Nataly Kelly > Quotes

“Not everyone who knows how to write can be a writer. Not everyone who knows two languages can be a translator.”
― Nataly Kelly

“As long as human beings speak different languages, the need for translation will continue.”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“Poetry translation is like playing a piano sonata on a trombone.”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“In Iraq, interpreters were ten times more likely to be killed than were U.S. troops.”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“Translation software is not making translators obsolete. Has medical diagnostic software made doctors obsolete?”
― Nataly Kelly

“To deny access to translation and interpreting services oppresses human rights and violates laws.”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“Of the 193 recognized countries in the world, only politically isolated North Korea is considered monolingual.”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“War is what happens when language fails. —Margaret Atwood, Canadian novelist and activist”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“Building a global company is an intentional choice you make early on, and should be part of your company's mission.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“It’s a beautiful thing to see a company become a well-known, trusted brand in the most distant locations and in languages the founders and executives themselves do not speak.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“Every local market is different. Acknowledging these differences and adapting to them is a critical part of building a global business.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“There is no universal map or one-size-fits-all framework when you’re taking a company global. There are simply new organizational muscles you will need to build.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“Companies that expand internationally within their first year in business grow revenue and headcount faster than those who wait until later on.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“Because international expansion today happens faster than ever, your company needs a global vision from the earliest possible stage of growth.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“The deeper you go into any local market, the more adaptations your company will need to make in order to achieve your full potential there.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“To truly create an equitable experience for your customers in every local market, focus on driving a global mindset among your employees.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“Businesses that embrace international markets as early as possible often see faster growth rates and other competitive advantages.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“True global success requires finding the right balance for your business between thinking globally and executing locally.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“To build a global company, focus on making your customers successful, without geography becoming a barrier.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“Taking your company global makes it stronger, more resilient, and more capable of the ongoing innovation required for success in today's ever-changing business environment.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“Saving Lives and Protecting Rights in Translation It is said that life and death are under the power of language. —Hélène Cixous, French author and philosopher Lifeline The phone rings, jolting me to attention. It’s almost midnight on a Friday night. I didn’t want to work the late shift, but the need for my work never sleeps. Most of the calls I get at this late hour are from emergency dispatchers for police, fire, and ambulance. They often consist of misdials, hang-ups, and other nonemergencies. I’ve been working since early this morning, and I’m just not in the mood tonight to hear someone complain about a neighbor’s television being turned up too loud. But someone has got to take the call. I pick up before it rings a second time. “Interpreter three nine four zero speaking, how may I help you?” The dispatcher wastes no time with pleasantries. “Find out what’s wrong,” he barks in English. He didn’t ask me to confirm the address, so I assume he must already have police officers headed to the scene. I ask the Spanish speaker how we can help. I wait for a response. Silence. I ask the question again. No answer, but I can hear that there’s someone on the line. We wait, but we don’t hear any response. It’s probably just another child playing with the phone, accidentally dialing 911. I imagine the little guy looking curiously at the phone and pressing the buttons, then staring at it as a voice comes out of the other end. This happens all the time. I turn up the volume on my headset, just in case it might help me pick up the scolding words of a parent in the background. Then suddenly, I hear a timid female voice speaking so quietly that I can barely make out the words. “Me va a matar,” she whispers.”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“Taking your company global is a business transformation exercise that can help you achieve your biggest and most ambitious dreams for your business.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“There are five main reasons for taking a company global: proximity to customers, language, time zone, financial reasons, or employee mobility.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“Saving Lives and Protecting Rights in Translation It is said that life and death are under the power of language. —Hélène Cixous, French author and philosopher Lifeline The phone rings, jolting me to attention. It’s almost midnight on a Friday night. I didn’t want to work the late shift, but the need for my work never sleeps. Most of the calls I get at this late hour are from emergency dispatchers for police, fire, and ambulance. They often consist of misdials, hang-ups, and other nonemergencies. I’ve been working since early this morning, and I’m just not in the mood tonight to hear someone complain about a neighbor’s television being turned up too loud. But someone has got to take the call. I pick up before it rings a second time. “Interpreter three nine four zero speaking, how may I help you?” The dispatcher wastes no time with pleasantries. “Find out what’s wrong,” he barks in English. He didn’t ask me to confirm the address, so I assume he must already have police officers headed to the scene. I ask the Spanish speaker how we can help. I wait for a response. Silence. I ask the question again. No answer, but I can hear that there’s someone on the line. We wait, but we don’t hear any response. It’s probably just another child playing with the phone, accidentally dialing 911. I imagine the little guy looking curiously at the phone and pressing the buttons, then staring at it as a voice comes out of the other end. This happens all the time. I turn up the volume on my headset, just in case it might help me pick up the scolding words of a parent in the background. Then suddenly, I hear a timid female voice speaking so quietly that I can barely make out the words. “Me va a matar,” she whispers. The tiny hairs on my arm stand up on end. I swiftly render her words into English: “He’s going to kill me.” Not missing a beat, the dispatcher asks, “Where is he now?” “Outside. I saw him through the window,” I state, after listening to the Spanish version. I’m trying to stay calm and focused, but the fear in the caller’s voice is not only contagious, but essential to the meaning I have to convey. For what seems like an eternity (but is probably just a few seconds), I hear only the beeps of the recorded line and the dispatcher clicking away at his keyboard. I feel impatient. He’s most likely looking to see how far the nearest police officer is from the scene. “Interpreter, find out where she is.”
― Nataly Kelly, Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World

“Building a global company is for leaders of businesses of any size that believe in the global appeal of what they offer to customers.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“International strategy and corporate strategy are inseparable when taking your business global.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion

“You no longer need to wait until you become well-established in your home market. Today, companies can go global as early as day one.”
― Nataly Kelly, Take Your Company Global: The New Rules of International Expansion