(Source: http://www.golden-translation.com/scheme_of_work.html)
A Typical Translation Project Workflow
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Zena 1814: A Historical Board Game
This Christmas, many people in Genoa and surroundings have found under treir trees a copy of Zena 1814, an interesting board game set in the last milestone of the glorious Republic of Genoa (Zena in Genoese language). It has landed even on the shelves of Feltrinelli, a national-wide bookseller chain, from where it became one of the most popular Christmas gifts in our city.
The game board
April 1814: A British decision at the Congress of Vienna puts an end to the 8 centuries of the Rupublic, whose indipendence had already been suspended under the French rule of Napoleon Bonaparte. This is the scenario where the game play is set.
The players will have to compete each other in order to gain as much influence as possible in 6 city areas (Fort, Old Town Streets, Palace, Cathedral, Port, and Bank), each representing a very important part of the actual economical and power part of the historical city.
But they will also engage in risky ventures and therefore will have to cooperate, thus reflecting the very essence of the Republic of Genoa, whose noble families always struggled for power while trying not to damage their common good. But the undelying lack of unity, much stronger than in Venice, the main competitor of Genoa on the sea trade routes in the Mediterranean, was one of the root causes for the decadence and bad luck of the Republic.
Being a language service provider, we particularly appreciate that the authors decided to include in the game some well-known popular expressiones in Genoese language, incomprehensible to Italian people living outside the region of Liguria and foreigners alike, such as Manezzi (Manipulation in the official game translation), Dagghe Abbretio (Grab Everything), and Invexendase (Working Without a Plan). This is a part of an ongoing rediscovery movement of the ancient Genoese heritage, language, and culture.
We hope you will have the change to try and enjoy this game too! If you happen to be located outside Italy, you can still buy it online (see below).
Zena 1814 video review by Würfel Reviews:
Useful links:
- Zena 1814 official website: http://www.zena1814.it/en/
- Buy online (Italian): http://www.hcdistribuzione.com/demoela/48-zena1814.html
- Post-Scriptum Games: http://postscriptum-games.it/en/
- Che l’inse Cultural Association (Italian): http://www.chelinse.org/
B. Services Ranks #44 in Proz
We have just received a wonderful new year’s gift: after getting our 100th positive feedback on Proz, the global leading marketplace for translation and interpreting services, our Blue Board profile (http://www.proz.com/blueboard/15352) with a score of 4.92 out of 5 ranks #44 in the all-time ranking for language service providers (LSPs) with more than 100 entries.
The statistics page can be accessed here: http://www.proz.com/lwa?sp_mode=stats (login needed)
This is really great news! The 100 professional translators and interpreters who have chosen to endorse our job as an LSP encourage us to keep doing what we are doing right now and what we are best at, i.e. delivering on-time and reliable language service projects while maintaining a fair and clear relationship with both our customers and vendors.
We want to warmly thank everybody who contributed to this result and wish you a Happy New Year.
KPI Meter
GenovaInBlu: A Welcome to all Visitors at Genoa Boat Show 2015
All is ready for the 55th edition of the Genoa Boat Show, to be held in the Italian seaside city from the 30th of September to the 5th of October 2015 (locate on map).
As usual in the last few years, Boat Show visitors will have the chance to enjoy some days of relax and entertainment in the Mediterranean city, and cheer up their mood after the long and stressful hours spent at the maritime trade show thanks to a comprehensive mix of cultural and social events called GenovaInBlu.
First of all, you shouldn’t miss the wonderful art exhibit From Impressionism to Picasso. The Masterpieces from The Detroit Institute Of Arts, which you can visit from the 30th of September onwards. From Van Gogh to Monet, from Cézanne to Kandinsky and Picasso, a whole range of painting masterpieces from the 19th and early 20th century will be shown at the historical Palazzo Ducale (locate on map).
On the 30th of September at 8:30 p.m. (maybe after a refreshing aperitivo in one of the countless bars in the charming old town), The Rickshaw Boy based on Lao She’s novel will go on stage in Carlo Felice Theater (locate on map). Remember, reduced price for Boat Show visitors (remember to bring your trade fair ticket with you!).
On Thursday, 1st October you can give your small contribution with a charity event in favour of the Children’s Hospital Giannina Gaslini, one of the leading institutions in Italy.
Via Garibaldi in the evening
And dont’ forget your credit card at home on Friday, 2nd October. With Shopping in Blu, many shops around Carlo Felice Theater will be open until late in the evening, showcasing the best of world-renowned Italian apparel, furniture and luxury products. But before that, we recommed you to taste a delicious Agrihour – a happy hour with local organic products for a unique experience – at Carmine Market (locate on map).
The historical buildings on Via Garibaldi (locate on map) will open their doors from 7 to 9 p.m. You will be delighted by the magnificence of their old courts flooded with light at dusk, while Music Conservatory students play mellow tunes.
