1.
Get Organized
A well-organized
project will reduce stress, save money, and deliver a
solid translation. Before you begin:
- Review
the original document to cut out parts that may not be necessary or relevant to your
target markets. This will improve your materials and
save time and money.
- Finalize
the document before sending it for translation. Changes to the source material
during the process can be messy and expensive.
- Ask
your provider questions! Make sure your document will be translated by a native speaker
who specializes in your field. Request to see translator
CV's and select the translator whose experience and
expertise best fits your job.
- Understand
project specifications before sending the project to your provider. If you do not understand,
chances are your provider will not understand either.
2.
Be Generous with Information
It is
crucial that your provider understands as much as possible
about the document's purpose. Useful information includes:
- Audience:
Is the document for internal or external use? Will it
be read by employees or customers? Is the audience sympathetic
or hostile?
- Purpose:
Does your document persuade people to buy your product
or instruct them how to use it? Does it inform about
an exciting new technology or announce a new product
launch?
3.
Use Translation Memory
Translation
Memory can be a valuable asset for your company. Translation
Memory:
- improves
quality and consistency of your translations by building up your preferred multilingual
terminology and phrasing.
- gives
direct discounts off your translation rates;
because a TM increases with every project, the more
you translate, the more you will save through TM matches.
4.
Set Reasonable Deadlines
A reasonable
deadline allows the translator to craft a better translation
and provides time for having the document proofread by
a second translator.
When
setting a deadline for your provider, keep these things
in mind:
- A
translator’s capacity is about 2000 words of translation
per day
- A
proofreader’s capacity is about 8000 words per day
- Highly
specialized content requires extra time for research
- Additional
services, such as DTP work, require additional time
5.
Have a Flexible Budget
Understanding
the market and its pricing factors can help you understand
what kind of quality to expect for your money. Translation
rates depend on any number of the following factors:
- Volume
of Work: Clearly, a longer document will be more expensive. However, large
volumes of work could qualify for volume discounts.
- File
format: Providers will charge more to translate documents in formats
such as InDesign, HTML or Framemaker than they will
charge for common applications such as Microsoft Word
or Excel.
- Translation
Memory: A mature TM will realize greater cost savings.
- Desired
deadline: Tight deadlines could incur rush fees.
- Complexity
of material: Translators in highly specialized fields may charge a premium
for their expertise.
- Country
where provider is located: Translators will charge more in countries with a higher cost of
living. Therefore, translations into Finnish, Japanese
or Swedish will be more expensive than translations
into Chinese, Czech or Russian.
6.
Provide Support Material
Providing
the project team with reference material will help them
to choose the best terminology for your company and to
adhere to your preferred writing styles. Excellent examples
of support material include:
- previous
translations
- websites
- screenshots,
pictures, graphs
- company
glossaries or dictionaries
- style
guides
7.
Be Helpful
You can
play a key role in the success of your project in the
following ways:
- Answer
questions as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Good translators usually
ask good questions about the material.
- Provide
reference material if a translator requests it.
- Offer
deadline extensions if the project team is struggling to finish on time.
- Understand
that unforeseen events can happen. Take a deep breath, be patient
and work through the obstacle together.
---
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
www.translatus.com
Article previously published on “A
World of Translation Work” Translatus Blog.