How to Get the Best of the Translators You Employ
Global trade has necessitated translation to and from many languages of the globe. An intricate process, owning to variations in syntax and construction rules in world languages, translation entails a careful selection of translator and reviewer services.
Seeing that you can’t evaluate the quality of the translated document, you should make sure that:
1. The document you want to have translated is of the best quality possible.
2. Your need for excellence is met by the team you have hired.
Before handing off:
1. Initiate the spell check and grammar check: An obvious but a completely necessary step. Keep in mind , if your document is mistake free, there will be fewer translation errors to deal with!
2. Keep a copy of the document you give to the translators: It's amazing how many people forget to do so!
3. In your document: Keep the sentences short and clear and avoid using abbreviations (Say will not instead of won't).
Selecting the translator:
1. The cheapest is not necessarily the best. Your neighbour’s kid who took a French paper last year might be able to flaunt his French connection but translation really is a specialized calling. Paying out less might turn out to be costly for you.
2. It's best to choose a translator who has already had many years of experience translating into the languages you need.
3. The translator ought to be a native user of the language and needs to be familiar with the culture and fine points of the language he/she is attempting to translate to.
4. The translator should also be able to understand the finer subtleties of the language he/she is translating from.
5. Select a translation company that can undertake the complete project - from translation to editing, proofreading and even desktop publishing.
After handing over
Handing over the document doesn’t ensure great translation. Your inputs will be important even after handing over. By putting time into this you will be rewarded by high quality documents with excellent phrasing and grammar.
1. Ensure that you have a comprehensive discussion about your project with the service provider to go into detail about your needs and to have an understanding of his/her concerns .
2. Be accessible to answer concerns and questions anytime the translator needs you.
A few more things
1. Never press the translator to do a sloppy job. Think through your project well and build in time for assessments and translations properly.
2. Pick a good reviewer with the help of your translator.
3. Don’t submit a half finished document. Translating corrections and additions can be expensive and may introduce errors .
4. Don't try to put pieces of translated material together yourself.
Ensuring the quality of translated documents is just as much your responsibility as that of your translator. You can make sure of the quality by also insisting proofreading and ensuring that the numbers, dates and figures are free of mistakes.
It would also help your translator do a better job if you give them supporting documents like references and glossaries. Primarily, you should set reasonable turn-around time for the translators.
Seeing that you can’t evaluate the quality of the translated document, you should make sure that:
1. The document you want to have translated is of the best quality possible.
2. Your need for excellence is met by the team you have hired.
Before handing off:
1. Initiate the spell check and grammar check: An obvious but a completely necessary step. Keep in mind , if your document is mistake free, there will be fewer translation errors to deal with!
2. Keep a copy of the document you give to the translators: It's amazing how many people forget to do so!
3. In your document: Keep the sentences short and clear and avoid using abbreviations (Say will not instead of won't).
Selecting the translator:
1. The cheapest is not necessarily the best. Your neighbour’s kid who took a French paper last year might be able to flaunt his French connection but translation really is a specialized calling. Paying out less might turn out to be costly for you.
2. It's best to choose a translator who has already had many years of experience translating into the languages you need.
3. The translator ought to be a native user of the language and needs to be familiar with the culture and fine points of the language he/she is attempting to translate to.
4. The translator should also be able to understand the finer subtleties of the language he/she is translating from.
5. Select a translation company that can undertake the complete project - from translation to editing, proofreading and even desktop publishing.
After handing over
Handing over the document doesn’t ensure great translation. Your inputs will be important even after handing over. By putting time into this you will be rewarded by high quality documents with excellent phrasing and grammar.
1. Ensure that you have a comprehensive discussion about your project with the service provider to go into detail about your needs and to have an understanding of his/her concerns .
2. Be accessible to answer concerns and questions anytime the translator needs you.
A few more things
1. Never press the translator to do a sloppy job. Think through your project well and build in time for assessments and translations properly.
2. Pick a good reviewer with the help of your translator.
3. Don’t submit a half finished document. Translating corrections and additions can be expensive and may introduce errors .
4. Don't try to put pieces of translated material together yourself.
Ensuring the quality of translated documents is just as much your responsibility as that of your translator. You can make sure of the quality by also insisting proofreading and ensuring that the numbers, dates and figures are free of mistakes.
It would also help your translator do a better job if you give them supporting documents like references and glossaries. Primarily, you should set reasonable turn-around time for the translators.
