Susanna Martoni
Words, and the world of words, form basically an attitude which has always been accompanying my thoughts and lifestyle.
Maybe that’s why today I am a translator.
Most of my experience dates back to the Nineties, when I was working in my translation agency. This period has represented a key starting and development point for my skills and passions, and finally marked my whole life. There, I could experience the processing of several and different texts: translations of novels, cookbooks, fairy tales and nursery rhymes; technical translations, corporate contracts, products marketing policies and much more.
My current translation career is mainly based on the following tasks:
- technical translations: industry manuals, hardware & software instructions
- business agreements, quality policies and procedures, customers and staff satisfaction questionnaires, training and refresher courses
- patent translation (electronics, mechanics, information technology)
- translations for the publishing industry
- reviews (both human translations and MTPE)
My working languages are English and Spanish.
When music transcends language. The lasting impact of Despacito
Written by Tomedes, Smart Human Translations
Globalisation has brought about a number of changes to the way we shop, learn, travel and relax. It has also created the opportunity for art – be it music, literature or film – to transcend language and achieve a global impact.
Despacito
The song Despacito is the perfect example of this. The lyrics of the song (in Spanish) are familiar to people across the globe as a result of its rise to fame. Luis Fonsi’s song has racked up well over five billion views on YouTube and has won accolades from the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Billboard Latin Music Awards and Latin Grammy Awards.
The Spanish language song has been played around the world, with the catchy blend of Latin pop and urban music tapping in perfectly to modern popular culture.
Impact of Despacito
As well as lining the pockets of writers Luis Fonsi, Erika Ender and Daddy Yankee, Despacito has had a notable impact on Puerto Rico itself (where Fonsi is from). Indeed, it was reported in Puerto Rico that the song and its music video, which showed off Puerto Rican locations such as La Perla in Old San Juan and Club La Factoría, had increased tourist interest in the country by a staggering 45% as a result of its worldwide success.
Translation in the web of semiotics
By Henrik Gottlieb
As semiotics implies semantics – signs, by definition, make sense – any channel of expression in any act of communication carries meaning.