Josef Kubovsky（CEO, Nimdzi Insights）就2024語(yǔ)言服務(wù)創(chuàng)新發(fā)展國(guó)際（廈門）論壇的會(huì)議內(nèi)容，撰寫了三篇聚焦中國(guó)語(yǔ)言服務(wù)行業(yè)的文章，本文是第三篇。
Collaboration in China’s Language Service Industry: Building Resilience Through Partnership
During my recent visit to TAC LSC 2024 in Xiamen, one of the themes that stood out to me was the emphasis on collaboration in China’s language service industry. Having spent years in the industry, I’ve consistently observed that when LSPs work together – whether on translations, technology development, or even serving the same client – the results are often far greater than what could be achieved individually.
在我最近赴廈參加的TAC LSC 2024會(huì)議期間，一個(gè)突出的主題是中國(guó)語(yǔ)言服務(wù)行業(yè)對(duì)協(xié)作的重視。在多年的行業(yè)經(jīng)驗(yàn)中，我始終觀察到，無(wú)論是在翻譯、技術(shù)開(kāi)發(fā)還是共同服務(wù)客戶的過(guò)程中，當(dāng)語(yǔ)言服務(wù)提供商（LSP）攜手合作時(shí)，取得的成果往往超越單獨(dú)行動(dòng)的效果。
What struck me in China was how this collaborative spirit is evolving to meet new challenges. At TAC LSC 2024, translation companies – ranging from large enterprises to specialized firms – showcased their ability to pool resources, share expertise, and tackle common problems collectively. In this article, I’ll explore the role of collaboration in China’s language service industry and why it’s more critical than ever for fostering resilience and innovation.
在中國(guó)，令我最為印象深刻的是，為了應(yīng)對(duì)新的挑戰(zhàn)，這種協(xié)作精神正不斷演變。在此次會(huì)議上，從大型企業(yè)到專業(yè)化公司，各類翻譯公司展示了他們?nèi)绾喂餐腺Y源、共享專業(yè)知識(shí)，并集體解決共同問(wèn)題。在本文中，我將探討協(xié)作在中國(guó)語(yǔ)言服務(wù)行業(yè)中的作用，以及為何它對(duì)促進(jìn)韌性和創(chuàng)新至關(guān)重要。
The language service industry faces growing pressures:
語(yǔ)言服務(wù)行業(yè)正面臨日益嚴(yán)峻的壓力：
? Pricing Challenges 價(jià)格挑戰(zhàn)
Global competition and the rise of automated tools are driving down rates.
全球競(jìng)爭(zhēng)和自動(dòng)化工具的興起正在壓低收費(fèi)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。
? Technological Advancements 技術(shù)進(jìn)步
Companies must embrace tools like generative AI while ensuring they don’t compromise quality.
企業(yè)需要擁抱生成式人工智能等工具，同時(shí)確保質(zhì)量不受影響。
? Diverse Client Needs 客戶需求多樣化
Globalization requires expertise in niche markets and specialized domains.
全球化要求在利基市場(chǎng)和專業(yè)領(lǐng)域中具備專長(zhǎng)。
At TAC LSC 2024, Haiyan Zhao, a well-known figure in the Chinese language services sector, emphasized that addressing these challenges requires companies to move beyond competition. Instead, they need to seek partnerships that leverage shared resources and expertise.
在此次會(huì)議上，中國(guó)語(yǔ)言服務(wù)行業(yè)知名人士趙海燕指出，應(yīng)對(duì)這些挑戰(zhàn)需要企業(yè)跳出競(jìng)爭(zhēng)關(guān)系，并通過(guò)共享資源和專業(yè)知識(shí)來(lái)建立合作關(guān)系。
For example, Haiyan highlighted a collaborative effort by several mid-sized LSPs in China who worked together to develop a centralized repository of bilingual corpora for Al training. This approach not only reduced costs for each participant but also improved the quality of machine translations for specialized industries like legal and medical.
例如，趙海燕提到，中國(guó)幾家中型LSP合作開(kāi)發(fā)了一個(gè)用于AI訓(xùn)練的雙語(yǔ)語(yǔ)料庫(kù)集中存儲(chǔ)庫(kù)。這種方法不僅降低了合作公司的成本，還提升了法律和醫(yī)學(xué)等專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的機(jī)器翻譯質(zhì)量。
? Pooling Resources for Greater Efficiency 資源共享以提高效率
One of the most immediate benefits of collaboration is the ability to share resources. At TAC LSC 2024, a group of translation companies discussed their joint project to create a specialized corpus for patent translations. By combining their linguistic data, they developed a more comprehensive dataset that significantly improved the accuracy of AI-generated translations in this domain.
