Vol. 48 DECEMBER, 2004
Holiday Reflections Every year I am approached by employees with ideas about what we as a company can do to help others to commemorate the holiday season. The fact that our December philanthropy is grass roots driven makes me truly appreciate the character of my colleagues. This year we supported the Salvation Army “Angel” initiative, offering the opportunity for employees to adopt a little angel who might otherwise be overlooked in the great gift gala of December. My own children learn much from this mission of giving. They understand that gifts that we select for our “angels” come from our family budget, effectively meaning less under their own tree. They are learning that helping others is worthy compensation. When the son of a single mom working at McElroy asked, “Mom, can we afford it this year?” she told him they couldn’t afford not to. Wow. Read more...
Happy Anniversary McElroy Translation is kicking off a new client recognition program in 2005. McElroy has been in business for 36 years and places high value on building and maintaining long–term relationships with clients. We fully realize that in the highly competitive business environment in which we function it is imperative that we EARN the continued business of our clients month after month, year after year. Each month we will be contacting clients who have reached the 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and YES 30 year mark with our firm. These organizations will receive a gift for the office that all can enjoy. We will publish the names of our celebrants each month.

“

Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.
Dave Barry

”

McElroy Profile –
Webmaster Evan Norman

Evan Norman has been with McElroy since June 1999. He began his career here in the production department, providing final QC on documents before they were shipped. Upon arriving, he began to administer the company website on a more regular basis as its presence and importance to sales and marketing grew. During this period, McElroy noticed the ever-increasing business potential of website localization, and implemented an intensive redesign and translation of its website. Evan collaborated with Lisa Siciliani, currently McElroy’s Marketing Director, to redesign the website with an eye to providing more information, offering more estimate and ordering alternatives for clients, and localizing the website into several major languages.

Because McElroy’s clients require translation services on a wide array of technological platforms, Evan quickly broadened his scope of knowledge beyond a few web-related languages and software tools. On a regular basis, he assists other members of the McElroy localization team by ensuring that complex documents, websites and resource files are monitored carefully throughout the entire workflow process, from the initial estimate to the final FTP delivery. Evan also continues to increase the visibility of McElroy’s own website by optimizing it for search engine rankings. He works closely with the marketing department on the development and implementation of creative marketing strategies, such as CD-ROM presentations used in targeted mailing campaigns and dynamic branding through games on the website.

As part of McElroy’s timely and personal customer service approach, Evan develops customized online ordering solutions that cater to a particular client’s translation and billing needs, including types of materials translated, source and target languages and delivery methods.

In his spare time, Evan likes to draw a soothing scented bath in his oversize garden tub, and relax with a glass of bubbly and his favorite reading material: books on PHP/MySQL, web design, XML and content management, or for lighter reading, the latest issue of MultiLingual magazine.

Signed, Warmest Regards

Lisa Siciliani, Marketing

I had a lovely experience this week. It is particularly poignant during this holiday time when we are all thinking so much about those we care for, and many that we don’t know. This little story is about both.

It started when I notified the winner of our November promotion. The promotion was a gift, not to the recipient, but in that person’s name to soldiers serving in the Middle East. It turns out that our winner, Jeff Quan, is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and his response to my email notification was simple and touching. “I can certainly appreciate the warmth and well-wishes that come from home. The Brigade Soldiers Relief Packs will be a welcomed reminder from home that those who serve are not forgotten.” I was so pleased that the winner was someone to whom this had a personal significance. Little did I know how much.

Mission Harvest is the group I found that would make sure the packs would get to units that needed them most. When I spoke to Chaplain Lt. Col. Dewey Painter with Mission Harvest I was amazed to find out that their organization has shipped 50,000 “share packages.” Despite this volume, Chaplain Painter said he would be glad to pull our packs when they arrived from the supplier and make sure that our winner’s name and contact information was included with them. In conversation, Chaplain Painter asked about which branch of the service Jeff had served in.

