation for media and marketing focuses on connecting with people, not just on being accurate.

Why Words Matter in Branding
Marketing uses words to make people feel something. Translators in advertising need to capture that feeling, not just the words. The aim is to make the audience feel the same way, no matter the language.
For example, Coca-Cola’s slogan “Open Happiness” changes to match how different cultures think about joy and sharing, instead of just translating the words directly.

Transcreation: Turning Translation into Creation
In media and marketing, translators often act as transcreators. This means they rewrite content creatively to fit the new audience. Transcreation mixes translation, writing, and cultural understanding to:
• Make jokes funny in every language.
• Ensure slogans match local sayings and values.
• Avoid ideas that might offend or cause problems.
For example, Pepsi’s slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” was once mistranslated in China as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.” This mistake shows how a translation error can harm a brand.

Understanding Culture
Every culture has its own ideas about beauty, humor, family, or success. Translators must know what works in each place.
• In Western countries, bold and direct ads often work well.
• In Asian or African countries, ads that focus on respect or community may connect better.
Translators and PR agencies adjust tone, pictures, and even colors or symbols to fit what the local audience expects.
Translation in Media

In global media, like news or streaming services, translation shapes how people see foreign stories, characters, and cultures. Subtitles, dubbing, or adapting content make it feel natural to new audiences while keeping the original’s spirit. This balance helps people understand and enjoy content from other countries.

Challenges in Translation
• Wordplay and Humor: Jokes and puns often don’t work when translated directly.
• Cultural References: Ads or movies may use local sayings or celebrities that others won’t know.
• Rules and Sensitivities: Some slogans or images might break local laws or offend people.
• Speed vs. Quality: Media moves fast, so translators must work quickly while still being creative.

Translators as Cultural Experts
Translators in media and marketing are more than language experts, they are cultural guides. They help brands sound real and avoid mistakes. A good translation builds trust, loyalty, and a strong connection with people, which every brand needs to succeed.

Conclusion
Translating media and marketing is about making words travel, not just between languages but into people’s hearts. It’s where language meets feelings and cultural understanding becomes a business strength. In today’s global world, brands that succeed know one thing: to sell across cultures, you must first speak their language.

10/03/2025

International Translation Day: Connecting Cultures

Every year on September 30th, we celebrate International Translation Day. This special day is all about honoring translators, interpreters, and language experts who work hard to help people from different countries and cultures understand each other. The United Nations created this day in 2017 to highlight the important role these professionals play in making global communication possible.

Why September 30th?
The date of September 30th was chosen because it is St. Jerome Day, a famous translator who is known as the patron saint of translators. St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, creating a version called the Vulgate. This translation was a huge achievement and is still considered one of the most important works in the history of translation. His efforts made the Bible accessible to many more people, and his work still inspires translators today.

Why Translation Matters
Translation is much more than just replacing words from one language to another. It’s about sharing ideas, emotions, and bridging cultures across the world. Translators help bring people closer together in many ways:
• Cultural Sharing: Translators make it possible for us to enjoy books, movies, music, and art from other countries. For example, without translators, we might not be able to read stories from distant places or watch foreign films with subtitles.
• Spreading Knowledge: Translators make sure important information, like medical discoveries, scientific research, or human rights documents, is available to people in different languages. This helps everyone learn and stay informed.
• Business and Technology: In today’s world, companies sell products and services all over the globe. Translators help by making websites, apps, and product instructions understandable in many languages. This makes it easier for people everywhere to use technology and buy things from other countries.
• Building Peace: Translators help leaders and diplomats from different countries talk to each other. They make sure everyone understands agreements, speeches, and important discussions, which helps create peace and cooperation.

