Translation company EVS Translations Blog-Language Translation Services http://www.evs-translations.com/blog Translation company, Translation industry articles, News, Highlights, Translator jobs, Translator careers, Vick Foundation, Interviews Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:02:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Language translation and localisation challenges for the pharmaceutical industry in the EU http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/smpc-pil-labelling-language-translation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=smpc-pil-labelling-language-translation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/smpc-pil-labelling-language-translation/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:29:38 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=1193 SmPC, PIL, packaging and labelling medicines, drugs, pharmaceutical

Language barriers should not prevent people from having access to and accurately understanding information about medicines.

The most important and comprehensive document which details the purpose and characteristics of a given drug is the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC).
The SmPC is a full, official description of a pharmaceutical product, which lists the name of the active substance, its composition, uses, dosages, pharmaceutical forms and known adverse reactions.

The SmPC is produced for the approval and development of medicines and is the basis of information for healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists, and explains how to use and prescribe the medicinal product safely and effectively.

SmPCs are written and updated by the Regulatory Affairs Departments of pharmaceutical companies and are based on their research and product knowledge.

The SmPC is checked and approved by the local or European Union medicine licensing authorities.

The SmPC is then used as the basis for the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL). It is inserted into the drug pack, and includes information about how to use the medicine safely and correctly. The PIL has essentially the same information as the SmPC, but must be written in language that is easily understood by non-professionals.

Drug packaging and internal and external labelling texts are reduced versions of the PIL.

SmPCs and PILs issued by pharmaceutical companies have to meet the requirements of the drug regulatory authorities in the country/countries where the drug will be sold. For European Community countries, on top of the requirements of the country’s own drug regulatory authority this also means meeting the requirements of European Medicines Agency (EMEA).

For medicines EMEA and the various national medicine evaluation agencies require that the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL), and the packaging and labelling texts be presented at least in the official language or languages of the Member States in which the medicinal product is placed on the market.

When more than one language is used, all the texts must be in each individual language and the contents of all language versions must be identical.

A manufacturer cannot apply for a drug registration without submitting the relevant translated and properly localised versions of these documents to the European or national regulatory authorities.

 

Language translation and localisation challenges for pharmaceutical industry in the EU

• 23 official EU languages

Pharmaceutical companies manufacturing within the boundaries of the European Union need to make the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL), and the packaging and labelling texts available in up to the 23 official languages of the European Union.

• Languages of the European Economic Area, new EU candidate countries and recognised minorities

Additional languages are those countries which are non-EU but EEA members (Norway and Iceland), candidate EU countries (Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia).

Other possible required languages are those of recognised minorities in the EU (such as Catalan, Corsican, Frisian and Welsh).

• 20 days to produce translations

EMEA sets a strict time frame of 20 days allowed for translated versions of all documents to be submitted.
Within 5 days after the marketing authorisation is given by the CPMP (the EMEA committee responsible for assessing marketing authorisations), initial translations must be provided. By the 20th day, the final revised versions of the translations must be provided to the EMEA in their final publishing format.

• Culture specific translation and localisation problems

Differences in norms and conventions of the source and target culture (e.g. legal guidelines for PIL, differences in PIL usability regulations, differences in expressions, symbols and pictograms established by Member States).

• Multilingual PIL readability testing

Each language version package leaflet must be written in clear and understandable terms for the patient as well as being comprehensive and legible. PIL readability testing is the procedure by which PILs are tested and reformulated to ensure they meet the aforementioned requirements.

• Product updates

Updates to product information can result from changes in legislation or product changes through new discoveries. Such updates generally take place a couple of times per year.
In each case pharmaceutical company must go though processes quite similar to those when applying for the initial drug approval. For this reason, translation is again required.

• Consequences of mistranslations

When it comes to medicine specifications, usage, dosage and side effects, incompetent translations and mistranslations can lead to disastrous consequences.

 

Developing a new medicine is a costly and long process. A faulty translation can result in market delay or lead to product recalls. In some cases, it can even lead to product liability lawsuits.

To eliminate any possible risk, Regulatory Affairs Departments of pharmaceutical companies need to work together with professional language translation providers, preferably on a long-term basis.

 

Key factors that demonstrate that a pharmaceutical translation provider is an expert in SmPC, PIL, and drug labelling language services

• Ability to structure SmPCs, PILs and drug labels in all EU languages in accordance with the EU directives and guidelines of good practice and requirements of BfArM, EMEA, MedDRA and EDQM standard terms.

• A large team of in-house medical translators who are experts in European regulatory submission and have experience with the latest Quality Review of Documents Groups (QRD) Templates.
QRD templates are a set of documents whose main objective is to set out standard phrasing, terminology, and stylistic preferences for product information as well as to provide guidance on layout. These documents are currently available in 25 languages (23 EU languages, plus Icelandic and Norwegian).

• Assisting pharmaceutical companies in conducting Readability User Tests by participating in the questionnaire creation, translation and localisation for the target group in question, providing relevant language interviewers and interpreters.

• Usage of a coherent content management strategy.
Maintaining area-specific dictionaries and glossaries, enabling the reuse of repetitive content across drug approval-related documents.

• Providing accurate localisation and language adaptation of SmPCs or PILs in accordance with specific project requirements and official legislation requirements, whether in a national or centralised registration or a mutual recognition procedure.

• Delivering precise translations in high volumes and within tight deadlines.

 

hdbullet If you require pharmaceutical translation services please feel free to contact our UK Sales Manager – Mr Gregg Babbs, for a detailed quotation either by phone 0044-1159-644283 or by hdbullet

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/smpc-pil-labelling-language-translation/feed/ 0 EVS Translations is exhibiting for the first time at The Language Recruitment Fair 2010 in Berlin http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/language-recruitment-fair-berlin-2010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=language-recruitment-fair-berlin-2010 http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/language-recruitment-fair-berlin-2010/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:24:09 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=1172 The Language Recruitment Fair 2010 in Berlin

On September 11th 2010, we will be at the Marriott International Hotel in Berlin from 10am-6pm.

It is the first time that this fair will take place in Germany.

As EVS Translations is always interested in qualified and experienced translators for all of our offices around the world, we will also be available for discussions and interviews.

For information about our vacant positions, please go to our Web site.    Careers

Visit our stall at the fair or make an appointment with us in advance.

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/language-recruitment-fair-berlin-2010/feed/ 0 Global market research: start with language translation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/market-research-language-translation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=market-research-language-translation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/market-research-language-translation/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:00:52 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=1146 An average organisation spends between 20 and 50 percent of its annual marketing budget on research activities. 

The aim of a market research is to interpret the market characteristics, translate the marketing problems and opportunities, evaluate and develop marketing strategies. 

Marketing translationMarket research questionnaires and surveys are the most common mechanism for collecting marketing information.

As more organisations pursue global business strategies, the need to conduct market research on an international scale is rapidly increasing. 

International market research projects require multilingual surveys and therefore multilingual professional language translation and localisation.

Ideally, a translation vendor is involved in the market study design process.

A translation company works together with market researchers to determine target languages required (multilingual markets, minority language users), usage of appropriate glossaries, cultural adaptation, word selection and formatting. Key objective: to help identify problems and make questionnaires more suitable for target population.