Doing Business in Brazil

The People

Brazilians are friendly and free-spirited, with an incredible zest for life. They are very risk-oriented and very creative. Predominantly Roman Catholic (73%), families are large and often include extended family members. Family, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds are important to Brazilians.

Meeting and Greeting

Take time to greet and say good-bye to each person present.
Women kiss twice–once on each cheek–if they are married. Single women add a third kiss.

Body Language

Physical contact is part of simple communication. Touching arms, elbows and backs is very common and acceptable. Brazilians also stand extremely close to one another. Do not back away.
The “O.K.” sign is considered very rude and vulgar; the "thumbs up" gesture is used for approval.
Wiping your hands together means “it doesn’t matter.”
Clicking the tongue and shaking the head indicates disagreement or disapproval.

McElroy Angels

McElroy staff will be participating in the Salvation Army Holiday Angel Program again this year. Last year we added joy to the season for needy children and we will do the same this December. McElroy’s part is a small role in the big picture. In 2003 the Salvation Army program provided for more than 14,000 children in the Austin area. From the “Angel tree” McElroy employees choose “Angels” which list an individual child’s age, gender, clothes/shoe size and toy requests. The spirit of giving focuses hearts and minds on what matters during the holidays as we celebrate the season.

In this issue:

Holiday Reflections
Happy Anniversary
December Promotion
Signed, Warmest Regards
McElroy Profile – Webmaster Evan Norman
Doing Business in Brazil
McElroy Angels
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Holiday Care Packages for American Troops Abroad
Voters Lost in Translation
You’ve Got Mail

McElroy Translation warmly extends its greetings to clients, translators, and colleagues worldwide. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Afrikaans - 'n Geseende Kersfees

