How do I know if a translator is qualified to do a translation?
All translators are mother-tongue speakers with professional accreditations and many years experience in the industry. Web-lingo ensures that all new resources are tried and tested in their specific area of specialisation before we add them to our resource database.
What capacity can translators handle?
Depending on the subject matter, translators can translate an average of 1500 to 2000 words per day. However, this will depend on the experience of the translator and on your requirements. Some of our more experienced translators can handle up to 700 words per hour.
Localisation
What is localisation?
Localisation is the process of adapting a product (often but not always a software application or hardware component) to meet the language, cultural and other requirements of a specific target environment or market (a 'locale'). This process often entails the use of special computer-based tools.
How does localisation differ from translation?
The difference concerns scope. It is certainly true that localisation involves translation (e.g. of manuals and other documentation, screens, help texts, and error messages). Equally, product names may have to be changed to avoid inappropriate associations in the target language. However, the localisation process also requires other, non-linguistic skills:
On the software programming side, screen dialog boxes and field lengths may have to be altered; date, time and currency formats changed; delimiters for figures replaced; and icons and colours adapted, to give only a few examples. Furthermore, in the case of so-called bi-directional languages (such as Arabic and Hebrew) and double-byte character sets (such as those for Chinese, Japanese and Korean), more extensive reprogramming may be required to ensure that localised text and numerals are displayed correctly on the target platforms.
On the content side, programs often have to be changed to conform to national and cultural norms. In multimedia applications, the colour, size and shape of objects, such as coins and notes, taxis, telephones and mailboxes, buses and ambulances, traditionally vary from country to country. Vehicles may suddenly have to drive on the other side of the road, while dress codes will vary and symbols take on a new significance. Equally, mainstream business applications, such as address databases and financial accounting packages have to be adapted to the procedures and conventions applicable in their new environments.
What about internationalisation?
Internationalisation is the forerunner and 'opposite' of localisation. In other words, it is the process of designing and implementing a product that is as culturally and technically 'neutral' as possible, and which can therefore easily be localised for a specific culture or cultures. This reduces the time and resources required for the localisation process, saving producers money and improving their time-to-market abroad. As with localisation, language, technical and content issues are involved, with project management and coordination also playing a significant role.
Internationalisation has now reached the point where major software publishers can release as many as 30 different localised versions within a month or two of the original version, a process known as 'simship' (short for 'simultaneous shipment'). Internationalisation is sometimes also known as 'globalisation' or 'enabling'.
And L10n and I18n?
Shorthand for 'localisation' and 'internationalisation' respectively, these abbreviations are used in the industry to expedite communication (and to add some technical mystique to activities). The '10' and the '18' indicate the number of letters abbreviated in each case.
How big is the localisation industry?
Estimates vary, depending on how you define it. Based on annual surveys of members' and other players' activities, the Localisation Standards Industry Association (LISA) puts current industry sales in the region of US1.5-2 billion a year. Half of this is accounted for by the top ten software publishers and hardware manufacturers. However, this figure does not include localisation in sectors outside IT, e.g. medical devices, banking, insurance, retailing, airlines and the many other industries where in-house applications are localised 'on the side'.
Terminology
FTP
FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. It is the tool you would use to transfer files through the Internet from one computer to another. For example, you would use an FTP to upload your web page from where you built it (for instance your computer at home) to a web site like this one, so that it may be viewed on the Internet. A site is a location on the Internet - every web page has a location where it resides, which is called its site. Every site has an address, usually beginning with ?http://'.
This is an acronym for Hypertext Markup Language..phpL is not really a programming language, but a way to format text by placing marks around the text. For example.phpL allows you to make a word bold or underline it. Early word processing programs used to work this way..phpL is the foundation for most web pages.
Internet
Originally called ARPANET after the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S. Department of Defence. This electronic network connects the hosts together so that you may go from one web page to another efficiently. The electronic connection began as a government experiment in 1969 with four computers connected together over phone lines. By 1972, universities also had access to what was by then called the Internet.
Java
A programming language that developers use to create applets, small programs that are embedded in Web pages and that run when a user accesses the page or clicks on a certain area. If you have visited sites that play sounds, have animated figures trotting across the screen, or display scrolling text, you have already seen Java.
Modem
Short for Modulator-demodulator devices.
Protocol
A set of rules that lets computers agree on how to communicate over the Internet.
Spam (or Spamming)
The Internet version of junk mail. Spamming is sending the same message to a large number of users, usually to advertise something. Email address may be collected using cookies or a mailing list from a newsgroup.
What are translation memory tools?
Translation memory tools are Computer Aided Translation (CAT) systems. In the translation process a database is used to check whether the sentence or text segment currently being translated already exists. This is especially advantageous for texts containing a large number of internal repetitions and/or for texts based on an earlier, already translated version. A number of professional translation memory tools, such as Trados, DŽjˆ Vu, IBM or SDLX, are available on the market.
Translators
What guarantee do I have that I will be paid?
Please read your sub-contractors' general terms and conditions when you register.
How are prices set?
The value of the South African Rand makes our rates very competitive. Still, we do allow our customers to make offers. But because qualified translators do not usually accept rates much lower than the international industry standard rates, we do not recommend that offers be any lower than these.
How will I know when jobs appear?
The moment a client posts a job, you will receive a job offer email as well as a text message on your mobile phone.
I'm not familiar with FTP sites, please explain.
FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. It is the tool you would use to transfer files through the Internet from one computer to another. For example, you would use an FTP to upload your webpage from where you built it (for instance, your computer at home) to a website like this one, so that it may be viewed on the Internet. A site is a location on the Internet - every web page has a location where it resides, which is called its site. Every site has an address, usually beginning with ?http://See the site yousendit.com as an example for sending large files.
I am a professional African language translator without web development skills. Can I apply to do translations for Web-Lingo?
Our translators are not expected to have these skills. We will assist you by providing you with text or Ms Word files. Our technical team will assist you where necessary.
How is contact established between the client and the translator?
Each project has a project manager. Once the client has accepted the translation sample and the job has been awarded, the project manager will facilitate all communication between the translator and the client.
What are translation memory tools?
Translation memory tools are Computer Aided Translation (CAT) systems. In the translation process a database is used to check whether the sentence or text segment currently being translated already exists. This is especially advantageous for texts containing a large number of internal repetitions and/or for texts based on an earlier, already translated version. A number of professional translation memory tools are available on the market, such as SDL Trados.
