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According to a legend, the first Korean nation existed 5,000 years ago on the northern part of Korean peninsula. Son of God came with other gods, and married a bear who turned into a woman after eating only garlic and green onion in the cave for 100 days. Koreans have developed unique way of life for over 5,000 years. And their language is a part of that culture and is very delicate and unique.

People say Japanese might be worst translators not only because it takes so much time as they have to type in from 64 Hiragana and also numerous Chinese characters when translating from English to Japanese, but also because the syntax of Japanese is so different from English. Korean is more or less the same, although King Sejong who invented 24 characters of Korean seems to have saved many translators of today.

While native Korean people learn English from kindergarten these days, and are very good in translating English into Korean which they practice so much at school, most are not very good in translating Korean to English. First because syntax is different. Order of Korean words are just the opposite of English word. There are expressions that don’t exist in the other language. And since Korean culture is not directed toward saying honestly what is on your mind, sometimes you have read between the lines to catch what it really means. To make the problem worse, some Korean legal documents are just too long to translate into English, sometimes one sentence being two pages long.

How to choose the best Korean translator? A native American would have hard time understanding Korean language, although there could be a few exceptions of those who read Korean newspapers and watched Korean movies and dramas and talked with their parents in Korean most of the times. A native Korean who has MA or above, who majored in literature or was employed at a job requiring much writing like journalist or professor, and who lived in U.S. for 5 years or more, going to school and employed as professional, who had more than 5 years of experience in translation, is my ideal candidate for Korean translation. Otherwise, there would be a lot of misunderstanding of the original, adding and deleting some words and phrases, and unnatural writing style. With such serious documents as legal and medical documents that have impact on human life and liberty, we cannot afford poor translation.

It is obvious that machine translation has not been able to catch up with human mind that lived in both cultures and mastered the delicate nuance of the language.

Contact our Korean Translation Service Division today for top quality Korean to English and English to Korean translation and interpreter services for your legal, medical, technical and corporate documents. We sure know who is the best for you!

“통역사는 21세기의 블루오션 직종이에요” 엘에이 동시통역대학원장 박준희 교수의 말이다. 통역사가 되는 것은 쉽지 않다. 한국에서 태어나 미국에서 공부를 했거나, 미국에서 태어나 한국어를 공부했거나, 상당히 오랜 기간 양 문화에 익숙해진 경험이 있어야 한다. 그러나 일단 그런 인생경험이 있다면, 다른 투자 필요없이 약간의 훈련을 받아 고소득을 창출하며 사람들을 도와주고 사회에 기여할 수 있다.

“향후 5년간 가장 수요가 성장할 직종이 통역사입니다.” 세계화와 FTA와 함께 많은 다국적기업들이 법정분규에 불가피하게 관여되고 전문적인 통역사를 필요로 한다. 특히 법정과 병원은 항상 통역사를 필요로 하는 곳이다. “앞으로는 병원에서도 공인통역사만 통역할 수 있도록 법이 바뀔 거에요.”

“통역사는 변화 무쌍한 환경에서, 많은 것을 늘 새로 배우고 성장하는 매력있는 직업입니다. 보스도 없고, 경쟁자도 없는 편이고, 스트레스도 많지 않고, 전문성만 있으면 되는 편안한 직업이죠.” 서울대학교를 졸업한 박준희 원장은 평생의 반을 미국에서, 반을 한국에서 살면서 대학교수를 하다가 법정통역사가 된 후 엘에이동시통역대학원을 설립하여 후학의 양성에 힘써왔다. “통역사가 되는 것이 어렵지는 않지만, 잘 하려면 피아노나 골프처럼 꾸준하게 연습하며 포기하지 않는 것이 중요합니다.”

“특히 의료통역사 자격증은 법정통역사만큼 어렵지 않고, 일도 쉬워서, 이중언어라면 꼭 도전해 보시도록 권장하고 싶습니다.”

30 million Japanese to English translation

Tokyo Electron and Applied Materials are heading toward a merger. They are still apparently in the process of demonstrating to governmental authorities that the merger will not reduce competition to the point of unfairness and/or demonstrating to their stockholders that they have done due diligence prior to the merger. Why are we writing about this on a blog concerned with translation? The ripples of these efforts have already been felt by translator providers, not only in the US, but also in far-off China and India.

Some entity (probably legal counsel for Applied Materials and/or Tokyo Electron) has purportedly ordered 30 million words of translation from Japanese into English, to be done in just three weeks, according to the brokers attempting to do the translation. From comments heard by translators, the ordering entity has evidently gone to numerous translation brokers in efforts to get this work done.