Arabic - Eid Milad Saeed

Argentine - Feliz Navidad

Armenian - Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand

Azeri - Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun

Bahasa Malaysia - Selamat Hari Krismas

Basque - Eguberri on

Belarusian - Szczaslivych Kaliadau

Bohemian - Vesele Vanoce

Brazilian - Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo

Breton - Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat

Bulgarian - Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo

Holiday Care Packages for American Troops Abroad For Thanksgiving McElroy employees donated goods and shipped an enormous care package to the company of production staff member Peggy Johnson’s son. Here are some specific and helpful suggestions on what to include if you too would like to bolster their spirits and show your appreciation to our troops abroad. Powdered Gatorade or other flavored drinks (don’t send sugary drinks like pre-mixed Kool-Aid, since the sugar is dehydrating; plain packets of Kool-Aid are OK) Batteries, especially Ds and AAs Magazines (except current affairs/news magazines, like Time, Newsweek, or US News & World Report, as those will likely just tick them off) Stationery supplies (they don’t need stamps) Homemade cookies (no chocolate or anything else that will melt) Hard candy, gum (no chocolate or anything else that will melt; no Skittles) Photos, cards, letters, pictures drawn by your kids Comics CDs Books (paperbacks; mysteries are usually good) Q-tips, pipe cleaners Ivory soap (small bars) Shaving equipment ( no aerosol cans; unscented) Disposable cameras Sardines Bug repellant Beef jerky (no pork) Ground coffee, instant hot chocolate (small packets) Word games, crossword puzzles Nuts, sunflower seeds, trail mix, crackers Big and small Ziploc bags Seasonings (Mrs. Dash, hot sauce, and Tabasco sauce; but nothing in packets that might break open) Instant oatmeal (in small packets) Instant espresso powder (in small packets or Ziploc bags) Waterproof sunscreen, aloe vera lotion (sealed in a Ziploc bag) Parmalat 2% milk Baby wipes (unscented; small or individual packets) Toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss Deodorant Lotion (unscented; small bottles; in a Ziploc bag) Kleenex (small packages) Throat lozenges < /li> Eye drops Lip balm, chapstick, carmex Pain relievers Jock itch powder (in a Ziploc bag) Foot powder (in a Ziploc bag) Moleskin Energy bars, granola bars (that won’t melt) Meal replacement drinks (lightweight bottles instead of cans) Chips (in vacuum-packed cans rather than bags) DO NOT SEND Anything scented Anything that will melt Anything that needs refrigeration or a lot of preparation Anything heavy Pork Acoholic beverages Back to Top	Send a Brigade Soldier Relief Pack
Voters Lost in Translation John Yunkers of byelevel research picked up this article for Web Globalization News. As evidenced by this article the need for quality translation and localization continues to grow. McElroy works through industry associations like ATA (American Translators Association) and GALA (Globalizaion and Localization Association) to educate consumers on the power and reach of good translation. October 28, 2004 The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Spanish translation of an informational “voter guide” is so poor that the election board had to trash what remaining flyers it had in stock. Here's an excerpt: One passage literally reads, “People that are registered 29 and 15 days before an election will be commanded a brochure.” “Any Spanish speaker would catch these errors, even if they were not academically proficient in Spanish. It’s that bad,” said Leslie Padilla-Williams, a translator in Oceanside who called the translation “horrific.” Four translators who work throughout the county said it appeared that a single person went almost word by word through the English version of the voter guide with a Spanish-English dictionary to write the flier. “That’s kind of close to the way it actually happened,” confirmed Mike Workman, a county spokesman. He estimated that between 8,000 and 12,000 copies of the voter guide were distributed. What’s particularly disturbing is that this same basic flyer was also used in the 2000 election. Back to Top
You’ve Got Mail Doing business in the era of accelerating e-mail use means typing furiously throughout the day to keep up with urgent messaging in all directions. We don’t predict a change anytime soon, but we decided to freshen our approach. We may not be able to stop emailing, but now we send a little of ourselves. Our emails are branded with a company logo graphic down the left side and many are personalized with our photos by the signature line. One client’s feedback....“I meant to mention that I like seeing a photo of you on your e-mail! It makes technology seem more of a tool for humans than humans an extension of technology!” Jennifer Burnham, National Resource Center for Health & Safety in Child Care. Back to Top
Holiday Reflections (continued) I listened to an excellent message recently. The speaker posed the question - who could remember what their spouse/significant other/friend gave them to commemorate the holiday in 2003? I was one of many who sat without raising my hand. The ensuing point hit home about what really matters. For many of us our time is our most precious commodity and it is the most precious gift we can give. So what will I choose for my husband this year? EGADS! It would sure be easier to buy a tie and a shirt! Happy holiday giving to all. May your stress be minimal and may your joy be great. Back to Top	Missed an issue of EBuzz?
