Companies wishing to apply for authorisation of biocidal products – on either a national or European level – need to submit a summary of product characteristics (SPC) to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA). In the case of Union authorisations, the SPC has to be translated into all the official languages of the European Union before authorisation of the product can be granted.
Before 10 February 2024, SPCs had to be generated and submitted in the SPC Editor. Since that date a new tool called IUCLID has come into use. That shift from the SPC Editor to IUCLID has resulted in numerous changes and affects the file format and structure of the SPC, as well as the translation process.
While IUCLID offers translation for the standard parts of the SPCs, the free texts need to be translated manually in the platform. That takes a lot of time and errors are highly likely.
We spared neither cost nor effort to come up with a way to eliminate manual work and give our clients peace of mind regarding SPC translations. The resulting solution allows us to work using the files exported from the ECHA’s IUCLID. Our clients receive the translations back in a format that they only need to import into and open in IUCLID. They do not need to copy-paste each entry manually, saving them considerable time and money.
That sounds excellent in theory, so how it is going in practice?
Now that IUCLID has been in use for over a month, we have counted the translated SPCs we have delivered in the new era: 67 translated SPCs have been submitted to the authorities in the first month and it feels as if SPC Editor had never existed.
If you need assistance with your SPCs or other chemical documents, feel free to reach out for a translation offer.
Messe Düsseldorf, Germany 19-20 June 2024 Chemspec Europe is a key event for the fine and speciality chemicals industry. The event appeals to an international audience and Chemspec Europe is therefore a powerful gateway to global business and industry knowledge. The exhibition features the full spectrum of fine and speciality chemicals for various applications and industries.
Companies wishing to apply for authorisation of biocidal products, either on a national or European level, need to submit a summary of product characteristics (SPC) to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA). In the case of Union authorisations, the SPC has to be translated into all the official languages of the European Union before authorisation of the product can be granted.
Before 10 February 2024, SPCs had to be generated and submitted in the SPC Editor. Since that date a new tool called IUCLID has come into use. That shift from the SPC Editor to IUCLID has resulted in numerous changes and affects the file format and structure of the SPC, as well as the translation process. While IUCLID offers translation for the standard parts of the SPCs, the free texts need to be translated manually in the platform. That takes a lot of time and errors are highly likely.
In order to further help our clients meet their obligations as regards the authorisation process, we can work with the files exported from the ECHA’s IUCLID. Our clients will receive the translations back in the same format, so they only need to import them into IUCLID and open them there. They do not need to copy-paste each entry manually, saving them considerable time and money. Chemical documents, and SPCs in particular, are usually quite repetitive.
Eurideas Language Experts is a professional translation agency, specialising in fields including chemical and regulatory affairs translations, and has assisted its partners with SPC translations for many years. Translating SPCs within the very tight deadlines set by the authorities, while still ensuring high quality, may seem to require almost supernatural powers. That is why it is always advisable to entrust the translation of such documents to a specialised translation agency.
Eurideas can translate SPCs to and from all requested languages, including the 24 official languages of the EU, plus Norwegian and Icelandic. The translators are always native speakers of the target language and have a chemical background. Eurideas has a regular pool of SPC translators with extensive experience in this field.
In the past 17 years, we have translated over 10 million words for various companies and consultancies in the chemical industry. The documents range from MSDSs, exposure scenarios and SPCs to labels, studies, sworn translations for product imports and authorisations, to name just a few examples.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to save money – and this is true for translation services too. It does not mean however that you need to ask your secretary to translate a 10-page chemical study, or you have to use Google Translate for making your website multilingual. We’ll show you how to use your translation budget wisely.
Let’s assume
Let’s assume that you are a Chemical
Company.
Let’s assume that you have a long list of various chemical documents from labels to MSDSs, from registration documents to exposure scenarios, from SPCs to product brochures, that you need to translate from English into all the official languages of the European Union.
