Just like cooking a good meal requires quality ingredients, blended according to the recipe and then cooked to perfection, achieving a quality translation is no different.
In order to turn out the best results every time with your translation projects, a few key ingredients are required.
Read on to discover our recipe for a quality translation…
Ingredients for a quality translation
Before starting any cooking (or translating) you’ll need to find and gather all the ingredients below.
For most chefs, a little help is required when working with complex recipes so if you need assistance, it is worth finding a reliable and professional team to help you.
Using the ingredients below as a check list you can find the right team (language services provider – LSP) to help with your translation project.
Source text – The original text that needs to be translated.
Target language proficiency – A strong understanding of both the source language and the target language.
Translation tools – Dictionaries, glossaries, style guides, and translation software.
Industry insight – Knowledge of your industry including specific terminology and central concepts
Cultural awareness – Knowledge of the cultural nuances and context of both the source and target languages.
Attention to detail – A meticulous approach to language, grammar, and syntax.
Editing and proofreading – A proofreading process to catch errors and improve the final translation.
Method for a quality translation
Follow our step-by-step method below and you’ll be able to achieve perfect results every time!
Source text – a quality source text which has been edited and proofread helps to ensure that there are no mistakes which will be transferred to the translated text.
Editing content in order to achieve a text which is concise, engaging, and appropriate for the target audience will save time and money on the translation process as many language services providers charge by the word.
Target language proficiency – ideally a native speaking translator should be used for every translation project in order to achieve the best results.
Native speaking translators not only understand the language, but also the culture, people, places, colloquialisms, humour, political and legal characteristics, and so on.
This is vital for a quality, accurate translation.
Translation tools – a professional language services provider is able to create glossaries, style guides and so on, in order to ensure that your requirements for the translation project are fully realized and to cut down on costs for repeat translations.
You can assist in this process by being prepared in advance with clear ideas about your brand voice, forming a terminology glossary or dictionary, and giving your chosen LSP as much information as possible.
It is also worth considering what technology your chosen LSP uses as this can considerably shorten turn-around time and expense on translation projects.
Industry insights – a professional language services provider which has experience within your industry will give your translation additional levels of accuracy, speed and quality.
This is especially relevant if you operate in a highly specialised or technical field such as, medicine, law, finance, and so on.
This is because these areas come with specific terminology, concepts, or jargon which it helps to understand prior to the translation.
Cultural awareness – language isn’t only about words – it contains links to culture, time and place, and people.
The most accurate and appealing translations are those which are adapted using translation and localisation to encompass both the linguistic and cultural changes.
A thorough translation must show an awareness of current sensitive cultural difference, be mindful of the local audience and their expectations.
Attention to detail – we have all visited websites with poorly translated content, or which have been written with unusual grammar, and tend to think of these sites as less trustworthy in some way, or as unreliable and sub-standard.
To ensure your business doesn’t end up being classified in this way, make sure your translation is undertaken by an LSP who offers quality assurance, and can show examples of previous client’s translations which match or exceed your expectations for attention to detail.
Editing and proofreading – every translation is only fully complete and finalised once it has been edited and proofread.
It is vital that spelling, grammar and punctuation are accurate and as expected, and that the overall meaning and purpose of the translation are the same for the source and target language.
Allow time for these checks, asking another translator to check if needed.
Review your translation, making sure you’re happy with everything and it is fit for purpose.
Translation, when done well, is an art and a science – just like baking or cooking!
They both require time, patience, effort and experience in order to create the best possible outcomes every time.
Here, at Creative Word, we strive to ensure our clients receive the best language services for every project we complete, while also committing to high quality assurances and a timely translation.
If you would like to see how we can help you achieve a quality translation, simply contact us here.
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