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As long as people from different parts of the world have been communicating there has been a need for translators. As the world has become a smaller place and globalization has brought peoples into greater contact, the need for translators has grown and so too has the various misconceptions and myths about translation. Translators must know more than just the vocabulary and grammar of a language. It’s not as simple as sitting down with dictionaries and translating content word for word.

What follows is a list of some of the most common myths about translation.

1) Bilingual People Can Translate

Being raised bilingually is not something that makes one a translator by nature. You can’t simply wake up one day and decide to do quality Spanish / English translation just because you understand the languages, are fluent with them, or are even a native speaker of both. Spoken language is different from written language and those who can fluently speak a language aren’t necessarily good writers. Translation, however, is much more than writing and an understanding of translation theory is a necessity. One needs to understand the problems and issues that are inherent in translating languages.

A translator needs to know such things as when it is important that the cultural elements of the original text be transferred to the translated version and when they should not be. Different approaches need to be taken when translating technical texts, legal documents, philosophical writings and fiction.

2) Translation Can Be Done Quickly

Translation is a process that takes a considerable amount of time. It isn’t reasonable to assume that translators can easily translate material in a flash. Far too many people think that translation is a simple task that can be accomplished quickly, as if one just substitutes Spanish words for English words.

A competent typist may be able to finish copying a 3,000 word document in under an hour. However, you would be hard pressed to find anyone capable of typing thousands of words in an hour where translation is concerned. The actual number of words that a translator can produce in an hour can vary depending on the type of text that they’re dealing with. However, a good rule of thumb is about 3,000 words per day. For comparison, this article (including the title and subheadings) has 1,092 words.

Translators must spend a great deal of time to ensure that the finished product looks like an original work. They spend time on:

* Looking up definitions, synonyms, word usage, etc.

* Considering context, concepts, semantics, ambiguity, cultural influences, verbiage, etc.

* Editing and proofing grammar as well as mechanics such as punctuation and capitalization

3) A Translator Can Translate Both Directions Equally

Translating from English to Spanish as well as Spanish to English is something a translator generally should not do. While there are some gifted translators in the world who can handle both directions, most translators limit themselves to one direction for good reason. It’s not like a highway where traffic flows easily in two directions.

Regardless of how well a translator has learned additional languages, one language will be dominant. It is generally preferable for a translator to translate into his primary language. A skilled and trained individual translating into his dominant or native language will be able to more adequately understand the subtle nuances of his own language than a non-native speaker would.

4) Translators Can Translate Anything If They Know The Language

People specialize for a reason. No one can be an expert in everything. Knowledge of a language is obviously necessary for translating but understanding a language doesn’t make a translator an expert in all things. To be able to translate a particular subject area, a translator should have an intimate knowledge of that field. Medical translators, for example, develop a large vocabulary of medical and biological terms and have an understanding of human anatomy and medical procedures. A translator who doesn’t understand what he is translating is doomed to produce a poor translation.

5) Computer Translation Is Pretty Reliable

While translation software may be useful for certain tasks – it might help the reader get the general gist of the text – it is far from being a reliable source for translation. The problem with computer translation is that the software doesn’t have a deep knowledge of the language. It doesn’t understand ambiguity, know how to deal with irregularities in the language, and is prone to inaccuracies due to multiple meanings for a single word. A human translator is able to comprehend context and has an understanding of the culture that has helped shape the language.

Computers have been known to come up with some pretty funny (or scary) translations. The same can be said for so called translators who are nothing more than bilingual. This writer once saw an English language sign that stated something to the effect of “No Vandalism – Violators will be prosecuted.” The Spanish translation stated something like “Victims of rape will be prosecuted.” Not a good translation to say the least.

6) Translators Can Interpret And Interpreters Can Translate

While it may seem like the two would be interchangeable, there is a distinct difference between translating and interpreting. Writing and speaking are two very different things, and one skill set is very different from the other. Just because someone is skilled at one does not mean that he or she is skilled at the other.

Translation deals specifically with translating into a text format, whether the source material is another document or speech (audio translation). Translators need to be good writers and depending on the individual’s area of expertise, a background in technical, creative, academic, or other forms of writing is necessary. A translator also needs reading and comprehension skills, along with knowledge of linguistics and a high proficiency for editing and grammar. For those who are involved in audio translation, listening skills are also important.

