Language translation affects your everyday life according to Nataly Kelly, so much so that she co-authored a just released book on the subject.

Last week we reviewed the book Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World, by Nataly Kelly and Jost Zetzsche. Now in this two-part post we’ll share ten ways in which language translation shapes your life as explained in Kelly’s and Zetzsche’s new book. Here are the first five.

1. Language translation saves lives.

As you read this, an ambitious translation project is scanning the international news catching words that could help identify and contain the next global health epidemic. In the meantime there are countless medical interpreters working in health care facilities around the world. These professionals provide a vital service that could save your life, or the life of someone you know.

2. Language translation prevents terror.

Gathering intelligence is essential in the war on terror. But the information that’s obtained is useless if it can’t be understood and analyzed for potential impact. Consider the fact that the words "Tomorrow is zero hour" were intercepted in Arabic on Sept. 10, 2011, but were not translated until Sept. 12, one day after the 9/11 attacks. Right now, analysts are scanning all sorts of chatter from Iran, Syria, North Korea, and other hot spots. This information is now readily translated to prevent the next terrorist attack from taking place.

3. Language translation keeps the peace.

Without language translation international diplomacy would simply not be possible. Interpreters and translators at the UN and the State Department do far more than work on speeches and official documents. Translators also help draft the exact wording for peace treaties so that it will be agreeable to both sides. Interpreters also play a vital role in personal communications between world leaders, nurturing relationships, providing insight and guidance to heads of government, preventing them from making cultural faux pas and helping them to make the best possible impression for themselves and for the nations they represent.

4. Language translation elects world leaders.

In the United States, where a significant portion of the population speaks a language other than English at home, language translation plays a significant role in politics. That’s why both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have translated versions of their websites in Spanish, and routinely have interpreters communicate with voters who speak other languages. Additionally, the U.S. Voting Rights Act requires precincts with large percentages of non-English speakers to provide ballots in other languages so that these voters are better informed on the candidates and issues.

5. Language translation creates jobs.

The language translation global market is currently worth $33 billion, according to a Common Sense Advisory report. There are more than 26,000 companies throughout the world that provide language services. Most of these are small businesses that employ not only translators, but also those working in finance, sales, technology, marketing, project management, and even engineering.

That’s the first five ways that a language translation shapes our lives, according to Nataly Kelly. The next five will be listed in our next post. In the meantime, if you can you think of other ways your life is affected by translation or interpretation, please post a comment to let us know.

By Alex Dupont
Marketing Communications Specialist
Language Translation Inc.

See Also

• Language translation shapes our lives
  Translation is the act of rewriting a document, changing it into another language.
• Language interpretation can save our lives
  Language Interpreting is the process of translating spoken words from one language into another.
• Found in Translation About the book
  Translation affects every aspect of your life ? and we're not just talking about the obvious things, like world politics and global business.