Signed, Warmest Regards (continued) Through the subsequent email exchanges with Jeff, he related, “My wife and I also facilitate a support group through our church for friends and family of military personnel. We began this ministry when we saw a woman in the congregation who looked tearful, overwhelmed, and scared. My wife said, “Oh, how well I remember that look. I looked that way when you were in Saudi Arabia.” When we approached her, we learned that her husband was serving in Iraq, she was 6 months pregnant, and also has a 2–year–old son. We meet weekly and have brought several military wives together for support and encouragement.” Okay, call me a softy, but at this point, I got a little teary. Jeff shared a brief history of his enlistment and subsequent work with me. He works full time in the law department of a major corporation. In the years since his service he has completed an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in counseling. He recently became a Licensed Professional Counselor-Intern, working part time in a mental health trauma program. He plans to move into counseling as a second career after retirement. He ended with, “My heart is in serving people who are hurting. As you can tell, this promotion is very meaningful to me as well. Warmest regards, Jeff.” Warmest regards to you too, Jeff…and to those serving our country and all of our clients this holiday season. Back to Top	McElroy values client relationships
Doing Business in Brazil (continued) Corporate Culture Your personality and ability to establish strong personal and business relationships is important to the success of your business endeavor. Brazilians will do anything for friends, hence the expression: “For friends, everything. For enemies, the law.” Relationships are more important than a legal document in business. Meetings are conducted at a casual, unhurried pace. Don’t get right down to business. Engage in conversation first. Doing business with Brazilians requires face to face communication. You will be able to do only limited business by phone, fax or e-mail. Some facts may not be completely accurate during the early stages of business negotiations. Brazilians expect some initial hype and will passionately argue their points, slowly and grudgingly making concessions. Try to maintain consistency in your negotiating team. Always get a written agreement with starting date, time of delivery, payment details, etc. Bill in advance. Presentations should be expressive and have some flair. Stay at a first-class hotel. Appearances count. Hire a Brazilian contact (a despachante) from your industry to introduce you to the right people. He or she will be invaluable to your success. Hire a local accountant and a lawyer to help you with contract issues. Brazilians may resent an outside legal representative. Make appointments two weeks in advance. Don’t “drop in” on business or government offices without an appointment. Do not plan to make a business visit or schedule any appointments during holidays or festivals. Dining and Entertainment Always entertain in a prestigious restaurant. Be prepared for lengthy meals (two hours or more for lunch). Do not discuss business during meals unless your host brings it up. Business may occasionally be discussed at dinner in São Paulo or Rio. Brazilians always wash their hands before eating and rarely touch food with their hands. Use a knife and fork for everything, even fruit. Always use a napkin while eating or drinking. Using toothpicks in public is not acceptable unless you cover your mouth with your other hand. When inviting Brazilians to dinner or a party, do not suggest that your guests bring food or drink. Do not expect them to arrive on time, and never indicate a time that the party will “end.” To beckon a waiter, hold up the index finger of your right hand and quietly say “Garçon.” To request the check, say “A conta, por favor.” Waiters generally don’t bring checks until they are requested. Dress Appearance counts. Your clothing will reflect upon you and your company. Brazilian women dress “sexy” in all situations, whether business, formal or casual. Foreign women who want to blend in should avoid wearing overly formal, conservative attire. Shoes should be stylish, polished and well-kept. Nails should be manicured. In business situations, men should wear conservative dark suits, shirts and ties. Three piece suits indicate executives; two piece suits indicate office workers. Women should wear feminine dresses, suits and pantsuits and avoid “dressing like a man.” Gifts Gifts are not important in establishing a business relationship, and people won’t expect gifts in the first few contacts. A very expensive gift may be viewed as a bribe. Present a gift at a social meeting, not during a formal business meeting. Give good quality whiskey, wine, coffee table books and name brand pens. Gifts for your counterpart’s children will be appreciated. Send flowers before or after visiting someone’s home for dinner. Helpful Hints Don’t assume that the “self-made” businessperson is admired in Brazil. Inherited wealth and a good family background are much more desirable. Brazilians are extremely casual about time. Being ten to fifteen minutes late in business is normal, and twenty to thirty minutes late is not unusual. Be on time for a formal meeting, but