Interpreting deals specifically with producing the final product orally. An interpreter will listen to a Spanish speaker and then express what he hears in English. A knowledge of linguistics and phonetics is important as well as a background in interpersonal and intercultural communication. Interpreting can be a mentally exhausting task as one needs to accurately express what the speaker is saying as he is saying it or just after. There is no time to use dictionaries or to carefully craft a statement. Listening and comprehension skills are a must as are public speaking, voice and diction skills and an understanding of non verbal communication.

-By: Jeff Montero

TransDual Forensics provides Spanish transcription and Spanish translation services. Our areas of expertise include general, criminal justice, law enforcement, forensic pathology, and marginally intelligible speech. Visit our website to view more information about our Spanish transcription and Spanish translation service.

Translation is one of the most essential elements to attain international success. Whether in business, career, or personal growth, employing translation services has been a popular choice logically considering wide variety of benefits such as global market feasibility and international opportunities.

There are different means to in getting translation service. One can hire professional translators which are efficient but can be very costly, or through computer-aided translation also known as machine-aided human translation and interactive translation.

Machine translation is a form of translation wherein a human translator creates a target text with the assistance of a computer program. Computer-assisted translation includes standard dictionary and grammar software. However, the term normally refers to a range of highly specialized programs available to the translator, including translation memory, concordance, terminology management, and alignment programs.

With the aid of the internet, translation softwares can help non native speaking individuals understand web pages written in other languages. Whole page translation tools are of limited utility. Since they offer only a limited potential understanding of the original context, the translated pages tend to be more humorous and confusing than enlightening.

To fully understand machine generated translation, it is essential to know its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some:

Machine Translation Advantages

Quick translation. Translating large texts can take time especially when hiring translators to do it. Using the machine translation system enables one to save more time. Translation becomes one click away.

Affordable and low price. Hiring a professional translator to translate one’s documents is expensive. It is necessary to pay enough money for each page. But in times that one only needs to translate a point of matter or general idea, machine translation system is reliable and effective to employ.

Confidentiality assurance. A lot of people use machine translation to translate their private emails. Why? Because no one would be willing to give his private correspondence to translator he doesn’t know, or no one would entrust financial documents to other people. Confidentiality is assured in machine translation as its results are directly obtained.

Universality. Professional translators are often specialized in a definite field, but machine translation system can translate any a text about anything under the sun. Translation of special terminologies just requires switching on a corresponding setting.

Online translation and web page content. The advantage of online translation services is obvious. Online translation services are at hand and you can translate information quickly with this service. Furthermore you can translate any web page content and query of search engine by the use of machine translation systems.

Machine Translation Disadvantages

Lack of “exact” exactness. Machine translation system can’t be entrusted with precise document translations. If one needs a superior exact translation of official documents, agreements and the likes, machine translations may not be sufficient.

Texts with ambiguous words and sentences

Machine translation is based on systematic rules. Sometimes it can’t solve text ambiguity and other complex language rules. In this case, machine-aided translations are ineffective.

Translation is undoubtedly one tool that anyone can get benefit from. Whether employing machine translation or professional translators, having a good grasp of the advantages and disadvantages of the means to be utilized is significantly essential.

-By: Audrey Lewis

Being a consistent staffer in every official school organ she is in from elementary to college, Audrey is a certified grammar-conscious writer and professional translator. She can edit tons of articles in a snap. Aside from writing, language learning is her another field of interest. This 21-year-old OC also takes foreign language classes. Writing is her first love but learning new languages is her new love.

As we are all aware the translation industry is awash with translation tools such Spell checkers, translation memories and automated glossaries. But is the feasibility of machine translation a reality in this day and age? By explaining the doubts and limitations of machine translation I hope to clarify to clarify some of the preconceived notions that the general public may have about the field and aid them in deciding on Machine translation or a translation services company.

The notion of computer translation is not new. In fact shortly after World War II the American Government had already began investing considerable resources in the field without the slightest doubt that the concept was not a reality.

Some common terms in this field indicate the some of the difficulties that those pioneers of machine translation were to encounter, for example the difference between machine translation (MT) which is the translation of text by a machine and Computer Aided translation (CAT) which is the translation of texts by a translator with the aid of translation tools. Under Machine translation there are three types of system namely Batch, Interactive, and Interlingual Approaches. A Batch method has coded rules to “decide” on the best translation. There is no need for a translator.