Challenges for Translators
Even though technology, like translation apps and AI, is improving, human translators are still very important. Machines can’t fully understand the emotions, tone, or cultural details that make communication special. Translators face many challenges, including:
• Finding the Right Words: Sometimes, a word or phrase in one language doesn’t have an exact match in another. Translators have to think creatively to share the same meaning.
• Respecting Cultures: Every culture has its own traditions and sensitive topics. Translators must be careful to avoid offending anyone or misunderstanding cultural differences.
• Keeping Up with Change: Languages and technologies are always changing. Translators need to learn new words, phrases, and tools to stay up to date.
• Working Under Pressure: Translators often have tight deadlines, especially for important documents like legal contracts or medical reports, which need to be perfect.

Honoring Translators
International Translation Day is a time to say thank you to translators for their hard work, which often goes unnoticed. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy stories, songs, or movies from other countries. International laws, trade agreements, and global friendships would be much harder to achieve. Translators are like bridges, connecting people who speak different languages and come from different backgrounds.
As St. Jerome once said, a great translation feels so natural that it doesn’t even seem like a translation. On International Translation Day, we celebrate the talented and gifted people who make the world feel smaller and more connected. Their work helps us understand each other, share ideas, and build a better, more united world.

09/26/2025

Common Myths About Translators

Introduction

More people need translators today because of globalization, but many don’t understand what translators do. Some think it’s an easy job or that anyone who speaks two languages can do it. These ideas are wrong and don’t show how skilled translators are. Let’s look at some common myths about translators and the real facts.

Myth 1: Anyone who speaks two languages can translate
Fact: Knowing two languages doesn’t make you a translator. Translators need to have an advanced training in both languages and understand how to share the meaning, feeling, and culture correctly. A person who speaks two languages might not translate a contract, poem, or ad properly.

Myth 2: Translation is just swapping words
Fact: You can’t just replace words from one language with words from another. Every language has its own culture, sayings, and humor. A good translator keeps the meaning, not just the words. For example, saying “it’s raining cats and dogs” in another language needs an idiomatic expression that makes sense in that culture.

Myth 3: Translators and interpreters are the same
Fact: Translators work with written words, like books or documents. Interpreters work with spoken words, like in meetings, and do it right away. Both need language skills, but translators take time to research, while interpreters think fast and remember well.

Myth 4: Machines will replace translators
Fact: Tools like Google Translate are getting better, but they often miss the culture, context, or meaning. Important things like legal papers, books, or medical reports need human translators who understand the details and contextual situations.

Myth 5: Translators work alone with a dictionary
Fact: Translators use modern tools like computer programs, databases, and specialized glossaries. They also work with clients, editors, and other translators. Translation today requires advanced software and teamwork.

Myth 6: Translators can handle any topic
Fact: Translators often focus on one field of specialty, like law, medicine, or business. A translator who works on legal documents might not be good at medical ones. They build specialized knowledge in their field, just like doctors or lawyers.

Myth 7: Translation is fast and simple
Fact: Good translation takes time. Translators research words, check meanings, and make sure everything fits together well. A rushed translation might contain errors, which can cause big issues in business, law, or other critically sensitive fields.

Conclusion
Translators aren’t just people who know two languages. They are skilled experts who bridge cultures, help the sharing of ideas, and make sure global communication is clear and precise. By debunking these myths, we can better value the hard work and talent translators bring to our ever more connected world.

09/19/2025

Learning a New Language: Benefits and Challenges

Learning a new language is an exciting adventure. It’s more than just learning words and rules—it opens doors to new cultures, ideas, and possibilities. While it can be tough, the rewards make it worth the effort.

Benefits of Learning a New Language
1. Brain Power: Learning a language boosts your memory, problem-solving, and creativity. It can be considered as a workout for your brain, keeping it strong and even helping prevent memory problems as you get older.
2. Better Job Opportunities: Speaking more than one language is a big plus for jobs. Companies love people who can talk to clients or coworkers from other countries. It can lead to opportunities in fields like business, travel, or teaching.
3. Understanding Cultures: Language connects you to a culture’s traditions, stories, and humor. This helps you understand others better and makes you more open to new ideas.
4. Confidence Boost: Every step — like ordering food or chatting in a new language — feels like a victory. These small victories build your confidence and make you proud.
5. Making Friends: A new language helps you connect with people from different places. It builds friendships and helps bring communities together.

