Why Should You Hire A Translator?

Why should you hire a translator? Well in my experience, many people come up with a number of reasons and excuses for why they don’t need a translator. Translating and interpreting are not simply changing one language in to another, because there are skills that are required and it takes more than just knowledge of one or more foreign languages to become a translator.

My Client Understands English

There are a huge amount of people around the world who understand English however, there are still and will always be many people who don’t understand English or who understand very little. There is a difference between somebody knowing enough of a language that they are able to hold a conversation and being able to translate technical documents. This is why it is a good idea to have your documents and texts translated in to the native language that your client speaks. Not only is this more comfortable for your client, as they will have a better understanding of the situation, but it will also let you know that you and your client are on similar terms and there is no misunderstandings.

 

65% of consumers prefer content in their native language.

73% of consumers want product reviews in their native language.

40% of consumers will not buy a product if the content is written in another language.

I know somebody who will translate the text for free…

There have been a few cases when clients have asked me about my translation costs and after finding out that I don’t work for free, have told me that they will not pay for my translation services when they apparently know somebody who can translate the text for free or for very little money. Firstly, these people who are charging such low prices are not professional translators, because they obviously do not understand the amount of work that goes in to the average translation project – short or long. Secondly, you should remember that ‘you get what you pay for’ so if you pay for a cheap translation you will get a cheap translation. In other words, don’t expect to receive an outstanding piece of work.

Never under estimate the work of a translator

Some people seem to think that translating is an easy career and that the only skill needed is knowledge of more than one language. Wrong! Translators need a variety of skills and ironically, knowing a second or third language is at times the least important thing that a translator needs. OK, so knowing a second or third language is the main part of what makes a translator, but not all bilingual or multilingual people can simply turn their hands at becoming a translator or interpreter. Translators need to have the following skills:

Organisational skills

Excellent literacy skills in their native language

Excellent literacy skills in their second/third language

They must be able to meet deadlines for projects

Easily motivated

Good at communicating with clients

And more…

The process of translating a piece of text

It doesn’t matter how big or small the piece of text is there is a lot of work that goes in to it. A translator needs to translate the text from its original state (the source language/second or third language) to the target language (the translators native language usually), whilst ensuring that the text sounds natural after it has been translated. The text must also be set out in whatever way the client has asked for. If the project includes very specialised or controversial topics, the translator may also need to research the topic whilst translating the text, as they will need background information on the subject. Once the translation has been completed, the translator must check through their work and proofread it before either returning it to the client or forwarding it to an editor who will also proofread the text.