Picture yourself sitting in front of your computer about to sign a killer contract with a foreign business partner you’ve been wooing for endless months. The only thing standing between winning and losing is a simple signature. But the only problem is your client says they want their product in English as well as French/Spanish (delete as appropriate). So you’re looking for a translator who will give your copy the same painstaking attention as you would. A translator shows you their stellar credentials and you think maybe you’ve found that needle in the haystack.
But if you don’t speak the target language, how can really you be sure they’re good?
We asked a 20-year veteran of multilingual project management for some ways to choose the right translation company. No matter which language you need, here are some pro tips for ensuring your translation is true to the original and doesn’t contain any misinterpretations, syntax errors or spelling mistakes.
To do a good translation, should translators be perfectly fluent in the source language?
First of all, keep in mind that translators ONLY translate into their native language. It’s also essential that they are totally fluent in their working languages.
Translation begins by not only understanding the source text, but also the original language and culture as a whole. Next, they recreate the copy in their own tongue, which is called the target language. If you don’t have intimate knowledge of the source language, there’s almost no way of capturing all the nuances of the target language.
That said, being bilingual does not a translator make. They have to have amazing writing skills in their own language, and perfect mastery of grammar and syntax — which is not the case with all bilingual speakers. Good translators are also good writers. They’re always on top of idiomatic expressions and stylistic techniques, plus they know how to spot trends that will make your communications stand out and perform, plus stay relevant and on-target.
Can a translator translate any kind of document?
Would you see an eye doctor about the corn on your foot? We’re guessing the answer is no. While some translators are considered “generalists,” one translator can’t translate everything. Translators have one or two specialties or fields they excel in, so they speak your language and, more specifically, your special lingo. Some of them are trained in a particular discipline or have even worked in the industry they specialize in. These areas of specialization make all the difference and guarantee a top-quality translation.
How do you check the quality of a translation if you don’t know the target language?
The right way to do that is to hire a consulting linguist who knows the language pair. That consulting linguist must be someone else than the person who translated your original document. Because they weren’t involved in the project, they can give a fresh look and a critical eye. They are fluent in both languages (the original and the target) and are also specialized in the topic. Once the document is translated, they proofread and correct it to ensure you get a polished product.
Is it normal for a translator to ask lots of questions?
It’s a great sign! I’d be worried if they didn’t. Translation is a partnership between the translator and the client (you). When you send a translator your document, they won’t have a good grasp of the context, especially if there’s a list of words to translate and they have no context or visuals. That’s when you, the client, need to step in and provide crucial aid. The more detailed and descriptive your answers, the better the final translation.
Here’s some friendly advice: if you want your translator to be good, you have to be a great project director. The more you are involved in your localization project, the happier you’ll be with the results.
Don’t say we didn’t warn ya!