合作最直接的好處之一是能夠共享資源。在會(huì)議上，幾家翻譯公司分享了他們合作創(chuàng)建專利翻譯語(yǔ)料庫(kù)的項(xiàng)目。通過(guò)整合語(yǔ)言數(shù)據(jù)，他們開(kāi)發(fā)了一個(gè)更全面的數(shù)據(jù)集，大幅提高了人工智能生成翻譯在該領(lǐng)域的準(zhǔn)確性。
? Co-Developing Technology 共同開(kāi)發(fā)技術(shù)
China’s LSPs are increasingly partnering with technology providers to create tools tailored to their needs. A standout case presented during the conference was a collaboration between a regional LSP and a local AI company to design a translation management system specifically for Chinese-to-European language workflows. This system automated complex processes like terminology management and client-specific style guides, reducing project turnaround times by 25%.
中國(guó)的LSP愈發(fā)頻繁地與技術(shù)公司開(kāi)展合作，開(kāi)發(fā)滿足自身需求的工具。會(huì)議上，一個(gè)突出案例是由地區(qū)性LSP與本地AI公司合作設(shè)計(jì)的翻譯管理系統(tǒng)。該系統(tǒng)專為中文到歐洲語(yǔ)言的工作流設(shè)計(jì)，自動(dòng)化處理了術(shù)語(yǔ)管理和客戶特定風(fēng)格指南等復(fù)雜流程，將項(xiàng)目交付時(shí)間縮短了25%。
? Serving Shared Clients 共同服務(wù)客戶
Collaboration isn’t limited to technology – it can also extend to client service. Several speakers shared examples of LSPs working together to serve multinational clients. For instance, a global electronics brand relied on two Chinese LSPs to handle different aspects of its localization needs: one focused on marketing materials, while the other specialized in technical documentation. By coordinating their efforts, the two companies ensured consistency across all localized content while meeting tight deadlines.
協(xié)作不僅僅限于技術(shù)開(kāi)發(fā)，還延伸至客戶服務(wù)領(lǐng)域。幾位演講者分享了LSP為服務(wù)跨國(guó)客戶而展開(kāi)合作的案例。例如，一家全球電子產(chǎn)品品牌委托兩家中國(guó)LSP分別負(fù)責(zé)其本地化需求的不同部分：一家專注于市場(chǎng)營(yíng)銷材料，另一家專攻技術(shù)文檔。通過(guò)協(xié)調(diào)合作，這兩家公司既確保了所有本地化內(nèi)容的一致性，又在緊迫的交付期限內(nèi)完成了工作。
Collaboration in China’s language service industry also reflects cultural values of collectivism and shared purpose. During a panel on “Partnerships for a Sustainable Language Industry,” several speakers emphasized how these values influence business practices in the sector.
中國(guó)語(yǔ)言服務(wù)行業(yè)的協(xié)作也體現(xiàn)了集體主義和共同目標(biāo)的文化價(jià)值觀。在一場(chǎng)題為“可持續(xù)語(yǔ)言行業(yè)的合作伙伴關(guān)系”的圓桌論壇中，多位發(fā)言者強(qiáng)調(diào)了這些文化價(jià)值觀是如何影響行業(yè)中的商業(yè)實(shí)踐。
One compelling example was shared by Lin Hao, who heads a boutique translation firm in Shanghai. Lin’s company partnered with larger firms to gain access to advanced Al tools, while offering niche expertise in pharmaceutical translations in return. This mutually beneficial relationship not only boosted Lin’s business but also allowed the larger firms to expand their service offerings without overextending their teams.
上海一家專業(yè)翻譯公司的負(fù)責(zé)人分享了一個(gè)令人信服的案例。他所在的公司通過(guò)與更大的企業(yè)合作，在獲取先進(jìn)的 AI 工具的同時(shí)，以其在醫(yī)藥翻譯領(lǐng)域的專業(yè)知識(shí)作為回報(bào)。這種互惠互利的關(guān)系不僅促進(jìn)了其業(yè)務(wù)的增長(zhǎng)，還使大企業(yè)能夠在不擴(kuò)張團(tuán)隊(duì)的情況下拓展服務(wù)范圍。
? Accelerating Innovation 加速創(chuàng)新
Collaborative efforts, like the development of bilingual corpora or tailored AI solutions, allow LSPs to innovate faster and more cost-effectively than they could alone.
通過(guò)合作開(kāi)發(fā)雙語(yǔ)語(yǔ)料庫(kù)或定制 AI 解決方案等協(xié)作努力，LSP可以比單獨(dú)行動(dòng)更快、更經(jīng)濟(jì)高效地實(shí)現(xiàn)創(chuàng)新。
? Building Trust and Quality 建立信任，提升質(zhì)量
By working together, companies can ensure greater consistency in translations, particularly for clients with large, multifaceted projects.
