China Struggles to Meet Translator Demand
by Lauren Nemec
Exactly one month ago, I made a post about China's endeavor to improve the quality of translations in preparation for the multitude of visitors expected to arrive for Beijing's 2008 Olympic games.
A plan was unveiled in early February to ensure quality translations by replacing mis-translated signs at tourist destinations, standardizing restaurant menus, offering English lessons to city officials, and fixing confusing road signs. For a country notorious for its low-quality (and sometimes extremely funny) translations, this task will require an army of language professionals. As if that wasn't enough to keep them busy, translators will continue to be in high demand throughout the 2008 games as well as for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.
Considering the low translation prices typically found in China- with the quality to match- it comes as no surprise that there is a severe shortage of qualified language professionals. There are an estimated half million translators in China- of which only about 15-20% are officially certified! Getting a quality translation from a Chinese translator without knowing the market requires as much luck as winning a game of roulette.
The English People's Daily Online put up a great article today called, "China struggling to get past its translation bottleneck." It describes the challenges the Chinese are facing in developing translation market standards and sourcing enough professional, highly qualified translators to meet growing demand.
Exactly one month ago, I made a post about China's endeavor to improve the quality of translations in preparation for the multitude of visitors expected to arrive for Beijing's 2008 Olympic games.
A plan was unveiled in early February to ensure quality translations by replacing mis-translated signs at tourist destinations, standardizing restaurant menus, offering English lessons to city officials, and fixing confusing road signs. For a country notorious for its low-quality (and sometimes extremely funny) translations, this task will require an army of language professionals. As if that wasn't enough to keep them busy, translators will continue to be in high demand throughout the 2008 games as well as for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.
The English People's Daily Online put up a great article today called, "China struggling to get past its translation bottleneck." It describes the challenges the Chinese are facing in developing translation market standards and sourcing enough professional, highly qualified translators to meet growing demand.
For more information about Translatus, please contact:
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
Email: lnemec@translatus.com
Tel: +420 222 517 153
Labels: Beijing Olympics, China, Lauren Nemec, Translation and Localization Industry
posted by Lauren Nemec at
12:57 PM
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