Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:24 — 8.6MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | More

Don’t let disaster befall your important translation project!

Professional translation services are best left for experts.

[Leer en español]

[Read the previous article: 7 Elements for What Makes a Good Translation]

Your corporate image is at stake.

Your presentation may offend, not persuade, your client.

Don’t take the risk!

[Download the Show Notes for Episode 4 Audio Blog.]

6 Advantages of Professional Translation

There are six (6) advantages to hiring a professional translator to deliver your project in perfect English.

1. Language Competence. Relying on a friend or an employee to possess both the skill and knowledge to deliver a crisply written document in English from Spanish, Portuguese, or French is unrealistic.

Solid translation skills are not automatically part of being bilingual.

Even if someone has the skill to be bilingual, there is no guarantee she or he can write well enough to communicate your message to the world.

2. Translation requires sharp writing skills. 

In addition, as mentioned in an earlier blog post, translation is about writing.

Thus, you can be assured your project is in the hands of an expert who is fluent in both your own language (Spanish, Portuguese, and French, for example) and English like me.

Sharp writing skills are thus a cornerstone of professional document translation.

[Free Download – 7 Steps to Lower Your Translation Costs]

3. Specialization and experience are closely linked.

 A professional translator brings a set of specialized skills to complete your project precisely and timely.

 Most focus their talent on a particular subject like business or international affairs.

As a translator accumulates more time submerged in his or her specializations, the experience gained helps to render your document(s) faster and efficiently into English (as in my case).

There simply is no replacement for experience as a translator.

A professional should offer you, the valued client, the best effort and load of experience to possible to complete your project on time with accuracy and cultural appropriateness.

4. A professional translator is committed to his or her craft.

This fierce dedication is reflected in the resultant document.

The project should be a prime example of a good translation.

Each project is a new challenge. Few are ever identical in nature or scope.

Perseverance to overcome any language or formatting hurdle is a testament to a translator’s dedication to his or her valuable client.

5. Consistency.

A dedicated translator (or team) can maintain a constant tone and tenor of your projects.

Thus, consistency across projects is maintained.

A valued client’s preferred terminology, style, and other specific requirements are important to know before starting your project.

Each can be easily implemented, especially working one-on-one with a freelance translator like Professor Winn.

[Listen to Episode 3 – 9 Translation Industry Trends in 2019].

For this reason, glossaries of terminology per language pair are normally utilized.

Either the valued client produces its own glossary for a translator to use or both parties work together to iron out specific terms to be used in the translation.

Glossaries are key tools for a translator to maintain consistency.

Another bonus is that these term lists help reduce the amount of time required for external reviews because the valued client has designated the terms at the beginning of the project.

6. Ensured Quality. As in any other profession, the more seasoned the professional, the better the final result will be.

Every translation by Professor Winn must pass a 9-point diagnostic. 

Two customary practices by professional translators help ensure the quality of your translated document(s).

Proofreading

A professional translator already does this step.

Converting your document from one language to another is only half of producing a quality translation.

Good proofreading begins with reading the document aloud. Does the translated text “sound right?”

Spelling errors are not caught reading forward, but actually backwards in English.

A bugaboo for many is writing fragments (no verb and/no subject) or a run-on sentence (usually from a lack of punctuation).

As a conscientious copywriter, I am well-attuned to the pitfalls of writing English.

Bad grammar is just not acceptable.

Formatting

Professional translators learn early on that the document in the target language must look (and “sound”) identical to the original in the source language.

Thus, good formatting is a key aspect of a quality translation for the valued client.

The font type and size must match with the original.

Attention to detail is a hallmark of a professional translation.

Thus, an evaluation of headers and footers to be consistent with the source language document is indispensable.

Margins and graphics must be positioned perfectly so the translated document is a mirror image of the original.

Conclusion

Now you have a better idea of 6 advantages of professional translation.

Your ace translator – Professor Winn – is available to help you with your translation project.

Get your free quote today for your professional translation from Spanish/Portuguese/French to English today!