Now you need to set up a feasible timeline for the entire project, and choose a translation partner.
How much is it?
A major mistake a client can make in this
situation is to ask for translation word rates from several agencies, and put
them side by side. Comparing merely word rates will not give you the full
picture. There are so many other factors that can affect the final sum you
are about to pay: various discounts, file conversion fees, additional quality
assurance charges, revision costs. It is misleading (but unfortunately still
common practice) to take the total translatable wordcount multiplied by the translation
word rate, and select the lowest bid.
Since SDSs (Safety Data Sheets), exposure
scenarios, product labels, SPCs (Summaries of Product Characteristics) and
similar chemical documents tend to include repetitive parts, we always analyse
them and offer discount for the repetitions. Why can we do that? Because
we have the appropriate technical background and software. We don’t like double
work; instead, we like to use our head. And we build long-term relationship
with our partners, so we help them see how they can save money – without
compromise on quality.
In case of large orders, an additional volume discount can be applied, and we always have various Special Offers for new clients too.
Do the math
Instead of looking for the lowest
translation word rate, collect all the translatable documents and send them to
the selected translation partner candidates for an exact price and turnaround
time. You’ll be surprised!
Due to repetitions, the actual translatable
wordcount could significantly drop – and so will your expenses. What’s more, for
large projects we are always pleased to give an additional volume discount.
Imagine receiving the translation of almost 1 million words while paying only for 29% of the wordcount. (These are real numbers of a recent chemical project!) Now how does this sound?
Good, fast and cheap
We all know the Good-Fast-Cheap triangle.
You might very well think that if the bill is impressively low (compared to the
high total wordcount, of course) the project either takes forever to complete
or the quality is poor.
As for quality – well, that’s not countable. Unlike the chemical companies who have been choosing to work with us in the last 15 years. They are numerous. Giant chemical companies, suppliers of plant protection products, biocides regulation consultancies, law firms specialized in regulatory affairs – they all have one thing in common. They require top quality in terms of chemical knowledge and language expertise. Nothing is more important than that.
Thanks to our large pool of translators with chemical and regulatory affairs background, setting up translation teams requires no special preparation for us. We work with chemical documents on a daily basis. Our project managers will set up a timeline for you (no, you don’t have to deal with this), will calculate partial delivery dates, and you will receive the translations in several batches if that is more convenient for you.
Translation of 1 million words into a total of 15 languages in less than 6 weeks. (Again, real numbers from a recent chemical project.) Would this be OK for you?
Written by Anita Salát, Business Development Manager
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Reuters Events: Pharma 2024 is the place where patient experts, leading solution providers, and pharma changemakers – from commercial, marketing, medical affairs, patient engagement, market access and RWE – commit to business transformation as the catalyst for maximum patient impact.
Meet our colleague at Pharma 2024 and explore the opportunities for collaboration and networking.
It’s hardly news that today texts are translated not only by people but by machines too. Are those machine translations good for anything?
And if so, when and how should you use them? Here’s a pocket guide.
Human translation
If your text is complex and requires a deep understanding of culture, context, idioms and nuances, go with human translators.
Sensitive or legal content is in safe hands with human translators as they can ensure confidentiality (the same can only be said of machine translation if it can be performed in a closed system) and accuracy while also adhering to legal requirements.
Translating marketing materials, advertisements, slogans or creative content requires a certain degree of creativity and cultural adaptation. Human translators living in their respective countries can better capture the intended message, tone and impact.
For texts requiring specialised knowledge in technical fields like medicine, engineering or chemicals, human translators with subject matter expertise are essential. Machine translation may produce inaccurate or misleading translations due to a lack of domain-specific knowledge.
Human translators provide quality assurance by proofreading, editing and ensuring consistency of the translation. A text translated by a human translator is usually checked by another native-speaking translator. That four-eyes principle adds an extra level of scrutiny.
