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Which version of Chinese?
There is often confusion with the names used to describe
the Chinese language.
There are several forms of spoken Chinese,
or dialects. Mandarin is the principal version with over a
billion speakers - about 870 million speak it as a first language,
and an additional 180 million or so people speak it as a second
language. When people refer to spoken “Chinese”
this is the version they are generally referring to. Other
dialects include Cantonese, spoken mainly in Hong Kong and
Guangdong (Canton) province in Mainland China, and Taiwanese,
and there are many more.
When it comes to written Chinese there are
two forms – Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
Simplified Chinese (using a character set that has been “simplified”
from the traditional Chinese characters) is used in Mainland
China, Singapore and broadly throughout South East Asia. Traditional
Chinese (using the traditional Chinese characters) is used
in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and generally in material for use in
Australia and elsewhere in the English speaking world.
Thus translations into Chinese are either in Traditional
Chinese or Simplified Chinese, and
it is vital to use the correct written form for the appropriate
market. It is therefore not uncommon to have both a Traditional
Chinese translation and a Simplified Chinese translation of
a particular text.
Chinese Translation
The vast majority of texts can be readily and easily translated
between English and Chinese. Nevertheless the major differences
between Chinese and Western traditions, thought and culture
do create challenges when dealing with certain concepts and
subject areas. However Chinese-English translators are trained
in techniques and approaches to overcoming these difficulties.
The translation of English names into Chinese can be difficult.
Company names using standard vocabulary (The International
Language Company, for example) can often be directly translated
into the corresponding Chinese words. More often though company
and personal names will be transliterated – the approximate
sounds of the English name reproduced in Chinese. There are
many Chinese character combinations possible, and therefore
many different possible ‘translations’ for most
names. The translator will take care that the characters (sounds)
chosen in Chinese have positive connotations and create an
appropriate impression for the Chinese speaker.
Chinese Typesetting
Whilst Microsoft Office applications and web design programs
can handle Chinese fonts (double byte characters), most English
graphic design programs cannot. InDesign and Illustrator are
exceptions, and with these programs Chinese translations are
normally supplied as standard files with the Chinese text
typeset and then outlined to curves. For other programs, the
Chinese translation is normally typeset in Illustrator then
placed in the design file as outlined eps files.
Typesetting Chinese text poses no particular difficulties
or problems for the experienced Chinese typesetter. Generally
a Chinese translation will take up less space than the equivalent
English text, which can allow more white space, larger point
sizes, etc than the English version. Chinese text can be typeset
either vertically or horizontally, with the latter more common
these days.
In addition to an appreciation of Chinese design aesthetics,
appropriate font selection is vital for Chinese typesetting,
and should be left to our Chinese typesetters. Choosing fonts
based on European aesthetic considerations frequently results
in a less than optimal impact to the Chinese eye.
Chinese Translations & Typesetting - Our Advantages:
The Best Chinese Translators
We use only experienced, professionally qualified Chinese translators with a proven track record of consistent professional-quality work.
Quality Assurance
All Chinese translations undergo full checking and proofing procedures to ensure accuracy and eliminate ‘human error’. All typesetting is double checked and subject to translator sign off before delivery.
Confidentiality
Full confidentiality of all material is guaranteed at all times.
Chinese Language Experience!
We have over 20 years experience translating and typesetting all types of materials in over 80 languages.
