As a potential translation buyer, you have probably already decided that you need some of your materials translated into one or more foreign languages. Your company may also do business internationally so you need correspondence or business plans translated for your partners and clients abroad. This two-part article will guide you through the nuts and bolts of working with translators so that you end up with the best finished product possible.
Interpretation vs. Translation
Most laypeople use the words interpretation and translation interchangeably when in fact they are very different and practitioners of each use different skill-sets. Of course, both interpretation and translation deal with language, but the medium of the former is the spoken word and the latter the written word.
Translators work from a written document in the source language to render a document in the target language. Interpreters provide real-time translation of the spoken word, either over the phone, in large meetings or conferences, or in small-group settings.
Your company may need both translation and interpretation services, but don’t assume that your translator will be able to provide both for you. This is because of the different skill-sets each service requires. Great translators are exceptionally adept with the written word and interpreters with the spoken word. While some translators also work as interpreters, this isn’t always the case. Furthermore, you may be working remotely with a translator and in many instances, you’ll need an interpreter to work with you onsite.
For an excellent description of the differences between translation and interpretation, follow this link to a post on the Brave New World blog.
Understanding Pricing
Your translation agency or independent translator should always provide you with a price quote before beginning the project.
There are a few factors that will determine how much your translation will cost. First, the length of the document and number of words is taken into account. Translators can quote a price based on number of words/length of documents in three ways:
- Number of words in source document
- Number of words in final translated document (especially if the words in the source document cannot be counted, as in hard copy or scanned documents)
- Number of pages in the source document
Other pricing considerations include:
- The complexity or technical nature of the document (i.e. expect to pay more for a legal contract than a brochure describing services).
- Value-added services such as Desktop Publishing.
- Turn-around time (you will be charged a flat fee or a percentage of the base quote if you request a rush translation).
Transpanish’s next blog post will offer you tips on choosing the best translator.
