Here’s our weekly round-up of blog articles for you to take a look and let us know what you think!

MONDAY

Getting started in the language translation industry

Tom offers some useful tips on how to get started as a freelance translator.

TUESDAY

Chinese? What kind? Read Estrella’s blog here about the different types of Chinese.

Chinese language translation: Which Chinese should I translate into?

WEDNESDAY

Foreign Language Cinema: China vs. Hollywood

Tom takes a look at the story behind the China’s film industry and the reasons why Chinese cinema hasn’t managed to make much of a mark in box office figures.

FRIDAY

London 2012 will bring languages to the fore

The London 2012 Olympics are almost here! Steve takes the opportunity to talk about our expert Olympic Games translations, professional interpreting services, and sports translation services.

Just 84 days, that’s 12 weeks to the mathematically savvy amongst you, separate us from the opening ceremony and commencement of the London 2012 Olympics.

With 204 nations expected to participate in 302 events over the course of 19 days, the eyes of the world will be on Britain, as our little island hosts the most famous international sporting event on the planet for the third time.

Here at Veritas, we’re understandably as excited about it as most, and Friday July 27 cannot come soon enough. For we acknowledge the sheer importance of so many languages and cultures converging on the UK, and the bid to bring about a lasting legacy of language learning.

A total of 8.8 million tickets were made available for the Olympics and a further two million tickets have been released for the 11-day Paralympic Games (27 July – 9 September), meaning London’s population is set to soar as the whole world seemingly descends on one place.

There are of course six other locations hosting events – Cardiff, Coventry, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, and Weymouth & Portland. Based in Swansea, South Wales, we’re fortunate enough to be situated just 40 miles along the M4 motorway ...

Chinese language translation is a subject we’ve been focusing on recently, and this has led us to conduct some research on the Chinese film industry. Foreign language films, such as those produced in China, are a great way to learn about another culture and allow you to immerse yourself in the daily life of someone else, no matter which country they’re in. They’re also great language-learning tools, giving you the opportunity to practice a foreign language from the comfort of your own home.

China’s film industry is one that hasn’t seen a great deal of success like the UK and US box offices recently. Since the release of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 12 years ago, Chinese cinema hasn’t managed to make much of a mark in box office figures, and there are a number of reasons for this.

First of all, the current government of China has imposed harsh restrictions on creative work. As a result, many features of cinema that are common in Western films are not permitted in Chinese cinema. Anything that can be seen as a tool for propaganda, or features risqué subject matter, is still banned in China, thus greatly restricting what is allowed to be represented on film.

A further difficulty for Chinese cinema on an international level is that there are only a few well-known Chinese actors whose talents are recognised worldwide. The most famous of these is obviously Jackie Chan, but now that ...

Last week we looked into the many variants of spoken Chinese, this being one of the reasons why language translation and interpreting into Chinese is so complicated. We also pointed out the differences between written and spoken Chinese, and how this is called diglossia. Do you remember?

Well, today we’re going to talk about written Chinese. We often run into clients that need to have something translated into Chinese, but are unaware of the different dialects and writing systems that Chinese consists of, or which variety is the most appropriate for their target audience.

Written Chinese uses characters, rather than letters, known as “hanzi”, each of which represents a word or concept, and normally corresponds to multiple meanings. The sentence structure of Chinese is radically different from English. While in English, the verb tense indicates the temporal placement of the events described, in Chinese it’s adverbs and context that serve that purpose. As a result, an accurate language translation will depend on the translator’s knowledge of the context and connotations of the word choices contained in the document to be translated.

Also, there are two distinct written systems in common use in China. Simplified Chinese, which is used throughout almost all of China, Singapore and Malaysia, and Traditional Chinese, employed mainly in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

This differentiation comes from the end of the nineteenth century, when the People’s Republic of China (PRC) ...

Here at Veritas. we’re often approached by linguists looking to set foot into the language translation industry. As we often hear ourselves saying, knowing a second language by no means makes you a translator, and making your mark in the translation industry can certainly be hard work at times. This article aims to give some handy hints and tips to anyone looking to move into the industry, and the best steps to take to make a name for yourself in the world of translation.

First of all, you should be aware that most translation agencies will have fairly stringent vetting procedures, and approaching them without experience in the industry will unfortunately almost always lead to disappointment. Many translation agencies will also require applicants to hold a degree. Holding a university degree shows that you have a high level of linguistic competence, alongside writing skills and the ability to keep to deadlines; all essential skills for a translator.

With regard to experience, a great place to start is by completing translations for charities or individuals. Although these may be poorly paid (or completely unpaid), they will give you an invaluable insight into the industry, and will give you the experience you need to allow you to apply to work within larger translation agencies, which can secure a steady flow of paid work in the future.

Another great place to start would be the Institute of Translators and Interpreters (ITI), or ...