Newsletter

How wrong translations led to wars and bloopers

Many people assume that if others can speak a language, they can translate it. If you are talking about simple sentences such as, “I would like some beer,” the answer is probably correct. If you are talking about business, technical or political issues, incorrect translations have led to extremely serious consequences. Vietnam On August 2,… Continue reading

Forget the stork. Don’t step in the Mist. A peach is still a peach. Friday Funnies begins now

Welcome to Spook-tacular October! October, the month of ghouls and goblins, ghosts and gremlins is here again! What was once a single day of childhood customs and sugar overloads has become a month-long celebration of monstrous fun for all ages. It's also a month that features other unique holidays and celebrations. For instance: World Egg… Continue reading

Translated websites: How to avoid cow dung

Consider the following consumer trends: 93% of world internet users are outside North America1 76% of world consumers want information in their own language2 68% of consumers would switch to a different brand that offers support in their native language3 57% of consumers consider it a bias when brands don’t offer end-to-end multilingual experiences to… Continue reading

Announcement to our friends: The Great 14th – now streaming!

Auerbach International is delighted to announce that The Great 14th, the unique autobiography of the (current) 14th Dalai Lama, is now available for streaming, subtitled in English and 21 other languages. We are proud to have translated and created subtitles for this amazing film into the languages below and are excited to help Frame of… Continue reading

Poached or Grilled .Pooch or Pirate. And watch out for that Wang Wang… it’s time for Friday Funnies

September signals the beginning of Fall. September is the month of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and beginning of the High Holidays. It is the month of Michaelmas, the Celtic ancient Quarter Day that celebrates the end of the harvest season. And the month we observe the autumnal equinox, the date on which the… Continue reading

No diplomatic blunders. No exploding translations.

This summer we have presented various solutions to problems that many organizations were not aware of. And as summer closes, we’d like to reprise them here as you plan for the autumn: EVENT INTERPRETING Conferences with international participants must rely on simultaneous interpreting to convey speakers’ messages immediately in attendees’ languages. In-person conferences require interpreters… Continue reading

Stay away from the Mosquitos and stay out of the Mist, it’s the Friday Funnies

Welcome to August!!! Ah, August, the month that brings a conclusion to summer. The return to school is within sight and that means a race to cram that promised vacation in before the end of the month. Families from coast to coast are loading up the old, pea green Family Truckster and hitting the road.… Continue reading

Cannibals, Mountain Pastures, Cell Phones, Baked Beans and Big… ah, BIG Friday Funnies

Happy July to All! The dog days of Summer are upon us and that, of course, means most of us are preparing to celebrate National Drive-Thru Day. Based on the price of a gallon of gas, it may be a subdued celebration this year. Fortunately, we have an almost endless procession of non-petroleum based holidays.… Continue reading

How translations can explode your best intentions

Many companies use overseas agents or distributors to do their translations. You assume, because “they know our product well,” that their renderings are accurate. But how can you be certain? Over our 30+ years, we have seen many cases where: Agents rewrite your message to what they think it should say, not what you want… Continue reading