It’s a fact that language differences don’t limit expression because of translation. As there’s no stopping anyone from having any type of document from being translated, there’s no room for rejection.
But what are the types of text that you may think are unusual and yet we get translation requests from them? Here are some, which we receive rather frequently:
Words Only
As long as there are words, no matter the number, we can translate it to the language that you need. If there are only one or two in our common pair (English <> Filipino) and it’s not part of a bigger document that needs layout or certification, like a diploma, you can even get it for free! However, there’s no abusing this because we’re no Google Translate and we can check the legitimacy of the inquiry and its source.
Text Messages
We’ve done it before, so we’re no stranger to decoding “text speak.” Requests for this range from plain “for understanding” purposes to immigration and legal reasons. We’ve been translating “jejemon Taglish” to its embassy-acceptable, faithful English equivalent, and we have also done so for a few lines of “beki-speak.”
Social Media Chats
Yes, we’re given prying privileges into the most personal lives of clients and we treat them as a sacred show of trust that we vow not to break. We respect clients and protect their interests by providing a confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement that we both must sign. Law firms, embassies, and individuals now use instant messages (IMs) from popular social networking sites, such as Facebook, to approve immigration requests, file cases, and to make other critical decisions that could change people’s lives, for better or for worse.
There are other kinds of files that are too sensitive for public discussion. So the best question is, “What can’t you translate?”
As long as our quality and confidentiality standards meet, we can successfully translate ANYTHING.