Unlike machines, people excel in understanding the context of the document. Human translators take factors like the target audience, purpose and cultural appropriateness into consideration and adapt the translation accordingly.
Machine translation
If the primary goal is to get a general sense of the content, especially for personal use or for grasping the main points of a document, machine translation can be sufficient.
Informal texts like emails, chat conversations or social media posts often contain abbreviations, slang or colloquial language. Machine translation can handle such content relatively well – though the resulting texts are not ready for publication without further editing by a native speaker.
High volume and tight deadlines call for machines. For large volumes of text needing to be translated quickly, machine translation can be used to provide a draft translation. Human translators can then review and polish the output, speeding up the overall translation process. The quality of a machine translation with post-editing is not equal to a human translation, but it’s a quicker solution and fits a smaller budget better.
Best of both worlds
Whenever the topic and type of document allow, the best approach is to combine the strengths of human translation with the speed and efficiency of machine translation.
By partnering with a professional translation agency, you can achieve a balance that maximises the accuracy, productivity and cost-effectiveness of the translation process.
If you have a translatable document, please feel free to reach out and we’ll be glad to advise on the most suitable service.
Every year in January we decide to be a better version of ourselves, to reduce stress in our lives, to improve our working methods and be more efficient. Easy to say – but how can we make these resolutions work in real life? Project managers often face challenges with their projects and sometimes it is hard to stick to the initial plan or to well-tried practices.
Here are a few tips for stress-free translation project management, in order to ensure that our clients get the best quality translation in time:
#Tip 1: Identify risk factors and reduce them
When we start a translation project, we always go through the details to gain a clear view of the risk factors. It is crucial to check all the details with the client to make sure that we are on the same page. In other words, we need to clarify what they expect and how we can meet their expectations. If we speak the same language from the very beginning and clarify important details, the project will run smoothly.
#Tip 2: Create a workflow that suits both sides
Naturally every company has its own workflows and when we start working together, we may need to adjust our workflow to suit yours. Our job is to observe and analyse all the relevant factors so that we can come up with the optimal processes and solutions. That is only possible if there is open communication with plenty of questions and answers. Feel free to ask about different file formats or service options. We may have the solution already.
#Tip 3: Organising the materials
Imagine you are running a huge campaign with a wide range of materials: labels, product descriptions, leaflets, website texts, books etc. Ensuring consistency between those documents is critical. The key to that is organising the work correctly. If possible, we recommend that you send us all the materials in one package, since that makes it easier to create unified and consistent translations that will serve your needs better.
Handling several documents together is also budget-friendly: you can save money thanks to repetition discounts and volume discounts or simply by avoiding minimum fees.
#Tip 4: Time management
Most people would say the key to a successful project is time management. “As soon as possible” sounds nice but we need to be realistic about what can be achieved in a given time frame. Wanting translations to be delivered under unrealistic circumstances can lead to stress, mistakes and disappointment. Meeting halfway on delivery dates is also part of working together. A high-quality outcome and a reasonable time schedule go hand in hand.
#Tip 5: Thinking ahead
If you let us know that a significant project is coming up and you share the details and time schedule with us in advance, we can get ourselves ready. Why is it good for everybody? We can book suitable linguists for the job, reserve capacity in-house and arrange our processes accordingly. That saves time and considerable stress for all parties concerned.
Get a first-hand experience on how our experienced translation experts can contribute to your success! Check our offer for new clients* and try our services!
Ever since Eurideas Language Experts was founded in 2007, EU affairs have been one of our major specialisations. We opened our first office for translation and interpreting services in Brussels and many of our main clients are still located there, in the heart of the European Union.
There are numerous EU policy areas and we cover them all, from foreign affairs to justice, energy and agriculture. We have teams of translators and quality assurance specialists who are experts in all the relevant fields.
