Tips For Ensuring Good Translation

Leave it to the professionals

Choose a professional translator. Resist the temptation to ask Maria from Accounts to translate your latest brochure because she "has a bit of Spanish/Italian/Swahili”. Professional translators are trained writers. Many have the academic credentials to back this up. Membership of a professional translators’ organisation in their home country or another country is a good sign. Ask to see samples of their work and/or request a brief test translation – professional translators should have no problem in acceding to one or other of these requests. Have a trusted native speaker take a look at the sample or test translation.

Go native

Work with a translator who is a native speaker of the language into which you want your document translated (target language). Translation is more than the conversion of words into another language. A professional native-speaker translator will be able to convey your products, services and ideas in a clear effective voice. He or she will have a feel for the nuances of their native language that is extremely difficult to achieve by even the most accomplished non-native speaker.

Give us a clue

Communicate with your translator. Provide as much information as you can about the text you wish to have translated. Who is its target audience? Is it destined for a website, a glossy brochure or a company memo? Would it be possible to communicate directly with the author of the text (translator heaven)? Reference material is always gratefully received, a good translator will appreciate you making the effort to send it.

It’s (not) only words

You have probably spent a long time building up your brand’s image, using specific terminology and phraseology to communicate your message. Now you need to do the same thing in your target language. Have your translator compile a glossary of frequently used terms for your approval. The time and money spent on this task will pay dividends. Your message will be delivered consistently to your new target market.

Tell us about it

Provide feedback. Underneath these sensitive exteriors, we are hardy souls. If you are not happy with some aspect of the service you are receiving, tell your translator. Give them the chance to rectify any mistakes. For longer texts, an ideal scenario would be to have new translators deliver the translation in batches, which you can have reviewed and then point out any requests that you have.

“And here is the feedback from the reviewer: 
My compliments to the translator - it was very nice work :-)”

Claudia Baur, TRANSMISSION Übersetzungen GmbH, Stuttgart