Challenges of Learning a New Language
1. It Takes Time: Learning a language requires regular practice. It’s a long journey, and you need to stick with it.
2. Tricky Sounds and Rules: New sounds, tones, or grammar can be hard to learn, especially if they’re very different from your first language.
3. Fear of Mistakes: Many people feel shy about speaking because they’re afraid of messing up. But mistakes are how you learn!
4. Finding Resources: Not everyone has access to good teachers, classes, or materials. Staying motivated on your own can also be tough.
5. Cultural Differences: Understanding things like jokes or expressions can be harder than learning words. Without knowing the culture, it’s easy to feel lost.

A Note for Translators
For translators, learning languages is both a passion and a job. They need to understand not just words but also the culture, tone, and tiny details of a language.
• More Job Options: Knowing more languages means translators can work with more clients and projects.
• Cultural Understanding: Each language gives translators deeper insight into unique phrases and stories, making their work better.
• Ongoing Learning: Translators must keep improving their skills, learning new slang and terms to stay sharp.
• Brain Boost: Translating requires thinking in multiple languages at once, which sharpens creativity and problem-solving.
While it’s hard to master many languages for work, translators help connect cultures and share stories across the world.

Conclusion
Learning a new language is both challenging and rewarding. It grows your mind, touches your heart, and connects you with others. For translators, it’s a way to build bridges between cultures, share stories, and bring people closer to our connected world.

09/12/2025

The Art of Translating Idioms

Introduction
Idioms are fun phrases that make a language lively and bright. For example, saying “kick the bucket” in English means someone has died, not kicking a real bucket. Phrases like “pull the strings” in French or “take the bull by the horns” in Spanish add humor and meaning. But translating idioms is tricky because their meaning often doesn’t match the words.

Why Are Idioms Hard to Translate?
Idioms come from a culture’s history and traditions. The words don’t always mean what they say. For example, the French phrase “have the cockroach” sounds odd but means feeling sad. Translating it word-for-word would confuse people who don’t know the culture.

Ways to Translate Idioms
Use a Similar Idiom
Find an idiom in the new language that means the same thing.
Example: English “It’s raining cats and dogs” becomes French “It’s raining ropes.” Both mean heavy rain but use different words.

Explain the Meaning
If there’s no similar idiom, use simple words to share the idea.
Example: “Break the ice” becomes “start making people feel comfortable” in another language.

Keep the Original Picture
Sometimes, keeping the same image works, especially in stories or poems. But you might need to add a note to explain it.

Use a Local Idiom
Replace the idiom with one that fits the new culture.
Example: English “carry coals to Newcastle” (doing something pointless) becomes “bring water to the sea” in French.

Why Context Matters
Idioms depend on the situation. In serious documents, like laws or manuals, it’s better to avoid idioms or explain them clearly. In books or movies, keeping the idiom’s style helps the story feel alive.

Funny Translation Mistakes
Some translations go wrong and cause laughs. For example, KFC’s slogan “Finger lickin’ good” was once translated in China as “Eat your fingers off.” This shows why translators need to focus on meaning, not just on words.

Conclusion
Translating idioms is like solving a puzzle. It takes creativity and an understanding of culture. Whether finding a matching idiom, explaining the meaning, or using a new phrase, good translators keep the spirit of the idiom alive across languages.

