Kolkata: Shop + Puchka Vid + Translate by J. Prieto – Happiness Between Tails
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Kolkata shopping is a world apart from anything I’ve experienced elsewhere. (By the way, learning at least a few words of the language for where I visit makes things loads more fun — more on that below, as well as how it can figure into novel-writing like for my upcoming “Flamenco & the Sitting Cat.”)
Apologies that photography can’t convey bicycle ring-a-lings and car honk-honks. Images can’t waft sidewalk vendor aromas. Nor can they resonate cow clop-clops as they overtake traffic.
Once we felt human after the sleep-defying endless airplane journey, it was time to check out clothes. Back home in Los Angeles, we’d browsed Little India in Cerritos, but left empty-handed. What do I know about Kolkata standards for a pretty wedding sari? The very thought of trying to origami one onto myself was beyond me. At the store, an attendant helped, yet I looked as if I’d rolled out of bed, rumpled sheets and all.
Folks assured us we’d find high quality and reasonable prices in India, so we decided to hold off for there.
Axis Mall, our first shopping center, lay in Kolkata’s perimeter called New Town.
The food vendors in the opening photo to this post lined the route there. Note the co-op buildings in the distance, equivalents to our condos, but financed and inhabited by family, friends, and co-workers. Throughout our stay, skies were blue, the temps balmy — perfect for Kolkata’s wedding, hence anniversary, season…
Several floors featured of anything you could ever need, from clothes and luggage, to groceries and massages…
A couple of blocks away, Central Mall, was similar but included a multi-story department store…
At another mall…
…we checked out men’s clothing — don’t we look cute? From left to right: bridegroom Deep, who grew up in Kolkata and now lives in London, my cousin Giulia who grew up in Italy and resides in Spain was the bride, and Deep’s mom, Bipasha, was in the middle. You already know moi and my honey …
Outside, we encountered these lovelies. The overhead railway in progress should be fully constructed within a year or two…
Heeding our doctor’s instructions, we didn’t sample street food on actual streets — but we enjoyed plenty of street-type munchies at the wedding and at the hotel’s extensive dinner buffets. Thank goodness, because temptation was everywhere. The Puchkalicious stall in front of the cows sold the most utterly ingenious tastiness — sweet, tart, juice plus stew amazingness — spooned into potato chip-crunchy hollow little orbs and served in eco-loving leaf dishes.
Puchkas, I’m waiting for you to please please come to Los Angeles. This video begins with the sound-orgy of wonderfulness, segues into how-to, and ends with a hilarious depiction of what an all-out party in and of themselves these goodies are.No Bengali needed to understand the fun here, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), heaped on…
Travel reminds us how interconnected and interdependent the world is. When I travel, studying about my destination beforehand adds to the fun. All the better if I learn a few words of the language with a free app from my local library. Today’s guest, Javier Prieto, an expert at Chinese and Spanish, explains how everyone, writers and other business people included, can benefit from reaching beyond English…
“Expand your Readership, Boost your Sales, Get More Readers and Build your Brand: Translating your Work,” by Javier Prieto
In today’s globalized world, the reach of books and written material has expanded beyond borders. As a writer or content creator, you may have a great story to tell, but what if your readers can’t understand it due to language barriers? That’s where translation comes in, specifically English to Spanish and English to Chinese.
Why Spanish and Chinese?
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 540 million potential readers across more than 20 countries. In the United States alone, over 20% of the population speaks Spanish at home, making it a valuable market for any writer, content creator or editor looking to expand their reach.
Similarly, Chinese is another language with a vast potential readership. With over 1.4 billion people, China is the world’s most populous country, and Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language globally. Getting your books and written material translated into Chinese opens up an enormous market for your work.
By translating your work into Spanish or Chinese, you can expand your readership and reach a broader audience. This will not only help you gain more exposure but also increase your revenue potential. As more readers become aware of your ideas, you can sell more copies of your book, and your brand can become more recognized.
How to choose a translator?
However, it is important to understand that translating your work is not an easy task. It requires a significant amount of skill and knowledge to ensure that the translated work accurately conveys the original content’s intended meaning. Therefore, it is crucial to work with a professional translation service provider who has experience in the field and can deliver high-quality translations.
Working with a professional translation service can also help you save time and avoid costly mistakes. Professional translators have the skills, experience, tools, and resources to ensure that your work is translated accurately, efficiently, and effectively. They can also provide valuable insights and advice on how to tailor your work to different audiences and cultures.
