Translators, masters in communication | by Marité Flores Tiravanti, CEO at Lexlogos LLC.

1. Translators, masters in communication
A couple of months ago, I was at a conference on the use of communication tools, and the speaker laid
special emphasis on the famous social networks, such as Facebook, Linkedin, among many others. Most of
us in attendance were professionals searching for new ideas, tools and innovative methods to help us
compete successfully in the international market. The message was clear and concise: we must become
“specialists in communication”.
I let this idea take root in my mind, until Archimedes’ famous exclamation: Eureka! unblocked my thoughts.
But if in fact, we, the translators, are a means of communication in ourselves, true instruments, the first
masters in communication!
In fact, translation is humankind’s oldest profession and the arrival of globalization has made us even more
valuable; thanks to our intermediation people draw nearer, business deal are closed and exchanges prosper.
Translators are educated individuals, who have prepared themselves for many years to improve their
knowledge of foreign languages as much as of their own native language. They are aware of the
idiosyncrasies of different regions and cultures around the globe and have frequently experienced them
personally. A translator is a citizen of the world, an avid reader, sometimes a writer, and always open to any
kind of information.
Dear colleagues, technology is not here to replace us but to help us appreciate and add value to our
profession. Today, more than ever, we are part of this globalized world and we are the lead players in many
transactions and political, commercial and cultural alliances. Very few industries are able to do without our
translating or interpreting services. In addition, we help companies, entities and individuals to breach the
linguistic and cultural barriers that separate them.
Dear customers, communication has become the ideal method to make a company, a product, a service, or
a brand well known. Your company needs sales and marketing specialists, accounting and legal advisors,
employees, administrators and managers, but only a few knowledgeable people (successful businessmen or
intellectuals well versed in the art of translation) are able to understand that communicating in another
language is a task that can only be done by a translator. In the last few decades, the use of automatic
translators has become widespread and they are useful for understanding the meaning of a term or a
phrase, but a translator’s intervention is always necessary to correct, rearrange, elaborate a piece of text or
express a thought. The development and sale of any product requires a significant investment, and a
translator should be one of the main resources of any organization.
The search for quality, with a permanent focus on service excellence and customer satisfaction, is one of the
main objectives of modern corporations. Let us then allow translators, perfectionists by nature, to occupy
their position as irreplaceable players in our globalized world.
HAPPY TRANSLATOR’S DAY!
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September 30 , 2012.
Marité Flores Tiravanti,
CEO at Lexlogos LLC