Sounding It Out

How To Best Prepare For Foreign Sound Recordings/Voiceovers

There are many different situations that require the recording of voice tracks in or translated from foreign languages. Whether you are directly or indirectly involved in the process—if you are familiar with the various solutions and well prepared for every scenario, you can ensure efficiency and high quality results.

Let’s first take a look at one of the most common examples in the field of life sciences. In clinical trials and similar research studies, patient as well as physician interviews play a critical role. More insight is gained by expanding the geographic territory of these studies, but in order to proceed with the evaluations, foreign interview recordings must be translated. Creating a transcript and translating the resulting document is time consuming and costly. Another option is to record the English translation as it is simultaneously interpreted by a professional interpreter in the respective language pair. But what does this solution exactly look like and how do you set it up?

The right format

The initial step is similar to what you would do if you were to get a written transcript of the interview(s): you need to make the audio files available to your language support provider of choice. Most likely, the interviews were recorded with a Dictaphone or similar device. Many Dictaphones have proprietary or obscure file formats, so if you can first convert the files to .mp3 or .wav before forwarding them, you will save the time and cost that would be involved if the language company or interpreter were to perform the conversion.

The right linguist

Your project is then to be assigned to a simultaneous interpreter who can record his or her own voice to create an English audio file, which should also be .mp3 or .wav, so you can play it back on your audio player without problems. An interpreter, as opposed to a translator, translates the spoken word, and a simultaneous interpreter does this—you guessed it—at the same time that the original text is spoken. In the world of language translation, this is a highly specialized field, only mastered by linguists with corresponding training and experience. To create the English track for your interviews, he or she will listen to the original, translate what is said verbally while listening and record it in the process. Since this approach leaves no time for research, make any supporting documents you may have (summary, questionnaire, product list, names) available to the interpreter.

The right budget

When budgeting time and cost for the recording, the sound quality of the original makes a difference, as does the clarity of interviewer and interviewee. The interpreter will have to go back to listen to the original track if he cannot understand what is being said, thus adding additional time to the real time of the recording. Regardless of quality and clarity, your budget needs to allow for breaks since simultaneous interpreting is commonly performed in 20-30 minutes blocks—it requires such a high level of concentration that it can only be effectively produced for this amount of time, which is why in any ‘live’ situation (e.g. at conferences), simultaneous interpreters work in pairs.

The right script

But what do you do if you need promotional materials in foreign languages? Radio ads, or voiceovers for web or TV? Interpreters are not the right choice, since you need a carefully adapted copy in the respective language(s) that matches the original but takes into consideration linguistic and cultural differences. While you most likely will have an ad agency or production company assist you with your international promotions, knowing what it entails to create successful versions for each target market can guide you in your interactions with advertising and producing partners.

The right voice

In this scenario, translators specializing in the adaptation of advertising and other creative materials are best suited to create the foreign language copy from your final original before it is recorded by native voiceover talent in the respective language(s). For the recording process, which should take place in a professional recording studio owned or booked by the ad agency or production company, it is extremely helpful to bring in a dialect coach/co-director in the foreign language to ensure the right tone as well as perfect fluency of the recording. To play it safe, it may even be advisable to run the casting tapes by a trusted translator in the respective language, and to make sure that the language variant matches the target market (e.g. Castilian for Spain, Canadian French for Canada). Asking the dialect coach/co-director to stay while editing or running the final copy by him or her will eliminate mistakes that could result when cutting the ad—if the editor does not speak the language, he may accidentally cut out a word or get the order mixed up.

The right choice

Last but not least, you may be considering foreign language versions of your instructional, training or corporate videos. If you are opting against subtitles and prefer voiceovers, you still have the choice of the two options outlined above. For straightforward material, the more cost-effective possibility of recording the simultaneous interpretation could be right for you. If exact phrasing and wording is critical, it may be better to invest in creating written foreign language versions to then be recorded as voiceovers. Since the sound will be set to video, it would be best in both cases to do the recordings at a professional studio.

