Over the years Adelphi Translations Ltd have invested heavily in modern Translation Memory software. We are currently the proud owners of Trados 2007 and SDL Studio 2009. Using Translation Memory Software brings two major benefits to our clients: projects can be completed more quickly and deadlines met, and costs can be reduced for repeated translations.
When Translation Memory (TM) software is used to translate a document the source document is processed and broken down by the software into a series of logical sections or ‘segments’. They can be whole sentences, phrases or sub-phrases. The image below shows how an English document has been segmented by the TM software.
When loading the document into the software an empty TM is created which is populated by the source English segments. When the translator enters the translation in the target language column and verifies that segment this is entered into the TM. So now the TM database hold the original English source and its associated translation.
Speed and accuracy are improved even during the translation of a document using TM software. If an exact copy of the segment appears again in the document it will be pre-translated from the TM database which both speeds up the translation process and assures consistency – identical English segments will always be translated in the same way.
When the translation is complete the TM will hold a complete translation of the source document. If you then need another document translated, which contains similar subject matter, the new document can be loaded and run against the TM which will translate any segments which have been translated before in the previous project (100% matches). If the segment is almost, but not exactly, the same as in the previous document the software will alert the translator with a “fuzzy match”. The translator will then check the translation and correct it to be accurate.
A good example of the power of TM would be a technical manual. Your product manual can be translated using TM software. If you then produce an upgrade or version of your product, in which certain features or functions are improved or changed, much of your previous manual may still be relevant. Using TM software, only the new parts of the latest manual will be charged at the full rate.
Both 100% and fuzzy matches speed up the translation process, ensure consistency between documents and will cost less as such matches are charged at a lower rate than new translations.
In order to save both time and money on translation projects it makes sense to partner with a translation company that understands the power of TM software and can use it to increase speed and accuracy and to lower costs. Adelphi Translations can offer you such a service as your translation partners for almost all types of document, from MS word to InDesign, from XML to HTML.
We work for companies and organisations such as Disney, Vidal Sassoon, and Jaguar Land Rover, to list a few. Plus international aid agencies such as Amnesty International, Refugee Action, UNICEF and the Refugee Council as well as many translation agencies and publishing companies all over the world.
By using an IDML file exported from InDesign we can speed up the translation and DTP process when using translation memory software. This method keeps all the formatting from the original InDesign file such as links, character and paragraph styles and fonts plus any interactive elements such as cross-references.
Click here to read more information
Adelphi Translations have done a lot of foreign language subtitling over the years but recently have had more and more requests to add subtitles to Flash movies. Macromedia Flash has become the default movie format on the web over the last few years and is the default format for most on-line film upload sites such as YouTube.
Until recently, however, it has been difficult to add captions or subtitles to Flash which would show in any browser and any Flash player, of which there are many. Even now the only guaranteed solution is to use ‘open captions’, which are ‘burned on’ to the movie itself.
The creation of an XML based caption format, Timed Text XML, has helped to standardise the process. Now the captions can be created in an external file which is linked to the Flash movie and which will play back in many of the popular Flash movie players such as the JWPlayer.
The Timed Text subtitle format looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <tt xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2006/04/ttaf1" xmlns:tts="http://www.w3.org/2006/04/ttaf1#styling"> <head> <styling> <style id="1" tts:textAlign="right"/> <style id="2" tts:color="transparent"/> <style id="3" style="2" tts:backgroundColor="white"/> <style id="4" style="2 3" tts:fontSize="20"/> </styling> </head> <body> <div xml:lang="en"> <p begin="00:00:00.25" dur="00:00:03.25">Dreamweaver users now have access to Flash Video. Didn't have it before.</p> <p begin="00:00:04.20" dur="00:00:03.07">And if you were to talk to a Dreamweaver user about three or four years ago</p> <p begin="00:00:08.03" dur="00:00:01.04">and ask, "You want to put video on a web page?"</p> <p begin="00:00:09.11" dur="00:00:04.00">They would look at you and go "Yeah.Dude.Yeah.Right.Uh Huh. Next."</p> <p begin="00:00:09.11" dur="00:00:04.00">Well never mind then</p> <p begin="00:00:09.11" dur="00:00:04.00">Blah</p> <p xmlns="" begin="00:00:12.11" dur="00:00:04.00">Di ba</p></div> </body> </tt>
To create this kind of file could only be done manually, typing into Notepad, until some kind soul developed a Custom Format file for Subtitle workshop which allows the subtitle file to be exported as Timed Text XML. There is also an on-line tool, ‘Subtitle Horse’ which will export subtitles in the correct XML format. Then the Timed Text subtitles simply have to be linked to your Flash movie and uploaded to your web server.
We are big fans of XML standardised formats here at Adelphi but be aware that many translation services wouldn’t have clue how to handle them. So for all your foreign language subtitling needs give us a call.
