7 Ways to Get a Translation Done

1) Computer-Generated Translation

Could automatic translation be the ideal solution to our translation needs? Who hasn’t thought at least once that it could? After all, computers get more and more powerful and intelligent every day, so they must have figured this out by now, right? Well, actually, no. Language is intrinsically related to the human conscience and the human mind, with all its richness and complexity, nuances, double meanings, ambiguities... And computers have a long way to go before figuring all of this out. But admittedly, this is somewhat relative. While a computer will probably never be able to translate marketing or literature materials not even faintly close to adequately, it could be a great asset for highly technical, very repetitive texts. And on to the second point!

2) Controlled Language + Automatic Translation + Human Post-Editing

What if we have hundreds of thousands of highly technical and repetitive words to translate? Isn’t there a way to cut costs in this case? There indeed is, and this is where computers come in to the rescue. But you would need to follow a very specific process and train your staff in learning how to write in controlled language. Basically, controlled language is a set of rules entailing simplification and standardization of grammar and vocabulary, which help computers understand and translate the resulting texts more adequately. The output is then post-edited by professional translators who are trained for this kind of task, thus automating a good deal of the translation process and saving costs. You will find more information about this in this translation article: www.uem.es/web/ott/ingles/controlados.html. The biggest translation companies out there can help you throughout this process, and you have a list of them here.

3) In-House Translation

Okay, our content is not that repetitive or that extensive, so the previous option is not for us. What are some other affordable translation options available?

You could choose to have your message translated in-house. Your bilingual assistant or other bilingual employees come to mind, and you wonder if they would do the trick…

Sounds reasonable enough, but before going ahead, please stop to think for a minute. Would you entrust your bilingual assistant with writing your company’s technical handbooks, even if he or she is proficient in English? Or would you rather look for somebody who is a skilled technical writer? Similarly, unless your bilingual assistant happens to be a highly skilled linguist with specific training in translation, and a native speaker of your target language, you will do no favor to your company — or to your assistant for that matter — if you expect him or her to perform professional translation.

4) A Cheap Translation Provider

I am starting to get upset with all of this. Why should it be complicated to convert English words into Spanish, French or German? This is what we will do: we will ask four different translation companies for quotes and go with the lowest bid. Should be just fine…

Interesting as this option may sound, it does entail a high risk. Keep in mind that your image, your message, and your success are at stake. A mediocre translation, even though it will cost less initially, can be the most expensive option. What’s the cost of lost clients in your target market due to lack of credibility? Are you willing to face complaints or constant queries because your clients don’t understand your translated materials? These and many other headaches and financial losses can be prevented through a good translation right from the start.

5) A Highly Skilled Freelance Translator

Okay, but what about this? I think we could just skip middle-men. Let’s search for a freelance translator and choose the very best one, and we’ll avoid paying commissions…

Indeed, this can be an interesting option under some conditions. Freelance translators will often offer you translation work alone. Some may be able to provide desktop publishing services or translations in complex formats, others not. Depending on your needs (and if you only need translations into a couple of languages, which will be reasonably easy to handle by yourself), this could be a good option, provided that the translator is really good. High-quality translation providers pick their translators carefully, saving you a trial and error process that sometimes can be a pain. If you need reliable freelance translators for your projects, you will find a very good list of them here: www.squidoo.com/translationservices.

6) A Good Translation Company

Okay, instead of just comparing quotes and going with the lowest, I think we would be better off if we compare translation quality among a few translation companies.

Great thinking! Make sure to contact 4-5 translation providers, ask them for translated samples in your required language combination(s) and subject areas, then assess the quality of those samples by submitting them to review. The reviewer should be a language-aware person who is a native speaker of your target language. It could be an employee of yours, a language professor of your acquaintance, a business partner in your target market… Have them take a look and tell you which one is the best. And if there are two or three that are very good, then feel free to go with the lowest quote in this group, in all peace of mind!

7) A Freelance Translation Network

More and more professional translators are teaming up to provide their services without middle-men. This allows them to offer very affordable rates to the end clients — no overheads, no brick and mortar presence — while earning a fair compensation. Many of these translation networks are very reliable and offer high-quality services, powered by professional and skilled translators. Very often, their range of available services is comparable to what translation agencies offer. Some networks specialize on one language, such as JB Translations Spanish translation network: www.jb-translator.com. On the other hand, translation services networks like www.betranslated.com, offer their services in the most common world languages. BeTranslated’s services are comparable to those of any good translation company, with the advantage of greater affordability.

Regardless of what your final decision is, we hope that this article helps you find the most suitable solution for your needs, so you can convey a clear, polished and accurate message to your target audience and win their trust and business.
Article written by Jaime Bonet, professional Spanish translator and member of BeTranslated