In practice, however, translation is rarely seen as part of the questionnaire design and it only begins after the source questionnaire is finalised.

 

TRANSLATION OF QUESTIONNAIRES

Initial translation of questionnaires

The most common problem in questionnaires involves translation into other languages. The source language questionnaire may be difficult to translate because equivalent language concepts do not exist, or because of differences in idioms, colloquialisms and syntax. Using a team of professional translators with experience in market analysis and assessment together with the client is the right solution compared to relying on one person to provide an accurate questionnaire translation.

The language experts, required in the questionnaire translation process are translators and translator reviewers.

Translators need to have an excellent command in the source and target languages, to have experience in market research and survey translations and have an in-depth insight of the cultures in question. Additionally, translator reviewers shall be familiar with questionnaire design principles and be qualified in the field of market research.

Translation should be done in a manner that target users understand the translated questions as easily as the source population for whom they were designed. Often this requires a translator to utilise creative prowess rather than just simply providing customers with a literal translation.

 

Back translation

In order to ensure that information is conveyed as intended, market researchers often order questionnaires to be back translated. Back translation is a helpful quality assessment tool for both marketers and translation companies and is the most commonly used technique to ensure accuracy, tone of voice and client requirements have not been compromised in the translation process.
Back translation is simply translating a text that has already been translated, back to the source language.

Back translation is carried out by an independent translator, who did not participate in the forward translation process. Here the translator should not be exercising any creative abilities because the idea is to give an indication of the correctness of the translation.

 

Revision of translation

The original translators and the client shall compare the back translation with the original version. Differences should be noted for discussion in a focus group. 

 

Focus group

A small group of people representing the study population are asked to complete the questionnaire. Translators will also discuss these results to determine the possibility of any language, comprehension or socio-cultural problems.

 

Final translation

The results from the focus group’s survey shall be taken into account. Any problematic terms shall be revised and solved.

These steps will lead to the final version of the required language translation.

 

 

TRANSLATION OF SURVEY RESPONSES

When market information is collected through a questionnaire in different countries or regions with different native languages, the data gathered needs to be translated to the original source language of the marketing research company so that all the results can be collated and analysed.

Structural and lexical differences, along with response scale design can pose multiple difficulties to translators.

Yet the main difficulty is to find the right translation for a concept across languages.

Survey results will be affected by the audience’s social and cultural characteristics.

The fact that words do not match or exist in different languages is often less of a problem than the fact that certain concepts do not match across cultures.

Further difficulties might arise when market information is gathered through hand written responses because it might be difficult to interpret certain characters/words/phrases or might include spelling mistakes, abbreviations or slang.

Furthermore, if a market survey is conducted online, a translation company should also translate all supporting materials (introduction email, instructions, web content). A language translation services provider should also be able to work with electronically submitted survey responses.

 

To end up with a correct evaluation and true statistical representation from a market study performed in another language/languages and be certain that results are going to reflect what consumers meant to convey in their own language, the survey translation must be performed by experienced native speaking, in-country translators that understand the study objectives and the target audience.

 

hdbullet If you require marketing translation services please feel free to contact our UK Sales Manager – Mr Gregg Babbs, for a detailed quotation either by phone 0044-1159-644283 or by hdbullet

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/market-research-language-translation/feed/ 0 Turkey realigns chemical laws http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/turkish-chemical-law-msds/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=turkish-chemical-law-msds http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/turkish-chemical-law-msds/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:53:37 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=1131 Turkish chemical regulations MSDS

The chemical industry is a global sector which means chemical manufacturers must communicate in many languages. As many of the world’s chemical manufacturers have seen substantial growths in export over the last 5 years this has meant for chemical regulations to become more stringent.

The main markets in which all manufacturers look to dominate is within the EU, which has strict quality control on chemical exports, enforced by European Commission in 2007, commonly known as REACH.

As new markets look to become part of the EU, more and more countries are aligning their regulations to provide a swift integration within the next few years. Chemical manufacturers are all familiar with translating MSDS to be in compliance with EU Reach and CLP regulations however many are unaware of the amendments in Turkish chemical regulations which was implemented earlier this year. 

EVS Translations  has assisted major chemical manufacturers to be in compliance with Regulation on Preparation and Distribution of Safety Sheets for Hazardous Substances and Preparations No. 27092 (Repeated) December 2008 by Republic of Turkey MoEF.

This regulation means that all safety data sheets are to be translated correctly in full compliance with this regulation by a certified translator that has been accredited by one of the selected institutions.

Our Turkish chemical translators have been certified by the accredited bodies offering assurances to all chemical companies that their products will be in compliance with all export and import laws.

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/turkish-chemical-law-msds/feed/ 0 Translation and authoring of chemical Safety Data Sheets in accordance with REACH, CLP and GHS http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/chemical-msds-authoring-language-translation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chemical-msds-authoring-language-translation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/chemical-msds-authoring-language-translation/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:10:12 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=1031 Chemical MSDS authoring and translationWith less than four months left until the first deadline (1 December 2010) for registering chemical substances under Europe’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances) legislation, manufacturers and importers are under increasing pressure to comply with the new requirements for Safety Data Sheets preparation.

The new regulation for SDS formatting applies to chemicals and chemical substances that are to be shipped to the European Union and/or placed for direct sale on its market.

Safety Data Sheets are reviewed upon import and chemical substances producers and importers whose SDS do not comply with the latest regulatory requirements will not be permitted to distribute or sell their products on the EU market.

 

One of the main differences between the Material Safety Data Sheets previously used and the Safety Data Sheets currently applicable under REACH is the requirement that a SDS (including Exposure Scenario) should be supplied in an official language of the Member State(s) on whose market the substance or preparation is placed (unless the Member State(s) concerned indicate otherwise).

The aforementioned EU legislative amendment will require that companies operating in the chemical industry use professional language translation providers.

A translation company should be familiar with the new REACH Regulation, Annex II (which provides a guide to preparing Safety Data Sheets) and translate all SDS and MSDS required in accordance with this.

Since SDS need to be authored in the official language(s) of the country they are intended for and comply with the laws of the jurisdiction of the member state in which they are to be used, direct translation of the documents is rarely sufficient.

Rather than translating SDS or MSDS directly from the source to the target language, a translation company can take the existing document and author a new set of data sheets in the necessary language(s) that are compliant with the local regulations.

To perform the task of MSDS authoring, a translation services company shall have an in-house pool of translators with senior qualifications in industrial chemistry and hygiene.

Furthermore, translators should be experts in data sheet translations and familiar with the local industry-specific regulations and national legislation.

The proper and accurate localisation and translation of MSDS or Safety Data Sheets will ensure that all official translations as published in the EU Official Journal are used (i.e. mandatory heading titles, proper classification, hazard statements, risk and safety phrases, Exposure Scenario, Risk Management Measures, Toxicological and Ecological information, etc). In addition, SDS will be accurately localised for national occupational exposure limits, hazard classifications and other regional requirements.

The format and content of the original data sheet often need to be modified. A translation company shall have the resources to support different formats, conversions and produce SDS in PDF format to facilitate distribution via e-mail and the internet.