Politics, law, economy
We work with most political parties in the European Parliament: the Greens/EFA, the EPP Group and the S&D Group. We regularly assist MEPs with simultaneous interpreting. After a successful tendering process, we provided remote simultaneous interpreting to and from many non-EU languages for a series of online workshops for the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL). Our clients also include management consultancies, as well as advertising and PR agencies like Wunderman Thomson or Scholz & Friends who are responsible for the communication campaigns of EU projects like the InvestEU programme. The European Peace Building Liaison Office (EPLO) and think tanks like the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and Bruegel are among the long-term partners for whom we translate studies, policy papers, articles and presentations.
Representations, regions, cities
In the EU, the message of unity is as important as that of diversity. Representing the interests of geographical areas, regional and urban development, and cooperation between major EU cities are all vital for prosperity. Our interpreters often work at events organised by representations of various European regions, such as the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the European Union and the Representation of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the European Union. The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and Eurocities have been working with us from the very start, while others, like Energy Cities, need our assistance only for their multiannual campaign: the Covenant of Mayors.
Environment, transport, mobility
Contributing to projects related to green issues like climate, environment, sustainability and mobility keeps us busy and is a source of pride for us. The Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), the Green European Foundation, the European Environmental Bureau, the Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centers (EUREC) and the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) are just a few of the organisations that have chosen to work with us in this field. We often participate in EU-funded projects like Ride2Autonomy, which demonstrates the integration of autonomous shuttles into the transport system in ten EU cities, and EffienCE (Energy Efficiency for Public Transport Infrastructure in Central Europe), which aims to reduce the carbon footprint in the region.
Healthcare, research, patients
Public health, health prevention and education are top priorities in the EU. We translate a wide range of documents such as policy recommendations, white papers, press releases, surveys and brochures for organisations like the European Diabetes Forum, the European Disability Forum, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), EuroHealthNet and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Communicating to patients in their own mother tongue is particularly important for patient associations like the European Patients’ Forum, the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) and the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC).
The list is long because the EU acts in many areas. We are proud that all these important and well-known organisations have chosen to work with us. What these projects have in common is that they require in-depth knowledge of the EU terminology and the Interinstitutional Style Guide, as well as exceptional quality. We are aware of the strict requirements of the EU and we understand the required working method and processes. That is what makes us EU specialists.
Feel free to reach out if we can assist you with an upcoming project. We will be glad to help.
In today’s globalised world, where business knows no physical boundaries, the question isn’t whether multilingual online content is necessary for business success, but rather how, when and with whom to create or commission it.
It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about a company website, a product landing page, an Instagram photo, a Facebook ad or social media post, a Google Ads ad text or a TikTok video, such translations are not just about converting words.
They’re about conveying the essence of your brands, products and services in a way that resonates with diverse audiences. That’s why crafting effective translations of online content requires a fusion of language mastery, cultural finesse and technical prowess.
By understanding the challenges and adopting strategic solutions, marketers can successfully navigate the intricacies of global content adaptation, ultimately enhancing brand visibility and engagement on a global scale.
Let’s see what these challenges are:
Challenge #1 – Maintaining your unique brand voice
Translating catchy slogans on your product landing page, video titles or blog headlines, creative taglines, call-to-action sentences in an ad and brand-specific terminology requires not just linguistic prowess, but also a deep understanding of cultural nuances. Each culture has its own norms, values and preferences. Adapting content to align with local customs and sensitivities is crucial. A phrase that works well in one language might carry a completely different connotation in another. Translating word-for-word can lead to misinterpretations.
Skilled, native translators with experience in content localisation can ensure that your brand’s voice shines through in every language.
Challenge #2 – Technical jargon, company terminology
Industries often employ technical jargon that might not have a direct equivalent in other languages. Translators need a solid grasp of the subject matter to ensure accurate and coherent translations that resonate with the target audience. A language services agency boasting a large pool of translators with sector-specific knowledge ensures that complex technical terms are accurately conveyed, maintaining the integrity of your content across platforms from your company blog and YouTube channel description through to your paid ads and Reels videos.