With an Interactive system the translator is present and decides on the translation options provided by the translation system. With an Interlingual approach the source translation is translated to an intermediate language that is used to translate back and forth between the source and target languages.

CAT and MT software these days use either the Batch or interlingual approach.

With MT translation most texts tend to have a 70% accuracy e.g Google translate. Most experts now concede that 100% accuracy is not possible. Three terms that crop up are Fully Automatic High Quality Translation which is in my view is impossible to achieve, Fully Automatic Low Quality Translation and Partly Automatic Medium Quality Translation. The percentage accuracy claims of Machine translation is open to debate as there is no universal standard to measure this and accuracy claims tend to be very subjective.

When to use Machine Translation or Translation Services companies

There are five important criteria when choosing whether to use machine translation or translation Service companies

1. Subject matter. Here the computer can have an immense advantage especially in regard to technical texts. In the case of a field like Life sciences where the vocabulary is very specific and comprehensive, the Machine Translation system can have a terminology Database built up over years which is impossible for a Translation Service company to compete with. Of course the quality depends on the amount of work and quality of the work put into the Machine translation’s dictionary.

2. Speed. Speed is an area where the computer reigns supreme considering that the average translator translates at a rate of 2,500 words per day.

3. Level of accuracy. We already discussed the levels of accuracy. If a text is solely for information then a fully automated translation is feasible but if we need 100% accurate translation the amount of time spent post-editing the MT system can often outweigh the benefits of using this system.

4. Consistency of vocabulary. Again the computer is excellent when it comes to consistency. One centralized MT system ensures consistency as opposed to a Translation vendor outsourcing a large job or different jobs over time to different translators. It is often the case that no two translators translate a sentence in the same way. Of course, the success of the MT depends on the preprogramming done beforehand.

5. Cost. Bearing in mind that the computer can tick all the right boxes for speed, consistency, level of accuracy and subject matter one has to bear in mind that successful Machine translation systems require substantial investment to populate them with high quality and a high volume of content which, of course, has to be passed onto to the client of a Translation Services company

It’s pretty evident from the above points that the computer can yield impressive results but what we must realize is that current MT systems will not give 100% accurate translations. If this level of accuracy is required it’s always best to hire the services of a translation company.

Mark Kieran

How do you know what to look for when choosing an English to Spanish translator? If you are hoping to find a qualified Spanish Translator, it may be difficult to find a competent translator if you don’t know what to look for. If you are you looking for an English to Spanish translator, there are some things that you need to know before choosing a company to translate your document or documents.

If you are a business owner yourself, you’re likely concerned about getting a quality Spanish translator that can communicate your message to the Spanish speaking population. But how do you know who would be the best selection?

First and foremost, you should always take the time to study the translator’s credentials. Another tip is to strongly consider against someone who has not taken the time to study the field of Spanish translations. This is very important. Choose someone who has a proven track record. Translating can be very complex and technical, depending on the type of translation that you need translating.

Knowing this, your company would benefit by selecting someone who has the experience of translating technical documents. Effective communication is key to your business.

You certainly want to effectively communicate the Spanish language. If you do not communicate effectively, you could possibly cost your company a lot of money. It is best to choose a quality translator that has a proven track record who can deliver you the best translation.

The other thing to consider is time. Inquire how long the company will take to complete your document? Is it something urgent? It’s also wise to ask the translator how long it will take to complete the translation.

You also want someone who understands the necessary components to a quality Spanish translation. You shouldn’t just pick the first person who claims to be a translator of the Spanish language. There may be many individuals who may know how to translate something from English to Spanish. However, that does not necessarily mean that you are going to get a quality product.

You want someone who both speaks and writes well, too. Some people are just better at writing than others, so be selective when choosing a Spanish translator. You can certainly ask for references to help ensure you are choosing a quality translation company.

You, the business owner, deserve accurate and timely translations by professionals who offer the best in translation services. Good translation companies are not hard to find. You just need to do a little homework on the translation company that you have in mind.

Some companies also offer very competitive rates as well as special discounts for repeat customers, so when inquiring about pricing, ask if such discounts apply.

You should know that it is very important to do your research to ensure that your translation is completed by a quality Spanish translator who has studied the field of translations.

