Frequently Asked Questions

1. What makes a good translation?
2. Can I as a buyer have an impact on the quality of the translation?
3. What is the daily output of a translator?
4. What can I expect from a good translator?
5. What should I look out for when choosing a translator?
6. How much will my translation cost?
7. How long will my translation take?
8. Why can't I just use a free machine translation tool such as BabelFish?
9. One of our employees is bilingual. Surely, she can do the translation, can't she?
10. What does the translation process involve?
11. Why does my translation take so long to complete? Can't you just split it up between several translators?
12. What is the difference between computer-aided translation (CAT) and machine translation (MT)?
13. What quality control procedures do you have in place?
14. Can you provide me with a translated document that will look the same as the original?

1. What makes a good translation?
A good translation reads smoothly and shows no signs of having been translated at all. It conveys the original message across the linguistic and cultural barriers separating writer and reader and evokes the same images and ideas as the source text. A good translation is the result of well coordinated teamwork between translators, proofreaders and editors to ensure a high-quality product. [Back]

2. Can I as a buyer have an impact on the quality of the translation?
Yes. The first step in the translation process is interpreting the source text. You may be able to facilitate this process by checking your text for ambiguities and inconsistencies before submitting it for translation. This ensures you get the best possible product - and saves you time and money. [Back]

3. What is the daily output of a translator?
As a rule of thumb, 2,000 to 2,200 words. Occasionally, this figure may go up, e.g. in straightforward texts that do not require any research. Some translators manage 3,000 words a day or even more - but in most cases this involves working very long hours and usually this figure cannot be sustained over long periods of time as the translator will burn out and the quality may suffer. In complex texts and texts requiring adaptation the daily output may fall under 2,000 words. [Back]

4. What can I expect from a good translator?
A good translator is highly skilled and deeply rooted in both source and target culture. She is familiar with the specific terminology used and aware of social, political and historic factors that render the use of certain terms inappropriate. In short: She fully understands the emotional context of a word. Above all, a good translator asks questions - to make sure ambiguities are removed and that you are completely satisfied with the end product. [Back]

5. What should I look out for when choosing a translator?
Unlike medicine or law, translation is not a legally protected profession, this is why many translators are campaigning for change. Some people working as translators are neither suitably qualified nor sufficiently experienced, so here is a guide on what to look out for: Your translator should have a qualification in translation, e.g. Dip Trans IoL (UK) or Diplom-Übersetzer (Germany) and several years experience in her field of specialisation. Some translators may have a degree and practical experience in the field they specialise in, in addition to their translation degree, giving them a deeper understanding of their subjects. Some translators specialise in engineering, others in medicine, some in marketing etc. Others may specialise in a two or three fields, but you should certainly be cautious if someone claims they do "all subjects". [Back]

6. How much will my translation cost?
The cost of a translation depends on the nature of the text, its length, subject matter and any additional services that may be required such as checking the typeset document. The standard is to charge on a per-word basis. Special formatting requirements and tight deadlines typically incur an extra charge. [Back]

7. How long will my translation take?
This depends on various factors: the length of the document, the content and complexity of the text and the formatting requirements. On average, a translator manages around 2000 words per working day, including proofreading. [Back]

8. Why can't I just use a free machine translation tool such as BabelFish?
Despite recent innovations, all attempts at producing high-quality machine translation have been thwarted. Due to the inherent complexity of language, even the most sophisticated systems cannot produce acceptable translations without extensive editing by human experts. This situation is unlikely to change in the near future. [Back]

9. One of our employees is bilingual. Surely, she can do the translation, can't she?
Translation is an acquired skill. It involves the expression of ideas, conceived within the framework of a distinct culture and a specific field, in another language so that a new audience may receive exactly the same message. This skill can only be acquired through years of practice after an individual has acquired the respective qualifications. [Back]

10. What does the translation process involve?
The translation process involves the initial preparation - checking of formatting requirements, terms, glossaries, company policy etc.- the actual translation, including the researching of facts and terminology, and the elimination of any areas of uncertainty, the editing process, and finally proofreading. A professional translator will use a wide range of up-to-date technological tools and reference materials. [Back]

11. Why does my translation take so long to complete? Can't you just divide it up between several translators?
When assigning individual portions of a translation project to different translators, careful coordination is required if inconsistency is to be avoided. Glossaries and style sheets must be prepared to make sure that what was called a "questionnaire" on page 2 is not called a "screener" on page 25, or that 4" are not converted to 102 mm in Section 1 and to 10.2 cm in Section 7. Upon completion, all project documentation must go through a final stage of proofreading to check for consistency of terminology, style, completeness and accuracy. Furthermore, the accurate placement and captioning of graphics needs to be verified. [Back]

12. What is the difference between computer-aided translation (CAT) and machine translation (MT)?
CAT tools are terminology management systems with a translation memory, i.e. a database of previous translations that help the translator to identify terms and phrases used in the past. Such tools help to improve consistency in translation projects and represent a true quality gain. Machine translation (MT) tools, on the other hand, are applications that analyse a source text, divide it up into its individual elements, translate these elements and put them back together in the target language. MT technology has a long way to go before it will be able to compete with the adaptability and creativity of the human mind. While it can sometimes be useful for translating individual terms or simple sentences - for getting the general idea of content - it ignores the fact that language is dynamic, is often ambiguous, and does not always follow set rules. The results of MT use are thus often far from satisfactory, and while they can at times be amusing, at their worst they can be nonsensical or downright embarrassing. [Back]

13. What quality control procedures do you have in place?
All translations are checked and double-checked by the original translator. An additional second linguist proofreads the translation and raises any queries with the translator. The translation then goes back to the original translator for a final honing. Please see Quality Control for further details. [Back]

14. Can you provide me with a translated document that will look the same as the original?
Of course. In addition, we can supply translated documents in a variety of customised formats. If you have special typesetting requirements, just let us know. [Back]

For more information on how to get a high-quality translation please visit the following link, a very useful guide for translation buyers: 'Translation - Getting it Right'.