Challenge #3 – Multichannel content consistency
Maintaining uniformity across different platforms with numerous webpages, social media content and multimedia solutions is a hurdle.
Establishing translation guidelines and a clear project plan managed by an experience project manager, using translation memory tools (text, terminology etc.) and a trained QA team following your company style and brand guides can help achieve uniformity in messages, terminology and tone.
Additionally, if you collect all the translatable files (txt, docx, csv, xls, xml, etc.) and send them to the selected translation partner for an exact price and turnaround time, the actual translatable wordcount could significantly drop – and so will your expenses.
Challenge #4 – Improving local organic views and visits: keywords, SEO, hashtags, meta descriptions
Online visibility matters. There’s no point in producing content if your target audience can’t see it. In order to achieve good organic views or visitor results, it’s worth having multiplatform keyword research and hashtag research performed by the appropriate specialist before starting the translations. The results of the research, together with the necessary instructions (e.g. keyword strategy), should then be shared with the translation agency so that they can be incorporated into the translated content where necessary.
Before translating websites and landing pages, it’s worth collecting the metadata in the source language, i.e. – meta title – meta description – social media title – social media description etc. These metadata are crucial for findability so you should have these translated as well to ensure better visibility and greater reach. The same applies to the detailed meta descriptions of images, videos and pdf documents appearing on social media platforms or on websites.
Translated content might impact the design and layout.
Text length variations, character alignment rules or the alphabet used in the script can affect visual appeal and functionality, requiring collaboration between copy writers, translators, graphic designers and web developers.
When a global marketing campaign is run in the Google Ads system or polls are started on local company LinkedIn pages, character limits should be considered both by the copy writer and translation team.
In the case of screen-responsive websites or mobile apps, it’s possible that both source and translated text content (menu points, product descriptions) should be created and translated in two or three versions due to the relevant character limits.
Challenge #6 – Content updates and maintenance
Nowadays content should be updated frequently. Coordinating translations for new online content or follow-up of small or large changes requires efficient project management to ensure timely and accurate updates.
How can we tackle these challenges?
Collaboration and project planning:
Effective communication between – marketers, – a sector-specialised language services agency providing project management experience and – quality translators (see the details in the next point) and – technical experts – developers, PPC managers, web designers is key.
Regular discussions ensure everyone’s on the same page regarding brand guidelines and content expectations.
Specialized Translators:
They are not only native/fluent in the language but also have expertise in the industry. This ensures accurate translations that resonate with local target audience.
Quality Assurance:
Implement rigorous quality control processes to catch any linguistic or cultural inaccuracies before content goes live. (At Eurideas, QA is the part of the translation process: no translations are delivered without a QA check.)
Testing when and where required:
Prioritise user testing with representatives from the target market to identify any issues and gather feedback for improvements.
Feedback Loop:
Encourage feedback from local teams or local target audiences and don’t forget to forward them to your contracted translation agency as well. This ongoing dialogue helps us refine your translations and adapt to the evolving needs of different markets.
Written by Csilla Dömötör, marketing communication manager, Eurideas Language Experts
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Transcreation is a very unique feature of translation services that has its own framework of rules and challenges and requires some special skills and attitudes. In this blog entry, we will look at the secret ingredients that we need for this special formula(tion) of translation & copywriting.
Transcreation = Translation with creativity?
In the case of translation, the most important aspect of the process is to convey the meaning of the text from the source language to the target language as closely as possible. However, the main object of transcreation is not the meaning but the message of the text (which is often just a short slogan) and the emotions the text evokes – that is, the translated item should have a similar effect on the reader in both the source and the target language. Transcreation is most often used in the field of marketing and it requires a great deal of creativity on the part of the translator.
Transcreation = many questions & more niggling?