 

ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) amended the requirements for Safety Data Sheets under REACH Annex II, which covers the introduction of Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) information into the Safety Data Sheet.

The deadline of 1 December 2010 applies to substance classification in accordance with the European Community Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP).

This Regulation aligns previous EU legislation with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) and aims to ensure that hazards are described and labelled in the same way all over the world.

Any manufacturer, importer, distributor or user of chemical substances and mixtures must classify, label and package any substance or mixture in accordance with the CLP and only those labels and packages which comply with the CLP Regulation rules will be accepted in the EU.

Here, the role of a translation company is to:

•        Translate product labels in accordance with the regulations of the local marketplace.

•        Ensure language translation and localisation of hazard labels and packaging in accordance with the GHS system.

Although many pictograms are similar to the existing EU system, they have been redesigned and new signal words have been introduced, along with new packaging requirements. Any translation company worth its salt shall be up to date with those changes and, if necessary, assist its clients in complying with the latest regulations.

•        Offer desktop publishing solutions and, if required, be able to produce the final, clear and legible layout of labels and packages, including attention to wording, spelling, font size and design. After all, labels are supposed to be read and used in adverse conditions, which makes design and word selection extremely important.

 

The aforementioned legislative amendments only apply to cases of import into the European Union, but it is believed that within the next 5 years every Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or Safety Data Sheet will need to be re-written in order to comply with the GHS system.

European translation companies shall specialise in conversions from different national standards formats to the Globally Harmonized System (e.g. from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) format to GHS).

 

To ensure access to their products, it is critical that companies operating in the chemical industry create SDS, product labels and packaging that meet the requirements of the country for which the product is intended (whether within or outside the European Union).

SDS and labels must also be written in the official language of this market and properly localised.

Most chemical companies operate on multiple markets and require multilingual translation services. Furthermore, some countries have more than one official language (e.g. Dutch and French in Belgium; English and French in Canada).

Working with a professional and highly reputable language translation company is the solution.

 

hdbullet If you require any of your safety data sheets to be translated please feel free to contact our UK Sales Manager – Mr Gregg Babbs, for a detailed quotation either by phone 0044-1159-644283 or  by hdbullet 

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/08/chemical-msds-authoring-language-translation/feed/ 0 Translation services for the oil and gas industry http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/oil-and-gas-translation-services/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=oil-and-gas-translation-services http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/oil-and-gas-translation-services/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:20:55 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=975 oil and gas translation services

The oil and gas industry operates on a worldwide scale and connects some of the world’s largest countries. As the oil and gas industry evolves we have seen a resurgence in new exploration activity ranging from Greenland, Suriname, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola to name but a few.

This growth has in turn brought a significant demand for oil industry-specific translations in a variety of languages which can cause difficulties for those parties involved.

Selecting an accurate translation expert is critical to companies serving the energy sector, but oil and gas translation is one of the most difficult types of technical translation.

Key points to look out for when seeking a translation company for oil and gas translation services

hdbullet A translation company with a proven track record working for oil and gas companies and having experience in the major exploration projects worldwide.

The company shall be able to provide evidence of expertise in the field, such as customer references and projects implemented.

hdbullet A translation company with an experienced pool of technical translators, who also have certain economic and legal knowledge.

When translating documents for the oil and gas industry it is essential that only the most experienced technical translators are used.

Translators need to have knowledge on the basic processes in the oil and gas industry such as: mining of gas and oil fields, exploration, drilling, building of pipelines and booster stations, gas processing, oil refining, gas and oil recovery, flow metering, transportation and storage, description of the oil and gas equipment, retail marketing and etc.

Performing oil and gas translations, translators deal with documents such as: operation and maintenance manuals, equipment manuals, drilling expedition reports, performance data of installations, environmental impact assessments, social impact assessments, technical proposals, technical specifications, tender documents, insurance policies, international standards, weight measures and etc.

All those types of documents contain specific and complex technical and financial terminology, along with symbols and abbreviations, which are not standard.

Translators working with legal documents for oil and gas operations must have a general understanding of the rules and laws which govern oil and gas leases, royalties, land ownership and contracts and legal agreements for drilling and pipeline installation and usage.

Translating terminology and jargon used in the oil and gas industry presents many unique challenges.

For a successful translation, extensive knowledge in technical oil and gas terminology is required, along with certain economic and foreign oil legislation knowledge.

 

hdbullet The languages requested most often by the oil and gas industry are Arabic, Russian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch, meaning a translation company must have specialist translators in all these languages and many more.

Specific issues arise for professionals in the Russian language, who have the added responsibility of ensuring that their work, not only reflects the most commonly accepted terminology for this field, but also adheres to the codes and standards of the Russian Federation.

hdbullet A translation company that uses up-to-date glossaries of technical terms, petroleum industry dictionaries, international petroleum terminological standards and terminological databases.

Accuracy is vital to good technical translations and a good glossary of terminology is the key to accurate translations.

hdbullet Registered in the global network of First Point and Achilles oil & gas supplier databases in various countries and regions around the world.

  • FPAL – UK & Netherlands
  • JQS – Norway & Denmark
  • RPP – Venezuela
  • SICLAR – Argentina

FPAL works to identify, qualify, evaluate and monitor suppliers on behalf of its members.

hdbullet A translation company that is able to work to tight deadlines for tenders and provide accurate and precise translations even under strict deadline delivery terms.

Tenders have bid deadlines and in a multimillion pound industry, there is no allowance for poor or late translations.

A translation company shall have a Quality Assurance Department that can tailor a workflow procedure for you so that no matter what language combination or deadline it will not seriously affect the quality of the translation that you receive. An experienced project manager will oversee every aspect of your oil and gas translation project to ensure all of your requirements are met and any unforeseen changes or amendments can be implemented smoothly without causing disruptions to the overall result.

hdbullet  Translation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA)

Energy companies are facing increasing pressure to improve their social and environmental performance.

Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment has been the mechanism to address these requirements. EIA and SIA set a framework for evaluating the environmental, social and cultural effects of large-scale energy, oil and gas infrastructure projects.

Requirements for environmental and social assessments are contained in treaties, national laws, oil and gas industry guidelines, and are imposed as conditions of lending and assistance by international financial organizations (e.g. World Bank).

Assessments are a subject of public hearing and provide opportunities to the public and affected parties to present comments and recommendations to the decision-maker. This brings out the need all communication to get translated and documents changed accordingly before they can be resubmitted for approval.

Preparing EIA and SIA is a lengthy and costly process and requires the involvement of an expert translation services provider. A translation company that can ensure expertise and accuracy in oil and gas technical translation along with financial and legal translations.

Hiring a professional translation agency specialisied in oil and gas translation services is critical for ensuring credibility of assessments’ results.

As an FPAL registered translation company, EVS Translations is your specialist for all oil and gas translations. To find out how EVS Translations can help you with your EIA and SIA translations please call +44 1159 644283

or hdbullet Visit our website to request a quote for oil and gas translation services.

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/oil-and-gas-translation-services/feed/ 0 Video games translation and localisation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/video-game-translation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-game-translation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/video-game-translation/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:15:49 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=968 The video game industry is the economic sector involved with the development, marketing and sale of video games.

