Boat Show Quality Translated

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The top-class finishing of motor yachts at the London Boat Show 2017 impressed me. Manufacturers do not appear to skimp on any detail. The quality is high both inside and out. Every surface sparkles with care and attention. Can we translate this between the boat and translation industries?

Translators are constantly under pressure to produce higher quality faster. A warning from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)* caught my attention:

Reflection and Risks

The RNLI knows about safety. Dropping your anchor gives you time to think about a problem. Panic can create even greater difficulties. 

A translator needs time to think too. Increasing pressure to translate immediately without reflection or using an unedited machine translation can leave a client in stormy seas.

The RNLI advises people to know the risks and respect the water.

Translators advise clients on linguistic risks and respect cultural differences.

Security and Risk Prevention

Safety equipment at the show reflects the high importance of safety to the boat industry. I saw life-rafts and a huge range of life jackets. 

Flares are important in case of emergencies. Good translators ask questions to signal potential difficulties and prevent risks. A translator's safety equipment is in quality checks. It is never advisable to compromise on such 'security' checks.

Reliable Direction & Quality

You need reliable charts to set you in the right direction at sea. Technology is not always reliable. It's the same for translation. 

A boat manufacturer also needs quality marketing materials with quality copy to succeed in a crowded market. The chart of crowded shipping lanes reminds us of the importance of a strong, well-translated or transcreated message.

Professional Captain

The boat industry understands the importance of good communications at sea. A well-trained, experienced and professional Captain keeps you out of harm's way. 

A professional translator is your guide in unfamiliar translation seas. Your boat won't go anywhere without a fair wind or a good engine. Like your captain, your translator needs a good brief from you to take you where you want to go.

A quality yacht deserves investment in quality documentation. 
Quality marketing translations make for a smooth sales passage.

* British charitable institution that saves lives at sea.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Commemorative Poppies

5,000 poppies paid a tribute of respect and remembrance at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week. This was a recreation of the Anzac Day tribute in Melbourne, Australia in 2015. Homemade crocheted poppies captured worldwide attention with an estimated 50,000 contributors.

Verdun

World War I commemorations take place today at Verdun in Lorraine, France. The French President, François Hollande has invited the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel to join him at the French national event for the Centenary of the Battle of Verdun.

The Somme

The UK will commemorate the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme on 1^st July. The ceremony will be held at the Thiepval Memorial in Northern France to remember British, Commonwealth and French war dead.

Scottish vigil

Scotland will stage a commemorative ceremony on 30^th June in the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. Regimental associations will stage a vigil throughout the night until 7.30am on 1^st July. Fifty-one Scottish battalions took part in the Battle of the Somme that lasted for 4 months, sustaining heavy losses.

Other vigils

Similar overnight vigils will take place in Westminster Abbey, in County Down in Northern Ireland and at the Welsh National War Memorial in Cardiff.

France and Germany together

I remember spending my year abroad in Lorraine. The wounds between France and Germany still seemed raw in the area then. It is therefore remarkable and commendable that France and Germany can join together in this way today.

Perhaps it will send hope that other conflicts in the world can be resolved? Deep wounds can heal. Although those nations in conflict today should note how many generations it takes for former enemies to work together.

We should remember Santayana’s words:

“Those who cannot remember the past

 are condemned to repeat it.”

Families

These two long World War One battles are a testament to how senseless war is. So many young men lost their lives with little ground gained. So many families were affected by the losses in Europe and worldwide.

Poppies of Remembrance

The World War One battlefields gave us our symbol of remembrance. The humble poppy bloomed on the worst battlefields in Flanders. Today its brilliant red colour recalls the blood spilled in all wars and conflicts.

The poppy remains significant. The huge crowds that viewed the Tower of London’s ceramic poppies last year demonstrated this.

Some 50,000 crocheted poppies were displayed in front of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea this week. The display had special significance as this is the home of the Chelsea Pensioners, the UK's veteran soldiers.

The project began as a small personal tribute by two Australian women to their fathers. The Chelsea Flower Show leaflet describes:

“a worldwide outpouring of respect and remembrance 

to those who have served their countries in all wars, 

conflicts and peacekeeping operations.”

Carpet of crocheted poppies in front of Royal Chelsea Hospital

Families want to go on remembering.

 Telegraph article

The Tower of London Poppies Video: