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Several parts of the last letter I received did not seem to be translated. I know just a little Spanish, so I know some parts are missing. For example, it was not translated that he liked the photo of the airplane. Translation said he wanted a photo of my family, so I thought he wanted more photos of me, my husband, and our children. But when I used a translator for that part of the letter, he seemed to be asking for a photo of my parents.
I have seen selected sentences omitted before, but it was more frequent in this last letter. It's a lot easier to build a relationship with a child when a sponsor knows what the child wrote. Still, I want to thank Compassion for giving sponsors the opportunity to communicate with the children.
I have seen selected sentences omitted before, but it was more frequent in this last letter. It's a lot easier to build a relationship with a child when a sponsor knows what the child wrote. Still, I want to thank Compassion for giving sponsors the opportunity to communicate with the children.
Posted 4 years ago
KristenH, Champion
Beth, thank you so much for making us aware of this! Like Kristen said, we're more than happy to have your letter re translated to ensure you're reading what your child has actually written. I'm so sorry if there were pieces that were not translated for you and we want to correct that. Because each letter is hand translated by a real person and they have many letters to translate during a shift, sometimes we find mistakes like this, but we certainly want to keep it from being an ongoing issue if it's the same translator each time or if you're seeing this happen often. Translators may translate the context of the child's questions instead of word for word if it makes more sense. For example, if a child writes something in Spanish that will not translate well to English if written word for word, they will paraphrase. But it should still embody what the child wrote and not be different from what they intended to say to you. I've made a note on your account that we might be receiving a letter(s) from you that needs checked. If a translator needs extra training or assistance, this will give us an idea of how to address this and best help them with future letters that they translate :).
(Edited)
Is it possible to send a copy of the letter by mail instead of scanning it in?
I understand that Spanish does not translate to English word for word. I just really think that there are several things missing in this letter.
KristenH, Champion
Yes you can mail it in with a note explaining that it needs translated. :)
Good morning, Beth! I made a note on your account that you're mailing it in :). That's not a problem at all and we'll definitely check on the translation when we receive it. Please write 'Attention Emily' on the letter when you mail it in. You can send it to the same address as you've sent other letters to your child.
Thank you!
Hi Beth! I just wanted to follow up with you regarding Angel's letter! :) I just received it on my desk and sent an inquiry to our office in Guatemala to request that it be re-translated to ensure quality and that everything was included. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve this and get the correct, full translation back to you!
Thanks for letting me know it is being processed.
I noticed this with a recent letter too (also in Spanish). The girl ended the letter "with a big kiss" but this wasn't translated at all. Such an important detail!
(Edited)
Beth, we definitely don't want to miss those special and personal details in your child's letters :(. Has there been several letters this has happened to you as well? Or do you think there was more translation that was missed in the body of this letter? If you think it was not fully translated, we can check on your letter as well with our country office.
I have also noticed that these types of details seem to be left out of many of my letters. I had started assuming that some of the 'emotion' was taken out of the letters on purpose. Not all of them, but it has happened more than once. Other times it is translated just fine. We sponsors are encouraged to know our kids love us! I have started to wonder if parts of my letters aren't getting translated to Spanish for my children, if translation is missing in the letters that I receive from them.
(Edited)
Well, I am not sure how often this happens because most of the languages I can't type into Google translate. I am going to keep an eye on it as I just noticed the amount of text in English didn't match up with the amount in Spanish. Beth I wonder as well if some of our letters get lost in translation.
I can send a picture of the letter if you like.
Thanks again for all that you do!
I can send a picture of the letter if you like.
Thanks again for all that you do!
Hello Beth! I received my 1st letter and none of it was translated:-( I can’t read any of it.. what do I do!! I want to build a relationship with my child but no nothing..
Cozy_melon@yahoo. Com is my Email
-thank you, Faith Foster
Cozy_melon@yahoo. Com is my Email
-thank you, Faith Foster
Shannon Massey, Employee
Hi Faith,
I am so sorry to hear that you received your very first letter without translation. May I ask, are you sponsoring Suchitra (BD034101115)?
I am so sorry to hear that you received your very first letter without translation. May I ask, are you sponsoring Suchitra (BD034101115)?
A letter from Wendy Aracely Salanic Chanchavac was posted to my account on May 21 2016. However only the first was included with no translation. Could I have the rest of the letter e-mailed to me? Thanks.
Sarah, Official Rep
Hi Alan! I am so sorry you weren't able to view Wendy's entire letter. I will get the full letter to you in just a few minutes :).
