1) Numbers In the English language, numbers are written with decimal points, whereas in French a comma is used. Let us take the example in both the English and French currency. The British pound would be written as £19.99 for example and in Euros as €19.99, whereas in French not only would the decimal point change to a comma, but the pound and euro sign would both be put at the end of the number, 19,99 £ and 19,99 €.
Why Professional English to Chinese Translation Matters You would think it would be straightforward to ask for a Chinese interpreter or to have a document translated into Chinese, but like many languages there are certain things that need to be considered. Below you will find some tips to translate from English to Chinese to help you cross those cultural barriers. The first thing to note is that the spoken and written form of Chinese is different and likewise varies on
Belgium, one of the most urbanised countries in the world, is surrounded by a host of land from France in the south, to Germany in the east, to Luxembourg in the southeast, and the Netherlands in the north. It is famed for far more than just chocolates, beer, waffles, and of course the world-renowned European Union. It is a beautiful country laden with varied landscapes including high hills and wild forests to the east, whilst the west provides a myriad
‘Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la …’ It’s that time of year again where the sparkle of Christmas waves its magic wand and produces a diverse range of Christmas traditions from around the world. A EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS CRACKER England (Happy Christmas) Supposedly when it comes to stirring the Christmas pudding mix, if it’s a wish you yearn to make, then each member of the family must follow the
Taiwan in a nutshell is a small island about the size of Belgium or Switzerland, located between Japan and the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China. It is rich in heritage and culture, with incredibly beautiful and colourful temples to visit, a plethora of hot spring resorts in which to relax, an inordinate amount of jaw-dropping mountainous terrain for hiking and extensive cycle infrastructures for biking, especially in its capital Taipei. You will also never be caught off guard
As part of our on going commitment to supporting our network of freelance linguists, Peak Translations has recently introduced a new service which allows interpreters to obtain a valid DBS check. As Managing Director, Helen Provart, explained, “we were approached recently by one of our interpreters and asked whether we could help her renew her DBS certificate, as the system had changed and she was no longer able to apply for it herself as an individual. Instead, it has to
“Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.” Anthony Burgess Last month, language industry representatives from across the globe gathered in London for the 2017 Language Industry Summit, organised by the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). The summit provides an opportunity for leading companies within the language industry to learn, discuss and share information about developments within our own industry, as well as those in other sectors which impact
Located in North America, the Latin American country of Mexico is beautiful and diverse, rich in history and culture. Its official name is actually ‘Estados Unidos Mexicanos’ (United Mexican States), its current name derived from its capital, Mexico City. So what does this fascinating country offer to the world? The stereotypical answer might be tequila, but if there’s one thing that Mexico does well, it is without a doubt tequila, not forgetting celebrating the dead! There may be other
One of the key elements to ensuring success in a foreign market is to approach it in the right way. There are many different ways to approach markets, all of which have varying levels of involvement, cost and resources. Here I’m going to look at just a few examples and the requirements for each in terms of how you communicate with your target audience: The Remote Approach Many companies who are starting out on their export journey access their chosen
The Netherlands (often referred to as Holland, although in fact Holland only covers two provinces of the Netherland Kingdom, Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland) is a small country that is flat as a ‘Dutch Pancake’ from head to toe, almost 25% of its land is at, or below, sea level, with the odd rolling hill interspersing the landscape. Synonymous with an eclectic mix of cultural quirks and traditions, the Netherlands gave birth to world-renowned artists such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Over the month of August from 3rd – 27th August, Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, transforms its city into one big artistic vision bubbling with creative energy, an artistic phenomenon that is known as ‘The Edinburgh Fringe Festival’ (today often referred to as ‘The Fringe’), the world’s biggest arts festival. For 3 weeks, this internationally renowned festival draws crowds from all over the world, bringing in both an international and national audience of at least 4 million people, all clambering to
In the far north of western Europe, a geographical and cultural region stretching for 1.2 million square kilometres (463,000 square miles), known as Norden, or more commonly described as the Nordics, offers the world a Viking heritage and a spectacular expanse of land comprising a patchwork of stunning landscapes and diverse geography. Made up of the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as the terrains of Finland and Iceland, including the autonomous islands of Greenland, the Faroe