Teneo Linguistics Company (TLC) was recently awarded a silver medal in the EcoVadis sustainability rating program.
EcoVadis guides companies in their journey to a more sustainable world. It rates them based on material issues according to the company’s size, location, and industry.
“We were so impressed with EcoVadis and their ability to tailor the requirements to our type of operation and size,” TLC Owner and CEO Hana Laurenzo said. “We have worked hard for several years to advance our business in all the categories under ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and operate an ethical, sustainable business that makes sound decisions at every turn.
“We are overjoyed at our results, getting a Silver medal right out of the gate. Now we have a starting point and a roadmap that will help us to get even better in the upcoming years.”
The medals program recognizes companies that have completed the EcoVadis assessment process. This process requires demonstrating a strong management system that addresses sustainability criteria, as outlined in the EcoVadis methodology. Companies must also meet specific licensing and eligibility criteria.
The criteria include a minimum score of 30 in each of the following areas:
• Environment
• Ethics
• Labor and Human Rights
• Sustainable Procurement (minimum score of 25)
Medals are awarded to companies that fall within a percentage in meeting all EcoVadis criteria.
According to the EcoVadis website, “Environmental, social, and ethical performance – or Sustainability – is an essential factor for smart business today. Companies, including your trading partners, face increasing pressure to make their transparency and sustainability practices better. This includes the sustainability of their trading partners, which includes you.”
Today is International Translation Day, which is celebrated each year on September 30th. This day honors the work of language professionals who play an important role in bringing nations together.
As the United Nations puts it: “Professional translation — including translation proper, interpretation, and terminology — is indispensable to preserving clarity, a positive climate, and productiveness in international public discourse and interpersonal communication.”
But why is International Translation Day celebrated on this particular day?
September 30th marks the feast of Saint Jerome who is known for translating the Bible into Latin. His translation of the Bible is still used to this day by the Catholic Church. It also set the standard 1,200 years later for the King James Version. In addition, he translated parts of the Hebrew Gospel into Greek.
St. Jerome was a priest in Northeastern Italy. He learned Latin in school and was fluent in Greek and Hebrew, which he picked up from his studies and travels. He is considered the Patron Saint of translators, librarians, and scholars.
St. Jerome passed away near Bethlehem on September 30, 420.
The United Nationals General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution proclaiming September 30th as International Translation Day on May 24, 2017. The International Federation of Translators as well as several other organizations advocated for the adoption of the resolution.
Those other organizations include the International Association of Conference Interpreters, Critical Link International, International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters, Red T, and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters.
In addition, International Translation Day promotes and celebrates multilingualism and how languages play a vital role in society.
The role of language professionals has become invaluable in connecting nations and fostering peace. Each year, a unifying theme is selected for International Translation Day. This year’s theme is “A World Without Barriers.”
Teneo Linguistics Company has thousands of professional and experienced linguists who are proficient in more than 180 languages. Today, TLC honors all of its hard-working language professionals and all translators and interpreters across the globe.
St. Jerome, born around year 347, was a scholar, a theologian and the first truly accomplished translator we are aware of. He translated the Bible into Latin – the Old Testament from Hebrew and the New Testament from Greek. He very much thought about his target audience, just like every good translator should, and did not choose just any version of Latin. He used the one people actually used and spoke at the time, the “Vulgate” Latin. Vulgate means “language of of the common people”. St. Jerome died on September 30, (year 420), hence the celebration of the International Day of Translators on 9/30.
There are many timeless quotes that have been attributed to St. Jerome: “A friend is long sought, hardly found, and with difficulty kept”. “Why do you not practice what you preach”. “True friendship ought never to conceal what it thinks”. My favorite by far, though, is this one:
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Till your good is better and your better is best.”
The reason I love this quote is because it describes the attitude so many translators actually embody. Most of them probably never heard about this quote but, still, their passion for learning and improvement permeates their professional careers. Translators often work on a freelance basis, from their homes, far removed from anything that looks or feels like a team that could provide some motivation and support. And yet they live in a highly competitive environment where one needs to work very hard to succeed. The translators we have come to know as our own work family show great self-discipline and desire to go above and beyond. It is amazing, sometimes, to see just how much effort they put into their work and making their skills better – and we are honored to be able to call them our colleagues.
Our vision for what drives our business is similar – continuous learning and improvement – that lead us to achieving success for our clients. If something worked yesterday, it does not mean it will also work tomorrow. What works for one client may not be the best solution for another one. And the technology we did not think could exist is now here and we need to adapt and learn to use it for our client’s benefit. There are countless examples of how we get better each day, how we learn and apply what we know so we can make our “good” far “better” and turn the “better” into the “best” so we can always be proud of what we do.
And so we celebrate all lovers of language who were fortunate enough, just like us, to be able to turn their passion into their profession. But above all, we celebrate and are proud of all those who never stop learning, growing, and achieving. Here is a big thank you and cheers to them!
Running a translation business and working with translators is an interesting process. Many people do not realize that we are organized like an agency. As opposed to having translators of every imaginable language packed into our office, we use freelance resources located around the world.
We can tell that sometimes a potential customer calling the office fully expects that we will quickly produce a Burmese translator and put them on the phone to discuss translation of a document that was needed yesterday. Not so fast!
If our goal is to match translators with clients not only based on their working language combination but also based on their area of expertise, educational background, and experience/skills, we would not get far with the in-house translators model.
Instead, we have a vast network of translators located in all corners of the world, working in a variety of fields and specialties.
In reality, we actually prefer that someone who translates into Thai actually lives in Thailand. They get to use and learn their language every day. Language is a living, breathing entity. To stay abreast of one’s mother tongue, living immersed in it – reading the newspaper and watching news on TV in it – definitely keeps linguists sharp and accurate. Once a translator moves away from their native country (like yours truly), their mother tongue skills start to deteriorate.
Once it is clear who and where our translators are, the second question that usually comes right after that is: “How do you find them?”
At this point of our existence, the majority of translators actually find us. We have been around for a while now, and just like in any community, the good word spreads. For years, our translators have been recommending us to their friends and translators with whom they hang out – mostly virtually but also in person.
We also get found because of reviews translators leave for us on job sites and public forums. We treat our translators well and with gratitude. They are the pillars on which our business stands. Without them and their talents we would not be here. Because of that, we have enjoyed five star ratings from our freelancers over the years.
We also have a proactive hiring policy. Even though it does not always work out this way, we generally do not wait until we need translators in a particular language combination before getting them on the team. We actively search for new talent even at times when demand for their language combination is low. It does take time to get to know someone and trust them with our clients’ content – especially since we almost never have the option of meeting them in person. There is a flurry of activities like credentials verification, testing, training, and monitoring that happens at the beginning of a relationship with someone. This training and monitoring is imperative before we fully trust linguists with our clients’ work – and continues throughout the translator’s engagement with TLC.
So there. They may not all be at our office and available at a moment’s notice, but we are still extremely fortunate to work with some of the best and most talented people around. We are in awe of their skills and professional attitude every day. And the effort we put into these long distance relationships? It is more than worth it.