Video games are liked by all age groups and they can be enjoyed by global audiences if they are accurately translated and localised to fit the needs of each market.

The demand for entertainment software has prompted game developers to realise the value and importance of game translation and localisation.

 

 

Video Game Translation

The quality of video game translation services depends on the ability of a translation company that:

hdbullet use the services of in-house native speaking experts. Native speakers will ensure text adaptation in the best possible way;

hdbullet use translators who have relevant linguistic qualifications as well as experience in video game translations that will translate all the text and audio to accurately represent the content of the game;

hdbullet use experts who have technical knowledge and understanding of specific terminology (consoles, platforms, accessories);

hdbullet has an in-house IT team, which comprises of software experts who can work with any platform including PC, Mac, Nintendo Wii, Xbox, PSP and all handheld devices;

hdbullet makes the most out of the usage of CAT (computer aided translation) and TMTs (translation memory) tools;

hdbullet can accept a variety of formats including source and database files and can ensure that files will be delivered in the client’s desired format;

hdbullet has a Quality Assurance Department, which will carry out in-depth quality control guaranteeing compliance with the quality standards and the deadlines.

 

 

Video Game Localisation

Game localisation is a linguistic and cultural adaptation to guarantee that every aspect of a video game, from packaging to software, will fit the local market.

Main aspects of video game localisation include:

hdbullet Linguistic localisation – packaging, product description, user manuals, instructions, tutorials, help information, hardware and software specifications, subtitles, in-game texts;

hdbullet Software localisation - websites, animation, user interface, scripts;

hdbullet Graphics, audio, video localisation.

To give players a genuine gaming experience and successfully market their products, video game developers must pay close attention to the quality of video game translation and localisation.

 

 

hdbullet Visit our website to request a quote for video game translation services.

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/video-game-translation/feed/ 0 Legal translation: requirements and issues http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/legal-translation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=legal-translation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/legal-translation/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:22:19 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=950

Legal translation is the translation of texts within the field of law.

Globalisation and the increase in international business relations and political and economic integration, which led to integration between legal systems, made the demand for legal translations higher than ever.

 

 

Successful legal translation must meet the following requirements:

Accuracy and attention to detail;

Knowledge of the legal systems, both of the source and target languages;

Familiarity with the relevant legal terminology;

Confidentiality;

Timely delivery of your translated documents.

 

Accuracy of a legal document translation depends largely on word selection and syntax. The formal language contained in a document shall be used in the same order. A slight paraphrase can change the legal meaning of a document. Highest accuracy includes identifying the local language requirements and proofreading documents before delivery.

Accurate legal translations can be delivered only by highly specialised translators who have a comprehensive working knowledge and experience in the legal industry.

A legal translator not only translates from one language into another but also translates from one legal system into another and must understand local culture and have an in depth knowledge of the legal system in place in the country for which the translation is intended.

Legal translation is often more difficult than other types of translation because each system has its own legal terminology.

A good legal translator shall have extensive knowledge of the relevant legal terminology in both the source and target languages and be a specialist in a particular legal area, such as:

  •  International law
  •  Civil law,
  •  Corporate law,
  •  Property law,
  •  Tax and accounting law,
  •  Insurance law,
  •  Patent law and etc.

 

Since many legal documents contain sensitive data, all law translations are to remain strictly confidential.

Legal translators shall accept confidentiality and security issues very seriously and be able to provide a non-disclosure agreement.

Most legal documents have deadlines in court and are useless after those dates.

All law documents have to be translated and delivered before the deadline. A stringent approach to quality control can ensure the delivery of stylistically consistent translations on time even under the most pressing delivery schedule.

When it comes to legal translation, a translator is required to have an extensive knowledge of law and to understand local cultures and sociological nuances of those cultures in order to convey the message across sufficiently.

Successful legal translations must also meet the requirements of accuracy, confidentiality and punctuality.

 Visit our website to read more about our legal translation services.

 

law translation,
law translator,
legal translator,
legal document translation,
legal translations,

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/legal-translation/feed/ 0 EVS Translations at The Language Recruitment Fair 2010 in London http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/language-fair-london/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=language-fair-london http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/language-fair-london/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:58:33 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=1178 The Language Recruitment Fair 2010 in London

After the success at The Language Recruitment Fair 2009, EVS Translations exhibited again at The Language Recruitment Fair in London in June 2010.

The International Language Recruitment Fair is the largest and most exciting exhibition of its kind and brings together some of the most talented language professionals and exciting companies in Europe.

A lot of visitors to the fair gathered around the EVS stand again, resulting in numerous interesting contacts with a view to long-term cooperation.

Once again, it was a resounding success.

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/07/language-fair-london/feed/ 0 Advantages of working with a translation company specialised in pharmaceutical translation services http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-medical-translation-services/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pharmaceutical-medical-translation-services http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-medical-translation-services/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 20:15:01 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=849 Pharmaceutical translations

The trend shaping the pharmaceutical industry within the last several years has been global consolidation. This has taken the form of acquisitions and mergers among various pharmaceutical companies. 

As a result, we now have big corporations that operate throughout the world.

 The global operations of the pharmaceutical industry have been accompanied by a tremendous increase in the demand for high-quality pharmaceutical translations.

This in turn has led to increasing demand for and pressure on specialist medical translation companies that assist in worldwide marketing authorisation approvals in the main FDA, EMEA and PMDA regulated markets.

Globalisation in the pharmaceutical industry provides new opportunities, as well as challenges for translation companies.

 

Some advantages of working with a translation company specialised in pharmaceutical translation services

 

Sector expertise and accuracy

Pharmaceutical translation is a very specialised field and requires extensive expertise.

Pharmaceutical terminology can be difficult to understand by those without a relevant scientific background.

Translation service providers should be familiar with area specific acronyms and eponyms, along with Latin phrases and terms used in pharmacology.

Precision, accuracy, technical writing expertise and attention to detail are crucial as pharmaceutical translation projects may have a direct effect on peoples’ lives.

 

 

Area-specific in-house knowledge by native speakers

A translation company should have a large in-house team of specialists working exclusively into their native language, preferably on a local basis.

Drug manufacturers must submit their technical documents, as well as their product labelling and clinical trial results in the local language of the country where they will be used.

Native speakers will ensure text adaptation and localisation in the best possible way to comply with local regulations and market requirements.

Moreover, clients can benefit from the customer and area-specific dictionaries and glossaries which enable the reuse of content across drug-related documents and projects, saving time and expense.