prepare to wait for your Brazilian colleagues. Soccer (football), family, Brazil’s beautiful beaches and the country’s rapid growth are all appropriate conversation topics. Politics, poverty, religion, Argentina (considered a rival) and the deforestation of Brazil are not. Personal topics such as age, salary and marital or job status are also unacceptable. Brazilians are expressive and passionate conversationalists. Be prepared to be interrupted. Don’t smoke in public. Federal law bans smoking in public places. Don’t refer to Brazilians as Latins. Especially for Women As women increasingly join the workforce, machismo has become less common. Younger, better-educated women have values that correspond closely to those of North American women. Women are well-accepted and are prominent in education, medicine and journalism and as small business owners. Brazilian women are very aggressive, in both their business and personal lives. Foreign women will usually have no problem doing business in Brazil. However, some people are still conservative in this regard. Be very careful not to ruin a business deal by being cool and too professional. It is traditional to invite someone for a drink after work. This is not a come-on. Especially for Men Brazilian women can be very aggressive romantically and forward to the point of harassment. Don’t be surprised if you are in a restaurant or nightclub and a woman sends you a note asking for your phone number — even if you are with your wife or girlfriend. Foreign men traveling to Brazil should be very cautious when dealing with Brazilian women. If you don’t want the attention, be cordial but keep your distance. Don’t be overly friendly. -- Excerpted from the “Put Your Best Foot Forward” series by Mary Murray Bosrock. These publications are available for the U.S., Asia, Mexico/Canada, Russia, Europe and South America. Back to Top	Read about localization
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! (continued) Catalan- Felic Nadal Chinese - (Mandarin) Sheng Dan Kuai Le Chinese - (Cantonese) Sing Daan Fai Lok Cornish - Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth Cree - Mitho Makosi Kesikansi Croatian - Sretan Bozic Czech - Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok Danish - Glaedelig Jul Dutch - Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! Esperanto - Gajan Kristnaskon Estonian - Roomsaid Joulu Puhi Finnish - Hauskaa joulua French - Joyeux Noel Frisian - Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier! German - Froehliche Weihnachten Greek - Kala Christouyenna! Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauoli Makahiki ho Hebrew - Khag Molad Same'akh Hindi - Shub Naya Baras Hungarian - Kellemes Karacsonyi uennepeket Icelandic - Gledileg Jol Indonesian - Selamat Hari Natal Irish - Nodlaig mhaith chugnat Italian - Buone Feste Natalizie Japanese - Kurisumasu Omedeto Japanese - Shinnen omedeto (Happy New Year in Japanese) Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha Latvian - Priecigus Ziemas Svetkus un Laimigu Jauno Gadu Lettish - Priecigus Ziemassvetkus Lithuanian - Linksmu Kaledu Luxembourgish - Schei Chreschtdeeg an e gudde Rutsch an d'neit Joer Manx - Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa Maori - Meri Kirihimete Malaysia - Selamat Hari Krismas Marathi - Shub Naya Varsh Norwegian - God Jul Og Godt Nytt Aar Philippines - Maligayang Pasko Polish - Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia Portuguese - Feliz Natal Rapa-Nui - Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua Romanian - Craciun Fericit Russian - S Rozhdestvom Khristovym Serbian - Hristos se rodi Slovakian - Vesele Vianoce Samoan - Maunia Le Kilisimasi ma Le Tausaga Fou Scottish - Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur Serbo-Croatian - Srecan Bozic Singhalese - Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa Slovak - Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok Slovene - Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto Spanish - Feliz Navidad Swedish - God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt Ar Tagalog - Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon Tamil - Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal Thai - Sawadee Pee Mai (Happy New Year) Turkish - Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun Ukrainian - Schaslyvoho Rizdva Khrystovoho Urdu - Naya Saal Mubarak Ho Vietnamese - No^ En - French based (No"el) Vietnamese - Chu'c Mu`ng Giang Si.nh - Sino-Vietnamese Welsh - Nadolig Llawen Yoruba - E ku odun keresimesi Back to Top	McElroy’s Languages Expertise

Reach McElroy Translation at
910 West Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701
800 531 9977
512 472 6753
512 472 4591 fax
sales@mcelroytranslation.com

Holiday Reflections

Happy Anniversary

McElroy Profile – Webmaster Evan Norman

Signed, Warmest Regards

Lisa Siciliani, Marketing

Doing Business in Brazil

McElroy Angels

December Promotion

McElroy Translation warmly extends its greetings to clients, translators, and colleagues worldwide. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Holiday Care Packages for American Troops Abroad

Nuts, sunflower seeds, trail mix, crackers

Parmalat 2% milk

DO NOT SEND

Voters Lost in Translation

You’ve Got Mail

Holiday Reflections

(continued)

Signed, Warmest Regards

(continued)

Doing Business in Brazil

(continued)

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

(continued)

McElroy Profile –
Webmaster Evan Norman