Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
Translation: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
This proverb by 19th century French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr captures our mindset at ASIST Translation Services. We’re excited to announce some new changes in our company, but proud to say we’ll continue to provide the same high-quality translation and interpreting services our customers have enjoyed for the past 30 years.
First let’s talk about the things that have changed.
ASIST Translation Services Inc. has been translating to and from Spanish for the US market for over 25 years (as well as other Spanish-speaking countries around the world, of course!). Among the frequent topics of conversation with our translation clients are the many myths and misconceptions about the Spanish-speaking population…
When our clients’ foreign offices review a translation, we always value their input. Their intimate knowledge of their customers, internal processes, vendors and industry terms in their specific market is very useful. As your company’s coordinator for multilanguage translation projects, here are some tips from ASIST Translations that will help…
Errors can be avoided during page layout of foreign-language content, if you involve the translators in the final proofreading. What looks wrong to an English speaker should never be “fixed” without review by a professional translator. The rules are different in each language!
When producing a video that you know will be translated to other languages, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind: Translations often have larger word counts; as much as 25% more in Romance languages, for example. Plan ahead by leaving more space around your onscreen text. If…
First question: Where is the recorded audio going to be used? In the United States, Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, Central America, South America… or some combination of the above? Choosing an appropriate accent is extremely important. Audiences can easily be distracted when a narrator’s accent seems “out of place,” and…
The figures one sees for the number of Spanish speakers per country vary tremendously. One of the biggest factors is whether the number being cited includes all “Spanish speakers”—including those who speak Spanish as a first, second or even third language—or exclusively those who speak Spanish as their first or…
A 2007 report by the Pew Hispanic Center provides statistics about how Hispanic immigrants in the United States manage Spanish and English. Here, we recap a few points that are of great interest for anyone involved with Spanish translations for the United States. 52% of foreign-born Hispanics speak only Spanish…
Quick, name the continent with the most French speakers in the world… That’s right… it’s Africa! French is spoken in 31 African countries. Out of a population of nearly 900 million, up to 115 million people throughout Africa speak French as their first or second language (compared to 53 million…
Arabic-Speaking Countries Current estimates indicate that 360 million people speak Arabic—including those who speak it as a second (or third) language. As of 1999 (according to the Ethnologue site) about 221 million people spoke some variety of Arabic as their first language. Arabic is among the official languages in 24…