 

 

Comprehensive portfolio of language services

A good translation company should offer pharmaceutical translation services covering a wide spectrum of topics including documentation related to:

  • -         Clinical studies data
  • -         Clinical trial
  • -         CMC (chemical, manufacture, control)
  • -         CP (centralised procedure)
  • -         DP (decentralised procedure)
  • -         Drug approvals
  • -         Drug development files
  • -         Drug manufacturing processes
  • -         Drug patents applications
  • -         Drug registration dossiers
  • -         Drugs distribution and marketing.
  • -         Drugs labeling and packaging
  • -         Marketing communications collateral, press releases, product launches
  • -         Medical devices, equipment, and surgical instruments
  • -         Medical information for patients and physicians
  • -         Medical news (and summaries of the medical journals)
  • -         MRP (mutual recognition procedure)
  • -         Multimedia products (health education/medical reference)
  • -         Patient information leaflet
  • -         PIL, packaging, labelling
  • -         Presentations
  • -         Scientific articles
  • -         SmPC (summary of product characteristics)
  • -         Submissions to health regulatory authorities
  • -         Testing procedures
  • -         User interface for medical software

 

Visit our website to request an online quote for your pharmaceutical translation project.

 

 

 

 

pharma translation,
drug approval translation,
pharmaceutical translation,
clinical trials translation,

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/pharmaceutical-medical-translation-services/feed/ 0 New job opening:Translators French and/or German -> English http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translators-job-french-german-english/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=translators-job-french-german-english http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translators-job-french-german-english/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 17:25:23 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=815 English for our office in Nottingham. We are looking for graduate native English speakers with a comprehensive command of French and also ideally German. An advanced degree in translation would be an advantage. ]]>

To expand our business, EVS Translations (UK) Ltd. is currently looking for

Translators


French and/or German -> English

Job openings

for our office in Nottingham. We are looking for graduate native English speakers with a comprehensive command of French and also ideally German. An advanced degree in translation would be an advantage. You must have a minimum of four years’ experience in translation and proof-reading in a translation environment. Other prerequisites for joining our highly competent team of translators are very good knowledge of MS Office and translation memory programs (Trados and/or Transit) as well as an eye for detail.

 

We offer a salary commensurate with performance, flexible working hours and extensive prospects with a rapidly expanding group.

 

If you are interested in this position, please send your application (covering letter and CV) by e-mail or post to the address on the left. If it is possible for you, we can arrange an interview with you at the ‘Specialist Language Recruitment and Expat Fair’ at Hilton London Metropole Hotel, Edgware Road, in London. We will be exhibiting on 19 June 2010 from 10 am to 6 pm. For more information about the fair, please visit http://www.bilingualpeople.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translators-job-french-german-english/feed/ 0 New job opening:Translators English and/or German -> French http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translator-jobs-english-german-french/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=translator-jobs-english-german-french http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translator-jobs-english-german-french/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 17:22:16 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=810 French for our office in Nottingham. We are looking for graduate native French speakers with a comprehensive command of English and also ideally German. An advanced degree in translation would be an advantage. ]]>

To expand our business, EVS Translations (UK) Ltd. is currently looking for

Translators

English and/or German -> French

Job openings

for our office in Nottingham. We are looking for graduate native French speakers with a comprehensive command of English and also ideally German. An advanced degree in translation would be an advantage. You must have a minimum of four years’ experience in translation and proof-reading in a translation environment. Other prerequisites for joining our highly competent team of translators are very good knowledge of MS Office and translation memory programs (Trados and/or Transit) as well as an eye for detail.

 

We offer a salary commensurate with performance, flexible working hours and extensive prospects with a rapidly expanding group.

 

If you are interested in this position, please send your application (covering letter and CV) by e-mail or post to the address on the left. If it is possible for you, we can arrange an interview with you on the ‘Specialist Language Recruitment and Expat Fair’ at Hilton London Metropole Hotel, Edgware Road, in London. We will be exhibiting on 19 June 2010 from 10am to 6pm. For more information about the fair, please visit http://www.bilingualpeople.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translator-jobs-english-german-french/feed/ 0 New job opening:Translators English and/or French -> German http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translators-career-english-french-german/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=translators-career-english-french-german http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translators-career-english-french-german/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 17:08:33 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=801 German for our office in Nottingham. We are looking for graduate native German speakers with a comprehensive command of English and also ideally French. An advanced degree in translation would be an advantage. ]]>

To expand our business, EVS Translations (UK) Ltd. is currently looking for

 Translators


English and/or French -> German

 

Job openings

 

for our office in Nottingham. We are looking for graduate native German speakers with a comprehensive command of English and also ideally French. An advanced degree in translation would be an advantage. You must have a minimum of four years’ experience in translation and proof-reading in a translation environment. Other prerequisites for joining our highly competent team of translators are very good knowledge of MS Office and translation memory programs (Trados and/or Transit) as well as an eye for detail.

 

We offer a salary commensurate with performance, flexible working hours and extensive prospects with a rapidly expanding group.

 

If you are interested in this position, please send your application (covering letter and CV) by e-mail or post to the address on the left. If it is possible for you, we can arrange an interview with you on the ‘Specialist Language Recruitment and Expat Fair’ at Hilton London Metropole Hotel, Edgware Road, in London. We will be exhibiting on 19 June 2010 from 10am to 6pm. For more information about the fair, please visit http://www.bilingualpeople.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/05/translators-career-english-french-german/feed/ 0 LICTRA 2010-9th Leipzig International Conference on Translation & Interpretation Studies http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/lictra-2010-9th-leipzig-international-conference-on-translation-interpretation-studies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lictra-2010-9th-leipzig-international-conference-on-translation-interpretation-studies http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/lictra-2010-9th-leipzig-international-conference-on-translation-interpretation-studies/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:50:14 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=647 Mr. Edward Vick will be presenting at LICTRA 2010, organised by the University of Leipzig, held from 19 to 21 May 2010. It will be the 9th Leipzig International Conference on Translation & Interpretation Studies.

 Abstract:

The arrogance of English – English the world’s leading language for business. Major corporations worldwide report in English and perhaps in another language. Increasing globalisation is marginalising other languages. In almost all countries the key language combination for translations is English into local language and back.

Edward Vick, Managing Director of EVS Translations, the leading company for financial translations talks about how English is gradually becoming the only language for the financial and business world.

For more information event, please visit   the official LICTRA 2010 website.

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/lictra-2010-9th-leipzig-international-conference-on-translation-interpretation-studies/feed/ 0 Happy Presidents Day http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/presidents_day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=presidents_day http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/presidents_day/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:20:17 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=582 EVS Translations USA wishes everybody a

 Happy Washington’s Birthday, also known as Presidents Day.

For more information on Washington’s Birthday, please click   here.

 

 

 

 

 

HTMKV4CRP92U

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/presidents_day/feed/ 0 Valentine’s Day http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/valentines-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=valentines-day http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/valentines-day/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:29:13 +0000 Tong http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=568

 

Love, Liebe, Amour, Amore, Kärlek, 爱,…

…no matter how you say it – we speak your language.

EVS Translations wishes everybody a Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/02/valentines-day/feed/ 0 Winners of the 2009 Vick Prize Bulgarian Novel of the Year http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/01/winners-of-the-2009-vick-prize-bulgarian-novel-of-the-year/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winners-of-the-2009-vick-prize-bulgarian-novel-of-the-year http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/01/winners-of-the-2009-vick-prize-bulgarian-novel-of-the-year/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:51:51 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/01/winners-of-the-2009-vick-prize-bulgarian-novel-of-the-year/ Winners of the 2009 Vick Prize
Bulgarian Novel of the Year

“18% sivo”  by Zahari Karabashliev  and 

 “Zahvarlen v prirodata” by Milen Ruskov 

 are the sixth winners of the Bulgarian Novel of the Year competition,

 organized by the VICK Foundation.

