Translation
English-Chinese Translation Service
Before you hire a translator, read this.
We’ve all heard funny translation fail stories: a baffling menu at a restaurant, inappropriate notice boards, hilarious street signs, Ariana Grande’s tattoo. Always entertaining. But when awkward translations creep up in your marketing (a missed implication here, a misconstrued reference there), the joke’s on you. At best, your message gets lost. At worst, it’ll ring alarm bells and make people question how much they can trust you.
Inauthentic translations send the wrong message, literally and metaphorically.
the truth about translators:
Your translator is an expert in their language, but may not speak yours well enough to fully understand you. You know your material forward and back, but you’re not sure if that same oomph is there in the translated piece.
Why our translation works
01 We speak your language.
We are native language experts and culturally sensitive people who really know our markets. We get the jokes on both sides. Whether you want to transcreate a social post, localize a tagline or translate a formal report, we can get your message across in a clear, respectful way.
02 You need writers,
not translators.
At Zing, we are, first and foremost, writers. We understand that there's a lot more to translating your message: there are subtle overtones, emotions, and contexts that need to be brought to life. Your translated piece should sing naturally, with all the qualities that define good writing. Only writers can make that happen.
YES! Translate my stuff.
In case you missed Ariana’s tattoo faux pas…
In early 2019, pop singer Ariana Grande celebrated her new single “7 Rings” by having it tattooed on her palm in Japanese characters. The result was, well, a grande mistake. It turned out that the tattoo actually translated to 'small charcoal grill.' And the internet, being what it is, instantly roasted the grill, erm, the girl. Good thing she eventually managed to fixed the tattoo. The joke can finally roast in peace.