10.30.07

I’m asking one of my employees to translate for me for a client from Argentina. Any Tips?

Posted in Cross Cultural at 10:13 pm by Administrator

There are a lot of warning flags here!

First, is your employee up to translating? Speaking another language and being able to translate are two very different skill sets. Most translation is what is called “sequential” — that is one person says a short sentence, the translator puts it into the other language. This requires some training as well as skill. An untrained translator will tend to summarize rather than translate what is actually being said. (Hint when the translator starts off “He said that…” you’ve likely got troubles.

Secondly, is your translator knowledgeable about your field in the other language? Many people who grew up in the US speaking another language at home never were formally educated in the language. They may not have a full command of the grammar and nuances of the other language.

Third,  Is your translator aware of the nuances among the various Spanish speaking countries? Argentina and Mexico have lots of idiomatic expressions that don’t translate. (Think about British humor that goes over the head of US audiences.) More importantly, be aware of national frictions. I once worked with a consortium that was led by a great Puerto Rican sales person. His approach clashed badly with an Argentine woman who headed up our partnership with an Argentine company. I had to intervene, unsuccessfully as it turned out.

Save yourself the trouble and embarrassment - get a pro translator. It’s worth the money. (I’ll include another installment on how to evaluate the work for the professional translators.

Post of comment or send me an e-mail: info@clynchinternational.com

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