Translators very often claim that they
provide top quality translations. Yet, the way they do it and methods they use
is a mystery. Are translators simply walking dictionaries, or perhaps they use
some tricks to achieve perfection? This post should answer some of your
questions and doubts as to what the translation process involves.
Translators always
strive to assure that quality is built into the translation as early as
possible in the translation process. What is more, they also seek for
transparency and continuous improvement in their translation quality assurance
by giving their clients an opportunity to participate in the process and by
obtaining regular feedback. There are a few stages, which - if strictly
observed - should guarantee a well-crafted translation. This is what you should
expect from a good translator.
Project Review
What needs to be
initially established is the essential information, i.e. the purpose of
translation, target audience / readership, target format and target dialect. At
this stage, you might expect requests for further information or questions,
especially if there is a need to clarify any issues like inconsistencies or
missing text. Don’t be tempted to think that if a translator asks you for
clarification or anything else for that matter, it means they have no idea what
they are doing, on the contrary, it only means that they care about this
project and want to make sure that you will receive the best translation
possible.
Tip for you: the more information
and detailed instructions you give, the more tailored translation you will get.
Further preparations
It is a common practice
among translators to read specialist literature in a given field before they
start working on the project. This allows them to freshen up and expand their
knowledge and ensures proper use of specialist terminology inherent to the
subject matter of the text.
Many translators have a
number of terminology resources in place that facilitate the process of
translation and assure consistent use of specialist terminology throughout the
project. These resources comprise mostly of subject related glossaries and
dictionaries that translators will refer to while working on the translation.
In case of legal translation, for example, an excellent resource are acts and
codes where translators can find the right terms that are used in a given area
of law.
Tip for you: if you have any
glossaries or other resources with terminology that you use internally in your
company, share this with the translator. This will prevent any terminological inconsistencies
with what your employees, business partners or clients are used to.
Translation
After at least one
reading of the whole document, some translators get to grips with more complex
terms first and note down possible equivalents, while others dive straight into
translation. During the translation process, the most important procedure is to
derive meaning from the source text and transfer it into the target text.
Needless to say, this process does not involve translating the original text
word-for-word but idea-for-idea. Therefore, the task translators have to face
is to maintain the meaning and function of the source text, even if they use
different sentence constructions or grammatical forms.
Tip for you: be prepared for some
further questions at this stage. Good translators are able to notice even the
tiniest linguistic or factual nuances that they would want to clarify or
confirm. Again, this is all for your benefit, so be prepared to make some
inquiries if needed.
Specialisation
For texts of specialised
content, translators rely on original resources on a particular subject matter,
such as specialist literature, to ensure correct and consistent usage of
industry-specific terminology. This is also where translators’ expertise kicks
in: if they specialise in a given area, they will have broader and more
thorough understanding of the concepts denoted by the terms they are
translating. Specialisations are of significant importance in the translation
industry. To find out why, take a look at the series of blog posts hosted by
Speech Marks Translation http://speechmarkstranslation.com/category/specialisation-series/ .
Tip for you: make sure you hire a
translator who has some solid background in the area they are translating in. A
degree or practical experience in a given field are the strongest indicators
that a translator is well prepared for the job.
Technology
It is no secret that technology
plays a huge part in many types of services rendered by professionals.
Translation is no different here. Translation memories and CAT ( Computer
Assisted Translation) tools are commonly used by the majority and ensure both
efficiency and better quality management.
Tip for you: CAT tools do not serve to produce
automated translation, they are simply specialised software providing functions
to increase productivity, manage terminology and facilitate handling
high-volume projects.
Editing
In order to provide
utmost professional quality, the target text (translated text) is compared with
the source text (original text) in order to identify and correct any errors
such as inaccuracies, wrong style or terminology. At this stage, editors also
check the overall composition, cohesion and readability of the target text.
This phase requires
meticulous review of the target text in order to find and correct all the grammar
and spelling errors or incorrect punctuation. It is also essential that the
formatting of the translated document matches: paragraphs are separated, numbering
of each section is the same, fragments are in bold or underlined etc. Ideally,
it should be done by a different person. Proofreading constitutes the final
stage of the translation process and upon its completion, the translated text
is ready to be delivered to the client.
Tip for you: if you do not need the
translation as soon as possible, give the translator an extra day to proofread
the translation. It is recommended to give the translation a one day “rest” and
review it on the following day – this makes the proofreading process more
effective.
Only a full and proper completion of all of the stages guarantees a top quality translation.
I hope this article has
answered your questions about how translators assure quality in their work.
After all, this is what you pay for, so you have a full right to expect
transparency and even participation in the processes involved.
If you still have any
questions or need more details about any of the stages mentioned, feel free to
ask them in the comment section or simply email me at info@transliteria.co.uk
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