Transcreation is a special translation format that entails different attitudes from both the client and the agency. First and foremost, transcreation is a creative process that works in a looser timeframe than a regular translation project, and often the first delivery of the transcreated text is not the final one, as this might require finetuning. Therefore, communication is vital in a transcreation project as it is actually a constant collaboration between the client and the linguist. In addition to that, detailed background information – that is, creative briefs – is integral to the success of the transcreation projects. Such creative briefs should contain documents that offer ample background for the transcreator to find the best solution – including background information on the client, cultural details on the target language or its version (because of the linguistic and lexical differences, transcreation between UK and US English can happen, too) and its market; description of the media environment (in what format and on what platform the text will appear, are there character limits etc.).
Transcreation = the art of finding the most effective words
The unusual features of a transcreation project do not stop here. Compared to a translation project where the timeframe and its arrangements can be defined by exact factors (e.g. number of words or pages), transcreation projects cannot be described or organised this way – a slogan might only be three words long but its transcreation could still take many hours or days. As a consequence, the pricing should be based on working hours or per project, as it could entail many aspects that cannot be expressed in exact numbers (e.g. time for research or the finetuning process). At the same time, the linguist should be very much aware of his/her own timeframe and work patterns in order to estimate the necessary working hours as closely as possible. Service providers should opt for linguists with copywriting experience and, with a more specialised project, the expertise in a given field is also important. Due to cultural sensitivity, the linguist should have the target language as the native language and should live in the target country.
Transcreation is a challenging but interesting side of the translation industry that shows a unique viewpoint on how languages and cultures work in relation to each other. It requires a different approach than a regular translation, but a well-communicated and properly set-up project greatly improves the brand credibility of the client while opening up a new world of possibilities for linguists and language service providers.
Transcreation = a new possibility for your company to speak your target group’s language in a very effective way
Written by Beke Zsolt, Edited by Csilla Dömötör
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La transcréation est une branche très particulière des services de traduction car elle a des règles et des contraintes qui lui sont propres, et elle exige des compétences et des approches bien spécifiques. Dans ce billet, nous allons révéler les ingrédients secrets nécessaires à cette formule spéciale qui conjugue traduction et rédaction.
Transcréation = Traduction créative ?
En traduction, la finalité du processus est de transposer le sens du texte le plus fidèlement possible de la langue source vers la langue cible. Or l’objet principal de la transcréation n’est pas le sens mais le message du texte (souvent condensé dans un slogan) et les émotions qu’il suscite. En d’autres termes, le contenu traduit doit avoir le même effet sur le lecteur dans la langue source et la langue cible. La transcréation est généralement utilisée dans le domaine du marketing et requiert une grande créativité de la part du traducteur.
Transcréation = Beaucoup de questions et plus de cogitation ?
La transcréation est un format de traduction particulier qui implique une approche différente tant du côté du client que de l’agence. Tout d’abord, c’est un processus créatif qui s’étend sur une période moins restreinte qu’un projet de traduction classique, et bien souvent, la première version livrée n’est pas la transcréation définitive car elle peut avoir besoind’être affinée. Ainsi, la communication est essentielle dans un projet de transcréation puisqu’il s’agit d’une collaboration continue entre le client et le linguiste. De plus, des informations détaillées – sous la forme de briefs créatifs – sont indispensables à la réussite des projets de transcréation. Ces briefs créatifs doivent contenir des documents fournissant un maximum d’éléments contextuels au transcréateur pour qu’il trouve la meilleure formule – notamment des informations sur le client, le contexte culturel de la langue cible ou de sa version (en raison des différences linguistiques et lexicales, une transcréation peut aussi être nécessaire entre l’anglais britannique et l’anglais américain), le marché, ainsi que l’environnement médiatique (sous quel format et sur quel support le texte va-t-il apparaître ? Y a-t-il des limites de caractères ? Etc.).
