AAA Translation - We'll Take You Global

A monthly blog feature from AAA Translation’s Susanne Evens, My Neighbor Next Door is from… aims to expand multicultural knowledge and break down divides by letting readers get to know immigrants from various countries…one neighbor, friend and/or business colleague at a time.

This month’s featured country is Iraq. The country’s name has been in use since before the 6th century. An Arabic folk etymology for the name is "deeply rooted, well-watered; fertile.” The region of the country between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, often referred to as Mesopotamia, is the world's oldest civilization. It is here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws and live in cities under an organized government. The area has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the 6th millennium BC.

We recently interviewed a man who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq with his family when he was a child. First, they moved to Syria in 1993; from there, they came to the U.S. in 1997. Currently, he lives in Texas.

Q. What are the cultural differences between Iraq and the U.S.?

A. The United States is a melting pot of cultural diversity. There are many types of races and religions in the U.S., and it is wonderful. In Iraq, everyone was predominantly Muslim and born in Iraq. 

Q. What brought you to the U.S.?

A. We came to the U.S. to seek a better life because Saddam Hussein was killing innocent people.  

Q. What is something most people don't know about your original country?

A. There are regular houses there. Nobody in Iraq lives in stone houses in the middle of the desert. The scenery is beautiful. There are big houses in the city and paved roads. People drive the latest cars and have the latest technology. There are also a lot of McDonald's everywhere, and a vast number of mountains. In many ways, it is just like the U.S. 

Q. What do you miss the most?

A. I miss going to my grandparents' house and seeing my whole family there. I also miss the delicious kabobs and shwarmas. I can’t seem to find kabobs and shwarmas in the U.S. that taste the same as they did back home. The meat was so tender and juicy and had the freshest vegetables.

Q. What is the biggest misconception you encounter when people learn where you are originally from?

A. They seem to think everyone from Iraq is out to get them. They couldn’t be more wrong. Some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life were from Iraq. 

Q. Any other comments to add?

A. Throughout my time in Iraq, I hadn’t seen any crimes committed due to religious beliefs. There are crazy people nowadays that think being a Muslim is about killing people of other religions. That is a horrible thing to do. These self-proclaimed “Muslims” could be white, black or brown. Those are the real terrorists and those are the people who everyone should avoid. 

Traveling internationally in the New Year?

Tipping in other countries can be confusing. Only in the U.S., for the most part, is it customary to tip 20% in a restaurant. In most European countries, like in Germany for example, patrons typically round up to the nearest dollar. If the bill is Euro 23, for instance, most Germans would round it up to 24 or, if the service was really good, 25. European employees in restaurants don’t work for tips but have a salary, as they have to go through major training to even be able to serve and wait on people.

Before you travel to another country, research local customs and tipping practices. They can vary WIDELY. In Japan, a tip is an insult and considered an offensive display of wealth and pity. But in countries like Mexico, many service people rely on tips to provide for their families, and not tipping is a big faux pas.

To help, here are tips on restaurant tipping for several business travel locations:

• Australia – 10% (but only for upscale dining)
• Canada – typically, 15%
• China- 3% in major cities (otherwise, none)
• Egypt – 5-10% plus service charge
• England – 10% if no service charge
• France – round up
• Germany – round up
• India – 10% if no service charge
• Japan – tipping is perceived insulting
• Malaysia - none
• Mexico – 10 – 15%
• Morocco – loose change
• Russia – 10-15%
• Singapore – none
• South Africa – 10% if no service charge
• Thailand – loose change (5-10% in upscale restaurants if excellent service)

If in doubt, observe the locals and follow their lead (or ask a trusted source).

Happy travels!

The ultimate success (or failure) of a company’s global expansion rests on various factors, from economics to regulation to competition, but the ones that typically trip companies up the most are those related to cultural and language differences. Even large U.S. companies, like Best Buy and Groupon, have fumbled overseas due to a lack of understanding of their new markets.
Despite the challenges, the potential reward for expanding globally is significant. The International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that more than 70 percent of global purchasing power is outside the U.S.

Avoid these mistakes as you expand globally to help ensure your success:

1. Don’t underestimate differences, even in the same language.

Even when you’re expanding to another country that speaks the same language (such as the U.S. to the U.K. or vice versa), it pays to localize your messaging and marketing. Names for common products and services are often different. In the U.K., for example, free shipping is known as "free delivery.” And if you send an email to a U.K. customer telling them to buy some pants for their mom for Mother’s Day, don’t be surprised at your lack of sales (“moms” are mums and “pants” are undergarments in the U.K.). Going the other way across the pond, it’s important to Americanize words as well. The U.K. fashion retailer Karen Millen increased conversion rates in the U.S. by 25%, for example, simply by Americanizing their spelling and removing Anglophone terms such as “autumn.”

