Unless you work in the translation business, it may be a tad more difficult to figure out how to find a good translator. Average Joe may need his diplomas translated for that job in Germany. Or Maria must get a translation of her mother’s birth certificate for immigration purposes. What about Jean who has to answer a question of his French customer?
It’s a small world and going global has implications for communicating effectively, but what if you can’t speak or read another language? In that case you may have to get a translator to do the job for you. To help you and the average Joe, I have compiled a list of criteria of what to look for in a good translator.
Language qualification or training
To get the best possible translation of a document it is standard to hire a translator who is a native (or near-native) speaker of the target language (of your final document). However, it is equally important that this person is trained (or certified) to provide the best result too. Machine translation is not a substitute, and just because someone can speak the language well, doesn’t mean they’ll do a great job with the written product. A trained translator who masters the target language is really what you want for your project.
Experience and expertise
Depending on the topic of your document, you may need a subject matter specialist. For translation of a birth certificate or school credentials, a general translator may be all you need. However, if your document is a manual for a medical device, you are better off with a professional with experience and/or a little background in the medical field. Not only does this assure that your document is translated well, but it will be delivered in a timely manner too.
Tools and processes
While it may not be super important to know what dictionaries, computer or software your translator is using, it may give you some peace of mind that the work will be done properly. What’s more important though, is the way a translator works to deliver the best product and how they communicate with you about your project.
Steps in the process, such as review of your document, negotiating the turnaround time and fee, answering your questions, coming to an agreement, proofreading the translation, and finally, submitting a final product that meets your expectations are all important. Clear communication along the way will avoid any misunderstandings.
Professional and personalized services
Just because someone is qualified doesn’t guarantee that this person has a professional approach towards the client or project. Working with smaller companies or freelancers could add a personal touch that may be lacking at a big agency. Think about a small corner grocery store compared to a large store like Walmart. Go for a professional translator willing to personalize their services. It’s all about your preference and since it’s your money, you decide!
Higher rates
Speaking of money, should you hire the cheapest translator around? Again, this depends on your project, and of course, your wallet. But you know the saying, “you get what you pay for.” Good translators are proud of their work and will charge what they are worth to do the best job they can.
It irks me when I see projects offered for pennies on the dollar… 3000-word project at $0.02 per word. Really? Depending on the language and subject, such a project may take 10 hours to complete and this translator would roughly earn $6 an hour. No trained translator would touch this project, so don’t expect high quality for pennies.
What happens when hiring a less competent translator
Mistranslations can cause serious problems, some of which have ended in very expensive lawsuits. To keep things on the lighter side, here are some examples of funny mistranslations:
- In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.
- Swiss hotel restaurant: Special today – no ice cream.
- In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions.
- A sign on a car in Manila, Philippines: Car and owner for sale.
- Doctor’s office in Rome: Specialist in women and other diseases.
- Sign at Mexican disco: Members and non-members only.
- A hotel in France: Please leave your values at the front desk.
- Qatar hotel lift sign: Please do not use the lift when it is not working.
Sources: Funny mistranslations from around the world & Funny mistranslations in hotels
Determine your priorities to hire a translator
Use the suggestions in this article, put things in a scale and determine your priorities for hiring a translator. You know there is no such thing as the perfect service provider, maybe near-perfect, but we’re all human. So, if you find a translator that has 5 out of 6 requirements, you already have a higher chance of getting a stellar translation job done. Good luck!
Want to check us out? Go to our Services page for translations. (We are located in Metro Atlanta)