A number of translation brokers have offered this work to some qualified Japanese-to-English translators at rates that would only be attractive to JA-to-EN translators in India, China, or perhaps Eastern Europe (USD 0.06 and USD 0.07 per word—take note, Applied Materials and/or Tokyo Electron). Most of these translators seem to be wisely ignoring these comically low offers.

Going around and coming around. As of March 16th, translators in the US have revealed that they have gotten inquiries from not only a huge translation broker in the US, but also from translation brokers in China (apparently three brokers), India, Italy, and Egypt that the US broker is apparently subcontracting to for the same merger project. What connection do these subcontracting brokers have with Japanese/English translation? None, other than a desire to broker some of the work to desperate translators willing to work for very low rates.

Late breaking news: A translator has now revealed that a China translation broker sent her files that are to be translated as part of this project–unsolicited. So much for confidentiality.

The scenario that could explain this is obvious, but only if you understand the workings of the bulk translation market. The ordering entity (probably a US law firm) gives the work (or a request-for-quote) to US translation brokers, which turn around and give the work to Chinese and Indian brokers (and, in this case, brokers in Italy and Egypt as well). In addition to using their very cheap (and often not very good) translators, the Chinese and Indian brokers then, perhaps hoping that there are numerous translators in the US desperate enough to work with a Chinese or Indian broker, go to translators in the US with a ridiculously low rate.

It is time for a reality check on the part of numerous people involved in this comedy. Doing 30 million words in three weeks, assuming each translator puts out 2500 words per day on average, would require 571 translators working every day for 21 days. What this tells anybody in the translation business is that it will not be possible to use good translators, who are few in number and usually (because they are good) busy. The solution to this problem (again, obvious to people in the industry) is to use bad translators, who are available and willing to work cheaply. Translation brokers are very familiar with where to find bad-but-cheap translators; they are power users of such people.

What will likely happen. Although the translation brokers claim to translators that they have 30 million words to translate in three weeks, it is utterly impossible for them to do that using qualified translators. Only a tiny fraction will be given to qualified translators, who are already being offered USD 0.07 per word (again, please take note, Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron). The overwhelming portion of this work will be done in China, India, or other Third World venues at much lower prices than USD 0.07 per word. Unless they are reading this blog (and I hope they are), the end users (Applied Materials and/or Tokyo Electron and their counsel) will never know what hit them and why it hit them when they see the garbage sold to them as translation.

Medical and Cosmetic Surgery Tourism in South Korea

Medical tourism is now a $40 billion market worldwide and is expanding at the rate of 25% per annum. For Californians, in recent years this has commonly been associated with patients traveling to Thailand, Singapore or India, where a range of treatment such as coronary artery bypass, orthopaedic surgery, rhinoplasty, face-lifts or gender reassignment surgery can be obtained with a saving from 65-90% on the cost of similar surgery back home. Many US patients take this option when they find that their medical insurance does not cover the procedure they require. South Korea has entered this market with the aim of becoming not only one of the major destinations for medical tourism, but to offer a service with government support that complies with internationally accepted standards of practice and care, and which is free from the negative associations often attached to medical tourism.

Rising numbers

According to South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, numbers of tourists visiting the country for cosmetic surgery has increased by 500% since 2009, with over fifteen thousand patients being treated over the last year; revenue from the entire medical tourism sector in 2012 amounted to $453 million, an increase of 300% over the same five year period. South Korean Plastic surgery trips cost an average of $14,000, which includes air fare, accommodation and airport pick-ups. Clinics provide a range of special services such as multi-lingual websites, email, video consultations and medical interpreters. Most clinics are situated in the affluent Seoul neighborhood of Gangnam, which this year opened a visitor center to help patients choose an accredited hospital. The government has taken measures to crack down on hospitals that work with unregistered tourist agencies, and the state-run Human Resources Development Service of Korea offers an examination for qualification as a specialized medical tour operator. The government is actively promoting the industry abroad with a target of creating 20,000 jobs over the next four years.

The Korean Tourism Organization (KTO) has been designated by the government to handle the majority of the promotional work for Korean medical tourism. From 2009, visitors coming to Korea for medical treatment have been able to take advantage of a special visa for a period of 3 months or a year. The KTO advises that patients obtain a written diagnosis and referral from their family doctor, which will provide invaluable information on all their medical needs to the doctors in Korea. Open communication between the patient, family doctor, medical coordinator and South Korean doctors is routine, and patients’ treatment records and aftercare recommendations are sent back to their family doctor. South Korea’s healthcare system is amongst the best in the world, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare works closely with healthcare providers to enforce public health and safety policies. South Korean hospitals are technically advanced in the use of both state-of-the-art clinical technology and management systems, and cutting edge medical procedures; they also maintain a broad approach to therapy that includes traditional eastern practices such as acupuncture and herbal treatments. Recent research by Ipsos puts South Korea’s healthcare system at the top of the league table in terms of improvement in service over the past five years.

