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8
Rules to Select and Work with the Right Translator
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| Specialization pays off
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The
more specialized your translator is, the better the outcome will
be.
Just as you would not chose a cardiologist to treat a backpain problem,
do not ask a finance specialist to translate a computer operator's
manual. Pick a computer specialist instead. |
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| Know your translator | When
requesting a quote from a translation agency, require full disclosure
of the experience of those translators they will assign to your job.
Do not blindly award a contract on just a price. Select the translators
(not the agency) you think are best suited for the job at the right
price. Doing otherwise may cost you a lot more. |
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| Small is often beautiful | Smaller,
specialized translation agencies will often provide good service since:
(a) you gain a larger share of their attention because your
business is more essential to their survival; (b) their recruitment
is more focused than that of general-purpose agencies; (c) they usually
take greater care of their translators' continuous training as they
control a smaller team. |
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| Trade 1 for 2 | Translating
is not an industrial process. Errors do occur. Reputable agencies
will assign a team of two to your job:
a translator and a proofreader/editor.
The team system allows for errors to be picked up. And agencies with
a solid editing process will always do a better job than free-lancers
operating alone. |
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| Share your knowledge | No
translator can keep updated on everything and anything.
You
hold valuable background information
which, if shared, will often be beneficial to the quality of the
job. Require your translation agency to allow a direct contact
between you and your translator. |
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| Evaluate glossaries | Establishing
client-specific glossaries is common practice. It is based on an observed
fact: dictionaries lag the language, especially technical dictionaries.
Yet, outdated or inadequate terminology will force you
to overcorrect a translation job. It is much better to agree
on a glossary and save yourself the future trouble. Evaluate your
translator's glossary. |
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| Allow just enough time | Your
translator is limited by his own speed. And sharing a job between
several translators often means compromizing quality. It
is generally accepted that a translator can process about 2500-3000
words within an 8-hour day. Some translators are much faster,
but it is a good rule to calculate your deadline based on this figure.
So, if your volume is too heavy, review carefully with your translation
agency how exactly they intend to proceed to ensure a high quality
translation. |
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| Cost in your own time | The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a translation includes the time you will spend performing a final reading of the job. Pick the wrong translator, and you will drastically increase your TCO. Saving a penny may wind up costing you a dime, depending on show bad the translation is and how expensive your time is. Do not base your judgment only on price, pick the translator most suited to the job. |
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