By Hilary Picken | February 28, 2019 | Languages
In its heyday, Arabic was the lingua franca of the educated world. Geographically located in the perfect position between east and west, with native speakers from as far apart as Morocco and India, Arabic dominated the trade routes and libraries of many medieval societies. Although its influence has waned in the modern era, a large number of people still speak it, making them a huge market and one that is increasingly regaining its former importance.
The Language Factory only engages native Arabic speakers, all of whom are fluent in the language, its idioms and expressions, and who are steeped in the culture of the regions where it is most prominent.
When looking for professional translation services, it’s vital that you hire someone who understands not just the basic language, but everything behind it. After all, translation isn’t just about words, it’s about meaning, and only a fluent and native speaker can convey the meaning in a way that sounds fluent and natural.
It’s no secret that for the past few centuries, world business has been dominated largely by European languages, but the rise of languages like Arabic for manufacturing, and in the oil and gas industry in particular, means that communicating efficiently and correctly with Arabic speakers is vital. Even a seemingly small mistake could cost a lot of money or even sour relations.
Our translators are experts both in their own language and in the source language, in this case English. This means that not only do they understand what you’re trying to say, but they also convey it accurately and appropriately in Arabic. Their superior knowledge of both languages enables them to avoid any cultural faux pas that could come about from misunderstanding the source text. With the vast cultural differences between the Arabic speaking world and the West, it’s easy to miss out on the simple courtesies or etiquette that are obvious to our native Arabic speakers.
Firstly, it’s important to remember that Arabic is a language that is not just local to one country, but is spoken by inhabitants of a number of different regions, each of which have their own unique history and culture. As such, context is incredibly important in our translations, and so the first thing we will ask you is where the translation is likely to be used. The language you would use for Egypt alone, for example, may be different in terms of word choice and phrasing to how you would address an audience composed of Arabic speakers from across the Middle East.
Of course, as Arabic has a different alphabet to western languages and is written and read from right to left, any text you ask us to translate will therefore be reversed in the translation process. You can also expect that the translation will be 20-25% longer than the original text, due to the change in both language and script.
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