Translation

Translation is the activity of turning the meaning of a word or text from one language (source language), to its equivalent meaning in another language (target language.) A good translation will convey, as much as possible, the meaning of the original word or text.

Guides to Buying Translation Services

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Translation Standards

The European Standard EN 15038 "Translation Services – Service requirements"
has the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, in the following CEN member countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The purpose of the European Standard is to ensure high-quality translation services, fair competition, improved transparency and end user satisfaction. Following its publication, procedures are already being developed for conformity assessment and certification of Translation Service Providers (TSPs) throughout Europe.

ISO 2384/>
The ISO 2384, published in 1977 and was adopted by 24 countries. Its exact title is 'Documentation - Presentation of translations.' It sets out rules to ensure that translations are presented in a standard form which will simplify their use by different categories of user. It applies to the translation of all documents, whether the translation is complete, partial or abridged. More on ISO 2384

<b>Translation Certifications:
Certified Translation Professional (CTP) Program

Translation Courses, Online & Free
Are you thinking of becoming a translator. Have you ever translated or interpreted before and are thinking about becoming a professional? As a translator you must know the source and target language well, at minimum you need to know two languages. You must have a thorough knowledge of the culture of the language you plan to translate into (the target language) as well as a thorough understanding of the field of knowledge covered by the source text. If you do have these prerequisites then the following course will help you become a translator. Available online in Italian, English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese and Arabic:
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Free Literary Translation Courses in Italian and English Click Here

How many languages are there in the World?

You may assume that there are a precise number of languages in the world, however linguists point out that there is no such count. The problem is that the idea of "counting" languages is much more complex than it seems. The problem is that the idea of "counting" languages is much more complex than it seems. One of the reasons is that languages are not uniformly distributed around the world, as such there are areas where more than one language is spoken. For example, a language may be composed of elements from another language. [1] The website Ethnologue provides a comprehensive listing of the known living languages of the world. The listing provides summary data and descriptions of identified languages. There are 6,909 living languages.[2]


Toshiba Develops Translation System for Cell Phones
Travellers in or from East Asia may soon be able to turn to their cell phones for quick, easy and cheap translation help thanks to a new application from Toshiba. Click Here

Translation Prizes:
Robert Fagles Translation Prize

The Society of Authors Translation Prize
The Society of Authors administers prizes for published translations from Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Greek (modern), Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.

Languages Learning
Social Language Learning - Online! The site's concept is total emersion, so that means you not only learn the language, you also practice it using the site's chat feature. The site links you to other users who are learning the same language all over the world. Livemocha
BBC Languages is a great website for any traveler who wants to be able to say more than just hello, goodbye, and where is the nearest bathroom. For example, if you click on the Quick Fix Phrases tab, you'll get a list of commonly used phrases in 36 different languages.. BBC Languages

• NEWS

EC plans translation rights
All EU governments will be obliged to provide full interpretation and translation for criminal suspects under European Commission plans.

The idea is to help people "exercise their fair trial rights anywhere in the EU when they cannot understand the language of the case" said a statement.

The Commission cites the examples of an Italian tourist involved in a car crash in Sweden who was not allowed to talk to an Italian-speaking lawyer during his trial, and the Polish suspect denied access to written translations of evidence used against him in a French court.