Transcréation = Art de choisir les termes les plus efficaces
La spécificité d’un projet de transcréation ne s’arrête pas là. Contrairement à un projet de traduction dont le délai et les conditions peuvent être définis en fonction de facteurs précis (p. ex. le nombre de mots ou de pages), les projets de transcréation ne peuvent pas être évalués ou organisés selon le volume. Un slogan peut comporter seulement trois mots et sa transcréation nécessiter plusieurs heures, voire jours de travail. Par conséquent, le tarif doit être fixé par heure ou par projet pour intégrer les nombreux aspects qui ne sont pas quantifiables à l’avance (comme le temps consacré aux recherches ou au peaufinage). Dans le même temps, le linguiste doit bien maîtriser son rythme de travail et ses délais d’exécution pour estimer le plus précisément possible les heures de travail nécessaires. Les prestataires de services doivent faire appel à des linguistes ayant de l’expérience dans la rédaction, ainsi qu’une expertise dans le domaine pour les projets plus spécialisés. Pour bien maîtriser les sensibilités culturelles, le linguiste doit être un natif de la langue cible et vivre dans le pays ciblé.
La transcréation regorge de défis mais c’est une branche captivante du secteur de la traduction, qui illustre plus que toute autre la manière dont les langues et les cultures sont liées. Elle nécessite une approche qui diffère de celle de la traduction classique, mais un projet communiqué et mis sur pied dans les règles de l’art améliore grandement la crédibilité d’une marque tout en offrant un nouveau champ des possibles aux linguistes et aux fournisseurs de services linguistiques.
Transcréation = Une nouvelle manière pour votre entreprise de parler à la perfection la langue de son groupe cible
Si vous souhaitez découvrir comment nos services spécialisés peuvent contribuer à votre succès, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter.
Translating final documents for EU-funded pilot projects is always exciting as it offers a brief glimpse into the future.
Ride-to-Autonomy is an EU-funded project that demonstrates the integration of autonomous shuttles into the transport system in ten EU cities. As the project came to an end, a “Lessons Learnt Guide” was developed to bring together the key takeaways. Since the experiences of the ten pilot sites can provide guidelines for other European cities too, it was important for this document to be translated intoall the EU languages. We were delighted to complete the 23 translations for our long-term partner Rupprecht Consult, the coordinator of the project.
The 30-page document includes special terminology related to urban planning and public transport. In order to guarantee success, it was crucial for the linguists we work with to have significant experience in these fields and to be provided with the relevant background materials.
Since we work on similar assignments regularly, we already have a proven team of reliable experts in every language pair. Once again, we could count on 23 professional translators to prepare the translations. These were proofread by 23 proofreaders who arenative speakers to ensure that the text was easy to read, included the correct terminology and was free from errors. Translation and proofreading were followed by a rigorous quality check. During this process we also checked the terminology again. Our Quality Assurance team always makes sure that we deliver a high-quality text and that both the content and the formatting correspond to the original file.
You can find the 24 language versions of the Ride2Autonomy Lessons Learnt Guide here.
Read about our other translations in the field of transport and mobility here.
Big multinational companies tend to work with global (mostly US-based) translation agencies offering a standardised service for a high price. Across the globe, thousands of project managers and linguists work around the clock to communicate clients’ brands and messages in every country.
Smaller (or boutique) translation agencies can offer services tailor-made to their clients. They can build closer personal relationships and they know each client’s business well. Beyond mere translations, they also provide consultancy, helping clients to find solutions to any challenges they face. What’s more, they have the flexibility to act as their client’s external “team member”.
Can smaller agencies survive alongside their global competitors? The answer is yes, most definitely.
What are the advantages of working with a boutique translation agency instead of a global one?
Lower price vs. higher price Since smaller agencies have lower overhead costs than their global competitors, lower price is definitely the key advantage of a smaller agency. However, price isn’t everything, so let’s take a look at the other benefits.
