This is the second part of our information bulletin on how to buy translation. At TranslatorsVillage, we believe that is should be easy and simple so we have put together this guide to help shed some light on the process. Read about the key information you will need including costing and the information you will be required to provide to ensure the best quality translation.
5. What will I pay?
As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The rates of experienced professional translators will be higher than those that are less experienced or do it as a hobby or as a favour. If you get a friend or colleague to translate because they know a bit of the language you risk misunderstandings that may lead to financial disadvantage or even to creating offence. In the unlikely event a professional translator makes a serious error they will have Professional Indemnity Insurance to claim against.
As with all professionals the rates charged by translators vary considerably. Rates also vary between languages. For some more common languages (Italian, Polish, Spanish), there are more translators so there is greater competition and rates may be lower than for more complex or less widely spoken languages (Arabic, Danish, Swedish).
6. Asking for a quote.
When asking for a quote you should provide the following information and don’t forget to ask relevant questions to help you make the most informed decision:
(Example)
- Text to be translated: Formal report on important developments in the solar energy industry in United Arab Emirates
- Source language (from): Arabic
- Target language (to): English (UK)
- Volume: 7,375 words
- Required date: 28th December
- Required delivery format: MS Word
- Other information: Translator can liaise with our Technical Manager re industry specific terminology, etc.
This information will be required by any translation company before any provisional quote can be provided. Even then, if the actual document received for translation is different there may be changes to the cost.
7. How is a text translated?
A qualified and experienced translator will read the entire text initially to understand
- What it is about?
- What audience it is meant for?
- What is its purpose?
- What are its tone and register?
They need to do this in order to help them ensure their translation contains the same message and meaning as the original. Translators aim to ensure that their translation has the same effect on the foreign reader as the English version would have on a native English speaking reader.
In order to retain in their translated version the same meaning as in the original they clearly need to change the words but they may also need to alter some phrases, word order, verb tenses or structures.
One effect of this is that they may use more or fewer words than the original. This can have consequences especially for websites, marketing materials etc. where the text needs to fit within the overall design and space allocation.If you are designing a website or some webpages that are intended to be translated it is a good idea to allocate a little more space for text than the English version takes – just in case…
Some translators use translation software packages on their computer to help with translations. These packages produce suggested translations for a text, based on actual translations completed and checked previously.
The translators use what the translation software package provides as a guide but then reviews it in detail and revises or re-writes passages that are not correct or that could be better expressed. No professional translator will just send you a translation done using their software. They use it to get suggestions and save some time as the software often incorporates dictionaries of specialist terminology, allowing them to choose the appropriate term rather than look it up separately. They will then produce their own translation and re-read and review it until they are happy with the final result.
Even using available software translation can be a slow process and there is a limit to the volume of translation that can be completed to a high level or accuracy in a normal working day. Depending on the subject and complexity of the text and its format and structure professional translators can deliver anywhere between 2,000 and 4,000 words per day of high quality translation.
In our next and final instalment of our guide to buying translation, we will be looking at cultural difference and localization – a crucial part to consider when choosing a high-quality translation.
Until then!
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