English translation service

English translation at STiiL:

English is our primary language for translation. It is also the language which all translators speak, whether their first or second working language.

This allows for many language combinations, from French to English or from English to French, as well as English to German, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Russian, Chinese, etc.

Often, for some translations into more specific languages, such as Nordic languages or languages from Eastern Europe, it is preferable to have a source document in English rather than French. This is simply as the translators concerned more frequently work from English than French. Ideally there will be two source documents as this allows for a comparison and therefore refinement of the terminology to be used.

Some important comments:

• Translators only work into their mother tongue However, it is not because somebody is English that he makes no grammar, syntax or spelling mistakes. You need to be a professional translator to understand and translate without error.
• English is both a simple and complex language. Everyone can speak a few words in English, but the rules are so diverse and precise that it is difficult to expertly handle this language. Whilst some turns of phrase are very different from French, others are often very similar, which can often give the impression of being “word for word”. It is difficult to judge the quality of a translation if you are not an English native!
• To translate well, some context is necessary. Anything which can provide clarification for the translation is important such as product images, reference websites, glossaries or lexicons. Errors often come from a lack of context in the document for translation.

So we can ask the question what is a good translation?

It is an accurate translation, without any mistranslations and which “sounds right”, you should not feel the foreign origin of the text. An example says much more than a lengthy explanation:

Original text: “Any comparable designer would rest on their laurels after having made such a distinct impression on the fashion world”.

• A correct but not so pertinent word for word translation: “Tout créateur comparable se serait reposé sur ses lauriers après avoir fait une telle impression dans le monde de la mode”.
• Professional translation version 1: “Pour un créateur de cette veine, il aurait été tout naturel de se reposer sur ses lauriers après avoir fait une telle entrée dans le monde de la mode”.
• Professional translation version 2: “Après avoir laissé une impression aussi positive dans le monde de la mode, d’autres créateurs se seraient contentés de se reposer sur leurs lauriers”.

As you can see, there is not just one translation for the same text. Each translator has his own style, which makes the profession so rich!

Now that you know everything, or almost, about English translation, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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A brief reflection on the English language…

As with any language, English is a blend of dialects used by the different groups who made up this people in the past.
This language in part comes from the Germanic languages of Northern Europe (the original lands of the Anglos and Saxons), as well as the French language which originated from the North of France. This explains a vocabulary which is sometimes easy to understand for French speakers (these are words classed as “transparent), but other times much more obscure (these are words which resemble German or Nordic languages).

Please note however that some words have changes meanings and do not have the same meaning on both sides of the Channel, and these are known as false friends.

The result of this mix is one of the most spoken languages in the world. And whilst it is not the leading language in terms of the number of people speaking it as a first language or mother tongue (well behind Chinese!), it is certainly the most widespread across the world (aside for fish!). English is “officially” spoken in 45 countries, and this does not include all countries where people received higher education and speak English as a second or third language. This hegemony of English in the world is the result of the size of England in the 19^th century and the scale of the “British” empire, and the fact its was taken over by the large industrial and commercial power of the USA in the 20^th century…

Source : http://pecas.free.fr/langueorigine.htm