With this many differences, even in the same language, imagine how many missteps you can make in a foreign language. Nuances are important, and it’s critical to work with professionals who understand the culture and language of your new market.

2. Steer clear of cheap, automated solutions.

You only get one chance to make a first impression…so make sure that yours is a good one in any new global market. Be prepared to invest in hiring qualified professionals to help with localizing your company's website and marketing materials. It’s better to wait or not expand at all than to do it wrong -- the risk of offending potential new customers with poor, embarrassing and/or insulting translations from cheap, automated solutions is too great.

3) Don’t be insensitive to cultural traditions.

In the U.S., much can be overlooked if you have the right product or service at the right price. This isn’t the case in many other countries, where you can kill deals (depending on the area) by a culture faux pas such as bringing up business too quickly, handling a business card too casually, politely refusing a second drink, using chopsticks incorrectly, crossing your legs the wrong way or shaking someone's hand. Do your research on cultural differences ahead of time.

4. Don't assume that customers are going to be the same.

Beyond language and cultural differences, you must look even deeper at your new market’s consumer psyche. Do not assume that your customers are going to be the same or that your products or services will have the same value proposition. In the U.K., for example, they tend to place smaller orders more frequently, rather than stocking up. In India, consumers spend a larger portion of their income for basic necessities, including food, than Americans do, leaving them with less disposable income to spend on other items. Go into any new overseas market with your eyes wide open to the fact that you'll need to figure out these types of differences and adjust your strategies and tactics accordingly.

Need help as you expand globally? Contact us at toll-free at 844.293.3519 or learn more at www.aaatranslation.com.

Translating and localizing product manuals, packaging labels, marketing materials and other documents and collateral is often a necessity for a manufacturer when they sell their products in a foreign market. Some manufacturers, especially those who are new to the localization process, lean on their local distributors to translate various documents. It seems like a logical solution – the distributor is already responsible for selling the products, they typically live in the foreign market and it will save the manufacturer time and money. However, what may seem like a simple solution is typically not the best option.

Before handing off your foreign language translation and localization services to a distributor, consider this:

Quality Standards: A distributor is responsible for selling multiple products from multiple manufacturers. Translation is not their business or their top priority. Can you count on quality results? Who is doing the translating? Are they a good writer with excellent grammar even in their own language? Who is proofing their work?

Legal Liability: If the distributor makes a mistake or incorrect translation, what will the manufacturer’s liability be?

Consistency and Branding Standards: Most manufacturers invest time, money and effort to create and maintain their brand identity and product positioning. Maintaining the integrity and consistency of a brand requires a central translation and localization effort. With multiple distributors and multiple markets, relying on distributors for translation efforts makes it virtually impossible to ensure and maintain a consistent brand identity in each market.

Reputation: First impressions count. If your first impression in a new market is clouded with mistakes or, worse yet, a big translation blooper, it will most certainly slow or halt your sales and growth opportunities there.

Rework and Reprinting Costs: If there is a problem, how much will it cost you to do the rework and reprint your materials?

Message Control: We have seen and heard of cases where distributors have edited materials as they translated them, changing the original message in a way that made the product easier for them to sell by exaggerating benefits, changing the wording on warranties, etc.

When you are expanding to foreign markets and need foreign language translation and localization help, we urge you to consider the long-term picture and work with professional translators who can help ensure quality, consistency and that the message delivered to your marketplace is exactly what you intended.

To learn more about how AAA Translation can help manufacturers in foreign markets, give us a call toll-free at 844.293.3519 or learn more at www.aaatranslation.com.

Think Twice Before Using Translation Programs My daughter began college exactly 10 years after we moved to America from Germany. When we first moved here, she still spoke fluent German and had a summer to learn English before school started in the fall. Ten years, apparently, was enough time to completely forget almost every bit of German she learned at such an early age. Not realizing just how much of her native tongue no longer knew, I tried to pressure her into taking another language in college so that she could gain valuable knowledge of other cultures and languages. She decided to take German instead of following my advice.  During the second semester of her freshman year, I received a frantic phone call. "Mom"! I need your help! My final paper is due tomorrow for German, and I don't think it's saying what I want it to say. Are you really busy? Can I e-mail it to you to take a look?" Of course I said yes. Five minutes later, her paper was in my inbox ready to be proofread. Little did I realize how much she had forgotten... I called my daughter back, and I asked her one simple question, "Have you forgotten everything of your German?" To my horror (not only as a mother but also as the CEO of a translation company), I hear my daughter say, "I used an online translator for the words I didn't know." I went silent. My own flesh and blood... Read the Full Article... .......................................................................................................... The American Dream: An Interview with Susanne Evens AAA Translation founder and CEO Susanne Evens was interviewed by The American Dream about her story and becoming a dual US-German citizen. Click Here to Read the Interview... New Soccer Book Translation We're excited to announce that we are translating our 5th soccer book for Meyer & Meyer Sport, for which we have translated 40+ books since 2002. Look for "Matchplan Fussball" coming soon. Welcome New Clients! We're excited to announce two of our recent new clients: Blue Line Marketing in Providence, Rhode Island Citizens for Modern Transit in St. Louis, Missouri

