History is replete with examples of "lost in translation" problems. While some, like the Chevy Nova's disastrous Mexico product launch (Nova or "no va" means "It Doesn't Go" in Spanish) might just cost a company a lot of money, other language faux pas have cost lives. One story from the bible has a man pretending he's not a foreigner in order to escape death. It was a simple test to find out if he was a foreigner or not: "Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him..." Don't let your website be the stranger in a strange land.
If you're considering expanding your website's reach by translating it into a foreign language, there are several rules to a more successful launch of a translated site. First, it's important to use a professional translator, familiar with the countries you're targeting. Second, a website's content often needs some localization, in addition to simple translation. Third, you need to be involved in the translation process, and fourth, have a plan for ongoing foreign language customer service both on line and off. These suggestions can make your website's translation into a foreign language a smooth process.
To begin, it's important to deal with a professional translator when translating your website. Why do people use professional translators if the only requirement to get a document translated into another language is someone who spoke the target language? There are English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese speakers of every level of grammar, spelling, quality of vocabulary and reading comprehension possible. A document, website, or other translated material is only as good as its weakest link. If a document is well written, and meticulously prepared - only to be translated by someone without professional translating ability, the document will likely be negatively affected. A professional translator will use proper grammar, will use more appropriate phraseology to accurately match not just the meaning in the original document, but also the tone, or other nuance that is important to the document. Using a professional translator will make sure your efforts don't result in an amateurish foreign-language version of your website.
Localization, or tailoring a website to a local culture or region, goes beyond simply changing the language of the words. Different cultures or regions may share a similar language, yet material may not be easily understood, or even apply. Legal information may differ between different areas. Tone or attitude of a piece may be entirely appropriate in one area, but be inappropriate in another area. For webmasters, this can apply from items such your site's privacy policy to the refund policy you offer your customers. As you have your website or documentation translated, be sure to seek help if your content needs any type of localization service aside from simple language translation.
Next, be available to your translator during the translation process. After setting a deadline for the translation work, make sure you are in some type of contact with your translator for questions. If the translation is done face to face, this is easy. If you take advantage of one of the experienced professional website translation services online, set a time to be available for questions, or let the translator know how to reach you for any clarifications they may need. If your content contains technical or other industry jargon, a quick question by your translator can make for a smoother translation of specialized vocabulary. You're the expert on your content. Your translator is an expert on the target language. Work together for a better final product.
Finally, have a plan for post-translation customer handling. Ok - so you've translated your company's annual report into a little known tribal dialect from a small Central Asian country. Now how do you handle customer inquiries, phone calls or sales from these countries? If you don't have a foreign-language staff, do you plan to have a language specific email address? Will you take foreign language phone calls? Plan for success and have a plan in place for the results you'll achieve in your target country. A good translating service can provide some insights to help you handle your new business. Some even offer continuing service options. Work with your translator to be ready to support the business your translated sales information, documents or website will yield.
By working with someone specializing in business document and website translation, localizing as well as translating your site, working with your translator and having a plan for post-translation customer support, your efforts to expand into other markets will be more likely to provide more results, without a lot of headaches.
? History Examination
? Physical Examination
Combined, these two make the physician report of ?history and physical examination.? The history portion is the patient's own description of his or her experiences, observations, symptoms or complaints of illness. The physical examination consists of a process whereby the physician seeks and observes objective changes and abnormalities, which are the signs of illness.
In a typical case, a skillfully obtained history provides a larger number of diagnostic clues that are more useful and specific than the actual physician's physical examination.
To get the most out of your doctor visit, be well prepared with a thorough list or report describing your illness or ailment. I have written detailed reports for personal use, and granted, a physician may not always need such details as I have provided, but?..in one case in particular I think without my detailed report I would have not gotten the expert treatment as I eventually got. Sometimes, you have to really ?jar? the minds of the physician to really get out of them the diagnosing and treating skills specific to your particular illness or ailment.
By definition, the physical examination includes those procedures performed directly by the physician as he relies on his own senses, with the aid of hand-held instruments. X-rays, laboratory studies, electrocardiography and electromyography, various scans or other techniques may eventually be absolutely essential to make a precise and accurate diagnosis. These are not considered part of the physical examination.
The word ?diagnosis? in medicine is an interesting word to think about what it means. First, it is the intellectual process of analyzing, identifying, or explaining a disease. The diagnosis forms the subject matter and means the explanation proposed for a patient's problems. Physicians speak about arriving at a diagnosis or of making a tentative diagnosis. So that the history and physical examination report is a physician's report of his findings during the interview with a patient and his own examination with a goal of moving toward a diagnosis for this patient.
Upon dictating the history and physical report, the physician will include patient's name, patient's date of birth and other identification information such as hospital number or private practice number, etc. The medical transcriber must be very careful that he or she transcribes the patient identification information accurately.
The medical report of a thorough history and physical contains more negative than positive statements. This is due to the fact that a physician is not concerned only with compiling a list of abnormalities about the patient. He or she must establish a complete picture of the patient's condition; therefore, he must also say what common or relevant symptoms and signs are not present.
The language of medicine is like a ?foreign language? that a Medical Transcriptionist must learn as well. It is sort of like while in Rome, you must be like the Romans and speak and understand as the Romans. When transcribing medical dictation a Medical Transcriptionist is in the foreign land of ?Medicine,? and he or she must or will learn the language of this foreign land.
The language in which a physician writes or dictates a history and physical contains many recurring terms, phrases, and formulas. Some of these terms and phrases are formal medical terminology, while others are highly informal, perhaps regional, institutional, or even individual, and do not appear in conventional medical reference books. For these types of phrases and terms, a Medical Transcriptionist usually learns them as she goes.
Of course, the History and Physical medical report is not the only medical document that a Medical Transcriptionist produces in the daily schedule of Medical Transcription. There are many more reports and much more to learning the language of medicine than meets the eye.
Formal education is definitely a ?must? in today's Medical Transcription work environment. You will to start your own personal library of books and references along with notebooks of these out-of-print types of words and phrases physicians use when they dictate.
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Both Armando Riquier & Connie Limon are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Armando Riquier has sinced written about articles on various topics from Language, Marketing and Communications and Software. About the author:Armando Riquier is a freelance expert translator and writer working in collaboration with the Tectrad group, a professional services agency specialized in. Armando Riquier's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.