yndigo

When a translator just has to be right

We can all point to instances where a translator or interpreter can’t afford to be wrong: instructions for a medical device; tolerance tests on an airplane wing; planning of a terrorist plot. An article from today’s Boston Globe illustrates one of those times.

It reports on a New Jersey company called SelectWisely that sells translation cards listing a traveller’s allergies and health conditions. According to the company website, translation cards are all the company sells. Now, how specialized is that?

To order, you choose your allergies or ailments and the language of the country you’ll be visiting. There are approximately 15 standard languages offered–the major languages of Europe and Asia–and many more by “special order,” along with a long list of food items and other allegens.