Can I use a free computer translation tool instead? A computer or machine translation (MT) is useful if you simply need to know what the main subject is of a Portuguese text. However automatic translation tools will not be able to provide you with a professional translation. Often the results are humorous at the very […]
Archives for April 2019
The importance of translators and interpreters
The importance of translators and interpreters in current times can be seen with the extent of reporting in the media. News of translation and interpreting now prevades our lives – whether it is the lack of qualified court interpreters in a remote part of the world or the fate of translators or interpreters in zones […]
Don’t be a chicken…
Kentucky Fried Chicken gave us an example of how a slogan went wrong in Mandarin. It’s also an example of why literal translation doesn’t necessarily work in other cultures and languages. KFC’s famous “Finger lickin’ good” slogan became “Eat your fingers off”. Obviously, it didn’t have quite the same ring!
The wrong car parts (1)
Early in the seventies, one case of a German car manufacturer launched a car model by the name “Opel Ascona”. It caused very stern condemnations amongst the Portuguese public, forcing the Portuguese authorities to force the German car manufacturer to recall that particular model and rename it. The word “Ascona” in Portuguese had very strong […]