When it comes to choosing a translation service, there are many factors to consider. Look for a provider who has experience in translating the type of content you produce, such as books or articles. Also, check their portfolio and references to ensure they have a track record of delivering high-quality translations. Finally, consider their pricing and turnaround times to ensure they can meet your needs and budget.
Benefits of translating your work.
Translating your books into Spanish or Chinese can do much more than just expanding your readership. It can also help improve your personal brand and increase your exposure in the media and press.
As a self-published author or a writer for an editorial, getting your work translated into another language can help you establish yourself as a global brand. By reaching out to readers in different parts of the world, you can expand your reach and increase your credibility. This can be especially important for coaches, course creators, and other professionals who rely on their personal brand to attract customers.
With the help of a professional translation service, you can ensure that your message is communicated effectively and accurately to your target audience. By crafting your message in a way that resonates with your readers in their language, you can establish a deeper connection with them and build trust in your brand.
Additionally, having your work translated can help you get more media and press coverage. Translating your book or written material into another language can help you gain more exposure in international markets, which can lead to more opportunities for media and press coverage. By showcasing your work to a global audience, you can attract the attention of publishers, journalists, and other industry professionals, helping you to gain more visibility and credibility in your field.
Can I translate all kinds of texts? What about poetry?
Translating poetry is a complex and challenging task that requires a high level of skill and creativity from the translator.
Unlike prose, poetry often relies on the nuances of language and the interplay of sound and rhythm to convey its meaning. The choice of words, the use of metaphor, and the structure of the poem are all crucial elements that contribute to its overall impact.
Translating poetry into another language involves not only finding the right words but also capturing the essence of the original work. The translator must consider the cultural context, the historical background, and the poetic traditions of the target language to create a translation that is both faithful to the original and resonates with the target audience.
One of the main difficulties of translating poetry is finding the right balance between fidelity to the original and creative adaptation. While a literal translation may capture the meaning of the words, it may not convey the poetic effect of the original. On the other hand, a too-free adaptation may lose the essence of the original work and fail to capture its poetic qualities.
Another challenge in translating poetry is the preservation of the poem’s structure and form. Poetic forms such as rhyme, meter, and verse are integral to the meaning and impact of a poem. Translating these forms into another language requires a deep understanding of the target language’s poetic traditions and its sound and rhythm patterns.
What about AI translations?
While AI translations and machine translations such as Google Translator have improved in recent years, there are still significant benefits to using human translation services for translating books and other written material.
One of the main advantages of using human translation services is the ability to capture the nuances of language and cultural context. Language is a complex and dynamic system that involves more than just the literal meaning of words. It also includes idioms, expressions, and cultural references that are difficult for machine translation to capture. Human translators are able to understand the context of the text and convey its meaning in a way that is culturally appropriate and sensitive.
Another advantage of human translation services is the ability to ensure accuracy and consistency. While machine translations may be fast and convenient, they can also be prone to errors and inconsistencies. Human translators are able to ensure that the translation is accurate, free from errors, and consistent throughout the entire text.
Human translation services also offer a level of quality assurance that is not available with machine translations. Professional translation services have a rigorous quality control process that involves proofreading and editing by a second translator to ensure accuracy and consistency. This level of quality control is essential for ensuring that the final product meets the highest standards of excellence.
Do you work with/for writers?
Are you an agent, editor, book designer or book coach? Adding translation to your own services can provide several benefits, such as increasing sales and adding value to your services.
Offering translation services can help to expand your reach and tap into new markets. By offering translations into languages such as Spanish and Chinese, you can help your clients to reach new audiences and potentially increase their sales and revenue.
Additionally, offering translation services can help to differentiate themselves from their competitors and add value to their services. By providing a one-stop-shop for their clients that includes translation services, they can offer a more comprehensive and valuable package of services. This can help to attract new clients and retain existing ones.
Another advantage of offering translation services is that it can help to build stronger relationships with clients. By offering a wider range of services, professionals can become more integrated into their clients’ projects and build deeper, long-lasting relationships. This can lead to more repeat business and referrals, which can be a significant source of revenue.
In conclusion, translating your work into Spanish or Chinese can open up vast new markets and readership potential. However, it is important to work with a professional translation service provider who can deliver accurate and high-quality translations. By doing so, you can expand your reach, gain more exposure, and increase your revenue potential.
What languages do you know?
Happiness Between Tails by da-AL 