Perfecting cosmetic surgery

In a 2011 poll by Seoul city government, 32% of respondents said they would be willing to undergo plastic surgery to improve their looks – a rise of 21.5% since 2009. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of procedures undertaken in 2011 numbered more than 13 for every 1,000 people, which is the highest rate for any country in the world. Hundreds of cosmetic surgery clinics cluster around the Gangnam subway stations in the so-called beauty belt, where Seoul’s reputation as the best place in the world for plastic surgery grows at a pace. Business has never been so good. Kim Byung, who owns BK Plastic Surgery, says that there is a staggering demand for plastic surgery among Koreans, who now flood into the area alongside increasing numbers of patients from around the world. He employs six surgeons and thirty interpreters, who speak – amongst other languages – Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and English. The international nature of the plastic surgery business and the importance of good communication mean that the presence of qualified and accredited specialist medical interpreters is paramount.

Medical interpreters

Patients must make their own decisions about treatment, and these need to be based on informed advice given by the doctor. This is the first principal of good medical practice that can break down when going abroad for procedures and patient and doctor do not properly understand each other. Approximations will not do. In the best of circumstances, doctors can have difficulty understanding a patient who is sick, injured or – in the case of consultations about cosmetic surgery – distressed about their problem or anxious about the surgical procedures. The particulars of a patient’s concerns and the doctor’s medical judgments must be equally clear to both as if they shared the same mother tongue.

Doctors should give advice only; there should be no coercion. The patient should be free to reject whatever he says, even if medically it might not be the best decision. Medical interpreters must reflect this not only in the content of their translations but in the tone of voice and manner with which they pass it on to the patient or doctor, who must both be as comfortable with the interpreter as with each other. The ideal consultation is an open and relaxed discussion of a problem where all participants feel at ease.

Looking to the future

KTO’s Medical Tourism Center’s Deputy Director Hyungtaek Lim said that South Korea’s expertise makes it more than capable of meeting the rising demand. ‘Korea has one of the most specialized industries in the world, with highly advanced technologies. In addition, doctors must undergo a rigorous eleven year training period before they are able to specialize.’ Korean doctors are revered for their skills, which result in shorter surgery and recovery times – ideal for patients who are on short-term visits. The quality of medical services and technology is a major reason why patients choose to come to South Korea.

LA Translation and Interpretation has a subsidiary company Korean Medical Travel Co., Inc. to provide 1-stop service for Medical and Cosmetic Tourism in South Korea. We provide certified Korean medical interpreters and refer you to the top physicians in Korea as well as plan great trips. For more info, call 1-866-327-1004.

LA Translation has translated volumes of patents and strategic documents for Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit thazat began this month, August 2012. In a big lawsuitt, sometimes attorneys send humanly impossible volume of work two or three days before the trial. An ideal situation is to have enough time for translators, editors, and proofreaders to produce the best quality. But with such a huge volume in such a short time, maintaining a consistently high quality translation is a challenging task. Some translators drop out, some send in wrong formats despite repeated instruction by the PM on the correct format, and some send in highlighted and partially translated documents. With a team of the best translators, proofreaders, and editors, it is still a very strenuous job. The most essential are that the invidivudlas involved in the task should be reliable and responsible people. Then they would stay up for days trying to produce perfect translation. In this day and time when the trade disputes among nations are increasing, there is a high demand for well trained professional translators who know what they are doing and are responsible enough to submit a complete product by the deadline. In this project where LA translation mobilized the best of Korean translators from all over the world, three translators in particular did not meet the deadline and presented problems for LA Translation. And they were people holding MA’s and PhDs from Harvard and Standford. They just don’t submit work o time. It is too bad that their talent don’t match up with their sense of responsiblity. “There is nothing difficult to transaltor,” says Dr. Jenny Park, the lead translator of the team. “But the difficult part is always the time pressure, that you are always given so little time to proofread.”