In translation projects sometimes the first step will be the transcription of recorded material into a written form. When clients have video or audio materials to be translated but have no script, we will transcribe them. Often the original will be in a foreign language and needs to be translated into English.
Adelphi Studio also offer legal transcription services. We have transcribed legal materials including PACE tapes (Police and Criminal Evidence) in many languages including Urdu, Hindi, Bengali etc. but most requests are still for English transcription.
Transcription can vary enormously in its difficulty. Our recent project involved poor quality recordings of telephone conversations in a mixture of Gujarati and English, making this project especially tricky. If a well-recorded narrator is speaking from a script ‘to camera’ this would be much easier. Even one-to-one interviews can be hard. When listening to a people speaking it is amazing how often sentences are garbled, stopped half-way, possibly continued later or not, speakers overlap each other and the whole conversation is littered with an amazing variety of ‘umms’, ‘errs’ and other vocal throw-aways. A speaker using a language in which they may be fluent but which is not their mother tongue, will also be more difficult to understand and transcribe.
There are two main categories of transcription:
Verbatim Transcription: a 100% accurate transcription of the submitted sound file or recording where nothing is omitted, and no alterations are allowed. This type of transcription service is often preferred for legal transcription (witness statements in court transcriptions) or conference transcriptions.
Intelligent Verbatim Transcription: The transcriptionist is allowed to do some editing to the recording. Abbreviations are replaced with full terms, irrelevant words may be eliminated and grammar may be corrected in order to make the transcription more intelligible and easier to read. This type of verbatim transcription will be better for for focus group transcriptions, academic transcriptions (lectures or speeches), corporate transcriptions or business transcriptions. Because of the editing work involved the cost of this type of transcription may be slightly higher.
Whatever your need, and whichever language the source files are recorded in, Adelphi can help you with your transcription needs.
Adelphi Translations is a full service translation agency producing translations, typesetting, multilingual and foreign language websites, voice overs, Flash files and subtitles in any language.
Adelphi Translations Ltd is working for more and more solicitors throughout the UK producing translation and transcription of documents and audio materials. We also provide certified, or sworn translations.
Many solicitors request translations of foreign documents into English on behalf of their clients. These range from simple marriage certificates to complex tenders, contracts or patents.
Adelphi Translations also produce transcriptions from languages such as Urdu, Chinese, and Arabic etc. These usually take form of audiotapes, which first need transcribing and then translating into English. Most solicitors require parallel text of both languages in either and Excel document or Word table, with the original language on the left and the translation on the right for ease of use and understanding.
A recent Legal Transcription Project
A recent project involved audio recordings of telephone conversations made between a spread-betting agency and their clients and colleagues. Taken involving a case of spread they had to be transcribed from Gujarati and translated into English. The tapes were six hours in duration and of poor quality audio. It was necessary for our team to work over the weekend and through the night to meet the client’s deadline, which was the date of the trial.
Other areas we cover are:
We work for companies and organisations such as Disney, Vidal Sassoon, and Jaguar Land Rover, to list a few. Plus international aid agencies such as Amnesty International, Refugee Action, UNICEF and the Refugee Council as well as many translation agencies and publishing companies all over the world.
By using an IDML file exported from InDesign we can speed up the translation and DTP process when using translation memory software. This method keeps all the formatting from the original InDesign file such as links, character and paragraph styles and fonts plus any interactive elements such as cross-references.
Click here to read more information
Adelphi Translations is a website translation agency specialising in the translation and conversion of English websites into foreign languages.
The World Wide Web has opened up the markets of the world to even the smallest companies. The percentage of people using foreign language websites is growing rapidly.
To make the most of this flexible medium, converting your website to the mother tongues of your target markets is essential. This process involves much more than just translation and is known as ‘localisation’. Localisation is making a translation (of a website or printed document) relevant to a particlular ‘locale’ or place. For example, French is spoken in France, but also in Canada, where cultural references and vocabulary and grammar are different.
Adelphi Translations will convert the text in your website at no additional cost to basic translation! We can handle any level of site from simple ‘on-line brochures’ to database driven sites in many languages.
Using sophisticated translation software we can produce foreign language ‘clones’ of an existing English website without the risk of damaging any embedded code. Adelphi Translations are experienced in working with all aspects of a website including Flash movies, images and sound. Adelphi Translations also have extensive experience in translating websites into the Community Languages of the United Kingdom.
Examples of previous wesbite translations: to view a larger image just click on the image.
Japanese website translation
Chinese website translation
Korean website translation
Swedish, Danish & Finnish website translation
French, German & Italian website translation
Chinese, Russian, French, & Spanish website translation
Urdu, Hindi, Bengali & Punjabi website translation
German, French & Italian website translation
Translating and Typesetting Arabic, or any of the right to left languages which uses a version of the Arabic alphabet, such as Kurdish Sorani, Dari, Urdu or Farsi, poses special problems. As much of the software used in the West cannot Arabic typesetting or handle right-to-left scripts.