by Susanne Evens

My daughter began college exactly 10 years after we moved to America from Germany. When we first moved here, she still spoke fluent German and had a summer to learn English before school started in the fall. Ten years, apparently, was enough time to completely forget almost every bit of German she learned at such an early age.

Not realizing just how much of her native tongue she no longer knew, I tried to pressure her into taking another language in college so that she could gain valuable knowledge of other cultures and languages. She decided to take German instead of following my advice.

During the second semester of her freshman year, I received a frantic phone call.

“Mom”! I need your help! My final paper is due tomorrow for German, and I don’t think it’s saying what I want it to say. Are you really busy? Can I e-mail it to you to take a look?”

Of course I said yes.

Five minutes later, her paper was in my inbox ready to be proofread. Little did I realize how much she had forgotten…

I called my daughter back, and I asked her one simple question, “Have you forgotten everything of your German?”

To my horror (not only as a mother but also as the CEO of a translation company), I hear my daughter say, “I used an online translator for the words I didn’t know.”

I went silent. My own flesh and blood...

“Mom? Are you still there?”

Oh, I was there. I was there trying not to scream at her about how ridiculous it was to use an online translation service to turn in a final paper that determined her final grade in the class, which could have caused her to fail.

I got my wits about me and in my professional, calm voice explained to her why using an online translation service that has no clue about native slang, innuendo, homonyms, heteronyms, etc. is an absolutely terrible idea. After a few minutes of my speech, she cut me off and simply asked me to help her.

The story of my daughter’s near misfortune with a failing paper is, unfortunately, something I often see when a company does not invest the time and money into quality translators with native language ability, educational credentials, etc. The “machine translator,” as it’s dubbed in the translators’ inner circle, is just purely that: a machine. It doesn’t understand common native sayings such as, “I love this!” If that were to be translated into German, the literal translation would be, “I love it!” This looks the same; however, Germans don’t use the words “love” and “it” in the same sentence. EVER. The word love in German is really only used when talking about an actual being. A native speaker would know this and would quickly be able to distinguish between the English meaning and translate it into the German version of saying that same statement.

Successful, globalized companies spend a lot of time and resources ensuring that their message is being clearly and correctly stated because, again, what means one thing in English doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing in Mandarin Chinese, German or Spanish. An example from history is JFK’s faux pas of saying, “Ich bin ein Berliner!,” which literally means, “I’m a jelly donut!” not I’m a citizen of the city of Berlin (quotation from a June 26, 1963 speech by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in West Berlin, Germany).

Correct translations go a long way when trying to take your company global. Consumers worldwide are becoming more sophisticated, and they want everything in their own language. Employees do as well. From product packaging to websites to human resource documents, everything must be translated. And it must be done right. A computer program simply can’t do that for you.

About Susanne Evens
Susanne Evens is the founder and CEO of the St. Louis-based AAA Translation company (celebrating its 20th anniversary this year), the president of the St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister Cities, an executive board member for the World Trade Center St. Louis and a member of the Business Week Alliance/Market Advisory Board. Her advice regarding global business development and communications has been featured by national and international media outlets that include BusinessWeek, National Public Radio (NPR), International Enterprise Singapore, BrandChannel.com and more. Under her leadership, AAA Translation has grown to serve business clients the world over, working in 150+ languages. Learn more at www.aaatranslation.com.