 More information can be found  here

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2010/01/winners-of-the-2009-vick-prize-bulgarian-novel-of-the-year/feed/ 0 Tips to consider when looking for a translation company for your advertising translation needs http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/11/marketing-advertising-translation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marketing-advertising-translation http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/11/marketing-advertising-translation/#comments Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:35:03 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=522 Advertising plays a crucial role in every area of business.

Advertising translationIntensifying competition combined with ongoing globalisation mean businesses need to attract and communicate with clients from different cultures.

Companies are crossing national borders to reach markets in different countries, having to advertise products and services in local language, in an ideal case with the same meaning and impact as in the source language.

Translation of advertising materials has become one of the essential services required by corporations having or seeking a multinational presence.

The volume of translations involved in advertising is therefore increasing on a daily basis.

Your company is running an international or multilingual advertising campaign and has advertising translation projects, but advertising texts and materials can not be translated word for word, they need professional and precise adaptation and localisation to suit each target language and create the greatest possible impact.

Here are some tips to consider when looking for a translation company for your advertising translation needs:

 hdbullet Choose a translation company which uses the services of native speaker experts, preferably on a local basis. Native speakers will ensure text adaptation and localisation in the best possible way. This is because they are aware of the socio-cultural and politico-legal frame of the targeted market. Native speakers not only understand what the client is putting across, they are also familiar with the subtle cultural differences in consumer habits and expectations in the relevant markets. Their expertise and feel for language will ensure that your advertising material makes the right impression in the desired language.

Advertising is about gaining customers for products and services. A translation company that has worked for a wide range of companies and sectors for many years has a wider range of knowledge about the actual content of what is being marketed. After all, you want your translation not only to sound good, but also to be right.

It is strange but true that most translation companies are local. For an international campaign it is necessary to cooperate with a company that understands the various markets you are operating in. In other words, local and international. Strange but true: This applies to a maximum of 1% of all translation companies.

 

hdbullet Make sure your translation project is assigned to an experienced project manager who will analyse your project and decide on the resources needed, both in human and technical terms, guaranteeing compliance with the quality standards and the deadlines; will prepare the project localisation documentation, establish the standard vocabulary and be responsible for the project management and coordination of the work of the translators involved at every step.

The best choice for you will be a translation company which assigns an operations manager to handle your account and who coordinates and supports the project manager and acts as your central contact person, sending you the final invoices for your project and explaining, if necessary, the costs of your particular document translation project in greater detail.

 

hdbullet Pick a company which has a Quality Assurance Department, which will carry out in-depth quality control to check the linguistic and cultural adequacy of the translated text.

 

hdbullet Make sure the translation company offers desktop publishing (DTP) services and supports as many DTP programs as possible. Hire a company which has an in-house team of multilingual DTP staff, which will provide you with a solution to fit your unique business requirements and in the exact format you need. Proper localisation should carefully analyse any graphics which might have local significance and thus affect how the product or service is perceived. The company should provide detailed feedback and suggest alternatives.

 

hdbullet Another vital factor for an international campaign is to have someone who is able to understand the minefield of competencies and personalities involved with such a project and who is able to assist in defusing any friction that may arise due to local and corporate, agency and internal advertising responsibilities.

 

hdbullet Study the vendor’s own service portfolio, projects and tools and ask for references before taking your final decision. And keep in mind a tiny trick – look at how they are advertising their own business. As a rule, a translation company will offer its website in multiple languages. Check how they have handled the translation of their own advertising materials and this will give you essential information what service you can expect.

 

Visit our website to request an online quote for your advertising translation project

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/11/marketing-advertising-translation/feed/ 0 What should a company look out for when seeking a vendor for technical translation projects http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/11/technical-translation-project/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=technical-translation-project http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/11/technical-translation-project/#comments Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:19:50 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=512 Technical translationCompanies planning to set up operations or develop new markets abroad often need to provide a variety of technical documentation in one or more foreign languages. Just what should a company look out for when seeking a suitable vendor to handle the translation of its product literature, user manuals, corporate guidelines, and the like? We present a few pointers for you – after all, you don’t want to have to delay a market launch because of a poor or late translation, especially in the current economic climate.

 

Let’s start with the content. After all, this represents your core business, and you’ll most likely want to make sure the translation reflects the high quality of your own products or services. So, if your company is active in the energy industry, the potential vendor should be able to provide evidence of expertise in your field, such as customer references, staff translators with a professional qualification in this area and projects implemented. Why should staff translators be preferred over “virtual teams” of freelancers? Well, having the translators and proofreaders in-house means the team knows each other and the customers and guarantees a consistently high level of quality. Most importantly it ensures that work can be done consistently and immediately and that you have access to a team which is always in place.

 

Let’s move on to another area, that of the formats of your documents. Maybe your company creates everything using standard office software, but technical departments sometimes also use specialist applications such as Microsoft® Visio® for flow charts or Adobe® InDesign® and even XML-based content management systems (CMS) or document management systems (DMS) to cope with more complex or more extensive documentation volumes. Your vendor should be able to handle these formats, and ideally have copies of the respective software so that the formatting of the translated version matches the source version. To resolve any language-related formatting issues, your vendor should preferably also have an IT department.

 

On the subject of tools, there are now quite a few translation programs on the market that can cut down the throughput time and costs and at the same time ensure consistency of terminology and reuse of previously translated material.  Any translation company worth its salt should be able to support one or more of these programs and offer appropriate pricing models.

 

We talked earlier about the advantages of using competent staff translators, but what soft skills are important? Team work, for example. Good team work from sales through project management to the translation department itself means end-to-end quality: sales and project management combine to make sure your wishes are understood, project management and translation combine to make sure your wishes are fulfilled. You, the customer, can sit back and relax, confident that your work will be delivered on time, in the quality you need, at the price you were quoted.

 

Summary:

  • Established team of specialist and experienced in-house translators
  • Competent and experienced in-house proofreaders for peer review
  •  Competent and experienced in-house IT department for software support and formatting
  •  Project manager as single point of contact
  •  Key account manager for all issues not directly relating to operations

 

 Visit our website to   request a quote for your technical translation project.

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/11/technical-translation-project/feed/ 0 “For a few books more”- Vick Prize and the Bulgarian literary scene. Interview by Vagabond. http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/10/for-a-few-books-more-vick-prize-and-the-bulgarian-literary-scene-interview-by-vagabond/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=for-a-few-books-more-vick-prize-and-the-bulgarian-literary-scene-interview-by-vagabond http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/10/for-a-few-books-more-vick-prize-and-the-bulgarian-literary-scene-interview-by-vagabond/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:48:19 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=477 FOR A FEW BOOKS MORE

 

The article below originated from Vagabond, Bulgaria’s first and only monthly magazine in English

 

Vagabond, Bulgaria's first and only monthly magazine in English

Can you name a famous Bulgarian writer? Don’t be misled by the two obvious choices. Elias Canetti, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1981, was born in Bulgaria’s Ruse on the Danube, but left the country when he was six and wrote in German. The best-selling Elizabeth Kostova is not a Bulgarian at all – she is Bulgarianmarried. As for reading a Bulgarian book in English? No?  

