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• In many languages (but not all!), the use of points and commas to separate decimals and thousands within numbers is reversed compared to US English. That is, instead of 1,000.01, they write 1.000,01. This is true for most Spanish varieties, for instance; except for Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico and the United States itself. As part of the process of creating your translations to and from any language, ASIST Translations guides you through this and similar issues. Number formats are just one of the reasons we always ask, “Where is this translation going to be used?.”
• Toll-free “800” numbers only work within the US and Canada! If you don’t provide an alternative phone number for international callers, you have effectively made it impossible for people in other countries to contact your customer service, ordering or sales departments by phone. Not such a great idea!
• Not all computer programs accept non-Latin alphabets. Right-to- left alphabets (such as Arabic and Hebrew) and so-called “double- byte” languages (Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, for example) also can be problematic with many DTP programs. There are various strategies for overcoming this (including conversion of all text to outlines); be sure to consult with ASIST Translations if you suspect this may be an issue. Incidentally, these character-set limitations are even trickier when translating touchscreen displays or control panels on machinery!
• Various incompatible video formats are used throughout the world (mainly NTSC, PAL, and SECAM). Be aware that, after creating a dubbed or subtitled version of your marketing or training video in another language, you must also create DVD or videotape copies that are converted to international formats other than NTSC (used in North America). Hint: using web or CD-based video instead (for example, in MPEG, WMV or QuickTime format) allows a single version to be used in the entire world.
• English is a relatively compact language. When text is translated to other languages, character or word counts can be significantly higher, by as much as 20–30%. When creating the English original for your multi-lingual documents, be sure to leave some extra space (or plan for font sizes being reduced somewhat), so that the content will fit onto the page.
ASIST Translation Services, Inc. is a full-service translation agency located in Columbus, Ohio. We provide translation, interpreting, proofreading, voice recording and media production, localization of e-learning, interactive and Web content, and specialized language services to clients around the world.
