Looking for expert Shona translation services? Since 2003, Green Crescent has been delivering professional translation services between English and Shona to clients globally. We specialize in areas including legal, educational, cultural, and community-based projects. Our team ensures accurate, high-quality translations tailored to your specific needs. Get a fast, free Shona translation quote today!
Our Comprehensive Shona Translation Services
Green Crescent’s skilled team of Shona translators includes subject matter experts for industry-specific needs. We provide translations tailored to all major Shona dialects, including:
- Zezuru
- Manyika
- Karanga
- Korekore
We specialize in both English to Shona and Shona to English translations, offering the following services:
Simple Translation
Our simple translations in the English/Shona language pair are designed for basic communication needs. These translations are completed by a single Shona translator without the involvement of an editor or proofreader, and therefore should not be considered final or polished work for most professional or formal use cases. While they are typically of high quality, simple translations are essentially "rough drafts" that do not go through additional editing, proofreading, or other quality control processes. These translations are ideal for personal letters, informal communications, initial drafts that will later be revised, or for situations where you need to quickly understand the general meaning or "gist" of a Shona text.
Standard Translation (TEP)
Our Standard Shona Translation service is designed to provide high-quality translations for everyday use, including business correspondence, websites, reports, presentations, and similar content. This service includes translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) to ensure the highest level of accuracy and clarity in your Shona communications.
Organization Critical Translation (TEP+)
Our Organization Critical Shona Translation service is designed for situations where perfection is essential. This option is recommended for texts intended for large-scale printing, technical documents, legal contracts and patents, medical documents, or any case where an error could be critical or costly. Each translated line is reviewed by a minimum of three linguists, with multiple rounds of proofreading. Subject matter experts (SMEs) may be involved as needed throughout the Shona translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP) process.
Bilingual Editing
Bilingual Editing for Shona Translation is the process of editing a translated text by comparing both the source and target texts in the English/Shona language pair. The editor, fluent in the source language and a native speaker of Shona, ensures that the translation is accurate, consistent, and faithful to the source text while also maintaining clarity and fluency in Shona. This step occurs after the initial translation in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard Translation services. We also offer this service as a standalone option for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Proofreading
With each additional round of editing and proofreading, the error rate of a document approaches the perfection horizon. Our proofreading service for English to Shona and Shona to English translations involves reviewing a single-language text to identify and correct surface-level errors, such as spelling mistakes, grammar issues, punctuation errors, and formatting inconsistencies. This step is the final phase in our TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading) Organization Critical and Standard translation services. We also offer proofreading as a standalone service for translations completed by individuals or organizations not affiliated with Green Crescent.
Legal Translation
Green Crescent's elite team of linguists, each with subject matter expertise in specialized legal fields, is ready to assist you with the translation of a wide range of judicial, administrative, and private legal documents between Shona and English. Nearly all countries recognize that submitting documents for translation does not compromise attorney-client privilege. Furthermore, we can implement enhanced security measures to ensure strict confidentiality upon request.
Technical Translation
Technical translations involve any text that features specialized vocabulary or language registers, necessitating additional research and terminology verification. Common technical subject matter includes legal, medical, scientific, engineering, and IT topics, but any text that utilizes industry-specific terminology or neologisms may be considered technical in nature. These translations cannot be executed by generalists alone; they require the expertise of linguists with in-depth knowledge of the relevant technical field in both Shona and English.
Medical Translation
Green Crescent has established protocols to ensure compliance with HIPAA and HITECH regulations, which you can learn more about here. Our Shona medical translations are treated as "organization critical," unless otherwise specified, and we are committed to implementing the necessary digital security measures and legal safeguards for every project subject to HIPAA and HITECH requirements. Our team of skilled linguists, specialized in medical terminology, ensures that your translations are both accurate and secure.
Localization
Our translation services are tailored for specific target markets that require non-standard varieties or dialects of the Shona language. Green Crescent is equipped to accommodate requests for localized Shona translation, ensuring that your content resonates with the intended audience. Our experienced linguists are well-versed in the nuances of Shona, allowing us to provide translations that are not only accurate but also culturally relevant and engaging. By focusing on the unique linguistic characteristics of Shona, we help you effectively connect with your audience and enhance the impact of your message.