This same experience had quite an effect on Englishman Edward Vick, founder and manager of EVS Translations, who has several offices worldwide, including Bulgaria. In 2004 he established the Vick Foundation in Sofia, with the aim of sponsoring an annual literary prize for a contemporary Bulgarian novel – and “to read at least one book a year in an English translation.”

Nominations come from publishers and authors. A jury consisting of professionals in various fields chooses the winner from a selection of short-listed works, while readers can nominate their own top favourite. The successful author receives 10,000 leva and an English language translation of their book. How has this helped achieve the goal of the foundation: that of encouraging writers to write and readers to read? Vagabond talks to Edward Vick to find out.

Quotation marksWhy Bulgaria?

I first came to Bulgaria in 2001 because it was a country I hadn’t been to before. It was my birthday and I looked at the map and said: Where can I go for the weekend? I had an interesting time in Sofia.

A year later we started doing some translation business here. If I have to describe what the business is in one sentence, I would say that when I buy the Financial Times, the most interesting thing for me is the date, because about 40 percent of what is in there has come through our offices at one time or another.

What does a prize do for a novel?

I studied English literature at Cambridge University. Before going there, I had a teacher who had won the Booker prize – Stanley Middleton, whose novel Holiday shared the prize with Nadine Gordimer’s The Conservationist in 1974. The Vick Foundation was born out of a love for literature. I understood that the situation with writing in Bulgaria was absolutely terrible. Nobody reads the Bulgarian books. If you ask the publishers how many books they publish and the answer is 200 or 500, you know it’s not possible that these books have been read. Maybe 15 years ago there were bestsellers in Bulgaria by Bulgarian authors with a run of 100,000 copies but not now. It’s a vicious circle. The publishers find it difficult to publish because there are so few readers or maybe it’s because the books are not that good. The first Vick prize winner won 200 leva for his book and that’s all he saw. It seemed to me at the time that perhaps politics is involved in writing in Bulgaria, that you have to be friends with the people in the publishing house or the authors’ association in order to be published. I knew absolutely nothing about Bulgarian literature and I wanted to read a translation, at least of the winning book.

Winners get 10,000 leva and a translation into English. Were any of the winning books published after you translated them?

The first five years we offered translation into English – done by professional translators, including professors from Sofia University. We are not doing it this year, because we found the last two or three years that the winners, curiously enough, had their own translators, and one had their own distribution channel for their book.

We have seen that EVS offering to translate a novel doesn’t actually help to get it published, because it is the publisher who decides if they are going to publish a novel from Bulgaria, and whether or not it is translated is more or less irrelevant as a factor. It’s really only a tool to give some people an indication that the book is interesting to read. With the first two winning novels, The Executioner and The Glass River, we took them to the Frankfurt Trade Fair.

How many Bulgarian books have you read now? Were they a good read?

The winning five. I hear a lot of discussions about what kind of novels are written here in Bulgaria. The first five winners all deal with Bulgarian topics, which are perhaps rather difficult for somebody from the outside to catch on to. I think part of the idea of the prize is to make Bulgarian writers conscious that it is possible to have an international audience and I think it’s a key factor. The first two winners were certainly writing only for a Bulgarian audience, and never thought of anything else. Kisyov, the first Vick Prize winner, told me “If I had known I was going to win the prize, I would have written it better.” So who you’re writing for is important; he was writing for 200 people.

How has winning the prize affected the authors?

The number of reprints is top secret among Bulgarian publishers, but we get the impression from the market that the books were reprinted, some of them many times. Winning the prize has also done something for the authors’ selfesteem. Our first writer has now written a satire about getting a literary prize. The second winner, The Glass River, is being filmed. It will be subtitled in English and, I hope, will be quite widely available. Emil Andreev, the author, is now able to make a living from writing. Biolchev (a former dean of Sofia University), our third winner, did not need to worry about supporting himself from writing before or after the prize, nor about finding people to translate his books. Our fourth winner, Tenev, is really wonderful, because he is quite aggressive in terms of marketing and also has a very interesting publishing house, which works for him very well. Perhaps this is the model of the new Bulgarian writer, one who’s thinking in wider terms. The translation of the latest winning novel is ready, we’re in the final stages.

The Vick Prize jury is drawn from outside the narrow literary professional circles. Why?

It is very difficult to choose a jury. On the one hand, you have to include the literary world, which can be a closed world, and not the best judge of whether a book will succeed outside Bulgaria. At the same time, it’s more important for me to find my ideal average reader. At the foundation, we try to find a mix which will help to expand the readership outside this small circle of people who are reading and rereading each other’s books, the 200 or so people who are the “literature readers” in Bulgaria. We tried last year with our jurors to include people from very different walks of life: a businessman, a pop singer, a model, a football player, chosen more or less as examples of people who might possibly read, and encourage others to read. We included people who were non-literary, because non-literary people perhaps read more for enjoyment and less as literary critics.

Where does funding for the Vick Foundation come from?

From EVS Translations. It has to be said that the prize money is only a very small percentage of the actual amount involved in organising the prize – the staff, the organisation, the meetings, the marketing measures. Of course, it has established the Vick Prize as an important prize in Bulgaria. Is that enough?

Is it?

It’s very nice to be able to fill a gap in Bulgaria with people who are relatively well known, but it doesn’t actually mean that more people will read books. What would make more people read books? It’s a mystery to me. I would really like to know. We have looked for a solution in various different ways and still haven’t come up with a successful one, so I have to confess that I am somewhat disappointed. In order to create a river, a large river, you need to have water coming from many different sources. And we are one stream that is contributing to this river, the ministry of culture is another stream, or the publishers, or the book sellers, or the newspapers. We’re trying to make our small contribution to literature in general and specifically to Bulgarian literature. We’re not under any illusion that we can achieve anything great but it’s the theory that every little bit counts.

The three best things about Bulgaria?

The great opera singers. I think the wonderful thing is that, when you go to the Sofia Opera House, you may not find a great name but, while you might get an absolutely rubbish performance one night, the next time the performance could be better than what is offered at the Met. You never actually know what you’re going to get in Bulgaria, but you might get the best in the world. I like Bulgarian wine too. And the people in Bulgaria who are capable of doing a lot more than they sometimes believe themselves.

Bulgaria’s biggest negative?

The number of deaths on the road. If nobody cares and there is no chance of bad drivers being stopped, then there’s something wrong with the system in general. I am a great fan of Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau, and I miss it in the city. This surprises me a bit as history books say that at this time Bulgaria was more or less independent, yet not a lot of building took place.Quotation marks

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/10/for-a-few-books-more-vick-prize-and-the-bulgarian-literary-scene-interview-by-vagabond/feed/ 0 Fresh off the newsstand http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/fresh-off-the-newsstand-business-lunch-with-edward-vick/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fresh-off-the-newsstand-business-lunch-with-edward-vick http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/fresh-off-the-newsstand-business-lunch-with-edward-vick/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:53:45 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=292 Edward Vick lunches with ThisIsNottingham and has a chat about the parrots, the Vick Prize, Stanley Middleton and the translation company he founded.