Copycat or competitor? A U.S. jury’s choice of descriptor for Samsung Electronics (005930) will determine whether Apple (AAPL) defeats its Korean rival in the global patent war’s biggest battle yet. For two years, Apple has fought with other mobile device makers in courts on four continents. On July 31, the Apple litigation juggernaut went before a U.S. jury for the first time in the federal courthouse in San Jose, Calif., a short drive from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. Seeking $2.5 billion in damages, Apple has accused Samsung of unlawfully imitating the design and software of its iPhone and iPad. “As we all know, it’s easier to copy than to innovate,” Harold McElhinny, Apple’s lead trial lawyer, told jurors in his opening argument.

Samsung’s attorney, Charles Verhoeven, fired back that while his client may have been “inspired” by Apple, such imitation is perfectly appropriate. “Being inspired by a good product and seeking to make even better products is called competition,” Verhoeven said. “Everybody does it in the commercial marketplace.” Then he foreshadowed evidence that purports to show that the iPhone, introduced in 2007, itself resembled earlier products designed by Sony (SNE) and others.

Apple filed the case as part of a much broader offensive against Samsung, Motorola Mobility, and HTC—all device makers that use Android, a mobile operating system made by Google (GOOG) that competes with Apple’s iOS. Apple says that Samsung infringed patents for the design of its devices, as well as for functions such as “rubberbanding,” the way the screen on an Apple device seems to bounce back when the user scrolls to the bottom of a file.

The animus driving the litigation runs deep, especially on Apple’s side. In the last 18 months of his life, founder Steve Jobs, who died last fall, was obsessed with crushing Android, which Google gives away to manufacturers—and which challenges Apple’s pitch that its exclusive, walled-garden offerings are different and better. According to his authorized biographer, Walter Isaacson, Jobs swore: “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go to thermonuclear war on this.”

The emotion on the other side was evident in the San Jose courtroom even before opening arguments. John Quinn, another Samsung lawyer, reiterated its desire to use evidence it says would show that it was developing rounded rectangular-shaped phones before Apple introduced the iPhone. Quinn told U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh that in 36 years of law practice he had never begged, but was “begging now.”

Koh rejected the request for what she said was at least the third time. “Don’t make me sanction you, please,” the judge said when Quinn persisted. “I want you to sit down, please.” The judge based her ruling on Samsung’s failure to disclose the evidence in a timely way.

Samsung said in an e-mailed statement that Koh’s procedural decision meant that “Samsung was not allowed to tell the jury the full story and show the pre-iPhone design for that and other phones that were being developed by Samsung in 2006, before the iPhone.” Also included in the release: Pictures of some of the evidence that Koh had disallowed.

McElhinny, the Apple lawyer, told Koh the release appeared to be “an intentional attempt to pollute this jury,” rising to “contempt of court.” In response, Samsung’s legal team said in a court filing that the company’s statement was merely intended to answer questions from the media. The trial is expected to continue through August.

The bottom line: Apple is trying to convice a jury that Samsung is copying its innovations. Samsung says its devices were “inspired” by, not a ripoff of, Apple.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Erica De La Rosa is in court nearly every day, but she never speaks for herself.

“We’re not supposed to exist,” she said.

De La Rosa is a court certified Spanish interpreter for Twin Falls County 5th District Court. Interpreters are not lawyers or advocates and don’t give legal advice or even explain to defendants possible outcomes in their case.

“You say what they say,” she said, no matter how shocking or strange it might be.

Idaho law requires that courts ensure access to all people, including those with limited English proficiency or those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The courts meet these requirements by developing programs that improve the quality of interpretation and increase the number of qualified interpreters in the courts, according to the Idaho Supreme Court website.

Interpreters are under oath to completely and accurately translate what is said in court to the best of their ability, said Mary Jo Palma, the coordinator for translators in Twin Falls County, and a certified Spanish interpreter.

“If an interpreter becomes aware they’ve made a mistake they’re under obligation to correct it,” Palma said. “If an interpreter is challenged, the judge will rule accordingly.”

One case where an interpreter was questioned is currently making its way through court in Twin Falls County.

Valentin Calvillo was sentenced to serve 15 to 30 years in state prison in November 2011 after being convicted by a jury of eight counts of lewd conduct and sexual abuse of a minor in November 2010. His sentence was delayed for a year because Calvillo, 50, skipped his trial after showing up for the first few days.

When he returned, Calvillo petitioned for a new trial, arguing he misunderstood instructions from his defense counsel when he was told to leave and seek medical treatment. With a new attorney, Calvillo unsuccessfully argued for a new trial during the summer and fall of 2011.

Calvillo’s attorney, Virginia Bond, was in court again two week ago asking Judge Richard Bevan for an independent translator to go over transcripts from the case and look for errors in translation.

