I’ve been in sunny Portugal for the last week; a great antidote for the winter blues (and greys). As always, the food was fresh and delicious but sometimes the menu translations left something to be desired. (Not that I would be any better if I had to translate a British menu into Portuguese.)
Have you worked out yet what a ‘dose of ships’ could be? It took us a while to realise this meant a ‘portion of chips’. We had to visit the Portuguese section of the menu where we saw ‘batatas fritas’ – fried potatoes – before we got it. Given that we’d just been cycling for a couple of hours in the countryside, that dose of ships was very welcome, along with the splendid chicken salad we chose. And it’s always good to have a laugh . . .
Getting It Right
It all reminded me that if you want to a) look professional and b) not baffle your customers and c) not risk your product being returned, then it’s very important to get it right for your customers, wherever and whoever they are.
Here at Accutranslate, we are acutely aware that our translations need to be impeccable. Our native English speakers and our translators work together to ensure that our translations are correct for what is being conveyed. Machines can’t do this, neither can someone who has a modicum of the language needed. Translation is a complex, time-consuming job – and it’s worth it every time for every business, however small or large
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