09/05/2025

Censorship in Translation
Translation bridges cultures by sharing stories and ideas across languages. But sometimes, translation is changed or stopped by censorship. This happens when people in power change or hide parts of a text to control the message they want to spread.
What Is Censorship in Translation?
Censorship in translation means changing, removing, or blocking parts of a text when it’s translated. This is done to match political, moral, or cultural rules. Examples include:
• Leaving Things Out: Cutting parts of a text that seem offensive or dangerous.
• Changing Words: Rewriting parts to fit certain beliefs or ideas.
• Blocking Entire Works: Refusing to translate some books or stories at all.
Censorship isn’t about making a text clear, it’s about having the control on what people read or think.
Examples from History
1. Religious Books
Long ago, the Catholic Church limited Bible translations into everyday languages. They worried people might understand the Bible in ways that might challenge the Church’s control.
2. Soviet Union
In the Soviet Union, foreign books were watched closely. Stories by writers like George Orwell were changed, cut, or banned because they didn’t fit the government’s ideas.
3. Franco’s Spain
From 1939 to 1975, Spain’s leader, Francisco Franco, controlled translations. Books about freedom, democracy, or love were often banned or rewritten to avoid challenging his rule.
4. Children’s Books
Even kids’ stories get censored. For example, some versions of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or Alice in Wonderland were changed to remove words or ideas thought to be unsuitable for children.
Why Does Censorship Happen?
Censorship in translation happens because of:
• Politics: Leaders want to stop ideas that challenge their power.
• Morals: Some groups hide stories with topics like violence or love that they don’t like.
• Cultural Rules: Publishers change texts to avoid upsetting people or to fit local beliefs.
What Happens Because of Censorship?
• Loss of Truth: The author’s real message gets twisted or lost.
• Misunderstanding: Readers get a version of the story that isn’t complete.
• Hiding Ideas: Important thoughts that could change society are muted.
Censorship stops translation from doing its job: sharing ideas honestly and exhaustively across languages.
Censorship Today
Censorship still happens. In some places, books about topics like women’s rights, or government criticism are limited or changed. On streaming platforms, subtitles or dubbed versions of movies and shows may be altered to follow local rules.
Conclusion
Censorship in translation shows that translating isn’t just about words, it’s about power and culture. Translators often have to choose between staying true to the author or following rules from those in charge. Fighting censorship is about protecting stories, voices, and the freedom to share ideas across the world.

08/22/2025

African Languages Translation

Africa has over 2,000 languages, like Swahili, Hausa, Wolof, Ngambay, and Zulu. These languages are more than just words—they carry history, culture, and identity. But they are often ignored in global talks, schools, and technology. Translating African languages is important for culture, fairness, and growth.

Keeping Culture Alive

Translation saves African stories, poems, and sayings. Without translation, these treasures can lose their meaning. For example, translating books by authors like Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o into local languages helps people feel proud of their culture and reduces the use of foreign languages like English.

Sharing Information

Many Africans speak local languages, but most official information, schools, and technology use Arabic, English, French, or Portuguese. This makes it hard for people to understand important things. Translating laws, health advice, and school materials into African languages helps everyone. For example, during COVID-19, translating health tips into local languages saved lives.

Translation and Technology

The Internet offers chances to use African languages. Tools like Google Translate now include languages like Yoruba and Igbo. But these tools need better data to work well. Improving translation technology can help Africans join the global world and share their knowledge.

Challenges

Many languages: With so many languages, it’s hard to translate them all.
Different dialects: Many languages have variations, making translation tricky.
Few resources: There aren’t enough dictionaries or trained translators.
Lack of value: African languages are often seen as less important, so people don’t invest in them.

What We Can Do

Train more people to translate African languages.
Support translation for schools, health, and laws.
Work with tech companies to improve translation tools.
Share African stories in local and global languages.
Get inspiration for best practices from other continents, like the Indian subcontinent with its many languages besides English

Translating African languages is more than just changing words—it helps people feel equal, keeps cultures alive, and makes African voices heard worldwide. By supporting translation, we respect Africa’s many languages and help its people shine.