During one hearing, Calvillo’s family began gesturing to say there was a mistranslation about why Calvillo felt sick the day of the trial, Bond told the court.

Twin Falls County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Suzanne Craig said Calvillo claimed he didn’t feel good about being in front of a jury, not that he was actually ill.

Since Bond wasn’t the attorney during the hearing when the exchange occurred and doesn’t understand Spanish herself, she wanted someone else to listen to the audio recording of the hearing to see if the transcript matches up.

Bevan agreed to take the request under advisement and a new court date was set for Aug. 2.

When a translation is questioned, it can be a bit embarrassing, De La Rosa said.

“You just say, ‘excuse me your honor, the interpreter made a mistake,'” she said. “If it’s a simple mistake it’s not a big deal, but it’s humbling.”

Occasionally interpreters have to translate for someone in a language other than the one they know best. A person might speak a language that’s difficult to find an interpreter for, with Spanish being their second language and English their third.

The judge speaks in English, the interpreter translates to Spanish and the defendant must translate in their head to their own language and then the process starts again.

“It’s an art,” De La Rosa said.

To see original story

This glossary of key election terminology is prepared by U.S. Election Assistance Commission. This glossary includes a total of 1,843 terms and phrases used in the administration of elections in the United States. This will be a good source for Korean to English translators and interpreters.

Download the Glossary of Key Election Terminology

By Ding Huang

Once you start learning a new language and get more and more fluent, you may want to become a translator. However, it is not that easy.

It is an attractive job to be a translator or interpreter for many bilinguals or multilinguals. It has many benefits compared with other kinds of work. Firstly, you will have great freedom to decide how you want to work. There are plenty of choices of working place, for example, at home, in the pub, or in the office. It can be a full-time job, which you need to be registered with a translation company, or you can work for yourself and be a freelance. It can also be a part-time job – you can do translation during your spare time.

Secondly, being a translator or interpreter brings you good income. In Shanghai, China, an interpreter can be paid up to 7,000 RMB (£700) per hour for providing Chinese-English simultaneous interpretation. Translation, however, is much cheaper. It ranges from £8 to £20 per thousand words, which depends on the translator’s skills.

Thirdly, it will never be catastrophically affected by things like economic crisis which always causes a high level of unemployment. Whether we are in great recession or prosperity, there’s always need for communication among countries and their people. Translators build a bridge for that communication. Indeed, translators are so important, as a joke says that a mistake in translation might start a war.

However, not everyone can be a translator. Being an interpreter is much more difficult. It needs years of intensive training. A translator or interpreter must be fluent in both source and target languages. You have to be excellent in all of the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. You must know the differences between two languages to avoid the awkward situation in which, for example, a Chinese sentence is translated into English but still keeps Chinese syntactical structure. Such translations always cause confusion among readers. What are they going say?

Apart from the knowledge of languages, translators and interpreters need to have knowledge of other disciplines. In other words, you are expected to know everything! I used to translate reports about biology. Those terminologies almost killed me. However, the lack of knowledge can be compensated by a great ability of learning. If you can grasp the main concept of some subjects, all you need is a few hours preparation before the work.

If you are interested in interpreting, you need to get started with practising taking notes. Approximately, you need to keep practising until you use 200 sheets of A4 paper before you can follow the speaker without missing any important information.

Personalities are another essential factor. You need to be concentrated during your interpretation. You need to keep calm and react quickly when there is an emergency, for example, the speaker forgets about the interpreter and keeps talking all the time, there is something you don’t understand, or occasionally you drop your pen.

Every year there is a large number of ambitious students trying to out do each other in the pursuit of a career as a translator or interpreter, but not all can succeed.

All in all, interpretation or translation is definitely a difficult task. But if you have native-like fluency in more than two languages, a great deal of knowledge, and practical translating or interpreting skills, and if you are a quick learner, then you are the right person for the job.

See original article at TheYorker

This booklet is meant to assist Korean-speaking individuals who need help to understand the technical tax terms contained in the state income tax forms and instructions.

Download the Glossary of Tax Terms

Korean Translation – How to Choose the Best Korean Translator

통역사 자격증에 도전하세요.

A translation disaster in the making

Medical and Cosmetic Surgery Tourism in South Korea

Korean translation for Apple vs. Samsung

Court interpreters hold critical role

Glossary of Key Election Terminology (English to Korean)

OECD English / Korean Glossary of Terms

Being prepared to be a translator

Glossary of Tax Terms (English to Korean)