You should also seriously consider someone who has several years of professional experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for references of businesses who may have used their services. Any reputable translation company will gladly provide references if you request them.

If you do not speak Spanish, you are certainly not going to know whether or not the Spanish translator has translated your document correctly, which can cause miscommunication. And if there is miscommunication, that can possibly cause your company money or legal issues that you can certainly do without.

The company should offer you excellent product service along with with competitive pricing? Have they also translated for some of the well known companies? You don’t have to choose a company that has translated for some of the larger businesses, but it certainly holds credibility to the translation company if some of the well known companies have trusted them with their translations.

No matter which state or country you reside in, many English to Spanish translation companies are happy to provide this service to you.

Still not convinced? Another benefit of having a professional translate your documents is that many of these companies have access to translation glossaries, language databases, dictionaries and industry specific terminology tools, ensuring that your translation is both accurate and consistent across even the largest projects.

Translation companies are designed to help you break the language barrier and help you get your message across in Spanish, so you are wise to consider having your items translated.

With the ever increasing numbers of Hispanics, there has never been a time when the interpretation of the Spanish language has been more needed. If you are on the fence about getting the message across in Spanish, you should consider the fact that more and more people speak Spanish.

If you are a business owner concerned about maximizing profits, it would be a wise idea to include the Spanish speaking population, too.

Whether you are looking for Spanish translations in Arizona or some other state or country, you owe it to yourself to be selective by doing your due diligence. It will save you money in the long run, and likely make you a lot more money at the same time.

-By: Ceci Valenzuela

Cecilia Valenzuela is a full time entrepreneur and Arizona small business owner. Valenzuela works with other entrepreneurs working to become successful. Cecilia Valenzuela is a successful online business entrepreneur who helps others follow their own online dreams. More information about English to Spanish translations is available at: http://www.my-arizona-desert-living.com/Arizona-Spanish-Translations.html

In his essay titled “Miseria y esplendor de la traduccion” (Misery and Splendor of Translation), first published in 1937 in the newspaper La Nacion of Buenos Aires, Jose Ortega y Gasset said that to translate “is without any doubt, a utopic endeavor,” which according to him is due to the fact that “human endeavors are unfeasible. The destiny – privilege and honour – of man is never to achieve what he intends to do and to be pure pretending, a living utopy. He always starts towards defeat and before getting into the fight he already bears a wounded temple. This is what happens in this modest occupation which is to translate. In the intellectual order there is no humbler task. However, it ends being exorbitant.”

Throughout the course of his learned essay, however, he gets more and more to the conclusion that to translate is not only possible, but that it also represents a very important task because thanks to it a “transmigration” is produced in the reader towards and into the foreign author he is reading, even while “making use of a quite irritating apparatus”, as he puts it.

In fact, we know that the translator’s job is a very complex occupation. To make a living we usually begin by translating commercial, legal, technical and scientific texts. Considering that these use a “sui generis” terminology that is more or less the same in most western languages, just as Ortega y Gasset also verifies in his essay, such translations are more feasible when the authors master the grammar of their own language, a matter, as translators also know, is really exceptional. However, all translators wish to enter into the literary field and, once they have tried their luck within this specialty, any other kind of work lacks interest for them. Although struggling with technical manuals, commercial documents and legal contracts will have to continue in order to earn our daily bread, even if they sometimes are interesting and we learn a lot from them, I do not know in our profession another more gratifying intellectual satisfaction as that of going back to a literary text, to learn about its author, to the effort of getting to the bottom of the deepest meaning of its words, and to clearly express it in our own language without lessening or distorting its original concepts.

In general it is held that a translator should only translate into his or her mother tongue. We speak about a “source language”, which is the foreign language from which we translate, and of a “target language”, which is our own language, into which we translate the foreign text. In fact, people who speak only their own language, especially when they have academic studies, usually master their mother tongue perfectly; they know its most hidden secrets, its variants and the different nuances one word may express according to the context it is used in. They acquire the foreign language in school or at the university, but usually do not achieve to actively master it, but can only understand it in a passive way that enables them to read specialized books they need to consult. People who study a foreign language thoroughly and get to master it in depth are very few, except in case they want to become foreign language teachers or …translators! These educate themselves as bilingual professionals, whose handling of their own language must be perfect. In addition they must have that profound knowledge of the “source language”. This is a “conditio sine qua non” for the translator because otherwise he would never be able to achieve a reliable version in his mother tongue.

