The mysterious art of unlocking doors…
There are so many preconceived ideas about translation that even people who need one don’t really always know what to do or what to expect when shopping for translation services.
If you’ve used a translator before, you know the drill.
If you haven’t, please read on…
In order to answer that question, you need to review the following points:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What type of text do you have in your project file(s)?
JYou need to identify your text in terms of type (creative, technical, commercial…), in terms of specialty or domain of expertise (graphic arts, tourism, agriculture, historical, IT…) and in terms of cultural background if applicable.
Why is it important?
Because no matter how good a translator is, the best results you’re going to get will be from translators who have personal knowledge or experience pertaining to the culture(s)/subculture, domain or type at play in your source text. Someone who works in the given language pair you’re interested in, who has all sorts of reassuring certifications and credentials, may be great for someone else’s project but not for yours.
Personal experience, personality and cultural backgrounds are elements which might make the difference between a mediocre fit and a good translator/project fit.
How can I choose between several candidates?
Requesting a sample from the translator you want to work with may be a good plan. If you are able to get the opinion of a trusted educated native speaker of the target language (a pro would be best but at this stage it’s okay to resort to other QA methods), you’ll at least get a sense of who could be the best fit to preserve the unique voice of your work. I typically don’t accept to translate more than 500 words as a free sample but other translators may feel differently.
Are there fields, genres or topics you do not work with?
Yes! I will avoid projects dealing with certain religions, extreme violence, violence against children, sexual violence (with very few exceptions which would only apply to non-fiction texts). I do not translate texts dealing with physics, mathematics, biology or mechanics.
Can I evaluate my samples using AI or Google Translate before choosing my translator?
If you are not able to do it yourself, try to enlist a literate friend with C1 or C2 level in the target language. Machine translation is still very unreliable without human input and you might pick the wrong resource if that’s your only assessment tool. Use a human reviewer.
To find your best translator, don’t forget to give the relevant information and to ask the right questions.
To get a better understanding of what I could be doing for you, please read the About me section or visit my page on the professional platform ProZ.com.