The 6 Laws of Quality Language Translation
Wisely Compare Language Translation Service Agencies:
Focus on how they define their quality process — their translators, their tools and their methods. This will ensure you receive the best final product. Just consider that your company’s name will be on it. Keep these six items in mind to choose a quality agency:
1. Only Humans Perform Quality Translations
As you know, languages are complex. It is because of this complexity that quality language translations cannot be performed through software programs. Software and web-based programs that instantly translate text are 40-50% inaccurate and should only be used to identify the general ideas of a document. Even in our age of technology, only human translators should perform translations since personal judgment is essential to achieving the quality required.
In addition, translation memory software such as TRADOS can be used during the language translation process. This keeps the terminology consistent and tracks previously translated items. It may also lower the cost because the rate is substantially reduced for terms and phrases that are used repeatedly.
2. Translations By Formally Trained Translation Professionals
Using people to translate important documents who are not formally trained results in sometimes subtle, but significant errors that compromise the effectiveness of the communication. While many people are multilingual, this does not necessarily qualify them to translate your materials. Do not risk it — insist on experienced and trained language translation professionals.
3. Translations Performed by a Native Speaker
Only native speaking translators living in the country of the “target” language — that is, the language being translated into —provide quality translations. As language is constantly evolving, people residing in countries other than their native country, lose touch with the familiarity of their language and its evolution.
4. Beware of Too-Good-To-Believe Translation Prices
Mistakes can be very costly and no qualified, educated and experienced translator accepts projects for pennies per word — and neither should you. Language translation is not and should not be considered a commodity. When comparing price, ensure that you are comparing apples to apples. How many years of experience do the agency’s translation professionals have? Does the agency only employ native speakers? What services are included in the price? All too often, agencies quote a lower translation rate only to charge extra for items such as project management, editing and proofreading.
5. Translations Performed By Translators with Subject Specific Knowledge and Experience
Do the agency’s translators have industry specific experience as it relates to your project? Only translators with a legal background should perform legal translations; only translators with an engineering background should translate technical documents — and so on.
6. Translations Reviewed By Two or More Translators
Several qualified translation professionals always review quality translations. When authoring an important document, the project is never considered complete after just one draft. Instead several drafts are prepared and reviewed by another qualified sets of eyes. Your qualified translation agency works this way, too. Every project is translated by one translator, edited and proofread by a second, then reviewed a third time before delivery to you — error-free.
Foreign Translations, Inc. (www.foreigntranslations.com) is a 11-year-old foreign language translation, interpreting and website localization firm headquartered in Greenville, SC. With more than 1,000 native translators located in over 30 countries, we translate documents ranging from 1,000 words to over several million words in all the major languages of the world.
Some of our corporate clients include Computer Associates, Procter & Gamble, Michelin North America, Fuji, and many more. For a full list of clients, please visit our Translation Clients page.
In addition, we hold a General Services Administration Contract ("GSA") with the Federal Government.
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