I would like to cite Ortega y Gasset again. He says that the “theologist Schleiermacher, in his essay ‘On different methods of translating’ states that the version is a movement that can be tried in two opposite directions: either the author is brought to the reader’s language or the reader is taken to the author’s language.” According to Ortega y Gasset, “only when we pull the reader out of his linguistic habits and force him to move within those of the author, there exists real translation:” According to him only one translation of Plato’s work is really faithful, and that is precisely Schleiermacher’s, “because he deliberately renounced to produce a translation that is beautiful …”, but instead kept all elements that conform the platonic style to render a truthful version. Therefore, translation must be complete and as exact and faithful as possible, even if it sounds ugly.

Undoubtedly Ortega y Gasset’s statement that a translation must mainly be complete and correct, but necessarily ugly because it pretends to take the reader to the author’s language, remains more or less valid to this day when dealing with translations of ancient Greek and Roman authors, just as it is true for scientific and technical texts that have to be accurate, but don’t need to be beautiful. In translations of classical Greek and Roman authors, a geographical and temporal transmigration occurs because the reader must go far back in time and imagine the environment and culture of those peoples to understand their life and undertakings. They are very far removed from our present life and endeavors, which makes our comprehension somewhat difficult.

However, a translation must not necessarily be ugly from the literary point of view as it would have to be if done in the direction of the movement Schleiermacher wants to give it. On the contrary, it is possible to produce correct translations that also show great beauty in expressing the author’s ideas with utmost faithfulness and, at the same time, to adapt them in their form to the “target language”.

In the history of languages several examples of great translations exist that have been considered models of correctness in their respective language. One of these is Martin Luther’s Bible translation into German. Certainly there have been Bible translations earlier than his (after 1466 there already existed fourteen translations into High German and after 1480, three versions into Low German). But those translations were based on the Latin Vulgata and not on the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The latter were made accessible thanks to the truly unique philological feat of Erasmus of Rotterdam, who in1516 published the original Greek text of the New Testament. This text served Martin Luther as his source, and he began to translate some Psalms in 1517. In 1522 the first version of the New Testament was published in German; in 1523 the Old Testament was printed and finally, in 1534, after a great philological effort, the whole oeuvre was completed. Thus, Martin Luther rendered a work of great importance because, just to put it this way, he first had to create the language he needed for his German Bible.

He achieved to combine objective exactness with internal religious riches and popular speech. Luther wished most of all to be comprehensible for the common people. “It is necessary to ask the mother in her home, the children on the little neighbour streets, the common man on the market place and look at their mouth to see how they speak, and then interpret them based thereon. This is the way they can understand us and realize that one is speaking to them in German.” These are Luther’s own words (Sendbrief von Dolmetschen = Message on Interpreting, 1530). He liked to express himself in a very graphic way. On the one hand he was familiar with the religious language of mysticism and the rhythm of the humanistic style and, on the other, he found in the written and juridical language of the central-eastern German territory the phonetics that was most understandable in that time’s Germany, which was divided in multiple dialects. Anyway, his remarkable linguistic talent and his profound comprehension of the living spoken language that is born naturally, has a rich psychological content and directly reaches the heart of the reader, had an enormous influence on his work’s success. Thus, his intimate union with the people, his profound religious feeling, his instinct for the precise word and the suggestive strength of expression gave birth to this biblical language of Martin Luther’s that became the basis of modern High German.

The case of the Holy Scriptures’ English translation known as “King James Version” is very similar. Although it was not the first English book proper because that honour is reserved for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the Bible translation was ordered in 1611 by King James to the best English scholars, who also translated directly from the Greek and Hebrew originals.

Another remarkable example of a correct translation and also a beautiful one from the literary point of view is the translation of Shakespeare’s works into German made by A.W. Schlegel and Ludwig Tieck during the nineteenth century. According to German experts, this version is even more beautiful than the English original.

