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The decision to use a professional translator or interpreter will make the decisive difference for anyone
venturing abroad, be it in the business, political or cultural arena. Any planning and negotiation necessitates
effective communication. A Japanese or Russian doing business in the United States is expected and is prepared
to transact his business in English, (i.e., in good, not sub-standard English). The American businessperson,
anticipating a successful business venture abroad, must be prepared to do the same.
Since few individuals are fluent in several languages (not to mention the all-important familiarity with
different traditions and cultural idiosyncrasies), a competent translator (for written materials) or interpreter
(for oral communication) is the key element for effective communication.
The American Translators Association has recently published a brochure for clients entitled
Translation: Getting it right. A guide to buying translations. The file
linked here is the digital version of the ITI's original version. This brochure is available free of charge
from ATA. Please contact the ATA if you would like the actual printed brochure.
To help you with your decision, we've divided this section into three parts:
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What to Expect from a Translator
How to Obtain a Quality Translation
Translation Rates and Quantification
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An experienced and competent translator:
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- Provides evidence of a thorough knowledge of both source and target languages,
as well as above-average familiarity with the particular subject matter.
- Furnishes proof of competence as a translator, such as work samples, letters of
reference, published translations, and/or membership in and certification by ATA.
- Refrains from seemingly broad or exaggerated promotional claims about professional
capabilities.
- Has access to reference tools and requisite equipment to provide for complete
services and a presentable product.
- Brings unsolved problems to the client's immediate attention.
- Respects reasonable deadlines.
- Quotes fees for an assignment only after prior examination of the material to be translated
- Charges professional fees commensurate with professional capabilities and specialized knowledge.
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A translator's qualifications are sometimes difficult to assess because there is no licensing
procedure on the federal, state or local levels. Translators and interpreters usually have a
university degree in either a foreign language or in a specialized field, such as science, engineering
or business, along with knowledge of one or more foreign languages. However, in recent years it has
become more common for professional translators and interpreters to obtain formal academic training in
the field. Translation and interpretation are activities which entail creative, intellectual processes
and not a mere mechanical transfer of words. A thorough familiarity with the cultures of both languages
involved is absolutely indispensable. In other words, mere knowledge of a foreign language and a set of
dictionaries are not enough for producing an acceptable translation that reflects some or all of the
following criteria:
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An experienced and competent translator:
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- The presentation style and format should be in accordance with the client's specification (rough draft, final draft, copy ready, etc.)
- The final version should be neat and accurate, and read like an original document, (i.e., convey the same shades of meaning, logic and style.)
- A technical translation requires absolute clarity and accuracy. Highly specialzed or preferred terminology, when supplied by the client, should be incorporated. Such a translation often necessitates frequent consultation between the client and the translator.
- Advertising and promotional materials often require complete rewriting. Here, the principal criterion should be the undistorted communication of exact meanings, but in a context that is sensitive to the intended audience's cultural and psychological idiosyncrasies.
- Feedback from the user will ultimately be the best criterion by which to judge the quality of a translation.
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It is important to remember that translators are not miracle workers. Poorly organized or nonsensical
materials will remain poorly organized or nonsensical in the translation (unless, of course, the translator
has also been contracted to edit the document before translating it). Most source documents are checked
by several people and subsequently rewritten. The same will hold true for translated versions of those
documents. Any text intended for publication typically requires copy editing, whether locally or in the
target country, and careful proofreading of the typeset copy. Lead time is therefore very important. Good
quality translation always requires research and time. Whenever possible, the client should provide in-house
glossaries of preferred terms, as well as existing translations of similar materials and competitors' literature
in the target language.
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Freelance translators and translation bureaus offer professional services in a free and open
market at widely varying rates and in accordance with a client's specifications, the length and
the complexity of the job in question, the final product form (rough draft, copy-ready, typeset, graphic
designs, etc.) Rates for translations from major western languages (French, German, Spanish) into English
are as a rule lower than those for translations from English into those languages or from and into more
exotic languages.
Rates also vary according to the amount of specialization involved (technical, semi-technical,
non-technical.) Additional charges are often levied for special services such as extremely short
deadlines (immediate turnaround), overnight delivery, weekend or holiday work, intricate formatting,
translation from difficult-to-read materials (such as old handwritten manuscripts), special
photocopying or similar ancillary services. Straight text is generally quoted and billed on the basis
of the end-product word count (manual or computer-generated), while labor-intensive tasks such as
tables, paste-ups, advertising copy, etc. are typically charged at an hourly rate or at a flat fee.
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