What is translation?
Translation is defined as the act of expressing something in another language while
retaining the original meaning. Many people assume that translation is easy and
consists only of changing each word into the equivalent word of a different language.
Translation is much more difficult that that. Many words have no foreign equivalent. Some
phrases if translated word for word would make no sense or could be offensive. Cultures
must be considered as well as specialized vocabularies. Translators are
professionals in their fields of expertise.
Why is translation so expensive?
Translation is expensive because it is very time consuming. The time needed to
translate a document could be greater than the time taken to originally create the
document. Translators must find the word that most appropriately reflects the original
meaning. This takes fluency in at least two languages and an expertise in a particular
field. In addition, a translator must have a cultural understanding of the source
and target languages and be able to combine this knowledge with grammar, writing and often
research skills. The price of translation reflects the expertise and time needed to
provide high-quality translations.
Why are issues
related to translation becoming more important?
The need for translation will continue to grow as borders disappear and the world becomes
smaller. The need to communicate with other cultures in other languages will become
mandatory for every business that wants to succeed. Those who want to travel, to explore
the world and to find the best prices and services will have to consider translation.
Languages that are prominent today, will be less so in the coming years. Communication
will remain important, and communication equals language!
Why does a translation take so
long to complete?
There are many factors that affect how long it takes to complete a translation. Generally,
a document needs to be read, translated and proofread, not to mention retyped and often
reformatted. Sometimes, research is also required. It takes time for a translator to get a
feeling for the document and vocabulary used. Every word, phrase and sentence must be read
and considered individually and as a group. If a special vocabulary is used or if the
document is highly technical, more time will be needed to verify words used.
What
is the difference between the services provided by a translation agency and a freelance
translator?
Translation agencies generally offer management services that a freelance translator does
not. However, freelance translators are often used by translation agencies. A freelance
translator usually works alone and will translate and then proofread a document. A
translation agency will usually have different people translate and proofread, thereby
providing a double proofreading. Agencies also offer management services for
multi-language translation projects. Translators do not usually provide multi-language
management because translators are only fluent in specific languages. Agencies often
have more technological capabilities and can offer desktop publishing, and screen capture
services. In choosing a freelance translator or a translation agency, you must consider
the complexity of the services you require and your working preferences, i.e.: do you want
to work with a manager who deals with a translator or do you want to work closely and
directly with a translator.
Why is it
important to consider a translator's native language?
Translators usually translate into their native languages only. No matter how
experienced or educated a translator is in a foreign language, it is still a foreign
language. People are generally more comfortable writing and reading in their native
languages. When working in your mother tongue, you instinctively have knowledge that
is not easily learned. Grammatically and culturally it is best to work with native
speakers of a language. A person will express themselves better in their native language.
What is localization?
Localization is the act of adapting something for a specific region or culture, thereby
making it culturally correct and allowing it to be understood by a specific group of
people. The same experience should be had reading an original document as reading its
translation. This is one of the most important aspects of translation. Words can be
translated, but that does not mean that they will be understood. Everything translated
needs to be put into terms that a person or a culture can understand. An everyday example
of this could be the way you are introduced to a food you do not know. The food is
described and compared to a food you know. The food description is localized to a level
you understand.
When
would it be recommended to use a management service for my translation project?
A management service would be recommended for long-term or multi-lingual projects. A
management service could also be helpful if you have desktop publishing needs. Management
services are usually provided by translation agencies. When working with multi-language
translations, it is important to maintain a consistency between all of the different
languages that may be involved. A uniform appearance must be kept and vocabularies and
glossaries must be maintained. These aspects are also important for long term or frequent
projects where consistency must be maintained over time. Translation agencies work with
many networks of translators, proofreaders and editors to accomplish your translation
goals.
Why is the number of
words to be translated so important?
A translator can translate a standard number of words per hour. Knowing the number of
words to be translated allows a translator to schedule a document and meet delivery
requirements. Technical documents are usually more expensive to translate because they are
more complex and therefore take longer to translate.
What
is the difference between a good translation and a bad translation?
Translation is a very subjective field. There are many ways to say the same thing.
It is similar to reading a book. Some may thoroughly enjoy a book while
others find the words unentertaining. Providing a glossary of words you would like
used allows you to keep control over your document. Of course, bad translations
exist. A well-managed translation will consider input from both the client and translator.
This allows a high quality translation to be delivered.
How does translation
software compare to human translators?
Many companies have been working towards making translation software reliable and
effective. Products are getting better but they still can not replace human translators.
Language is very complex. A bad translation could lead to many communication problems. The
following sentence is a good example of how translation software can turn a simple
sentence into disaster and embarrassment for you. In French, the word lawyer and
avocado are the same. Translation software translated the French phrase "A good
lawyer" as "A good avocado"! Image how this simple mistake would have made
your business look to a new client.
Can human
translators and translation software be combined?
If a good quality translation is required, it would not be recommended to use translation
software by itself. However, translation software can be used safely as long as a
skilled translator or proofreader verifies the accuracy of the translation.