This just happened to me also. I received a letter but the part that the child wrote was not translated. There was another scanned paper with a different message on it (referring to her birthday) but that second paper was the only one translated. I know limited Spanish so could tell that her questions about my family were not translated, how she was doing was not translated and her signoff was not translated. I put what I could make out into Google translate but am not familiar enough with Spanish to tell what some of the words are (she's 8 so her writing isn't always so clear).
Sarah, Official Rep
Hi Elisha! I can tell that the full letter wasn't translated either. It's hard for me to read, but I am sending an inquiry to our office in the Dominican Republic to get the rest of it translated for you :). It can take between six and eight weeks for us to receive a response back from them. I'll be sure to contact you as soon as I have heard from them!
Thank you so much for your quick reply and for your help!
Hi I received a letter this evening and the second page was not translated. Where can I send it to get translated, please?
Thanks for your help!
Jessica
Thanks for your help!
Jessica
Sarah, Official Rep
Hi Jessica! I am so sorry that your letter wasn't fully translated before it was placed on your account :(. I just took care of sending an inquiry to our office in Tanzania to have them fully translate this letter and place the new copy of it on your account to replace to the one that isn't fully translated. It can take between six and eight weeks for us to hear back from the office with the new letter, but we will be in contact as soon as we do hear from them.
Thank you, Sarah!
I have the same problem with my last letter? What do I need to do to get it translated. Communication of everything written is extremely important. Please advise
Sarah, Official Rep
Hi Jonathan! Your letter to your child is currently being translated. It can take some time for a letter to be translated, but you should see it process completely soon :).
To whom it may concern:
Hello, I have 2 times now received letters from my sponsored child that have not been translated. Please advise on how to have this recent one translated. I have not heard much from her in the last 2 years so it is very important to me that when i do receive her letters that I can read them. Thank you in advance.
Hello, I have 2 times now received letters from my sponsored child that have not been translated. Please advise on how to have this recent one translated. I have not heard much from her in the last 2 years so it is very important to me that when i do receive her letters that I can read them. Thank you in advance.
Are you receiving letters in email/online that are not translated? Or do you receive the original letters? If you receive the original letters, then you need to go online to see the translation. They are now scanning them in before translating so the translation is not paired up with the letter before it is sent.
Shannon Massey, Employee
Hi Kelli,
I am so sorry for the confusion on these letters! As Sarah mentioned above, you will only receive the translation on the online letter. When you receive the original letter from your kiddo a couple months later, there will not be a translation printed on it. This happens because you have selected to have the physical original copy. Since these are mailed directly from the child's country, there is no way for us to print the translation on these. If you would like, we would be happy to change your letter preferences for you to receive a copy of the original with translation. This would be the exact same, it would just be a copy with the printed translation instead of that very same one that your child wrote on. Otherwise, you will still be able to log into your online account and view all your letters there with full translation. I hope this helps! :)
I am so sorry for the confusion on these letters! As Sarah mentioned above, you will only receive the translation on the online letter. When you receive the original letter from your kiddo a couple months later, there will not be a translation printed on it. This happens because you have selected to have the physical original copy. Since these are mailed directly from the child's country, there is no way for us to print the translation on these. If you would like, we would be happy to change your letter preferences for you to receive a copy of the original with translation. This would be the exact same, it would just be a copy with the printed translation instead of that very same one that your child wrote on. Otherwise, you will still be able to log into your online account and view all your letters there with full translation. I hope this helps! :)
Which is not completely true. I’ve had a letter I’ve been trying to get translated since last November. I have not received a translation via hard copy of the letter or on my online account
Jonathan, I did take a look at your account, and all of the letters have been translated besides the most recent one. Can you see the date on the letter that you are talking about?
Yes, there is a letter dated January 15, 2018 that does not have a translation. That letter was originally dated back in November. Maybe I’m missing something. I’ve tried to communicate two or three different times with compassion about getting the letter interpreted and after nearly 5 months it’s still not done.
Jonathan, I did take a look a bit further, and I see when you called our office in February, the representative did send an inquiry over to the field office staff of Haiti to have the letter in November translated. I found this letter and it looks like they just started to translate it, but did not complete it. We did send this inquiry in the middle of February, and we have a window of 45 days until the field staff is expected to get back to us. Once we hear back from the field staff, we will let you know as quickly as possible! I am so sorry that it has taken this long to get this letter translated from Joralda!
Beth