Website, App, and Software Localization for Shona
At Green Crescent, we leverage our extensive experience in software development to provide specialized Shona localization services. We excel in adapting your website, app, or software’s content, design, and functionality for Shona-speaking audiences. Whether you need a fully multilingual solution or specific adaptations for Shona, our services encompass translating text, adjusting images, and modifying layouts. We also adapt and program code for both mobile and desktop applications, ensuring that your app functions seamlessly across Shona-speaking regions while adhering to platform-specific guidelines. Let us help you create an engaging and culturally relevant experience for your Shona-speaking users.
Back-translation
Back-translation is often a crucial component of the quality control process, particularly when translating highly technical documents or for critical translations in the Shona/English language pair where an error could have significant consequences. This process involves an independent linguist translating a previously translated text back into its original source language—either Shona or English—without reference to the original document. The resulting text is then compared to the original translation to verify its intelligibility, accuracy, and suitability for its intended use. Back-translation is also relevant in situations such as the translation of legal documents, medical texts, and marketing materials, where precise wording is essential. It can be particularly beneficial when adapting content for different cultural contexts, ensuring that the intended message is preserved and resonates appropriately with the target audience in both Shona and English.
Peer Review
Green Crescent offers professional focus group services that include a comprehensive "read-through" conducted by one or more linguists who were not involved in the original translation process. This approach allows for an unbiased assessment of the translation's quality, style, and overall fitness for its intended purpose. The focus group can evaluate various aspects of the text, including linguistic accuracy, cultural relevance, and the effectiveness of the messaging in reaching the target audience. Feedback is provided on how well the translation conveys the original intent and nuances of the source material, ensuring that it resonates with readers in both Shona and English contexts.
SME Review
Subject Matter Expert (SME) review is a specialized form of peer review conducted by non-linguist professionals with deep expertise in specific fields. This process is particularly important for Shona to English or English to Shona translations of highly technical texts, ensuring that the content is both linguistically accurate and technically precise. In fields such as legal, medical, scientific, and engineering, SMEs help verify the correct use of industry-specific terminology, adherence to regulatory or technical standards, and the contextual relevance of the translated material. By incorporating SME review into the translation process, we ensure that your final product is not only fluent and culturally appropriate but also technically sound and ready for professional use in both Shona- and English-speaking markets.
Transcreation
Our Shona Transcreation Service goes beyond simple translation by creatively adapting your content to resonate with Shona-speaking audiences. At Green Crescent, we ensure that your brand’s messages, campaigns, and communications maintain their original intent, emotional impact, and tone, while aligning with the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target market. Whether it’s marketing, branding, or advertising, we reimagine your content to feel authentic and compelling in Shona, helping your brand connect meaningfully and effectively with Shona-speaking audiences.
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full)
MTPE-Full (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Full) refers to the comprehensive post-editing of a machine-translated text between Shona and English, ensuring the final product meets the highest standards of linguistic quality. In this process, once the machine generates the translation, a skilled human editor thoroughly reviews the entire content, ensuring that it is not only accurate in meaning but also flows naturally and fluently in the target language. This detailed editing process includes correcting grammar, syntax, and terminology, adapting the text for the intended audience, and ensuring it adheres to any stylistic preferences or regulatory requirements. MTPE-Full is suitable for business-critical texts where precision and quality are paramount.
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light)
MTPE-Light (Machine Translation Post-Editing - Light) is a more streamlined version of post-editing, designed for situations where speed and cost-efficiency are prioritized over linguistic perfection. In this process, the human editor focuses primarily on fixing major errors and ensuring that the overall meaning of the machine-translated text is clear and understandable in the target language (Shona or English). While MTPE-Light may not deliver a translation that is fully polished or ready for publication, it provides an efficient and cost-effective solution for internal documents, reports, and communications where basic comprehension is sufficient.
Additional Language Services and Options for Shona
Certified Translation
Green Crescent provides certified translations of a wide range of legal documents, including birth, marriage, and death certificates, diplomas, school transcripts, passports, and much more, in both Shona and English. Our certified translations are recognized for their accuracy and compliance with legal standards, making them suitable for official use. You can receive hard copies of our standard certificate of translation mailed directly to your home or business.
Rush Service
If you require expedited service, Green Crescent can usually accommodate such requests. However, please note that rushing translations often comes with trade-offs, which may affect both price and consistency. Please consult with a project manager for more details.
Discounts
Volume discounts are available for large projects, long-term clients, and for non-profits, charities, NGOs, and government organizations.
