So, you have an important project that needs to be translated in order for it to reach a wider audience. You might be tempted to look for a freelance translator or a translating agency. Depending on your project, your budget, and your desire for your project to reach its full potential, you have options.
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If the Bible is the most translated book in existence, it is due to the way that religion and spirituality affect humanity. Translators in history have allowed our stories to be told throughout time and the planet. There is a great responsibility to being a translator that takes more than just transcribing from one language to the next. The translator must understand the intention of the project and know how to connect with the audience.
Picking a translation company that respects the value and soul of a message and does not see it just as an opportunity to make money or push a translator’s own agenda is difficult, but not more difficult than finding a quality translator. What determines who you should hire?
What Type of Translation Is It?
Do you work for a medical company? A furniture store? Are you a self-help book publisher? Not all translations are created equal because the tone of a translation is not equal across the board. A translator that’s transcribing a text for children will word things completely different than one transcribing a reclining-seat user’s manual, for example. Some translators and companies are specialized in niche translations or you might find a translation company that has a repertoire of translators for all types of needs. Some language pairings are also rare and either you find the exact translator you need, or you hire an agency to do it for you.
Who Is the Audience of Your Translated Project?
Beyond understanding the vocabulary that is necessary for each subject, a translator must also know context and culture. Knowing how to connect with an audience does not go hand-in-hand with knowing how to translate. Having an example of the translator’s public work is helpful in determining their experience with knowing and connecting to their audience. A translating company or agency that shows an understanding of this is a positive sign that they will take this need seriously.
How Many Languages Do You Need Your Project To Be Translated Into?
Some projects require translation into various languages which is when a language translation company will shine. Rather than having to find various efficient translators in different languages, hiring one company to do the footwork might come in handy. Not to mention beyond a team of translators, there should also be editors for every language to check everything twice, guaranteeing a quality job. Therefore, if a client is looking to translate a book or computer program or another project into various languages, their best bet will be hiring a translating company. A company is an agency in that it sources the translators you might need for a job.
Certain companies also have audio editing services to expand the range and audience of your project. In this case, you would not only need to have translators in various languages, but for those translators to turn into scripts that voice actors who are native in each language would read.
How Good Do You Want the Translation to Be?
Hiring a freelance translator might be helpful in certain cases, but it’s harder to guarantee their work if there’s no editor or “portfolio” to speak of. A company hire will usually mean a whole team of professionals, a healthy dose of previous experience, and great references. There’s also a lot to be said about how someone guards their reputation. Is there a website? Is their proof that they have been around for a while? Is there something that indicates trust and/or quality? Depending on how seriously you take your project, there’s a lot at risk in hiring a translator and looking at a company’s website can give you an idea on what to expect.
Who Do You Want to Give Your Money to?
The world is constantly in flux, and where we put our money helps control that flux. There is a lack of balance in the way capitalism is handled, and to pay a business or a person we believe in can be a power move that re-establishes balance. This is important in any decision we make and with any employee we decide to hire and hiring a translator, or a translation company is no exception. By knowing who is behind the scenes of the translation at hand, you can feel good about knowing that not only is your project being handled by a person perfectly fit for the job, but your money will go towards shaping the world for the better.
Does a Translation Degree Guarantee a Good Translation?
A formal school education is undoubtedly helpful in our paths as professionals. That being said, there’s arguably more weight in field experience, an extraordinary ability to communicate and write, and a particular sensitivity for cultural and linguistic nuance. Someone with a degree in writing might be better than someone with a degree in translation if the writer understands the subtle changes that happen in a reader depending on the words chosen. Or perhaps an entrepreneur that studied marketing might be better than someone that speaks four languages if the entrepreneur dominates two and they understand how to sell a project. So while a degree in translation absolutely helps, it is by no means a requirement, and it might actually be better to hire a team of experienced people or a person with exactly the experience you are looking for, than a translator with impressive degrees.
What To Look For in a Translator
There’s a lot to look for in a translator and when hiring a company it might be even harder to find the right one if you do not know what to look for. There’s a lot to look into when choosing a translator or translation agency: languages they speak, their niche, their process, quality, fee, clients and experience, communication and writing skills, and their professionalism.
What languages does the translator speak?
People can translate into a second language if they’ve dominated and studied this language for a long time. You want to ideally hire someone that either is a native speaker of the language they’re translating into, or who speaks it really well. Being native in at least one of the two languages being worked with is a must.
What is the translator’s niche?
When hiring a translator, make sure they are familiar with the exact thing you are writing about. Texts can range from technical to artistic and if the translator is not a good writer in that specific niche, it will show up in the final work, resulting in a clunky translation.
What is the translator’s process?
Will the text be localized? Will the vocabulary match the audience? Is there anything to internationalize? Knowing what the process of the team in charge of your project looks like, is key to ensure it is handled with the professionalism and awareness that it deserves.
What is the translator’s fee?
A translator needs to value their work and time, but the main goal should not be to just profit. Get a translator or team that’s actually interested in your project and not just your money.
What is the translator’s reputation?
Knowing what clients a translator has worked with before says a lot about the quality of their work and whether someone is accountable. It also gives you an idea of their experience.
How does the translator communicate?
A translator or agency’s communication style is telling of how they will handle the project and process of translation. Are they professional? Do they take the time to communicate efficiently? Are they prompt in their replies? Take all these factors into account.
Is the translator a good writer?
The translator cannot just be efficient at translating, they must also be a good writer. Being able to convey an idea takes more than understanding words and transcribing it, it takes sensitivity and creativity. A translator must not only understand the technicality of translation, they must also understand the artistry of it.
Translation Dos and Don’ts
When we are finally at a place where we have options but don’t know where to go, do not settle for either a translator or an agency that do not honor your message. Do be involved in the process. If you do not want to worry about the project while it’s being translated and want the translating team to be more autonomous, make sure you ask questions at the beginning so you can be informed of the process and rest assured that your needs are met and everyone is on the same page. Not every translation has the same expectations, making acknowledging the client’s needs essential and communication imperative.
When To Hire a Company for Your Translation Project
If you have a very elaborate project with video and audio, getting a translating agency that can do it all is definitely helpful. If you have a novel that you would like to localize, having a team to translate and edit will save you time and increase your chances of getting quality work. You might have a project in a very specific niche, and finding a translator in this niche might be a lot of work, so hiring a translating agency to do the outsourcing for you will save you time and thus money.
In Conclusion…
Hiring a translator or a translation agency both have pros and cons, and it’d be a lie to state that one is innately better than the other. Ultimately, it should not be a process that is handled lightly. We hope that this will help you pick the right person for the job, and invite you to contact us for a free quote so that we can know more about your goals and help you get there.
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