Do you know how to order translation and select an appropriate agency who will provide you with the translations of the agreements, manuals or education documentation? 112 Tulkošanas aplīdzības serviss offers you a brief instruction STEP BY STEP in order to select the appropriate translation agency/translator.

During the translation process a number of uncertainties my appear, therefore the client is advised to provide translator with additional information as far as it is possible yet before the project has been started.

1.       Language

 Correct selection of the target language and its type may have a great influence upon the text style and its layout (for instance, British or American English, Brazilian Portuguese language or Portuguese spoken in Portugal, etc.)

2.       The Purpose of the Translated Text

The purpose of the translated text should be clearly indicated: internal or external use, sales brochure, agreement or other. For documents such as brochures, home pages, advertising texts etc. intended for external use, special attention should be paid to the COPY WRITE. 

3.       Target Audience

Text style and even the terminology chosen may differ in case if the text is intended for the use of the field specialists who are familiar with the specific vocabulary and terminology. A translation intended for a simple consumer may shape out to be entirely different. In any case, translation should be written in a language understandable to its reader.

 4.       Subject-matter and Amount

 Information including the subject-matter of the text and the level of complexity in order for translator to determine his/her adequacy for undertaking such a project. It is advised to send the text for evaluation.

5.       Format

Is the translation required as a simple document (Word, TXT, Excel, etc.) or DTP and layout design (PDF, CDR, etc.)? Shall the text be prepared for turning them into the printing house?

6.       Legible Written Text

Translator should receive a clear and legible text, since the translation from the illegible document will not be accurate, which is of particular importance when translating legal or medical documents. The source text may be presented in electronic form (in a CD or sent by e-mail) or printed on paper. The quality of the source document is very important because even one comma may change the meaning or structure of the whole text.

7.       Reasonable Delivery Deadline

Plan your project foreseeing sufficient amount of time for translator to carry out the work in. Logical phrasing of sentences and thoughts takes time. If urgent delivery of the translation is necessary, there is a risk that translation will be of lower quality since human factor is always present in the translation industry — event the best translator tend to make careless mistakes due to urgency and there might be no time to eliminate or correct them because of the urgent delivery deadline.

8.       Revision

Revise the translation and evaluate its quality. Advise your project manager if any changes are made in the translation after its delivery for them to be considered in any further projects. Excellent quality can only be achieved by long-term cooperation and successful cooperation between all of the parties involved in the project.

9.       Professional Cooperation

Require that the translation is performed by a specialist who has had previous experience with the texts of a particular field.

By improving cooperation between the representative of your company and a translation project manager, we can always take into consideration your requirements, keep an acceptable style and terminology. This will be beneficial for everyone!  

10.   Long-term Cooperation

Translation becomes possible only when successful cooperation between a project manager, translator and a client is achieved. Even if the translator fluently handles the a particular language and is a specialist of a specified field, he/she may never know everything! Translators often specialize in translation of the texts of a peculiar field, nonetheless they do not always know which expressions and terms your company prefers and uses. Therefore, the cooperation is important. Ask for one or more test translations to be performed, thus verifying the competency of the translator. Such an investment will pay off in the future!  

11.   Native Language

A great number of translators have the command of several languages, but for each of us only one is our mother tongue. When translating specialized texts intended for external use always require that the translation is done by a native language speaker or someone residing/working in the country where this language is either the official language or the language prevalent in social situations. Thus the text shall be translated taking into consideration the language traditions and be more fluent.

12.   Application

Translation is often prepared for a specific purpose. Contact the translator if you wish to make any changes in the text.

The article was prepared based on the material published by the Swedish Association of Professional Translators  (SFÖ).