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If you’re the head of a company that does business internationally, then you no doubt already know it’s absolutely essential to have a translator you can trust in your corner. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated translation professional on staff, then you will most likely need to rely on third-party translation companies to make sure you’re able to communicate with your clients on the level you need to. But just how much assurance do you really have on translation accuracy in these cases?
To the best of your knowledge, you think everything will go smoothly as far as your translated documents are concerned. The company you’re considering seems like a good service provider, after all … but how do you know for sure that you’re really getting your money’s worth when it comes to a given option? How can you be positive the work is really going to be up to par, when you yourself aren’t multilingual? Here’s how you can help determine whether or not a given translation will really be everything it ought to be.
Investigate Quality Assurance Processes
No matter how experienced a given translation professional is, the firm they work for should still be taking all the appropriate measures to ensure that you’re getting exactly what you’re looking for in the work you order. Make sure the company is thorough enough about checking translation accuracy for each batch of work before it’s delivered.
Speak to the project manager who will be in charge of your translated documents, and ask about the details of their quality assurance process. A good translation company will make sure that translated documents go through both editing and additional proofreading. The documents should also be thoroughly checked for cultural appropriateness. You may want to ask for a rundown of all the changes made during the translation process upon project completion to make sure you approve of everything that was done.
Have a Second Expert Review the Work
If you have someone on staff who does understand the language of your translated material, you may wish to have them give it a once-over just to add another level of translation accuracy assurance. No, a colleague who happens to speak Spanish will not necessarily be able to ensure that every nuance of a Spanish-language medical document is pitch perfect. However, they may be able to give you a reliable second opinion if you’re using a new service and need to put your mind at ease.
If your company does business internationally, it’s a good idea to have a secondary expert you can turn to for a second opinion when necessary, anyway. They can not only help you confirm the grammatical accuracy of translated documents before they go out to the client, but help you determine whether or not it really flows from a cultural standpoint, as well.
Run Documents through Translation Software
Software isn’t something that can be relied on, in and of itself, to produce an accurate translation capable of reading properly. However, it can be helpful if you don’t have a native speaker to ask for feedback and you need to make sure a translation you ordered at least captures the gist of what you want to say.
Consider investing in and installing a decent program so that you can at least double check the translations you receive from third party companies. If nothing else, the software will be able to help you identify potential problem areas in the text to go over with the project manager just to make sure everything is as it should be.
Choosing Translation Services You Can Trust
Of course, the best way to make sure you have 100% translation accuracy in every way is to make sure you hire the right translation agency right from the get-go. For best results, make sure the company you hire employs native speakers in particular. Yes, it’s possible to become fluent in a foreign language via classes and training. However, it’s important to understand that only a native speaker will really be able to capture nuances and cultural references that will ultimately make the biggest difference in the impact of your documents.
You’ll also want to make sure that the translation professional in charge of your project has a proper understanding of effective writing technique in both languages. Being an ace at speaking a given language is one thing. Being a writing whiz in that language is another. When quality and impact really count, you can’t and shouldn’t cut any corners. Explore your options today!
Consider a Partnership with TrueLanguage
Are you looking for a partnership with a language service provider? If so, you may wish to consider TrueLanguage. We offer ISO-certified state-of-the-art business translation services that are on budget, on time, and to the exact specification. Every time. Or perhaps you’re just looking for a cost-free, no-obligation estimate for your next translation project. Either way, we’d love to hear from you!