Tips for U.S. Companies that Want to Attract Chinese Investors Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Chinese Investors in U.S. companies has increased significantly over the past several years. However, cultural, regulatory and language barriers can make it difficult for U.S. entrepreneurs who want to tap into this potential funding source. For those who want to attract Chinese investors, we offer several important tips: 1. Make sure you have a Chinese web presence. It's important to not only have your website translated into Chinese, but it should also be a separate version of your site and hosted from Hong Kong. Many U.S. websites are blocked and inaccessible from China. It's critical that your site is translated into Chinese by those who have a firm grasp on the Chinese language, culture and financial terminology. A translation program cannot adequately handle this kind of project. Read More Tips... .......................................................................................................... More Translation Bloopers We received a lot of fun feedback on the translation bloopers in last month's newsletter, so we are sharing more examples for everyone to enjoy:   When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals." Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno mag. In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into Schweppes Toilet Water. When Puffs tissues tried to introduce its product in Europe, they learned that "Puff" in German is a colloquial term for a whorehouse and in England, it's a highly derogatory term for a non-heterosexual. When Gerber first started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as here in the USA, with the cute baby on the label. Later, they found out that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside since most people can't read. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American ad campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."

"Attacking Soccer" by Meyer & Meyer Sports Germany Congratulations to long-time client Meyer & Meyer Sports Germany, the largest German sports publisher, on its latest book release. We have worked with them for 15 years and have translated over 30 books for them.

World Cup Fun: Meet Brazuca, the Official World Cup Ball Brazuca, the official ball for the 2014 World Cup, introduced itself to the world last December in a very modern kind of way -- with a tweet. This cheeky ball now has over 2.5 million followers. In a fun interview, the tweeting ball answers 9 crucial questions. Read the interview...

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Chinese Investors in U.S. companies has increased significantly over the past several years. However, cultural, regulatory and language barriers can make it difficult for U.S. entrepreneurs who want to tap into this potential funding source.

For those who want to attract Chinese investors, we offer several important tips:

1. Make sure you have a Chinese web presence. It’s important to not only have your website translated into Chinese, but it should also be a separate version of your site and hosted from Hong Kong. Many U.S. websites are blocked and inaccessible from China. It’s critical that your site is translated into Chinese by those who have a firm grasp on the Chinese language, culture and financial terminology. A translation program cannot adequately handle this kind of project.

2. Invest in building relationships. In China, investments are very relationship oriented. Potential investors will want to meet you and get to know your team and your company before investing. Be patient and invest in building solid relationships.

3. Go beyond google. Google is not used in China, so it is important to have search engine optimization that is tailored to Chinese search engines.

4.Translate company news and investor updates into Chinese. As you issue press releases, quarterly reports, newsletters or any other investor information, translate those updates into Chinese.

Expanding to foreign markets or trying to attract foreign investors can seem overwhelming. If you need additional advice, global expansion consulting, translation or interpretation services, please contact us at AAA Translation. We have 20 years of experience and work in more than 150 languages across all industries. Learn more at www.aaatranslation.com.

The translation/localization or interpretation company you work with can make a significant impact on your company’s global business success. Translation is not a straightforward, mechanical process. Context, culture, colors, grammatical structure, idioms and more must all be taken into consideration, and only experienced professionals should be trusted with your foreign language communication initiatives. But how do you know if a foreign language translation company is the right one for your needs? Ask questions!

Before you hire the services of ANY foreign language translation/localization or interpretation provider, we suggest that you ask them the following questions to ensure that your needs will be fully met:

1) How long have you been in business?
2) How experienced are your translators and interpreters and how long have they worked with you?
3) Are your translators in-country or in the USA?
4) What types of translation/localization and interpretation services do you provide?
5) What languages do you work in, and do you have experience in my industry?
6) How do you charge for your services?
7) Do your translation services include proofreading by a second professional translator?
8) Can you provide me with client references?
9) Do you work in any format? (i.e., PDF, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Word, Powerpoint?)
10) Do you have experience in culturally adapting our material?

Want additional advice or to learn more about AAA Translation’s services and experience? Contact us at +1 636.530.1010 or info@aaatranslation.com. Learn more at www.aaatranslation.com.

We’ve all heard the saying, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, try hiring an amateur,” and most of us can tell stories about how, in our personal or professional lives, this has rung true. Yet, in the foreign language translation and interpretation field, we see professional organizations working with amateurs all the time and how “little” translation mistakes can lead to big blunders.

Think about this: in our native language, organizations hire professional copywriters and editors to create their marketing and product materials and often spend weeks and months fine-tuning the words to get the message just right. If you need a professional to work within your own language, why would you trust your foreign language translation or interpretation needs to your neighbor, brother-in-law, college student or office mate? They may speak two languages, but are they trained experts in translation nuances, grammar, customs and other important factors that make ALL the difference? Language is more than just words. It takes years of studies and total immersion to know the nuances to create truly accurate translations.

Here are a few examples of “small” interpretation and translation mistakes made by amateurs that had SIGNIFICANT results.