08/15/2025

The Importance of Translation Memory

Introduction
Translation needs to be quick, correct, and consistent. A tool called Translation Memory (TM) helps translators work better. It doesn’t replace people but acts like a helpful assistant by saving past translations for later use. This article explains what Translation Memory is, how it works, and why it’s important for modern translation.

What is Translation Memory?
Translation Memory is like a digital notebook that saves sentences or phrases you’ve translated before, along with their translations. When you see the same or similar text in a new project, the TM suggests the saved translation. This saves time and keeps things consistent.

Example:
If you translated “Terms and Conditions” into French as “Conditions générales” once, the TM would suggest it again when you see that phrase.

How Does Translation Memory Work?
Translation Memory tools (like SDL Trados Studio, MemoQ, or Wordfast) do these steps:
• Split text into small parts, like sentences.
• Save the original text and its translation together in a database.
• Check new text against the saved translations.
• Suggest matches, showing how close they are (exact match or close match).
• Let translators use, change, or skip the suggestions.

Why Translation Memory Helps
1. Keeps Things Consistent
TM makes sure the same words and style are used in big projects or many documents. This is super important for technical guides, legal papers, or brand messages.
2. Saves Time
By reusing old translations, TM cuts down on repeating the same work. It’s great for projects like software, manuals, or contracts that use similar text.
3. Saves Money
Clients pay less when translation companies charge less for repeated or similar text.
4. Helps Teams Work Together
Many translators can share the same TM, so everyone uses the same words and style.
5. Improves Quality
Using approved translations reduces mistakes and makes the final work better.

Limits of Translation Memory
Translation Memory isn’t perfect:
• It works best for texts that repeat a lot.
• It doesn’t understand the full meaning or context of words.
• A human translator is still needed to adjust tone, style, and cultural details.

Why Translation Memory Matters Today
In a world with tight deadlines and tons of content, Translation Memory is a must-have. When used with tools like terminology lists or machine translation fixes, TM helps translators work faster, better, and cheaper.

Conclusion
Translation Memory doesn’t replace human translators—it supports them. By handling boring, repetitive tasks, TM lets translators focus on what machines can’t do: understanding meaning, capturing culture, and creating translations that connect with people.

08/08/2025

Prominent Figures in Translation History

Translation has helped share knowledge, culture, religion, and stories across the world. Many important people have made translation what it is today. This article looks at some of the key figures in translation from different times and places.

1. Cicero (106–43 BCE)
What he did: Cicero was a Roman leader and speaker. He translated Greek philosophy into Latin and said it’s better to translate the meaning of words, not just the words themselves.
Why it matters: His ideas shaped how people think about translation for a long time. He started the idea of translating ideas, not just words.

2. St. Jerome (347–420 CE)
What he did: St. Jerome translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, called the Vulgate. He wrote about the challenges of translating, especially for religious texts.
Why it matters: He is the patron saint of translators, and his work is still important for religious and translation studies.

3. Al-Khwarizmi and the House of Wisdom (9th century)
What they did: In Baghdad, during the Islamic Golden Age, scholars at the House of Wisdom translated Greek, Persian, and Indian texts into Arabic.
Why it matters: Their work saved ancient knowledge and shared it with Europe during the Renaissance.

4. Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406)
What he did: Ibn Khaldun was an Arab historian who understood how important culture and language are in translation. He talked about the challenges of translating ideas between different cultures.
Why it matters: His ideas help translators think about culture when they work.

5. Martin Luther (1483–1546)
What he did: Luther translated the Bible into German so regular people could read it.
Why it matters: His translation made religious texts easier to access, helped start the Protestant Reformation, and helped formalize the German language.

6. Étienne Dolet (1509–1546)
What he did: Dolet, a French scholar, said translations should be clear and natural. He believed translators need to know both languages well and avoid word-for-word translation.
Why it matters: He died for his beliefs, but his ideas inspire translators to value clear and free expression.

7. Yan Fu (1854–1921)
What he did: Yan Fu translated Western books into Chinese. He said translations should be faithful, clear, and elegant.
Why it matters: His ideas helped modernize Chinese translation and brought new ideas to China.

