It’s not only translators that make mistakes – clients do too. Some clients who require translation services have trouble when requesting them because they are not familiar with the profession or its peculiarities.
So, if you’re a client seeking a good translation service, here are a few things to avoid:
Being too critical when you’re not sure if you’re right
If I were to guess the psychological profile of most translators, I would say they are mostly perfectionists with obsessive-compulsive tendencies. They like languages, they study them and they like their languages like a mother likes her child’s bedroom: clean and tidy.
Translators tend to read a lot and are aware of the target culture. They don’t translate by chance and if there is anything they’re not sure about, they’ll begin the never-ending quest for the ultimate truth of the correct translation of “migas com carne de alguidar” (I advise you don’t google it if you’re hungry).
If you have searched for a good linguist, trust them. Don’t try to find something wrong, when sometimes there isn’t. If you have any questions regarding his/her job, ask them. They’ll take the time to justify their choices (or, at least, they should).
Not looking for a professional translator
I know your cousin may have been an Erasmus student in Germany. But that doesn’t mean he can translate into German!
Translators who have been translating from a language their whole life rarely translate into that language, unless they are a native. If you choose to give your translation to someone who doesn’t have the skills, experience or tools to do it, chances are you’ll run into some problems.
Disregarding deadlines
Make no mistake, translating isn’t a walk in the park. It takes time.
Unfortunately, translation is always at the end of the list in any project and usually the deadline is tight.
When looking for a translation service, make sure to give your translator enough time to translate, search, understand, adapt and revise their job. That way, you can trust the outcome of the project you’ve paid for.
Not knowing what you want
Translators can’t guess what you need. The client needs to be sure that they can explain if the translation needs to be certified or performed by a certified translator, which languages or variants it needs to be translated into, which format they want to receive, and perhaps many other specifications.
The reason for this is because the translator can’t be held accountable if the documents aren’t accepted at their destination. Imagine you need to deliver the documents to an embassy. Should they be certified? Probably yes, but it’s not for the translator to know. Call the whoever it’s destined for and ask them, then let your linguist know what they should do.
Not knowing the target audience
It is very important for translators to know who they’re translating for. It helps them to adapt their text appropriately.
So, if your boss asked you to find a translator for “a few documents”, try to find out what documents he is talking about and who they are intended for.
Requesting quotes without sending documents
Usually translations are quoted by word. This means that in order to give you an accurate quote, the translator will have to count the words in the document.
In spite of this, you definitely want your translator to take a look at the text before giving you a quote. Why?
- Because, if for any reason they can’t translate it (e.g. it’s too technical), they’ll be able to tell you and therefore avoid wasting your time and theirs;
- They’ll be able to send you a definitive quote that won’t need to be changed afterwards if the document ends up being too technical or requires formatting;
- They’ll be able to make suggestions that may be important like “the source document needs proofreading”.
Requesting a translator that can translate into several languages
Translators usually translate into their native language. That’s how it’s done.
Of course, some translators are bilingual or trilingual and can translate into multiple languages. However, most translators don’t. Therefore, don’t expect your translator to be able to do so. If necessary, ask your translator if he can refer you to a colleague that translates into the language you need.
Assuming the document will be translated on Word
No, that’s not how it’s done. Most translators nowadays use what we call CAT Tools (check this post). However, Word documents may be a translator’s preferred format, so feel free to do so, but check with them first.
PS: no, CAT Tools are not the same as machine translation.
Sending a PDF version to the translator instead of a Word document
The thing with PDFs is that they usually can’t be edited or are images. Therefore, translators can’t import them into their software.
This means that before starting the translation process, the document may need to be formatted or recreated in some way. You may be charged for this extra work.
Requesting a certified translator
There are some places where you can, in fact, have a certified translator. However, keep in mind that in some countries there is no such thing. So, if you are requested to deliver a translation preformed by a certified translator, keep in mind that they may be referring to a certified translation.
Read this post for more info.
Assuming that the translation will have the same graphic output
Translators are not graphic designers. Some may be able to deliver a flyer looking identical to the one you sent, but others may not be able to work with PSD or AI files and may not have the skills to recreate the flyer from scratch.
Anyway, be sure to send your translator the files from the software you used to create your design and ask them if they can translate it in that format. There may be extra costs involved.