Why choose a professional translator?

Translation is sometimes viewed either as a magical craft or a mundane and everyday process. After all, there are numerous people around the world who speak or read or write multiple different languages and successfully communicate their needs or ideas. Why should translation be the preserve of specialists?

It may seem logical that anyone who has a confident command of more than one language can translate between these two languages. Company materials for translation may be assumed to be safest in the hands of a bilingual team member – after all they know the product or service inside out. But if translation is not what they were hired to do, they may object to this work being added to the tasks that they already have in their remit. Before burdening your team with language work that is not strictly their area of expertise, pause to consider what a professional translator can bring to the table in addition to language skills.

Translators do more than speak your language

Consistency, context and accuracy
Professional translators are the world’s greatest pedants. They often rejoice in spotting rogue apostrophes or spelling slip-ups in shop windows, and no grammatical mistakes will make it into the final copy – not on their watch. Add to this tools and techniques for tracking terminology, to make sure there is consistency and clarity throughout their writing, and a deep appreciation of context. Translators love to see both the big picture and the smallest detail, being able to zoom in and out alternately. This may mean looking at how a word or phrase fits into common usage or your corporate culture, and then focusing on the impact it has at the sentence level, ensuring that it all blends together seamlessly to fulfil the purpose of the text. But what value does this detailed process offer for you? In a nutshell, translators are always focused on your intended audience and making sure that the translation they produce delivers your message in a way that resonates with them – and this should hopefully mean that they respond in the way you want them to, whether that is to place an order or simply follow instructions safely.

Cultural consultancy
Professional translators are primarily highly skilled at writing in their native language, and they bring to this an inbuilt understanding of any cultural references or sensitivities that will impact the audience. Of course, translation doesn’t just mean taking one word and replacing it with an equivalent in another language – although this is a part of the process, at its core – but we professional translators also think about who the text is written for and what its purpose is. Will it resonate as it is intended to? Are the instructions clear enough to follow? Are there any turns of phrase or cultural references that don’t make sense, or worse, are offensive to the intended reader? A professional translator is armed and ready to tackle all these questions.

Quality assurance and support
Many translators will either have followed university studies in translation theory and practice or be members of a professional association (or both) and it is here that they learn that one round of spellchecking is never going to be enough to deliver a sparkling text. A professional translator will have systems in place for several rounds of checking their work in different ways. Many will work with a colleague to quality check each other’s work – with the right confidentiality provisions in place if necessary. Three to four rounds of checks would not be unusual. This means that you can be confident that your translated materials will be fit for use. And if you do spot mistakes, or simply want to discuss alternative solutions? Your translator should be open to hearing your ideas and adapting their work accordingly.

Specialist industry knowledge
The points above outline how a professional translator can deliver the results you want. But there’s a further division. There are numerous translators out there working between countless pairs of languages – not every English to Spanish translator is going to be able to write about every topic from agriculture to zoology. In addition to all these professional skills, you will truly get the best value from your translator when you spend time choosing one who understands your industry. Translators all have different backgrounds, and while some will have a degree in a relevant field, others will have worked in the industry themselves. Others still have built up their expertise through diligent self-study and experience.