Information is essential to life. Road signs, billboards, signposts, news updates, and several other means are used to disseminate life-saving information in recent times. The century has seen the birth of perilous times that have claimed the lives of millions. The COVID -19 outbreak is one such disaster, and to battle it, every individual needs accurate information to preserve their lives. Especially poor communities with little or no access to information. While adequate information is available in some languages, immigrants from foreign lands might find it difficult to benefit. Some languages do not even have information available in them. Translation is key to communicating locally in the global world. It is a core tool that ensures as many people as possible have access to current and accurate information.
In comparison to many countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of the virus is considered high across Canada when compared to other regions across the globe. Of course, the government under the umbrella of the public health agency of Canada continues working hand in glove with local communities, provinces, and international bodies to effectively curb the spread and contain the virus. About 116,000 jobs have been created coupled with loans and salary subsidy schemes to revitalize the economy. While both big and small businesses are affected, many have improvised but some are still struggling to get back on their feet. Small businesses that require a daily influx of consumers to thrive, have experienced a sharp drop in productivity in the last few months.
However, there are jobs available because of the increased demand in the medical field, such as the translation of medical information, delivery services, and pharmaceuticals. There are also jobs created by the need for additional safety measures in everyday business. A practical example is a Toronto based butcher who has had to create jobs for roles such as crowd control, cleaning and sanitizing, and additional staff to fill in vacanciesbecause of possible sickness or hospitalization of employees. The tactics employed by this owner are similar to what many industries do to generate output to meet demands. This also helps workers maintain jobs or provides temporary replacements until its safe to operate at full capacity.
The translation industry has suffered a decline in salesmuch like many other industries. Locational jobs are out of the picture, but the ability of the industry to function remotely has proved beneficial. However, a drastic shift in translation content is occuring. Especially for businesses, the tone and message are tailored to address the current situation. Continue reading to see how translators around Canada have adapted to better serve multilingual patrons remotelyin an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
“New avenues have cropped up. Our translation team now works remotely offering telephone and online services. Challenges are present, such as network interruption which makes it difficult to carry out an excellent job at times. But in the comfort of our homes, we’ve attended to businesses that are exploring digital options to connect with existing customers and grow a new base. Additionally, quite a number of medical medical-related jobs are increasingly becoming the norm and available task”- Teresa.
The comment of Teresa gives insight into how translation companies in Canada are adapting to changes to ensure continued productivity. Additionally, a translator by the name Onan shares this- ” I still have plenty of tasks to work on, like marketing copy, email, website contents, and other e-commerce related translation jobs. While the conventional content translation remains, attention has shifted to new company policies in the heat of the moment- talk of pausing some services, subscription cancellations, and new avenues of providing customers with good services in the meantime”.
As the reports from Canada reflect the current situation of the translation industry, something similar is happening around the world. An Argentina based translator, Gabriela, says “Although translating for the local client is on hold at the moment, I have been kept busy by international clients together with medical translation and customer care services translation”
The translation industry has done relatively well, considering the current situation. The WORLD Health Organization (WHO) has not only declared a pandemic but an infodemic as well. Inaccurate information has flooded the Internet and it gets even worse when translated to other languages. COVID-19 is no joke, over 400,000 deaths have been recorded so far and the number is still steadily rising. This is a clear indication that translations services are needed to save lives.
Translators can work and handle many projects remotely. Here are a couple of suggestions that translators can use to keep working despite the pandemic.
• Utilizing modern video-enabled communicating platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and Duo. These tools will substitute for person to person translations and interactions during the pandemic period.
• Get familiar with medical content to aid with accuracy and simplicity in translation. The more translators study medically related topics, the better they get at translating them. Additionally, it provides more job opportunities since the bulk of available translation jobs relates to the current event.
Translation Boulevard is functioning remotely to work Internationally. We have worked with numerous companies to translate their adjustment policies for employees and customers in different countries and languages. In Canada, where loan opportunities provided by the government are available to boost businesses, we have translated many foreign documents for applicants of Bank Loans and others.
With over 15 years of experience in the translation industry, Translation Boulevard keeps the quality of translation intact by maintaining accuracy and clarity. We are a team of professionals who are committed to completing projects efficiently, respectably while focusingon building trust with our customers.
We help you reach your audience using our experienced ranslators. We assist you in speaking to your customers and employees through videos with excellent subtitling. We ensure that our text translations are accurate to keep the intended meanings intact.
Our services are fast and reliable. Over the years, we’ve worked with hundreds of clients who have not only complemented but also recommended us. We are always available to respond to your inquiries. Visit Translation Boulevard to get a quote on your project and enjoy our services firsthand.
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