Tailor-made services vs. standard services Boutique agencies are able to shape their services according to the needs of their clients, allowing them to make changes at short notice or even find a personalised solution to resolve any problems faced by the client. By contrast, global agencies have standard services, which means clients’ needs have to fit into one of the service categories they offer.
Specialisation vs. every field Boutique agencies typically specialise in a few fields. This means that they can really be experts in those fields, providing clients with the reassurance that the boutique agency really knows what they are translating. Big agencies translate everything, leaving room for doubt as to whether the translator working on a document really has expertise in the given field.
Better quality vs. good quality Of course, we can’t say that big agencies necessarily provide inferior quality, but given that small agencies always work with the same team of specialist linguists who are already familiar with the client’s business, we can assume that the quality of the output is better in the latter case.
Fast-moving vs. slow-moving Small companies can adapt their business strategies to changing markets faster than global companies. As a result, clients of a small agency get a more up-to-date service and possibly even superior technical solutions compared to the clients of a global agency. Small agencies can also adjust better to changing client needs.
Faster delivery vs. longer lead time With less bureaucracy and less staff involved in a project, small agencies can react quicker and deliver rapid solutions.
For companies that set or follow market trends, that need to react fast and have special communication needs, it makes sense to work with a specialist boutique translation agency to secure the best client service, optimal quality and timely delivery – all at a fair price.
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Every culture prepares for and celebrates Christmas in its own way, upholding customs that might be amusing or surprising for other nations.
I remember that during my childhood in Hungary my grandmother would go to the market a few days before Christmas to buy a live carp (which were kept in huge aquariums in the market). She then kept it live in the bathtub until the time came to cook it for dinner on Christmas Eve. When I told my international friends about this tradition many years later, they were quite taken aback.
However, I have also learned of some surprising traditions in other countries. For example, Christmas Eve (24 December) is a time to party in Greece. People go out with their friends instead of staying at home with their nearest and dearest. Now that I live in Germany, I have learned that advent and Christmas markets are very important and the typical Christmas dinner is sausage with potato. I have also had the fortune to celebrate Christmas in countries where it is summer in December – Santa on the beach – and for me that is the best way of all.
As the owner of a translation agency, I have always been very interested in different cultures, so here are some examples of Christmas traditions from all over the world:
United Kingdom – Children hang stockings on their bedposts so they wake up to small gifts in the morning.
Singapore – The Christmas lights are among the most impressive in the world.
Japan – Many Japanese people order KFC food for Christmas dinner. Christmas was, and still is, a secular holiday in Japan – a country where less than 1% of the population identifies as Christian – and in the 1970s many people didn’t have established family Christmas traditions. In 1974 KFC launched a Christmas campaign and since that time many Japanese people have taken to buying KFC chicken for their Christmas meal.
Germany – One month before Christmas the main squares of German cities transform into Christmas markets where people meet for ‘Glühwein’ (mulled wine) and ‘Bratwurst’ (grilled sausage), as well as to shop for handmade products. There are 2,500-3,000 Christmas markets in Germany per year. If you live in Germany or are there for a visit, it’s a must to see at least one Christmas market.
Mexico – Las Posadas, a nine-night celebration from 16 to 24 December, is an important part of Christmas celebrations in Mexico. Each night, people go to a party at a different home. They commemorate Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn by forming a procession to that evening’s location and symbolically asking for shelter. For children, the highlight of the night is the breaking of the piñata, a brightly decorated paper (or pottery) container filled with candy and toys.
Austria – In Austria and Bavaria, St. Nicholas gives gifts to children who have been good, while Krampus, the half-man, half-goat, comes around to drag away those who have been bad. In some places, men dress up as Krampus for a ‘Krampuslauf’ (Krampus run) to give kids a fright.
Australia – Surfing Santa. It’s summer at Christmas time so you’re likely to see a surfer in a Santa hat. It may not be an official tradition, but it’s certainly fun.
Written byKristina Bitvai-Aeberhard, Managing Director of Eurideas
