It’s often the case with viewers that they’re watching a movie dubbed into Spanish and the video subtitles don’t say exactly the same thing. This discrepancy may seem like a mistake, but there are actually some very specific linguistic and technical reasons behind it. Within the field of audiovisual translation, dubbing and subtitling are two different processes, with their own particular aims and limitations affecting the end result. The technical limitations behind dubbing and subtitling Dubbing seeks to synchronize the …
Category: Culture and localization
In medical translation, not all texts are read in the same way or have the same purpose. A scientific article aimed at specialists isn’t treated in the same way as a clinical report that a patient will receive. The difference lies in the target audience, and it is for that reason that medical translation services need to distinguish between technical language and informational language. Why it is important to make the distinction Medical terminology has an important function in communication …
Spanish is one of the richest, most diverse languages in the world, not just because of the number of Spanish speakers (over 500 million), but also because of its linguistic particularities. Among these, the longest words in Spanish awaken curiosity and amazement: some have dozens of letters and even present a challenge to native speakers. Exploring these oddities isn’t just a fun exercise; it also helps us understand the language and why professional translation services are essential when we’re working …
Islamic calendar and key dates An Arabic to English translator not only translates terms; they also need to understand how the Islamic calendar (Hijri) affects contracts and international transactions. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar is lunar, so the dates change by around 10-11 days each year. A English-Arabic translator who works with contracts and work schedules needs to be able to identify if the dates are expressed in the Gregorian or Islamic calendar, and warn of any legal …
The importance of metadata for international visibility In a professional website translation project, the metadata is vital to ensure the website appears in international search engines. Meta titles, meta descriptions and ALT tags are not just minor details; they directly impact SEO, user experience and accessibility. A website translation company needs to ensure that these tags are not only translated, but also culturally and technically adapted to the target market. Common problems when translating dynamic tags When working with website …