Five Excuses for Not Hiring a Translator
By Natasha Cloutier
www.cheznatasha.nl
1. They cost too much.If a company has its
translations done by just anyone in order to save money, it
runs the risk of ending up with an unprofessional translation
as well as wasting valuable time. Having the translation
redone afterwards can only cost more money and take even
longer. No wonder translation seems so
expensive!
2. People can understand us just fine in
English. Even if English is a very important language, most
of the world population will still not be speaking it in the
near future. Having your documents translated brings you
closer to foreign markets and polishes your company image.
Increasing globalisation and the Internet has made the need
for quality translation more important than
ever.
3. A translation programme can do the
job.Although they improve quickly, translation
programmes are tools that cannot produce a decent translation
on their own. Only a human can produce a proper translation,
because a computer cannot understand the complexities involved
within a specific language or culture. As one specialist once
put it, translation programmes can now produce an
incomprehensible sentence in just seconds rather than minutes.
4. I speak a little (place language here), so I
can translate, too.Getting around on holiday is one
thing, translating a technical document is another. A
translator must have a cultural understanding of the source
and target languages and be able to combine this knowledge
with grammar and writing skills. Translators also specialise
in different fields, making them more knowledgeable with
regard to terminology. This is why translators can compete and
help each other at the same time.
5. I cannot tell if
a translation is good or not, so what does it
matter?If someone at a company does not know the language
of the translated product, they are not in a position to judge
its quality and therefore should find someone who can. But
your client can tell the difference, and if you do not bother
with them, why should they bother with you? Hiring a qualified
translator to produce a well-localised translation can only
increase client satisfaction.