As human beings, we generally understand the value of things based on the amount of money we can be willing to pay for it. For example, we may value clothes from particular brands because they have higher price tags. Even if the cloth is of the same quality as a cheaper one, we will not usually notice and will instead buy the expensive ones to show off. Similarly, we may value vehicles because of the level of comfort they offer us. This is regardless of the fact that they will usually set us back a high amount of money. In addition, we will have to cover high fuel prices and pay for regular repairs, but we still appreciate the vehicles because of the comfort they offer.
But with services, the consumer behaviour is completely different as they are invisible, and this is where translation falls. People who hire translators look after their pockets with great zeal and are careful enough to not hire expensive professionals. Anyone who charges 6, 7, 8 or more cents per word will generally be considered expensive. It is important to know that a translation job of 10,000 words is more than 20 pages, letter size. The professional translator must reflect and analyse the entire article to come up with top quality work.
What is the Profile of the Professional behind Your Translation?
In order to make sure you get the best people for the job, you should ensure that you look for professionals with these characteristics:
- They are native to their language- Translators are usually native to the language they are going to translate, and most of them usually handle between 2 or 3 foreign languages. This way, they will not just translate the words, but also the mood.
- They have a degree or diploma- People who translate texts are usually graduates or professional graduates who specialise in one area. These professionals have excellent spelling and grammar in their native language and will be able to deliver flawless work.
- They are investigative and learn continually- A good translator is always willing to investigate all the information contained in an article and will deliver high-quality work. Similarly, they will ensure the authenticity and fluency of the translated text. For this reason, they spend countless hours studying words, phrases, professional technicalities, and colloquial words.
- They have tools that improve the final translated product- Translators usually have expensive software that analyses the translated text in search of grammatical and technical errors that are not usually easily perceived by reading.
- They are freelance professional- A professional translator can work on up to 2000 words per day. Freelancers usually charge a fixed amount of money per word.
- They do not use translation tools- A professional translator does not need to use translation tools since they do not translate the text word for word. Instead, they analyse the message in the text and use their knowledge of each language to come up with the translated text. In this sense, the professional translates the complete sentences and assigns the corresponding meaning based on specific rules and customs of the language.
- They manually edit and correct your text- Once the text is completed, your translator will manually run the editing and proofreading of the text as they revise it. In this process, they will be able to unify the terminologies and make sure that the quality of the text is high enough.
- They give attention to their clients- In case the client comes up with a question or concern, a professional translator should engage in the exchange of emails to dispel doubts. This way, it is possible for the translator to come up with a text that matches the needs of the clients.
At this point, it is necessary to remember that the job costs 6, 7, 8 or more cents per word. For a professional translator of a manual, website, or document, this may not be a high cost.
If you have a business in a foreign country, and the language spoken in said country is different from your own, the visible part of the business will always have to be translated in order to attract customers. Similarly, if you have an online business that targets customers who speak a different language, you will always need to translate your web pages, social networks, product manuals, and advertising content. All this content must be left to experts as this is the only way you will be sure that your content will be translated correctly.
