Do you want a perfect translation that can't get any worse? Then you can go home and sleep on even the most error-filled machine translation. Do you want your customers to run away in droves? Or do you want them to curl up and laugh instead of asking for a quote? Then take a break from the next tip. For everyone else, the following applies: The following roadmap will ensure you get your foreign language communication across the finish line, wherever you are.
Even before you start looking for a suitable service provider, you can consider the following points in relation to your preparatory work:
Plenty of time: As with many other projects, time pressure can lead to poor quality, with much of the text sounding and looking like it was written in a hurry. Therefore, you need to plan with plenty of time. Because along the way, questions will always arise and you need to be able to clarify them. Good source text: Do you influence the written text or do you write it yourself? Remember to express your thoughts as clearly and accurately as possible. The quality of the source text, more than anything else, helps determine the success of the translation. Defining the target language: Do you have Danish text that needs to be translated into English? Next, you need to clearly define whether you want to translate it into British English or American English. This is because it means that it translates to a completely different target group and a different readership. What is true for English is also true for other countries, such as China. Define purpose and target group: Who can understand the translated text? Should your text be published on a web page, or will it only be visible as an internal message within your intranet? ?The translator can adjust the tone of voice to best suit the purpose. Format: Decide which text formats the translator will retrieve and which formats to return. Translator prices may vary depending on the format they process, but you can find opportunities to save money here.
How to find the right translator
As a general rule, the most expensive service provider is not automatically the best, but below a certain price you can't expect a good job either. When choosing a translator, you should pay attention to the following points:
Test translation: If you have a large amount of text, simply ask your first selected translator to translate a short section of text to see how the collaboration works. Then choose the professional translator that's right for you. However, be aware that you may have to pay for these “tasters” as well. A professional translator is preferable: Not everyone who knows two different languages can produce a good translation. Translation may be important to you, for example, if you also need to protect the operating manual for a particular product from liability claims, or if you need to ensure that the text on your website does not scare customers away in a foreign language. The more you have, the more important it is. You should consider that the translator is not only trained as a translator, but also able to document knowledge in your particular area of expertise. Question about pricing: Again, it's true that you can always find someone who will do it cheaper. But it's equally true that you get what you pay for. Of course, professional translators always make time for research, questions, and quality assurance. This is reflected in our prices. And the translation will be more appropriate and persuasive to the reader. Therefore, it makes sense to invest a little more money. Of course, this is especially true for translations in the economic, legal and financial fields, where errors can quickly become costly or cause major disruptions to communication with customers, leading to people skipping them or not caring about them at all. There is a possibility that References: recommendations, work experience, membership in trade associations, or customer comments on websites – experienced translators who do a good job as external service providers won’t be doing it for the first time. Therefore, you should also form an image about the person's past successful projects.
Other tips: Quality assurance and pricing
Translation according to the 4-eyes principle: For contracts and publications, the translation should be read by someone other than the original translator. If you have a very critical eye, you will be more likely to spot errors and irregularities. How we charge: There are various models for how professional translators calculate their fees, including line-by-line, word-by-word, or fixed pricing.
What translators want from you…
Final text: Whenever possible, you should submit a completed text. Any subsequent re-editing, additions or subsequent distribution of supplementary text parts will imply additional costs. Supplementary information: Glossaries, supplementary texts, existing translations – all useful materials assist the translator. Deadlines: If the deadline is too tight, you may end up going beyond the scope of your translation. Feedback: Are you satisfied? If so, please let the interpreter know. Even if something goes wrong. In this way, translators can make individual adjustments to subsequent assignments.
