The Challenge

The Challenge of Translating into Spanish

One of the biggest challenges facing translators working into Spanish today is to produce one translation suitable for Spanish-speaking audiences worldwide. Why is this the case?

1). There are over 330 million speakers of Spanish spread out over 5 continents, 23 countries and territories.

2.) True that Spanish-speakers from different countries can bascially understand each other. But the fact that each country has its own regional expressions, colloquialisms, etc., makes it difficult to speak of Spanish as a single language.

What is Orchestra.es' answer to this challenge? International Spanish.

What is International Spanish?
A type of Spanish understandable by native speakers everywhere as it uses expressions and terminology that are considered neutral; since they aren't specific to a particular country they are understandable by readers everywhere.

What are the benefits?
We see two major benefits to working with International Spanish:

1). Cost-efficiency. All documentation is translated one time only, using a single version of Spanish. 2). Consistency. International Spanish will guarantee a consistent, coherent translation for all Spanish-speaking clients since the translation of key terms will be the same. Such consistency is difficult to achieve when the same document is translated into several varieties of Spanish.

The chart below offers a comparison between International and country-specific Spanish:

Strategy | Proximity to the reader* | Consistency** | Cost
Different version for each country | Excellent | Low | High
International Spanish or global version | Good | High | Low

(*)Proximity to the reader is the degree to which one perceives the document as translated in his/her own country
(**)Measures the degree of consistency in key terms for a document translated into several varieties of Spanish

We are happy to translate your documents into the variety of Spanish you request.

For more on translating into Spanish, click on the topics below:

- What differences exist between the Spanish spoken in one country vs. another?
- What type of Spanish should I use to translate my web page/site?
- What type of Spanish should I use to translate my legal documents?
- What type of Spanish should I use to translate my financial documents?
- What type of Spanish should I use to translate my technical documents?

What differences exist between the Spanish spoken in one country vs. another?
Generally differences at the semantic level, which are most noticeable in regional expressions and colloquial language. For example, there are as many ways to translate "ir en autobús" (to take the bus) or "tomar una copa" (to have a drink) as there are cities in Latin America.

What type of Spanish should I use to translate my web page or site?
Since Spanish-speakers from all over the world will be accessing your site, by using International Spanish you will communicate with more people more effectively. Whether from the Caribbean or from Peru, people who visit your site won't need a translator to understand it.

What type of Spanish should I use to translate legal documents?
The Spanish of your target audience. Although we will do a certain amount of editing and proofreading in our office in Madrid, we will have an in-country professional translate your document as knowledge of that country's laws and administration is crucial.

What type of Spanish should I use to translate financial documents?
If your document is destined for a specific country, it should be translated into the Spanish of that country. For a target audience that includes several countries, International Spanish is your best bet.

What type of Spanish should I use to translate technical documents?
The Spanish of your target audience, since technical language will differ between countries depending on how each has incorporated foreign technical terms. If the translation is for a client in Argentina, use Argentinian Spanish. If it is for clients in Argentina, Mexico AND Costa Rica, International Spanish is best.

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