When designing an English brochure that will eventually be translated and typeset into Arabic or any other right to left language remember the following:
We often get asked to use Arabic numbers in our Arabic typesetting but “Arabic numbers” are actually most commonly refer to as the numerals widely used in Europe and the Americas. e.g. 123456789. Whereas the client often wants us to use Arabic-Indic numbers. See below.
Things become particularly tricky when typesetting Arabic translations which contain either a mixture of right-to-left and left-to-right languages, or which have English embedded within the Arabic itself. Sentences which include, for example, phone numbers or European addresses require the software to switch between r-t-l and l-t-r algorithms mid-sentence. Simple tasks such as cutting and pasting, or removing an extra space suddenly become very difficult and requires an experienced typesetter in Arabic translations!
The below sample shows a mixture of three languages Urdu, Bengali and English on the same page. As can be seen care has to be given to allowing appropriate space.
Mixed Bengal, Urdu English example
The two samples below show the difference between translating and typesetting the same document into a left-to-right language and a right-to-left language. In this example the languages are Italian and Urdu.
 TB Alert Urdu Translation and Typesetting |
 TB Alert Italian Translation and Typesetting |
For more information on Arabic typesetting call Adelphi on +44 (0)114 272 3772
Adelphi Translations is a full service translation agency producing translations, multilingual and foreign language websites, typesetting, voice overs and subtitles in any language.
We work for companies and organisations such as Disney, Vidal Sassoon, and Jaguar Land Rover, to list a few. Plus international aid agencies such as Amnesty International, Refugee Action, UNICEF and the Refugee Council as well as many translation agencies and publishing companies all over the world.
By using an IDML file exported from InDesign we can speed up the translation and DTP process when using translation memory software. This method keeps all the formatting from the original InDesign file such as links, character and paragraph styles and fonts plus any interactive elements such as cross-references.
Click here to read more information
Our Foreign Language voice-over artists at Adelphi are able to provide you with high quality recordings for your Film, TV, web or DVD projects. Adelphi also produces Foreign Language translations. We can sync the recorded Foreign Language voice back into your video making it ready to publish.
You can filter by language, dialect, level of professional experience and sex of the artist by using the drop-down menus.
Click + to add voices to favourites and these will automatically be included in your quote request.
Click the + to add voices to favourites these will automatically be added to your quote request. Fill out the rest of the form and we will get back to you with a quote.
To see all the available audio samples and get a quote for artists, please choose a language above.
Where possible, Adelphi offers three levels of voice-over artists to match any level of recording you require: Professional, Semi-pro and Standard.
Full time professional voice-over artists experienced in all aspects of voice recording
Semi-professional voice-over artists experienced in producing high-level corporate productions
Voices for your community language projects and budget productions
The level of Foreign Language voice-over required can vary. Some clients require high-level, BBC style Foreign Language voice-over artists for commercial use, others require just a clear reading voice, while some prefer a Foreign Language voice-over by a local amateur. The choice is the client’s. Depending on the subject matter, some choose a male or female for their Foreign Language voice and specify a specific age group.
At Adelphi we will try to accommodate whatever type of Foreign Language voice-over you require. We will either send samples of artists we already have on our books, or search for and record new voices for you to choose from. Please be aware that the price of a voice-over artist will be dependent on their level of experience.
Adelphi Translations Ltd is a full service translation agency producing not only Foreign Language translations but also Foreign Language websites, Foreign Language typesetting and Foreign Language Subtitling. Adelphi ensures that all our translators are professional and work only into their mother tongue. This ensures accuracy. All our translators are members of either the Institute of Linguists or the Institute of Translations & Interpreters. They will also have a minimum of three years experience in professional translation. Your project is matched to the most suitable translator with the relevant expertise to translate your document.
Adelphi records Foreign Language voice-overs for e-learning companies and their clients and has a rich experience with the specific requirements this kind of work involves. We can offer you a diverse range of affordable Foreign Language e-learning voice talents, varying from high-end professional actors to our standard voices for more locally-minded or budget-conscious projects.
We also provide transcription services to provide time-coded scripts for translation. The length of many languages will expand when compared to original English and care must be taken in the translation to keep the true meaning of the English, while staying within the time frame allowed. For voice-overs and depending on the language, we sometimes have to edit the English to make a more concise version of the original, this is because the spoken version of many languages is much longer than the English and would not fit in the allocated time-slot. Of course the edited English is approved by the client before translation into Foreign Language.
Our in-house studio includes professional sound booths, the latest digital recording and software systems with a team of highly and widely experienced professional producers, studio engineers and mixing engineers. We can deliver files in a variety of formats according to your requirements.
Adelphi Translations Limited is a company registered in England and Wales.
Company Number 06989736 · Registered Office Barnsley Digital Media Centre, County Way, Barnsley, S70 2JW, UK