Minimum Fee
There is a minimum project fee of $75.00 USD per language, which can be reduced or waived for regular clients.
Additional Language Services
In addition to translation, Green Crescent offers a range of other Shona language services, including interpretation, transcription, website design and development, and desktop publishing.
About the Shona Language
Shona, known locally as "chiShona," is the most widely spoken language in Zimbabwe, with over 10 million speakers. It is also spoken in parts of Mozambique, Zambia, and Botswana. Shona is part of the Bantu language family and serves as one of Zimbabwe’s official languages. With a long history of oral tradition, Shona has a vibrant culture of storytelling, music, and poetry that has been preserved for centuries.
The Cultural Context, History, and Linguistic Features of Shona
Shona has deep historical roots, dating back to the ancient Kingdom of Zimbabwe. Over time, it has developed a rich cultural and linguistic heritage. The language is well-known for its use in oral literature, with folktales, proverbs, and songs playing a key role in maintaining and passing down cultural values. Although written Shona emerged more prominently in the 20th century, it continues to thrive as a spoken language with strong ties to Zimbabwean identity.
Shona grammar is relatively complex, with a noun class system that classifies nouns into different categories based on their meaning and form. These noun classes influence the agreement of verbs, adjectives, and pronouns, making it essential to maintain this agreement when translating between Shona and other languages. Shona also employs a tone system, where the meaning of a word can change depending on the pitch used when pronouncing it. This tonal aspect is crucial in ensuring accurate translations.
The Writing System: Latin Script
Shona is written using the Latin alphabet, which was introduced during the colonial period. The written form of Shona uses standard Latin letters, but it also incorporates special digraphs and phonetic markers to capture the specific sounds of the language.
Vowels and Consonants: Shona has five primary vowel sounds: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/, similar to other Bantu languages. The consonant system is more complex, with combinations such as "dz" and "ts" being distinct phonemes. The language uses diacritical marks on some vowels to indicate tone, which is essential for distinguishing between words with the same spelling but different meanings.
Shona Alphabet
The Shona language uses a modified version of the Latin alphabet, which includes the following letters and digraphs:
- Vowels: A, a, E, e, I, i, O, o, U, u
- Consonants: B, b, D, d, Dz, dz, F, f, G, g, H, h, J, j, K, k, M, m, N, n, P, p, R, r, S, s, T, t, V, v, W, w, Y, y, Z, z
- Digraphs: Ch, ch, Dh, dh, Mb, mb, Mh, mh, Nd, nd, Ng, ng, Ny, ny, Pf, pf, Sv, sv, Ts, ts
Key Linguistic Differences Between Shona and English for Translation
When translating between Shona and English, several key linguistic differences must be considered to ensure accurate and culturally appropriate translations:
Sentence Structure: Shona typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, similar to English. However, Shona's use of noun class markers and agreement must be preserved in translation, as these elements are integral to the meaning of a sentence.
Noun Classes: One of the most significant linguistic features of Shona is its noun class system. Nouns are classified into several categories, and this classification affects how verbs, adjectives, and pronouns are conjugated. This is quite different from English, which lacks such a system, making it necessary to find equivalent ways to express these relationships in translation.
Tonal Distinctions: Shona is a tonal language, meaning that the tone or pitch used when pronouncing a word can change its meaning. For instance, the word "baba" can mean "father" in one tone but could mean something entirely different in another. Properly capturing these tonal differences in written translation can be challenging, as English does not use tone in the same way.
Politeness and Formality: Shona has various forms of address and respect embedded in its vocabulary, particularly when speaking to elders or authority figures. Maintaining these nuances in translation is vital for ensuring that the intended level of politeness or respect is conveyed.
By accounting for these linguistic intricacies, Green Crescent ensures that translations between Shona and English are both linguistically accurate and culturally sensitive, reflecting the rich heritage of the Shona-speaking community.
An Insight into Shona Expression
This passage is from Nziramasanga by Solomon Mutsvairo, first published in 1956. This iconic work is a cornerstone of 20th-century Shona literature, offering a profound look at the complexities of life and human emotions, especially focusing on Shona culture and identity.
- Shona: "Munhu haangamire kunyangwe zvichinetsa, anofanira kuenderera mberi neupenyu."
- English Translation: "A person must keep moving forward in life, no matter how difficult it gets."