The name John Steinbeck is probably more associated with Monterey County than is any other name.  In light of Steinbeck’s unrivaled influence in Monterey County, several of us decided to check out the house in which he grew up in Salinas.  Here we were at 132 Central Avenue, Salinas. 

Visiting Steinbeck’s house was beyond edifying.  This Victorian-era abode gave a sense of what it was like to grow up in the early twentieth century, almost to the point of making a person feel as if he is a young John Steinbeck. 

We were not only visiting a historic landmark, but also having a literary experience by being in the house. A quote that we think really does a good job summing up Steinbeck is what he said while accepting the Nobel Prize for Literature: “Literature is as old as speech.  It grew out of human need for it and it has not changed except to become more needed.”  The first thought that came to mind was that if we were to replace “Literature” with “Translation” or “Interpretation”, the quote would sound great as well.

We started to debate who the greatest American author is who can be compared to Shakespeare, Molière and Cervantes.  We came to the conclusion that Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck are the ones who have come the closest.

Discussing literature while having lunch in John Steinbeck’s childhood home puts one in the right frame of mind to feel compelled to come back to the office and write a blog about this encounter with one of America’s greatest authors.

Not only was Steinbeck a great author, but he also represented the heart and soul of this region of California.  In his novels, Steinbeck looked at the ethnic makeup of Monterey County, at the lives of different groups of people, and at the significance of the agricultural industry in central California’s economy. 

His novel East of Eden is set in Salinas, while Cannery Row is set in Monterey.  These novels show Steinbeck’s relation to the environment in which he grew up, and even give a sense of the cities today. In looking at the best and worst of central California, John Steinbeck showed himself to be probably the best that the region has ever had to offer.  There will very likely never be another like him.

I was representing Monterey Language Services, making a company presentation at a client site.  The name “Monterey Language Services” pleasantly and surprisingly initiated a big discussion.    ~By Mei-Ling Chen

Why are we called “Monterey Language Services”?  The answers from the audience included:

• We are located in Monterey County.
• John Steinbeck wrote a lot about Cannery Row in Monterey.
• Everybody knows Monterey.
• When asked where you live and you say Monterey, everyone knows which city you are referring to.

The answers began to branch out further:

• The Monterey area is famous for languages because of several renowned higher education language institutions, such as Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) and Defense Language Institute (DLI).
•  Monterey showcases the language history of the area.  Immigrants of almost every ethnicity worked in Cannery Row.
• ·Monterey has the unofficial title of the language capital of the world.

The name “Monterey Language Services” does have its significance to us, just like names such as Oxford, Napa and The Hague have international significance as authorities on academics, wine, and law.

Because of the name, and the fact that many of us are trained and educated here, we are driven to provide high-quality translation and interpretation services. We are committed to keeping high quality as the leading force in the translation and interpretation services industry.

The name “Monterey Language Services” inspires us to serve the community, as well as every other part of the nation and world.  With this commitment in mind, it is no wonder that the name Monterey Language Services attracted so much interest among the audience whom I met locally yesterday.

What a wonderful time to start a new year!  We wish everyone a successful year to come!

MLS team members are professional, dedicated and passionate about languages and foreign cultures. We are oriented towards finding the best words for the best translations. As individuals, we take pride in being cultural communicators and in promoting international understanding.

Offering translations from every language into English and vice versa, our company plays an important role in cross-border business communication. We provide translation, interpretation, copy-editing, proofreading, website localization, software localization, multimedia transcription, dubbing, subtitling, foreign language desktop publishing, and more.

At MLS, resources abound to work with foreign languages. Our network is global, and yet locally we are within easy reach of the top language experts in the world. The language history of this area is showcased in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, where immigrants of almost every ethnicity worked. The area has developed into a hub of translation and interpretation education and services. MLS captures the essence of what the Monterey Bay Region offers.

The firm’s website www.montereylanguages.com contains numerous blogs by team members.  Here we recount our experiences working with languages and display a wealth of understanding of how language expresses culture in different parts of the world.

MLS handles all your languages needs professionally. For translation of documents, interpretation for diverse settings or for any other language or culture-related services, email us at info@montereylanguages.com and find out how we can help you:

•    optimize and better formulate your ideas, arguments and concepts
•    enrich your personal or your company’s profile, story or presentation
•    increase your personal or your company’s marketability