SPANISH is the native language of some
370 million people spread out over 22 countries in which the corresponding
Spanish language academy or association exists. Spanish is one of the WORLD’S
FOUR MAJOR LANGUAGES, boasting more than 300 million speakers, together with
Mandarin Chinese, English and Hindi.
Spanish speakers from different countries can basically understand each other, but each region
has its own characteristics and localisms, especially in colloquial and informal
speech. Differences
are also found in technical language due to how each country has incorporated
foreign terminology.
For these reasons, the greatest challenge presented by translation into Spanish
today is to be able to produce a single translation that can be understood
by Spanish speakers worldwide.
Orchestra's answer to this challenge? International Spanish.
To find out more about translation into Spanish... click on the links below.
It is a style of Spanish free from localisms and that can be perfectly understood
by Spanish speakers anywhere. It uses common terms and expressions acceptable to
all.
What are the advantages of International Spanish?
International Spanish is the answer for companies with growing global business needs—it
allows them to reduce documentation and communication costs since texts are translated
into Spanish only once. Consistency is also guaranteed in documents for both The
Americas and Spain since the translation of key words and terms is identical in
all countries. Compare the advantages of using International Spanish over national
varieties in the chart below:
Translation strategy
Adaptation to the reader*
Consistency among translations**
Cost
National varieties
Excellent +++
Low
Very high
International Spanish
Very good ++
Complete +++
Low +++
(*) Adaptation to the
reader is the degree to which the reader perceives the document as having been written in his/her own
country.
(**) La Consistency among translations is the degree of similarity
in the translation of a text's key terms.
Orchestra can also translate your texts into different varieties
of Spanish if you wish. Into what type of Spanish should I translate my Web site?
International Spanish. Web sites tend to have an international rather than a local
audience from a specific country. Spanish speakers worldwide who access the site
will understand it perfectly.
Into what type of Spanish should I translate my technical documents?
International Spanish. The differences in terminology between local and International
Spanish are small, while the differences in cost are enormous.
Into what type of Spanish should I translate my financial documents?
In general, International Spanish. Use the national variety of Spanish only when
your translation is destined for a specific country.
Into what type of Spanish should I translate my legal documents?
In this case, use the national variety of Spanish since the document's target audience
will usually be nationals of the target country. Although part of the translation process
is carried out in our main office in Madrid, all legal documents will be translated
and edited in the target country since exact knowledge of the country's laws and administration
is necessary.