通過(guò)協(xié)作，企業(yè)可以確保翻譯的一致性，尤其是對(duì)具有大規(guī)模、復(fù)雜需求的客戶項(xiàng)目。
? Expanding Capabilities 擴(kuò)展能力
Partnerships enable LSPs to take on projects outside their core expertise, broadening their market reach and increasing client satisfaction.
協(xié)作使得LSP能夠承接其核心專長(zhǎng)之外的項(xiàng)目，拓寬市場(chǎng)覆蓋范圍，提高客戶滿意度。
While collaboration offers immense potential, there are challenges that must be addressed:
盡管協(xié)作可以激發(fā)出巨大的潛力，但也存在需要解決的挑戰(zhàn)：
? Data Privacy 數(shù)據(jù)隱私
Sharing resources requires clear agreements to protect proprietary information.
資源共享需要明確的協(xié)議以保護(hù)專有信息。
? Alignment Issues 目標(biāo)一致性
Successful partnerships require aligned goals, transparent communication, and mutual trust.
成功的合作伙伴關(guān)系需要一致的目標(biāo)、透明的溝通和相互信任。
? Balancing Competition 平衡競(jìng)爭(zhēng)
Some companies hesitate to collaborate with competitors, fearing a loss of market share.
一些公司因擔(dān)心失去市場(chǎng)份額而不愿與競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手合作。
During TAC LSC 2024, several panels, including “Collaboration Models in the Digital Era,” explored practical strategies for overcoming these barriers. Suggestions included creating neutral resource-sharing platforms and developing industry-wide guidelines for ethical collaboration.
在會(huì)議期間，包括“數(shù)字時(shí)代的合作模式”在內(nèi)的多個(gè)專題討論探討了克服這些障礙的實(shí)用策略。例如，建立中立的資源共享平臺(tái)和制定行業(yè)范圍內(nèi)的道德合作指南。
Reflecting on my time at TAC LSC 2024, I’m inspired by how China’s language service industry embraces collaboration as a strategic advantage. From shared datasets to co-developed tools, these partnerships are fostering innovation and helping companies navigate a rapidly changing landscape.
回顧我在TAC LSC 2024的所見(jiàn)所聞，中國(guó)語(yǔ)言服務(wù)行業(yè)將協(xié)作視為戰(zhàn)略優(yōu)勢(shì)讓我深受啟發(fā)。從共享數(shù)據(jù)集到共同開(kāi)發(fā)工具，這些合作正在推動(dòng)創(chuàng)新，幫助企業(yè)應(yīng)對(duì)快速變化的環(huán)境。
To build on this momentum, LSPs – whether in China or abroad-should consider the following:
為了延續(xù)這一勢(shì)頭，無(wú)論是中國(guó)抑或是其他國(guó)家的LSP都可以考慮以下幾點(diǎn)：
? Identify Complementary Strengths 發(fā)現(xiàn)互補(bǔ)優(yōu)勢(shì)
l Seek partners whose expertise complements your own, creating a win-win dynamic.
尋找能與自身專業(yè)互補(bǔ)的合作伙伴，創(chuàng)造雙贏局面。
? Invest in Shared Platforms 投資共享平臺(tái)
Develop tools and resources that enable secure, efficient collaboration.
開(kāi)發(fā)支持安全高效協(xié)作的工具和資源。
? Foster a Culture of Trust 培養(yǎng)信任文化
Collaboration thrives when companies prioritize mutual benefit over short-term gains.
將長(zhǎng)期互惠利益置于短期收益之上。
在新西蘭（毛利語(yǔ)：Aotearoa）郁郁蔥蔥的風(fēng)景中，毛利語(yǔ)（Māori也被稱為te reo）具有歷史和文化意義。作為新西蘭的官方語(yǔ)言之一，毛利語(yǔ)在新西蘭的文化譜系中占據(jù)著重要的地位。它屬于南島語(yǔ)系東波利尼西亞語(yǔ)支，將毛利人與他們祖先的家園隔著浩瀚的太平洋連接起來(lái)。
印度尼西亞語(yǔ)Indonesian（當(dāng)?shù)厝朔Q其為Bahasa Indonesia，簡(jiǎn)稱印尼語(yǔ)?）是一門在印度尼西亞群島使用的既酷炫又閑適的通用語(yǔ)言。在這個(gè)擁有 17,000 多個(gè)島嶼且語(yǔ)言多樣性極高的國(guó)家里，印尼語(yǔ)是官方語(yǔ)言。印尼語(yǔ)像是連接數(shù)百個(gè)民族和語(yǔ)言的粘合劑，使其成為終極社交用語(yǔ)。