Apart from knowing the different approaches to foreign sound recording, which will enable you to make an informed decision and give effective instructions to other entities involved, your best bet to be well-prepared in any foreign language recording situation is to:

- Provide as much supporting information as possible.

- Ensure that original audio material is in the right format and of the best possible quality and all material to be translated in its final version.

The result will be sonically and linguistically sound.

N. Gobel for aiaTranslations

Rodolfo Speaks Spanish, right??

If you needed to have your appendix removed, would you ask the EMT that lives next door to take it out? Since she is your neighbor and already knows how to save lives, certainly she could handle the job. You could lay down on the kitchen table and let her take it out with a steak knife. It would certainly be cheaper than seeing a doctor and going to a hospital.

Would it be worth the money you save? No.

As a company in need of translating company communications into another language, why would you consider letting Rodolfo from the IT department translate your new Spanish brochure simply because he was born in Costa Rica?

Will in-house translation save you money? Sure.

Will it be worth it? No!

Someone who is multilingual and a professional translator are two entirely different animals. Translating is more than simply trading one word for another word in a different language. Translation involves the communication of equivalent meanings, contexts and intents from one language or culture to another.

Translating also involves communicating these meanings in a clear and concise manner. Rodolfo may be a native Spanish speaker but can he write well whether its in Spanish or English? A fifth grader may speak English well but would you hire one to write your next marketing brochure? Writing well is a learned and practiced skill.

Good professional translators have years of education in linguistics followed by years of experience translating. Translating source text about a subject with which you are unfamiliar is difficult at best and typically translators have advanced degrees in the field with which they work (healthcare, law, technology, etc.)

Even within a particular field, verbiage can vary widely and be highly unique. Building a relationship with a translation agency means they understand your business. Using up to date software they build glossaries around your business terminology so current and future materials for your business are consistent and correct. Over time these glossaries save you money on future translations.

Can Rodolfo guarantee you the same efficiency and quality? How about confidentiality?

Professional translators are worth the money. They save you time, frustration and communication blunders in the long run. Professional translators are highly qualified and trained to provide you with ethical, accurate and confidential translated materials your business requires.

(Sherry Dineen)

Bad News a Good Way?

A recent study reported in Archives of Surgery looked at 44 general surgery residents who had received "communications training." Yup, this training was designed to help them improve the way they deliver bad news to their patients.

In the study, the doctors were assessed on how they delivered bad news, and on their communication skills in general. Then, they took the class and were subsequently reassessed. Turns out certain aspects of their delivery improved, but their general communication skills did not.

We suppose that doctors are supposed to know how to communicate. Apparently, this is not something that everyone can do. Now imagine if they are charged with communicating across culture and language? How low would they score?

(MARN)

The Times They Are A-Changin’

by Bob Dylan

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

As a nation we are in the middle of a cultural revolution. Can you feel it? The latest census figures are out and times really are changing.

According to the most recent census reports, women are becoming more educated (they now outnumber men in the number of doctoral degrees conferred), populations are shifting from rural and urban areas to the suburbs, and household size is increasing (mostly due to immigrant populations who are more likely to live in multi-generational homes.)

America is also aging and diversifying at a faster rate than anyone predicted.

According to the reports, the number of people age 85 and older (5.5 million) has doubled since 1990. While the older population increases, the younger population is dramatically diversifying.

According to a recent article on the front cover of USA Today, “One of the most significant demographic trends of the past 20 years is the explosive growth of Hispanics.” Half of the population growth in the United States over the past 20 years is from the 30 million person increase in the Hispanic population. One in six Americans is Hispanic.

“An entire Venezuela’s worth of Hispanics was added in just those two decades.” said Robert Lang, urban sociologist, University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the article.

This growth is not just found in traditionally considered high Hispanic population states like California and Florida. In 1990, North Carolina’s population contained only 1% Hispanics, in 2010, the census showed almost 7%. The Hispanic population in Illinois has doubled in the past 20 years going from 7.9% to 15.8%.

While black and white racial relations saturate our nation’s history, 2003 marked the first year Hispanics surpassed African American in population numbers.