When working on the translation of classical books, from which we are separated by one or more centuries in time, it is usual having to face some problems when adapting those works to our present time. Thus, for example, when translating Goethe’s Werther into Spanish, I had to solve a dilemma: Did I have to use in Spanish a language that would be closer to the times when the German story was written or was it more convenient to express its thoughts in a modern Spanish? After thinking it over thoroughly I decided to focus on the readers this book was intended to reach. In this particular case the issue was a budget edition, intended to be broadly spread and, therefore, a somewhat arcaic language could have been too difficult to understand for a large number of readers. Thus, I decided not to use a refined and very academical language, but instead a very correct modern language, but in no way colloquial.

As a conclusion we can see that translation is an art and a demanding profession, not only a banal occupation accessible to anybody who thinks he can translate just because he reads a foreign language fluently. It is not by chance that really good translators have been very few in the history of mankind.

-By: Lieselotte Schwarzenberg

I grew up in a Latin American country, but my family is of German extraction. Thus, I grew up completely bilingual because at home and with my parents, relatives and school mates we spoke only German, but Spanish has always been the usual language spoken by everybody else. In addition, from my early childhood on I learned English and got to master it when living for some years in California. Earlier I graduated as a language teacher at the Universidad de Chile in Santiago before moving to Germany, where I worked for almost four years, first at the the University of Hamburg as a Spanish lecturer and later as a translator and interpreter in a private enterprise in Munich. There I continued my studies and graduated as a Ph.D. at the University of Munich.

If you are looking for translations of good quality into Spanish, please contact me at my web page http://www.TopSpanishTranslations.com

“Quality is the most important thing.”

“A translation must not sound like a translation – it should sound like an original text.”

“We only ever allow translators to work into their native language.”

It’s time to dig around some translation industry clich

A sworn translation is a legal document translated into another language that is still accepted as a legal document after translation. In other words it is a translation where the translated document has the same legal validity as the original one. Sworn Translations are presented in the format required to be accepted in the country concerned. This type of translation is used primarily when dealing with formal letters and documents, including:

o Certificates

o Letters of Attorney/Mandates

o Company Registration Certificates

o Court Decisions

o Statements

o Diplomas

o Licenses / Permits

This type of translation is also required when any document needs to be presented at Court or to a public institution. It is to be noted that though legal systems differ from one country to another, there are two basic standards for sworn translation:

(!) In “Common law” countries that includes United Kingdom, most of the USA, Ireland, and some former British colonies, the translator must have a formal qualification in translation and be able to affirm and prove this in writing.

(2)In the case of “Civil law” countries that includes Continental Europe and much of the rest of the world; the translator must not only be qualified but also be registered in the relevant country or court as a sworn translator.

The most vital difference between a sworn translation and certified translation, is that in sworn translation, the document is signed and sealed by an authorized sworn translator and is valid as an official translation. Though the original documents can be sent by any means (fax, e-mail), in sworn translation the translation can only be supplied on paper as it must include the signature and seal of a sworn translator.

Today, as there is a boom in the translation service industry, the presence of a sworn translator is required in the cases when statements made in a foreign language by the participants of a meeting bear legal consequences. In many countries, a sworn translator is a person appointed and authorized by government departments to translate from one or more foreign languages into other language(s).

However in some countries, a sworn translator is a certified translator accredited to translate court documents. A sworn translator is authorized to make a private translation. A sworn translator is prepared to make any kind of translation, since he/she has studied not only the language, but also the culture and characteristics of a nation and has been trained in the technique of translating. Any translation produced by a sworn translator is an official document and is officially accepted by all the legal authorities as evidence.

As law is a culture-dependent subject field, any court proceedings on an international level can be affected with inaccurate or in-appropriate translation. In relation to international law, lawyers frequently have to deal with legal documents from a variety of language sources. Consequently one needs to understand the importance and necessities of sworn translation. The growth in international trade has contributed to an increased demand for corporate documentation translations. In the middle of the numerous kinds of documents that one has to deal with on a daily basis, it is finally sworn translation that is mostly asked for.

-By: John T. Smith

Goihata offers Sworn Translations, Official Translation by its Japanese Certified Translator.

Translator Prerequisites

Your standard of education must be very high; with very few exceptions, a degree is essential, though not necessarily in languages – it is a positive advantage to have qualifications or experience in another subject. Postgraduate training in translation is useful. You must be able to write your own mother tongue impeccably in a style and register appropriate to the subject and have a flair for research on technical subjects.

