Did you know there are more than 220 million French speakers worldwide? What’s more, only 80 million of these are native to France, which illustrates the significance of this language on a global scale. Indeed, French is spoken on five continents of the planet and is the official language of some 29 countries! Around 12% of European Union citizens have French as their mother tongue, highlighting the influence and universality of this Romance language.
Naturally, when it comes to translating or interpreting the French language – whether from, or into, English – there are many considerations to make. That’s why French translation services should always be carried out by trained language professionals. At Capital Linguists, our translators and interpreters have an in-depth understanding of the many regional variations and nuances of the French language. For instance, did you know Canadian French differs from Parisian French? What’s more Swiss French has marked differences from the language used in nearby Belgium! As a very simple example, in Switzerland, there are three different terms used for the number 80: quatre-vingts (literally: ‘four twenties’); octante (an older term, though still occasionally used in some regions); and ‘huitante’.
Of course, there are other subtler differences, too, but thankfully the linguists at Capital Linguists are adept at incorporating these into your finished translation or interpretation. Indeed, our French translation services do not merely replicate the meaning of the original source text. Our translators and interpreters match the style, tone and context of both languages, replicating every nuance and connotation – whatever the variation of French you need!
It’s not just lexical differences, though. Our French translation services also pay full attention to the key disparities in terms of French and English language usage. For example, did you know that, while in English it is imperative that a sentence has a verb, this is not always the case in French? Similarly, French sentences are often much longer, with multiple parentheses. In English, they would normally be separated into discreet sentences for clarity. Tenses, too, are used differently and you will find a greater use of the subjunctive than in English, where it is now very rarely used.
Capital Linguists ensures their French translation services maintain the very highest industry standards through dedicated professional development for all of its linguists. In addition to years of academic training, our translators and interpreters carry out detailed research prior to each project, guaranteeing a meticulously accurate, expertly crafted final product.
We provide the following services for French-to-English and English-to-French translation and interpretation:
⁃ Document translation
⁃ Subtitling
⁃ Transcreation
⁃ Website Localization
⁃ Voiceovers
⁃ Conference Interpretation and Interpreting Equipment
Document translation
One of our most sought-after French translation services is document translation. This comprises the precise rendering of written content in French into English and vice versa. In order to provide a faithful translation into the target language, our linguists carry out thorough research on the topic. Of course, it’s not just about language knowledge; document translation also requires exemplary editing and proofreading skills. This ensures the result is a flawless document that flows authentically, reflecting the text’s purpose and type.
Subtitling
The act of creating subtitles from one language is a specialist discipline that requires the linguist to find the most concise way of getting across the original message in the target language – paying attention to physical space constraints on the screen. There are other considerations, too: The subtitles must be easy to read for the viewer and as such, the separation of the two lines must not interrupt any phrase. As French is known for its often-verbose way of explaining things, this can be a challenge! Fortunately, Capital Linguists’ translators have various techniques for conveying the original message concisely and accurately.
Transcreation
An art form in itself, transcreation is the process of carefully and creatively transferring the French language and its entire cultural, social and historic world into another entirely different language and cultural world. References that may be commonplace and obvious to a French audience are transposed into the target culture so that they are easily recognizable to the new audience in the same way.
Transcreating content that is originally in French into English spoken in the United States may be very different from a transcreation project with an Australian or British audience in mind. In the same way, a transcreation project transforming content from English into Canadian French requires different knowledge to a project aimed at people living in Corsica, for example.
The purpose is not only to maintain the core message, but to present it in a more appealing and culturally appropriate way, considering the audience to whom the message will be presented.
Website Localization
There are many shared features between website localization and transcreation, in that they both involve content to the expectations of local users. The website should appeal to its audience in terms of layout, tone, design and cultural preferences. This isn’t just for aesthetic purposes; website localization can also have a direct impact on your marketing strategy by adhering to the cultural expectations of your potential customers. Indeed, the purpose of website localization can be seen as not only maintaining the image and goal of your site in both French and English but also optimizing its relevance to the users of that country.
Voiceovers
Another important aspect of our French translation services is carrying out voiceover projects. These projects entail recording translations of oral French content in English – or vice versa. This can be done in any genre, including interviews, documentaries and movies. Instead of merely reading subtitles, voiceovers also enable listeners to hear the recording in their language, whether English or French.
Conference Interpretation and Interpreting Equipment
Capital Linguists provides conference interpretation across the world, either in-person or virtually. Conference interpretation is carried out in real-time, whether at a conference, a meeting, a summit, or a training program. Our interpreters use the latest interpreting equipment, enabling all listeners to access the same English or French interpretation simultaneously. Capital Linguists can also provide this service virtually, using a platform such as Zoom. Whether the speaker is French or English, our team of expert interpreters means language needn’t be a barrier to your understanding at a conference or other important event.