After the census figures release in 2000 it was predicted 2050 would be the year our population shifted to less than half non-Hispanic White. That timeline has now shifted to 2042.

Part of this dramatic diversification rate is due to a higher than average birthrate for Hispanic women (2.9 versus the national average of 2.1). Another significant reason is the increased number of people claiming more than one race.

The 2000 census marked the first year people were allowed to select two or more races on their form. Nine million people reported more than one race. Of marriages today, one in seven contains a spouse of a different race or ethnicity. Their bi-racial children will check more than one box on their next census form.

These latest census numbers represent changing times in our nation’s cultural, racial and ethnic history. In the USA Today article, William Frey, demographer at the Brookings Institution, a non-profit public policy organization in Washington, DC, was quoted as saying, “The future is people of all races and ethnicities.”

Change is a beautiful thing.

(Sherry Dineen)

Les Merveilles de l’Oreille

The appeal of not understanding what is said and how to make good use of it

A few weeks ago I had the chance to interpret press interviews for German rock band Rammstein at the Forum in Los Angeles and witnessed their large-scale, fire-wielding show as well as the frenzy of their American fans. It was quite incredible to see (and hear) the audience sing along in a language they don’t actually speak. The language barrier seemed to enhance the appeal of the band much rather than diminish it. Granted, death metal is just the kind of music that lends itself to German interpretation, but the fascination that comes with foreign sounds and what they are communicating on a different level than the words we know goes far beyond the boundaries of musical styles and music itself.

Basic instinct

We tend to have a reaction to what we sense characterizes a specific language—French appears sophisticated and at the same time very sensual not only to English ears, Italian is perceived as passionate while the use of English comes across as trendy in many countries, largely because it is the leading language in popular culture but also in science and technology. Advertisers have been using this tool increasingly since the onset of globalization, but not without roadblocks. A study in Germany a few years back showed that although people responded well to ads and commercials fully or partially in English, they actually understood way less of the content than expected. In order to bring your message to market, it is crucial to know where you rely on the sheer effect of the language itself and where you need specific information to be conveyed.

The seductive power of foreign languages is beautifully demonstrated in Atom Egoyan’s 1993 film “Calendar”. The Armenian-Canadian filmmaker’s protagonist (played by Egoyan himself) invites an attractive woman of a different background for dinner each month, and invariably she gets up half way through the meal to make a personal phone call in her native language, while he listens on. Neither he nor the audience understands what is being said, but the effect is the same every time. It’s the mystery itself that creates the allure of the call.

Forms of seduction

The words need not to be spoken to unfold their alluring effect. As we know from product names, jewelry, T-shirts and even tattoos, the visuals of a foreign language can create an impression that is just as catching. Asian characters have a particular strong impact in the West, although people have become somewhat wary of the fact that slightly different designs can result in entirely different meanings and that mistranslations are common. You wouldn’t want your latest perfume to be called “Strange” when you were going for “Mysterious”. And while deliberate rephrasing or adding of accents to foreign words in the Latin alphabet can create a unique brand or product name, you want to make sure it comes across as an intentional creation and not as bad spelling and/or grammar (singer Rihanna recently took a lot of heat for a supposedly “wrong” French tattoo, but her slightly re-named fragrance escaped criticism).

Cultural affairs

Speaking of the French, it is well known that they are very protective of their culture and language and enacted their latest language protection law in the early nineties, which sets forth that the use of “Anglicism’s” in advertisements and packaging will be fined. That is definitely something to keep in mind when planning a European marketing campaign. Reversely but not less interestingly, the Germans have gone as far as making up their own English words as the popularity of the English language continues to grow. The cell phone is known as “Handy”, bullying as “Mobbing”, and “Oldtimers” is the German term for vintage cars (the classics can be found in the Mercedes museum…).

As always, know thy audience is the open sesame to any market. Tuning into the more subtle delights of a different kind of subtext as only our (actual and virtual) ears can provide, an exploration of the sounds of the unknown might yield just as many surprises as a dive into Rammstein’s dark lyrics.

Nanette Gobel, MA