8. Constance Garnett (1861–1946)
What she did: Garnett translated Russian books, like those by Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, into English.
Why it matters: Her work introduced Russian stories to English readers and inspired many writers.

9. Gregory Rabassa (1922–2016)
What he did: Rabassa translated Latin American books, like One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, into English.
Why it matters: His translations made Latin American literature popular in English-speaking countries.

10. Edith Grossman (1936–2024)
What she did: Grossman translated Spanish books by authors like Gabriel García Márquez and said translation is an art.
Why it matters: She made people see translators as creative artists, not just workers.

11. African and Modern Translators

Aïssatou Mbodj (Senegal)
What she did: Mbodj translates stories between Wolof and French, helping share Senegalese oral traditions.
Why it matters: Her work makes African languages and stories more visible worldwide.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Kenya)
What he did: Ngũgĩ writes and translates in Gikuyu (Kikuyu) and English to promote African languages.
Why it matters: His work fights for African languages to be valued in global culture.

Ros Schwartz (United Kingdom)
What she did: Schwartz translates French books and works to make translators more respected.
Why it matters: She helps make translation a recognized and fair profession.

Mohammed Bencheikh (Morocco)
What he did: Bencheikh translates Arabic classics into French to share North African ideas.
Why it matters: His work connects North African and European cultures.

Conclusion
From ancient Rome to today, translators have done more than change words from one language to another. They have built bridges between cultures, shared ideas, and shaped how we understand the world. Their work inspires translators today to connect people across time and language.

08/01/2025

Translating Poetry: From One Language to Another

Translating poetry is a tricky and hard task. Unlike regular writing, poetry is full of sound, rhythm, feelings, and special words packed into short lines. How can someone move (translate) it to another language without losing its magic?

1. Why Is Poetry Hard to Translate?
Poetry is more than just words. It includes:
• Sound: Rhymes, repeated sounds, and beats make it sound like music.
• Shape: The way the poem is set up, like short haikus or rhyming sonnets, matters.
• Culture: Some ideas or symbols only make sense in the original culture.
• Play on words: Jokes or puns might not work in another language.
These things are tough to carry over exactly.

2. Staying True: The Translator’s Challenge
When translating poetry, there’s a big question: what should stay the same? Should the translator:
• Keep the meaning but lose the rhythm?
• Keep the rhyme but change the imagery in words?
• Focus on the feeling instead of the exact words?
Every choice means losing something but also adding something new. Poet Robert Frost said, “Poetry is what gets lost in translation.” But some say it’s also what you discover.

3. Ways to Translate Poetry
There’s no one right way, but here are some common ideas:
• Meaning-first: Focus on what the poem says, even if the shape changes.
• Shape-first: Try to keep the rhyme and rhythm as close as possible.
• Free style: Capture the feeling, even if it means changing a lot.
• Word-by-word: Show each word’s meaning and add a poetic version too.
Some translators give two versions: one exact, one more poetic.

4. The Translator as a Poet
When translating a poem, the translator becomes a bit like a poet. They need to know:
• What the original poet wanted to say.
• The feelings and emotions behind the words.
• How the poem sounds and looks.
Translating isn’t just copying—it’s like creating a new poem in another language.

5. Famous Examples and Their Problems
• Baudelaire into English: Keeping the dark mood of his poems while fitting new cultural ideas.
• Pablo Neruda’s love poems: Preserving the romantic and simple style.
• Japanese haikus: Keeping the short length and nature focus while staying calm.

Conclusion
Translating poetry takes love and care. It requires language skills, a poet’s heart, and an understanding of cultures. Some say poetry can’t truly be translated, but others believe it’s a chance to create something new and beautiful. In the end, translating a poem isn’t about making an exact copy. It’s about giving the poem a new life, with a new voice, in a new place.

Translatix Inc.

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