It goes without saying, that you should have a thorough grasp of the languages in your language combination, you must also be familiar with the culture and customs of the country. The only way to do this is by surrounding yourself with the language, i.e: by living/studying in the country where the language is spoken. German is spoken in 5 countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. There is no substitute for first-hand experience of living in a foreign culture, and as an Irishman living in Berlin, Germany, I can only recommend this course of action.

It is best to have a specific field that you specialise in, be it literature, technical, medical, legal.

Have invested in a minimum of equipment and software – At a minimum you should have a computer and appropriate word-processing software; fax machine and internet connection; suitable dictionaries, preferably online dictionaries like LEO, which return results at the touch of button, saving you an enormous amount of time searching through printed dictionaries. A telephone; answering machine (and, optionally, a dictating machine); increasingly, today’s translators are also using translation memory software and other translation tools. In an office translation environment, the use of the Computer-Aided Translation (CAT)-tool Trados has become the standard. CAT-tools like Trados or D

Anyone who is responsible for a company’s technical documents – operator’s manuals, service manuals, etc. – will be aware that what the end user wants is perfectly consistent vocabulary, to avoid any ambiguity. If it said “retaining bolt” in the previous page, why does it say “retaining screw” on this page? It is the same thing?

Recent years have seen great progress in the standardisation of vocabulary and phrasing in technical documents, and a great deal of that progress is due to the increasing use of translation memories. You may have tried out some of the “on-line translation” systems available on the Internet. You will have seen that while it is often possible to understand more or less what the original text wanted to say, the language employed is usually not acceptable. You only have to translate a short text into a foreign language and then translate the result back into English to see what sort of a mess the translation is to the foreign reader.

Translation memory has nothing to do with that sort of “on-line translation”. Translation memories are used to record accurate translations made by qualified translators, so that the next time the same words are used in the original text, the translation memory will automatically produce the same translation. This provides consistency of vocabulary and phrasing.

Translation memories are used by translation agencies and freelancers for two purposes:

1. To save time in translation, since the translator does not have to type the sentence again. This saves money.Like most service companies, translation agencies are selling time – the time that their translators take in typing out and checking a translation.
2. To ensure consistency, particularly in repeated sentences. This gives the reader confidence in the document concerned, since he or she sees identical phrases and vocabulary in various parts of the document. It also ensures consistency of vocabulary, so that no confusion can exist as to “Is this the same thing they were talking about on page 33 ?”.

When various companies started to produce translation memories in the 1990′s, they were mainly used by freelance translators to save time and to produce standardised translations. Translation agencies, almost all of which use freelance translators when their in-house staff have too much work, then started to use translation memory systems for the same purposes. The cost of translation was sometimes reduced, since three categories of translation were used:

• Perfect match (when the sentence to be translated already existed in the translation memory – no action on the part of the translator – the computer translates the sentence automatically) This category is often paid at 20% or 30% of “per word” price.
• Fuzzy match (when the sentence to be translated is almost the same as a sentence in the translation memory; in this case the translator has to check it for differences). This is often paid at 50% or 60% of “per-word” price.
• No match (when there is no such sentence in the translation memory). This is paid at 100% of “per-word” price.

Among some of the bigger companies in the world it then became usual to work with translation agencies who kept such memories on their behalf. Translation memories are now often used by the translation agencies for their medium and small customers and the advantages as regards consistency are immediately apparent to anybody reading the technical documentation.Companies working with translation agencies who use these systems also often enjoy lower prices for their translations.

-By: John Hadfield

If you would like to know more about this subject and about easy ways for companies to cut their costs while improving their documentation, please go to our website www.a-translation.com

Translation agency CEO who has set up and run sucessful translation agency in the UK and France and spent time in the Far East doing the same thing. www.a-translation.com

As the world grows smaller; people travel across the globe more frequently and more business is done internationally, translation services are increasingly in demand. A translation service can now be needed for anything from the translation of an education certificate to translating a website. Due to the demand there are now hundreds of translation agencies across the globe.

Finding a translation service can be daunting. Where does one start to look for a translation service and when they find one, how do they know if they will be able to do the job well? What questions should one ask? This article will offer some useful tips on how to find a translation service to meet your needs.

Where to find a translation service?

There are three main ways of finding a translation service.

The first port of call should be your local directory such as the Yellow Pages. If you have a specific business directory for your area then even better. Simply look up “translation” or it may sometimes be under “translators