NB Translation encourages utilization of service

WELLINGTON, PEI – Feb. 24, 2012 – A large number of entrepreneurs and organizations from Prince Edward Island could easily benefit from a funding assistance program to help translate their promotional material, their web site, their signage and their other sales tools, including menus, catalogues and merchandise tags, says Micheline Roy, executive director of Traduction NB Translation, Inc.

During a tour of the province’s Rural Action Centres in mid-February, Roy explained that the Translation Assistance Program reimburses up to 75 per cent of translation costs, up to a maximum of $5,000, for eligible businesses. This program is managed by her organization and funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

Entrepreneurs and organizations have the option of getting their material translated from French to English or from English to French. Eligible sectors include manufacturing, production and processing; goods or services to industry and businesses; and tourism. Non-profit organizations that do business in these sectors or provide support to these sectors may also qualify.

To request assistance, those interested simply have to fill out a short form and submit it to Traduction NB Translation Inc. People can also pick the certified translator of their choice, from an official list. Usually, requests are approved within two days.

IMPROVED CRITERIA

During her presentation in French at a lunch-and-learn at the Wellington Rural Action Centre Feb. 17, Roy answered a number of questions from the nine participants. She acknowledged that in the past, the program criteria were not as clear; as well, to qualify, businesses had to be ACOA clients. Luckily, that criterion was removed, thereby offering an opportunity for a greater number of businesses and organizations to benefit from the program.

Those who aren’t sure if they qualify just have to contact the program managers and ask them before filling out the form.

So far, more than 100 clients from all over Atlantic Canada have obtained funding from the program. The executive director is hoping that number will top 300 over the next year. She is convinced that ACOA will be more interested in re-funding the program is a larger number of businesses use it.

PROFESIONALISM

Roy insists it is imperative that businesses use the services of a certified translator to ensure the quality and accuracy of the translation.

Too often, she has seen web sites, promotional material and merchandise tags that contain translations that are too literal or simply completely wrong, often done by people who are not qualified or online translation programs. These “translations” incorrectly represented the product or service they were intended to promote and therefore left the consumer with an unimpressive impression of the seller or manufacturer.

As an example, she mentioned that when people have sore teeth, they see a dentist, a specialist in the field; they don’t depend on their secretary or nephew to take care of their dental problems. The same attitude must be adopted in regards to language and especially translation; the job has to be given to a specialist in that area to assure that one receives a professional and appropriate service.

Those requiring more information on the Translation Assistance Program can check out the website www.tntb.ca.

The lunch-and-learn in Wellington was organized in collaboration with RDÉE Prince Edward Island and the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI.

-30-

CUTLINE: Micheline Roy, seated, executive director of Traduction NB Translation Inc., recently toured the Island’s Rural Action Centres to promote the Translation Assistance Program. She is seen during her French presentation in Wellington with, from left, Véronique Tessier from the Early Childhood Development Association, Linda Richards from the Collège Acadie Î.-P.-É., and Jeannine Arsenault from the Rural Action Centre in Wellington.

For more information:

Micheline Roy
Executive director
Traduction NB Translation, inc.
micheline.roy@tnbt.ca
506-753-3323

Raymond J. Arsenault
Communications and liaison officer
RDÉE Île-du-Prince-Édouard Inc.
raymond@rdeeipe.org
902-854-3665