Cultures and Languages: Their Functions in Translation and Their Differences

On October 4, 2011, in Culture, by admin
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Cultures and Languages: Their Functions in Translation and Their Differences

Article by Charlene Lacandazo

In this modern era, translation plays a vital role in different industries and aspects such as in science, businesses, culture, and so on. Through translation, people acquire different ideas, knowledge and skills from the other people with different cultures, traditions and languages.

Translation bridges the gaps between languages and cultures of people or countries. In addition, translators and interpreters are sources of knowledge and useful information that helps countries to develop and progress. As a result, translation services are increasing, and thus many linguists are trying to develop more of their linguistic skills to be able to join the translation industry.

Nowadays, translation studies are an integral part in every education system, especially in the field of literature, culture and history. However in terms of translation services, language and culture are similar and should be converted fairly in accordance to the beliefs and traditions of the society. In fact, culture is the result of a human development process or series that evolves from different influences, such as science, history, education, etc. Whereas, languages are the biggest external images of human beings, it is through languages that we able to express our inner thoughts and feelings. In addition, through languages, we are able to create own image and the identity of a person.

But how are languages and cultures related to each other? And in the translation process, why is it important that languages should be fairly and accurately matched to the right culture of the target language?Language is the essential component of a culture. Culture is also an integral part of a language. Language is an ideal representation in describing a culture; both are vital and should not be separated in translation. Thus, the translation process would not be efficient and accurate if linguists missed the point of utilizing both tools.

For example, there are several differences between the Arabic and Western cultures in many aspects such in dress codes for man and women, beliefs, social customs and many other things. This is no different from interpreting verbal communication between Japanese and Americans. In Japanese culture, it is part of their communication to bow during any kind of conversation or even just talking on the phone. In Japan, bowing is a standard sign of respect, regard, and saying thank you. For sure, Americans do not bow in talking directly or on the phone. However, in translation and interpreting, linguists should translate the language effectively and considering the culture of the target language. Thus, in order to interpret the language effectively, interpreters should adopt the culture of the target language as well. In this case, for English to Japanese translation, they should also bow where native Japanese people would.

Translation and interpreting services are truly tricky. It does not necessarily mean that if you are a linguist or a bilingual at least, you can already be an effective translator. There are some guidelines and principles in cultures, social customs and moral and ethics that a linguist should consider and follow in order to be an effective translator.

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Culture cultures you can flcik through

On March 17, 2010, in Culture, by admin
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Culture cultures you can flcik through

Article by Michael Jones

When I was looking at interesting apps one day, the description of this one caught my attention. If you’ve ever wondered about certain interesting facts about countries (for me this was a “yes”) you have been to or want to visit?

When you visit new countries, it’s good to know things like what to avoid, how to politely say “hello”, and if your in an area where you need to tip. It’s also good to have an understanding of the countries laws. This is what the Cultures app achieves.

Interface

The Cultures App follows the Apple UI but isn’t that great when talking about its aesthetics.

The display of the content is a little annoying. When you pick the culture and country you are interested in, a screen pops up in a box with a fitted text which is partially transparent on something that looks exactly like the background. All of this and the image is disappointingly put on top of a world image. If they would have stayed with the UI guidelines, it would look much better and be much easier to read.

Here is a link to the App Store

One more change I would like to see is the “More” tab. The usual “More” button would produce a bunch of other items that can be changed from the Tool bar, much like the iPod application. Given in a sloppy UI, the button produces a bunch of other applications made by the developer.

World Customs

Let’s talk about the reasons why you would purchase this app. After you pick the country your interested in, you get a list to pick from like, Gender Issues, Taboos, Gestures, Law & Order, Personal Space & Touching, Greetings, and Communication.

There are some listed items that are confusing to me, while the others are quite helpful. Maybe I’m the only person that feels this way. The ones that were most interesting to me were Driving Rules, Laws, Greetings and Tipping. This app has been ranked two out of four, unfortunately. It’s the two I don’t really worry about. It would be helpful if some more Law and Order information were available as well as driving and tipping. Drugs isn’t a topic I really have to worry about.

One thing about what is listed under the categories is that some countries aren’t included in some subject matters.

Phrases

This is a disclosure before the summary I am about to give about the application phrases. The app costs $ 2.99 and it isn’t worth it to me so I haven’t tested it.

Conclusion

The application is a free one. If you are likely to be visiting new countries or touring countries often (probably more people from Europe than from the US) this is an application to get.

I would allow a higher rating for Cultures if they changed a few things and made them better. The user interface needs to be changed and the amount of information given needs to increase, which is why us readers use it in the first place.

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