Business orphans in the digital era? - Web and digital media form the roots of the globalization age. They facilitate real-time contact and information sharing, access and transmission among multiple users trespassing time and geographic boundaries.
Web and digital media
form the roots of the globalization age. They facilitate real-time contact and
information sharing, access and transmission among multiple users trespassing
time and geographic boundaries. Does this really mean that communication has
become easier, quicker and more effective? Which roles do language and
translation play in this virtual and globalize world?
Translation and languages should obviously be playing a key role in this
scenario, where cutting-edge media and channels offer endless possibilities to
communicate around the world in our daily lives as well as for business
purposes. Moreover, the weight of communication in the corporate environment is
rapidly increasing in all business sectors and spheres. Why then do translation
and language continue to be the invisible unattended little children in the big
corporate world?
In a world steered by global communication where relations with collaborators,
customers, providers and end users are crucial, the trend is still to refrain
from investing in translation. If legally possible many companies will bypass
translation. English is undoubtedly the king language of the virtual realm,
paired with a kind of universal web language that uses icons, smiley, etc. So,
if the message is ‘understandable’ world-wide, why incur in additional costs?
The problem is that human language itself is not a simple mental tool with
fixed univocal meanings.
We envision global society as a unified and generalized whole populated by huge
information networks that keep us connected, but something is wrong with this
picture. Communication is a complex process, and translation multiplies this
complexity. Translation reveals and highlights cultural and linguistic
differences. Idiomatic turns or words that characterize the life, culture or
history of a certain community do not always have exact equivalents in other
languages.
Companies need to understand that translation is not a mere transparent
interface to convey a message in different languages. It is a complex process
that requires deep awareness and knowledge of the specific cultural and
linguistic values in both the source and target language. If they want their
internal communications to be effective and forward a strategically consistent
message to consumers in different target markets all around the globe, they
need to realize that it will not be possible to leave language and translation
unacknowledged. At least not until there is one single universal language and
world view, but this would mean that there is not anything to communicate
anymore.
Xltrans is associated with leading Translation Technical Documents, Technical translation services globally. He has expertise in
providing Language Services, Legal Translations and Technical Translation. For more information
Please visit this URL: - http://www.xltrans.com
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