As an immigrant living in the United States, a translator and past ESL teacher, I understand and have experienced first hand how things get lost in translation. I remember a time when I was at work messaging with a coworker when she mentioned she was installing a sub in her car. My only reference of a “sub” was a sandwich (Subway, anyone?!), which I confirmed when I looked up the translation. My coworker could not stop laughing after I asked why in the world she wanted to install a sandwich in her car. I then realized that “sub” also meant a car speaker.
I write reviews in English and Spanish to help avoid experiences like that, which even though are funny, they make non-native English speakers feel at a disadvantage. My bilingual reviews help those who need or prefer to read in Spanish scroll through quicker and understand content without having to rely on technological translations. I want to contribute to more inclusive and effective engagement in Google Maps.
Have you ever felt lost in translation? Do you have a similar story?Comment below!
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Wow @BeatrizfhSF , that’s a nice talent:+1:
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Me gusta mucho tu post @BeatrizfhSF , creo que hasta que tengamos traducción simultánea con una IA, necesitaremos personas como tu que hacen ese gran trabajo de entender las sutilezas del idioma. Incluso cuando decías “sub” yo entendí que te referías al subwoofer = parlante que en general en inglés a algunas palabras las acortan por uso diario del término.
Mi inglés es muy rudimentario y utilizo muchísimo el traductor de Google, que según me comentan muchos amigos, la traducción no es tan buena al final del camino.
Y ahora, un poco más relacionado con Google Maps, me gusta hacer todos los comentarios que pueda de los sitios que visito, en especial si el idioma del lugar que visitó no hablan español.
Saludos Farid
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Gracias @FaridTDF ! No quisiera que la tecnología reemplazara del todo al ser humano pero si, depronto IA sería una buena opción para empezar. En cuanto a que hayas entendido que significaba “sub” me imagino que es porque sabes de carros mientras que yo solo se que andan en cuatro llantas jaja. No se si has visto que una amiga y yo creamos un hashtag #hablo para que la gente sepa donde hablan español y donde es bievenido hablarlo. Te invito a que lo utilices tambien y que creemos casi que una base de datos donde personas como tu y yo, o aquellos que no tengan ni idea de ingles, igual se sientan comodos y puedan ir a donde van todos los demas! Te comparto el articulo que publique hace poco sobre #hablo. Ojala te guste 
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@Kwiksatik what do you think of @FaridTDF 's comment?
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Hola @BeatrizfhSF como ya leíste me encanto el post que realizaste es muy motivante espero que encontremos otros adherentes a esta categoría #hablo.
Saludos Farid.
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@BeatrizfhSF I think I had to use Google Translate because my Spanish skills do not measure up to my desire to speak the language!
I agree completely! The number of times I have tried to speak Spanish and said something horribly wrong were funny but frustrating. Moreover, when I got to Maps, I want to find accurate information. Errors in the translation are cute, but I am not looking to be amused - I am looking for the trustworthy, accurate information I have come to rely on. If there is the opportunity to put the most important details in another language, those messages, however brief, will be priceless to someone someday.
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I really like your example of “sub” here, because it is an example of how confusing the granular nature of English can become. Spanish (at least in my experience) relies so much more on poetry and context for meaning, oftentimes causing issues in translation when a direct translation is available but less accurate.
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Hola @FaridTDF ! Que chevere que te haya gustado y si, espero que podamos conectar a mas personas con #hablo. Gracias por tu apoyo!
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Yes @Kwiksatik ! Plus technological translations often just loose the essence of cultures. I know #hablo will make life easier for people like my parents, who don’t speak English, when they check out new places with Maps Let’s keep rocking it!
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