In most day-to-day situations involving foreign languages, a basic level of understanding – or gesturing wildly – will do just fine. However, if you’re involved in business or dealing with official authorities, it might be a good idea to entrust translating to professionals. If you are planning to expand your business abroad or you need to submit an important document, the smartest thing to do is to contact a translation agency. Their services will help you to make a good impression and move to your desired goals. Read on to discover the top 7 reasons why you should be working with a professional translation agency.
1. Accuracy
Google Translate is used to translate billions of words into a multitude of languages every day. While it certainly is a useful tool to gain insight into the contents of a document, where quality matters, you might want to reconsider. Would you rely on Google Translate to translate important legal documents? Probably not! The internet is full of hilarious Google Translate fails.
Some of Google’s mistranslations have led to truly catastrophic consequences. For example, in 2016, a food fair in Galicia, a region in Spain with its own language – Galician, was mistakenly advertised as the Clitoris Festival in Spanish… It turned out that Google Translate had recognized the word grelo, the Galician name for a popular local vegetable, as a Portuguese word with two meanings and had chosen the wrong meaning when translating into Spanish. While the event organisers apologised and explained the misunderstanding, the damage was already done.
If you want to make a good impression on your business partners or convince official authorities, a correct, accurate translation can make all the difference. Google Translate might not help you in this case.
2. Specialisation
When you need to get something translated, your first instinct might be calling that one friend knows the language “well enough”. However, it is unlikely that an inexperienced bilingual will be able to deliver both complex technical descriptions and the occasional ad or slogan for a marketing campaign.
Professional translators usually specialise in a certain field, therefore gaining experience and getting better at it with each job. One person will excel in translating formal legal documents, while another may enjoy tinkering with creative challenges. As every sector has specific terminology, specialisation allows translators to guarantee a higher level of quality due to their extensive experience in the field.
Translation agencies usually work with a large number of translators covering different fields, such as legal, medical, financial and others.
3. Quality
In the translation business, quality is everything – in fact, without it, the service is meaningless. That’s why most translation agencies will quote you a price that includes both translation and proofreading to ensure that the finished material is correct and free of the occasional typos we all make. When choosing a translation agency, be sure to ask what is included in the price.
ISO certification is important too, as it certifies a service provider’s ability to maintain a certain level of quality, not only in terms of translation itself, but also data security, confidentiality, project management, vendor management and customer service.
4. To the smallest detail
Every language has its subtleties, dialects, expressions and epithets that can easily be misunderstood and mistranslated. Language is not just a functional means of conveying information – it is a vivid reflection of a nation’s culture, as well as of the way it communicates. Knowing these details is essential for a high-quality translation service provider.
Not only metaphors or other tricky figures of speech provide their challenges. At times, even certain words can be used in a way that leave experienced speakers puzzled. This is true to every language, so relying on professionals who know their trade makes a lot more sense than winging it.
5. Delivery time
Experienced translators can usually offer an accurate estimate of the time it would take them to complete an assignment. This means that you can rely on a specific deadline. And, most importantly, a professional will deliver your documents in a much shorter time compared to an amateur.
6. Data security
The documents you need to have translated may, at times, contain sensitive information. To make sure that security of your data is respected in line with the General Data Protection Regulation and ISO certification standards, choose professionals. Translation agencies also conclude non-disclosure agreements with their translators, ensuring an additional layer of protection for their clients’ data and documents.
7. Long-term cooperation
If you find yourself in regular need of translation services, the best option might be to conclude a long-term cooperation contract with a translation agency. This will ensure both higher quality and better terms of service, as well as a more personal approach. As the cooperation continues, both the translation agency’s project managers and translators will become more familiar with the specifics, terminology and style of your texts, thus the quality of work will continue to improve. Although technology eases the difficulties of day-to-day life, long-term business relationships are still at the heart of growth and lasting success.