International Translation Day just passed thisSeptember 30th. Each year, special recognition is given to St. Jerome, on the day of the patron saint of translation. And on his special day of remembrance, the whole world acknowledges the importance of translating texts from one language to another.
Translation is something we have been doing since the dawn of time. The first uttered words spoken by primitive cultures were translations of thoughts and feelings into verbal sounds. The first known written language, Cuneiform, emerged in the 30th Century B.C. and was simply a translation of verbal words to images. Our wholemodern society evolvedaround the premise of translation. We may go about our day without realizing it, but, at each moment, we are translating in our heads so that others can understand what we are feeling and thinking. Translation makes the world go around, and we constantly strive to be as accurate as possible.
Different cultures have evolved different ways of expressing the same things. Metaphors and images change drastically across cultures, as they have grown up side-by-side yet allowed for their own unique interpretations of the same concepts. Translating documents means that you must understand the cultural differences, and be an expert in not just foreign words but whole foreign modes of expression. Apex Translations is one of the cutting-edge leaders in this area, as they bring true acknowledgement of different cultural ways of life. From blueprints to marketing websites to medical documents, every language has its own nuances. If translation were a painting of the sea, you would not want a mural etched out by someone who uses only blue. You would want someone who can paint every shade of blue, who dreams in hues of cerulean and sapphire and indigo. That’s the same expertise your written translation team should bring to the table. Is that what you are getting from your translation texts? Or is it time to consult true experts?