The article below originated from ThisIsNottingham

 Quotation marks

ThisIsNottingham interviewt EVS Translations Geschäftsführer Edward Vick

ThisIsNottingham

RETURNING to Nottingham after living in Germany for 25 years, Edward Vick says he

feels like “a foreigner that knows the language”. 

The former school boy of High Pavement Grammar School has returned to the city as managing director and founder of international translation company EVS Translations.

Born in Canada, he grew up in the States before moving to West Bridgford when he was 13 following his father – the “wandering professor” as he fondly calls him.

Mr Vick has never been afraid of new starts and this time it is with his five-month-old son and his Ukrainian-German partner who moved to West Bridgford with him.

The business was born when he was offered some translation work while working as a teacher in Frankfurt. Mr Vick was stuck when they asked him for a French translation.

He said: “You either say, ‘I’m going to be a one-man band or I’m going to be bigger’. I found freelancers who could do French and then built very, very slowly and now we have nine branches translating up to 41 languages.”

The company which has offices across Europe and one in the US, opened its Nottingham branch in Clarendon Street in 1999.

“We have a good team of translators here, we have a good team of people working,” he said.

The company’s motif is one of parrots wearing different flags – the bird of all languages.

Wearing a parrot tie, he explained the company had adopted a parrot in each city zoo where they had an office – Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich and Berlin.

His own photos of parrots taken in Asia are also shown on the company’s merchandise.

He said: “There’s no image for translation companies, you will find maps, books, globes, other things to send you to sleep. So this is interesting, it catches the eye.”

The company deals with everything from translating shampoo bottle labels to press releases and car manufacturer documents.

“If you work in a good translation company you get a jigsaw puzzle of the world,” said Mr Vick.

And they often translate company secrets before the media get hold of the news.

“When I read the Financial Times in Germany the thing that’s most interesting for me is the date, because something like 40% of what’s in the newspaper has come from our office,” he said.

“Companies are giving us their top secrets – and we’re talking about large companies in the country.”

He added: “Everyone signs a confidentiality agreement.”

Mr Vick is slowly adjusting to life back in Nottingham, where he says he will be for at least the next three years.

But he admits he is missing Germany.

“In Germany the markets for many things are much more competitive and the quality of life in many ways is higher.”

Meanwhile he is embracing what Nottingham has to offer and is trying to shrug off the German accent he has picked up.

He was recently told by a Cambridge University academic, “You speak very good English, where did you learn it?”

A lover of words, Mr Vick studied English Literature at Cambridge University and has created a literary prize in Bulgaria.

The Vick Prize, now in its sixth year, is awarded to the best Bulgarian novel of the year chosen by an independent panel including journalists and literary critics.

He says he was inspired by Booker prize winner Stanley Middleton who taught him at High Pavement Grammar School.

He said: “The Vick Prize is at least as famous as the Booker Prize in Bulgaria.

“I realised Bulgarian writers are extremely underloved.”

He added: “The Vick prize only came about because I had Stanley Middleton in my heart.”  Quotation marks

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/fresh-off-the-newsstand-business-lunch-with-edward-vick/feed/ 2 Our New Sales Manager – Catherine Barnéoud http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/our-new-sales-manager-catherine-barneoud/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=our-new-sales-manager-catherine-barneoud http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/our-new-sales-manager-catherine-barneoud/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:59:33 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=273 As of 1 October 2009, our new colleague can be reached at: 

Our new Sales manager- Catherine Barnéoud

Our new Sales Manager - Catherine Barnéoud

 

 

 

Catherine Barnéoud
Sales

 e-mail

Tel./Fax:

+33-145806733

 

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/our-new-sales-manager-catherine-barneoud/feed/ 2 Job opening : Senior Translators English and German -> French http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/senior-translators-english-german-french/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=senior-translators-english-german-french http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/senior-translators-english-german-french/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:01:35 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=250 French. We are looking for native French speakers with a comprehensive command of German and/or English qualified to degree level or equivalent. ]]>

To expand our business the EVS Translations Group is currently looking for our offices in

Nottingham and Germany for :

   Senior Translators English and German -> French

Job openings

We are looking for native French speakers with a comprehensive command of German and/or English qualified to degree level or equivalent. You must have a minimum of six years experience in translation and proof-reading in a translation company. Other prerequisites for joining our highly competent team of translators are very good knowledge of MS Office and translation memory programs (Trados and/or Transit) as well as an eye for detail. A second language would be an advantage. 

We offer salary commensurate with performance, flexible working hours and extensive prospects with a rapidly expanding group. 

If you are interested in this position, please send your application (covering letter and CV) via e-mail or post to the address below.

EVS  Translations Group
Human Resources
Luisenstrasse 3
63067 Offenbach
Germany
Tel.: 0049-(0)69-829799-13
Fax: 0049-(0)69-829799-15

  Senior Translators Job Opening

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/senior-translators-english-german-french/feed/ 0 New job opening: Senior Translators French and/or German -> English http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/senior-translator-french-german-english/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=senior-translator-french-german-english http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/senior-translator-french-german-english/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:34:44 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=243 English. We are looking for native English speakers with a comprehensive command of French and/or German qualified to degree level or equivalent. ]]>

To expand our business the EVS Translations Group is currently looking for our offices in

Nottingham and Germany for :

     Senior Translators French and/or German -> English

 Job openings

We are looking for native English speakers with a comprehensive command of French and/or German qualified to degree level or equivalent. You must have a minimum of six years experience in translation and proof-reading in a translation company. Other prerequisites for joining our highly competent team of translators are very good knowledge of MS Office and translation memory programs (Trados and/or Transit) as well as an eye for detail. A second language would be an advantage. 

We offer salary commensurate with performance, flexible working hours and extensive prospects with a rapidly expanding group. 

If you are interested in this position, please send your application (covering letter and CV) via e-mail or post to the address below.

EVS Translations Group
Human Resources
Luisenstrasse 3
63067 Offenbach
Germany
Tel.: 0049-(0)69-829799-13
Fax: 0049-(0)69-829799-15
E-mail

  Senior Translators Job Opening

 

 

 

 

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]]> http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/09/senior-translator-french-german-english/feed/ 0 EVS Translations representatives participated in the world’s largest J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Frankfurt on 17 June 2009. http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/06/j-p-morgan-corporate-challenge-2009/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=j-p-morgan-corporate-challenge-2009 http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/2009/06/j-p-morgan-corporate-challenge-2009/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:37:52 +0000 EVS Translations http://www.evs-translations.com/blog/?p=214
EVS Translations representatives in the world’s largest J.P.Morgan Corporate Challenge in Frankfurt on 17 June 2009.
EVS Translations representatives participated in the world’s largest J.P.Morgan Corporate Challenge in Frankfurt on 17 June 2009.

 

EVS Translations representatives participated in the world`s largest J.P.Morgan Corporate Challenge in Frankfurt on 17 June 2009.

More information in German about the JPMCCC in Frankfurt can be found at:    www.jpmccc.de

 

 

 

 

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