top of page
Writer's pictureReed James

Escort...big mistake


Allow me to escort your eyes to the rest of this post. Several years ago, I translated for an agency whose end client was Spanish. I forget the particulars, but there was a business situation where the best translation in my mind for a certain company representative to show clients around was escort. When the Spanish client saw that word, they were up in arms. I obliged them and changed the word to companion.


What they were getting at is escort as in escort service. I'm not sure what is wrong with a sometimes attractive person showing visitors around town, but perhaps this client knows something I don't. It just goes to show that clients, though not even proficient speakers of English, have their own views about translation and the English language, so it's best to let them have what they think is best. That is, maybe unless they are going to embarrass themselves if they insist on a particular term. They deserve a warning in that case.


Okay. I'm going to escort myself to a cozy spot for reading.

4 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

I'm not good at computers

Please don't say that, not to me, not to a potential client, and not even yourself. You see, underestimating your computer skills is the...

Comments


bottom of page