Economists extol the benefits of the emerging global economy. Glitzy television commercials for the Internet promise to bring everyone together with just a click of a computer mouse. Still, age-old barriers exist—not the least of which is how to communicate commercially in a world of more than 200 countries whose peoples speak more than 6000 languages.
Translating language is essential for this dialogue. It may be obvious, but it gets little fanfare. And for health care, with its highly technical and scientific nature, proper translation can be a matter of life and death.
Translation is required, for example, when pharmaceutical manufacturers and medical device makers bring products to a new market and must present promotional and regulatory materials; when journals and other texts are offered in a variety of countries; and when medical records of international travelers are shared among physicians in different countries.
NO SIMPLE MATTER
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