IT ISN'T WHAT YOU SAY
Monday, December 16, 2013 @ 6:33 PM
IT IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY
It is how you say it. If you intend to sell to Russian speakers, translation of your company website is essential. Russians do speak a little English just as many British speak a little Spanish. However, the opportunist knows that setting one’s stall out in Russian opens hearts, minds and wallets. Many service providers provide a Russian language section of their marketing material.
There are translation pitfalls to avoid. Natural Russian, English, Latvian and Spanish speakers tell me that Google translate leaves much to be desired and is often ludicrous. Who wants their business to be seen in a clown’s outfit?
If English language content is badly written you get poorly written Russian. Spelling mistakes are common in English language content. My Russian translator wife constantly asks me to explain a word that confuses her. They confuse me too.
How do you translate break when it is written as brake. What is a rooter (router)? Do you enjoy the sunset on the Spanish cost? So it goes on. To make her job easier I often edit poor content before my wife tears hair her out if you get my drift.
There are Russians who are qualified English language translators. Why then do Russian service providers ask me to provide their Russian to English content? This puzzled me until Alexander who speaks quite good English, explained to me.
Russian born translators cannot get into the mind-set of Westerners. It is EU speak. Such Russian to English translation is invariably wooden. The content is what you might expect of a Charles Dickens novel after a city lawyer had corrected it.
There is a metaphor well known to most British and American sales personnel. “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.“ We naturalised English speaking copywriters can do it, foreign-born translators cannot. There is the difference.
Michael and Nadia Walsh: Russian Translation and Marketing Specialists. Email keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com
Website www.michaelwalsh.es