1. THE SEVENTY-ONE-MILLION-DOLLAR WORD
This example comes from an article written by linguist and author Akira Okrent. In 1980, Willie Ramirez was admitted to a Florida hospital in a comatose state. His family, thinking he had food poisoning, tried to describe his condition, but they only spoke Spanish. Translation was provided by a bilingual staff member who translated "intoxicado" as "intoxicated." A professional interpreter would have known that "intoxicado" is closer to "poisoned.” The doctors proceeded as if he were suffering from an intentional drug overdose, which can lead to some of the symptoms he displayed. Because of the delay in treatment, Ramirez was left quadriplegic. He received a malpractice settlement of $71 million.

2. YOUR LUSTS FOR THE FUTURE
Another example from Okrent: When President Carter traveled to Poland in 1977, a Russian interpreter was hired who knew Polish but was not used to interpreting professionally in that language. Through the interpreter, Carter ended up saying things in Polish like "when I abandoned the United States" (for "when I left the United States") and "your lusts for the future" (for "your desires for the future").

3. ACCIDENTAL BROTHEL AD
The Max Planck Institute is one of Germany’s top scientific institutions. For a special issue on research in China, published in December 2008, it printed what it thought was a “classical poem” on the cover (a text that certainly looks Chinese to the non-Chinese speaker). The editing team didn’t realize that the text they chose was a handbill for a Macau strip club, and it said “hot housewives in action,” “enchanting and coquettish performance.”

4. JUST DO IT
Nike aired a commercial in the United States that showed multiple people from various countries repeating the company’s “Just Do It” slogan. They failed to verify that the words were actually adequate translations, and it was discovered that the Samburu tribesman was actually saying: “I don’t want these, give me big shoes.”

Click here to read more examples.

My daughter began college in 2002, exactly 10 years after we moved to America from Germany – when she still spoke fluent German and had a summer to learn English before school started in the fall. 10 years, apparently, is enough time to completely forget almost every bit of German she learned at such an early age. I, not realizing just how much of her native tongue she didn’t know anymore, tried to pressure her to take another language in college so that she could gain valuable knowledge of other cultures and languages. After the following events unfolded I was more than happy that she had decided to not grant my wishes, and to stick with German – the language she no longer knew best.

I believe it was her second semester of her freshman year; I get a frantic phone call… “Mom”! I need your help! My final paper is due tomorrow for German and I don’t think it’s saying what I want it to be saying. Are you really busy? Can I e-mail it to you and can you take a look?” Of course I said yes. 5 minutes later her paper was in my inbox ready to be proofread. Again, little did I realize how much she had forgotten… I called my daughter back and I asked her one simple question, “Have you forgotten everything of your German?” To which, as not only a mother - but also as the President of a translation company, I receive from my baby girl’s mouth the words I was fearing the most, “Well I used an online translator for the words I didn’t know.” I went silent – my own flesh and blood... “Mom? Are you still there?” Oh I was there. I was there trying not to scream at her about how ridiculous it was to use an online translation service to turn in a final paper that determined her final grade in the class, which could’ve caused her to fail that German class. But I digress. I got my wits about me and in my professional, calm voice explained to her why using an online translation service that has no clue about native slang, innuendo, homonyms, heteronyms, etc. is an absolutely terrible idea. After a few minutes of my speech she cut me off and simply asked me to help her.

The story of my daughter’s near misfortune with a failing paper is often times the actual story of an unfortunate company not investing the time and money into quality translators that are chosen for their native ability, educational credentials, etc. The ‘machine translator’ – as it is so dubbed in the translators’ inner circle, is just purely that: a machine. It doesn’t understand common native sayings such as, “I love this!” If that were to be translated into German the literal translation is, “I love it!” Which looks the same, yes; however, Germans don’t use the words Love and It in the same sentence, ever. The word Love in German is really only used when talking about an actual being. A native speaker would know this and would quickly be able to distinguish between the English meaning and translate it into the German version of saying that same statement. This goes a long way when trying to take your company global. Successful, globalized companies spend a lot of their time ensuring that their message is being clearly and correctly stated. Because, again, what means one thing in English doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing in Mandarin Chinese. After all, who can forget JFK’s faux pas of saying, “Ich bin ein Berliner!” Which literally means, “I’m a jelly donut!” not I’m a citizen of the city of Berlin (quotation from a June 26, 1963 speech by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in West Berlin, Germany).

Copyright © 2009 AAA Translation®. All rights reserved.

This was found on YouTube and I can't stop laughing.
This is a spoof of course, but sometimes people claim they are fluent in other languages and they are not.
This is a typical example why professional interpreters should be used for official business conferences.