All that, along with the permanent attractions which Genoa offers to its visitors all year long, among them outstanding museums (first of all the Aquarium of Genoa, but also the Galata Museum of the Sea and the Genoa Cricket and Football Club Museum), its surprisingly charming old town and a beautiful seaside (with a bit of luck you may even take your last bath in the sea of this year’s good season!), will make your journey to Genoa a lifelong experience.
If you wish to know about our multilingual services and tour guides in Genoa, just drop us an email to info@bservices.eu or call (+39) 01042064044.
Rise of the Coworking (I): Why People Choose Coworking
Previously…
Back in the good old days before the Industrial Revolution, people mainly relied on agriculture to earn their living. In the long European winter evenings, men would often weave wicker baskets, while women used to work with the loom, in an attempt to raise the family income in a poor subsistence economy.
With the change of economic model, people left the field and home work for factory shifts. Old-fashioned industry involved big factories, with huge machinery which needed a big manpower to be operated.
Working life in a technological world
With the rise of technology-driven work environments, the need for manpower in the industrial environment has decreased and the former workers have been compelled to find a new life in the services sector. Thanks to Internet and process dematerialization, often people do not need anymore to be tied to a specific corporate location.
Now your company HQ can perfectly be just a few metres away from your bedroom and living room!
This is a very common situation among our fellow translators. And, just like many other things in life, carries with itself both advantages and disadvantages.
The relax of working at home
The first thing people usually appreciate whey they begin working at home is that now they can sit down at their living room table or desk, with a cup of coffee and in a very informal outfit. No more buying expensive clothes, no dress code anymore… if you wish you can even earn your daily bread in pijama! (Not recommended if you planned a Skype videocall with one of your main customers, though.)
This way of working allows you to spend more time with your family and dream about reaching some day the perfect balance between working and personal life. You don’t have to waste precious time commuting every day from home to your workplace. And, most important for many, you don’t have to see every day bossy managers nor fight with coworkers for holiday leaves or promotions.
Do you miss any colleagues?
The same factors could be considered as disadvantages too. Many freelancers can’t clearly separate their work and family time and, even more important, miss some persons to share their everyday life with. If you work alone at home, you can’t make funny jokes nor talk about the last football match of your favourite team. And no, turning on the radio is not a real solution for that. Finally, if you don’t dress in a formal way (let alone the pijama thing!), yourself and other people may get the feeling that you don’t really spend your days at home “working”. Many think that working alone at home is depressing, too.
The solution? Coworking!
Coworking is a perfect solution for all that. It is normally an affordable option, i.e. even a medium-low income freelancer can rent a space in a downtown coworking place without having to pay for a whole office. They often offer optional services, such as a secretary or a letter pick-up service when you’re not there.
You can share a working space with other freelancers and professionals, thus enriching your net of contacts and possibily grab new work opportunities. And you can finally get back the feeling of being a real businessman working in a dynamic environment, withouth being tied to an office. If one day one feel lazy or it is snowing, you can perfectly stay home and open your laptop. Your customer shouldn’t feel any difference.
Coworking spaces everywhere
Nowadays there are plenty of coworking spaces in every big city, due to the huge demand for this service. In the next article we will talk about the coworking scene in our hometown, Genoa.
Skype Translator: A Potential Major Change for LSPs
“Beam me up, Scotty” is a sentence we are not likely to hear in a real-world setting in the next future.
But other features of the well-known sci-fi series Star Trek could be at hand. Such as the real-time remote interpreting programme! Instead of teleporting onto USS Enterprise, all we will have to do a just start a videocall with Skype.
This potentially has all what it takes to be a major turn in the interpreting industry, allowing people speaking different languages to be able to communicate, instantly and from different locations around the world. Or, at least, at a simple undestanding level.
As a matter of fact, Skype translator will have to deal with the issues of all machine translation services. Much depends on how technologically advanced is the real-time translation engine.
One thing is clear: in the next future computer-assisted and machine translation will experience major breakthroughs. Is the industry ready to cope with them?
Our Brand New Blog
Hi, you all.
This is our first post on our brand new blog. We have decided to start it in order to share some useful thoughts and resources on languages from the point of view on an Italian Language Service Provider.
We would also like to share interesting information about our beautiful city, Genoa, and the wonderful landscapes sorrounding it, which many of you may not know (and this is a real pity – you can have a preview looking at the overhead picture we have chosen for this blog!), as well as facts&figures about the Italian economical situation and selected import%export opportunities.
As we always are very busy counselling our customers, translating and managing language projects, please do not expect regular posts on this blog. As a matter of facts, it may pass some time before our next update, since we are currently engaged in publishing our new website on www.bservices.eu (we are still working around the contents), along with another interesting project which we would like to inform you about on this blog, some day.
In the meanwhile you can check out our Twitter account for the latest updates.
Your B. Services staff
B. Services 