2021
Merry Christmas, Mele Kalikimaka and
Buon Natale!
At the end of the year 2021, we would like to thank you for the pleasant cooperation and the trust you have placed in us.
We wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, success and above all good health for 2022.
Your Schweitzer Sprachendienst Team
September 2021: International Translation Day
On 30 September 2021, the International Translation Day (ITD) reminds us of the important role professional translators play in our globalised world.
In 1953, the Federation of Translators (FIT) – the umbrella organisation of our profession – set up the International Translation Day. It is now celebrated annually on the feast of St. Jerome, the important linguist and Bible translator, who is known as the patron saint of all translators. In May 2017, the United Nations officially recognised this day, thus emphasising the ever increasing importance of this profession.
Many people think that everyone who can speak more than one language is automatically a translator. But there’s more to a good translation than just speaking two languages: Translators are professional language mediators with not only broad linguistic, but also comprehensive cultural and technical knowledge which provides them with the right sense of specific linguistic nuances and subject-specific contents. Unlike interpreters, who render the spoken word in another language, translators transfer written texts into a target language.
September 2021: World Literacy Day
World Literacy Day was established by UNESCO following the World Conference on the Elimination of Illiteracy held in Tehran on 8 September 1965. Its purpose is to remind people of the problem of illiteracy. Despite all international efforts, there are still more than 750 million adults today who cannot properly read and write, two-thirds of them being women.
In addition to numerous events around the world highlighting the social and economic consequences of illiteracy, education awards are presented by UNESCO to mark World Literacy Day.
UNESCO also coordinates the implementation of the Global Agenda for Education 2030. This includes goals such as enabling the completion of free primary and secondary education and access to high-quality early childhood education. Providing all women and men with equal and affordable access to good vocational and academic education and eliminating gender-based disadvantages at all levels of education. The acquisition of sufficient literacy and numeracy skills for all youth and a significant proportion of adults is to be ensured, and safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments and infrastructure are to be created.
July 2021: Editing and proofreading: differences and necessities
For us, a successful translation project quite often does not end when the text is translated into the target language. Most clients find it difficult to assess the linguistic quality of a translation.
A professional translation office will therefore always double-check a translated text. This means that an independent second translator/proofreader will check or edit the finished translation as stipulated in the industry standard for translators (ISO 17100).
Proofreading means to check the spelling, grammar and typography, while editing additionally involves checking the content of the translation. A proofreader often also identifies discrepancies in the source text. This is a real added value that is highly appreciated by most of our customers.
