1. Where to find a translator
1.1 What do I need – a translator or an interpreter?
Translation is written, interpreting is spoken. Thus a translator translates written documents, an interpreter interprets the spoken word.
1.2 Where do I find a translator?
The three most commonly used sources are:
– The Yellow Pages (hard copy or on-line)
– The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) website http://www.naati.com.au/
- The AUSIT web site (to find a translator or interpreter click on the appropriate box on the left hand side of this page)
1.3 What are the advantages and disadvantages of the three sources?
The Yellow Pages is often the first stop. It only includes a limited number of individual translators, but does list companies and agencies. You will not find these last two on the NAATI or AUSIT web sites, but these large-scale operators may well be of particular interest. (We return to this point in 2.1 below.)
The NAATI web site lists accredited translators who have chosen to register on it. Some of these may not be active. This database also provides information on fields of expertise.
The AUSIT web site lists nationally accredited translators who are members of this professional association, providing their contact details, specialist fields and summary supplementary information. Virtually all are actively practising professionals who utilise the various AUSIT resources, including electronic bulletin boards for accessing peer support and exchanging ideas of practical relevance with their multilingual colleagues. AUSIT translators also have access to a range of professional development activities.
1.4 What about professional qualifications?
Australian universities and technical colleges offer tertiary qualifications in translating and interpreting but those from overseas institutions may need to be checked. A degree in translation bought on-line from a small town in Nebraska for $25 may be of dubious value.
The other main qualification is NAATI accreditation.
1.5 What is a “NAATI accredited Translator”?
This is a translator who has been approved by NAATI, usually by means of an examination. This assessment tests not only translation skill, but also the candidate's knowledge of the Code of Ethics to which an accredited translator is bound. Many organisations, especially government, only accept translations prepared and certified by a duly accredited professional translator.
1.6 Are there different levels of professional translator accreditation?
Yes. Full details are available on the NAATI web site. In summary, there are two levels – Professional and Advanced.
An Advanced Translator has passed a further test after being accredited at the Professional level and is therefore also accredited in one or more specialist areas of greater complexity.
1.7 What do you mean by the “Code of Ethics”?
AUSIT has a Code of Ethics for its members which is endorsed by NAATI and adopted by many organisations. It binds interpreters and translators in terms of such things as confidentiality, impartiality, accuracy and reliability. A translator without a code of ethics is not for you – or anybody else!
1.8 How about teachers and academics?
For many organisations faced with a foreign language text, the first step is to contact the language department of a local school or university. While this may sometimes work for in-house needs, for external use, where the requirements are usually far more demanding, it is extremely risky.
Teaching a foreign language is an activity that requires a special set of skills. These are rarely the same as those needed to produce a smooth, stylish translation. The risks are even greater if you opt for less expensive student translators.
1.9 Should I look for a translator who is a native speaker of the language into which I need the translation?
The answer, generally speaking, is yes. There are exceptions and some are equally good in both directions. If your translator claims to be one of them, ask to see something that he or she has done. If it is factually accurate and reads well, and if the translator guarantees equivalent quality for your text – why not? They are around but are certainly a minority.
2. How to pay the right price
2.1 What is the cost of using an accredited Translator?
In Australia, translation is usually charged on a per word basis. The rates themselves may vary over quite a wide range and may also be influenced by the type of document. While high prices do not necessarily guarantee high quality, we respectfully submit that, below a certain level, you are unlikely to receive a translated text of a satisfactory standard.
You will probably need to get two or three quotes to get an idea of what you should pay. Large agencies do tend to charge more as they have to cover management costs but, especially if you need someone to assemble and manage a team for a large and/or multilingual project, they may well be the best way to go.
2.2 What do you mean by "type of document"?
There are two aspects – the complexity of the translation itself and the complexity of the layout. A simple, straightforward text is obviously less time-consuming to translate than some high-tech article full of specialist terminology. And complex layouts take more time to replicate.
Some translators may have the necessary software for special forms and technical drawings, but this is not the general rule. Discuss the options available with your translator. Remember, you are employing a translator, not a graphic artist.
2.3 What are the risks of accepting a quotation below the “market price”?
What you might expect – low accuracy, less attention to detail, failure to meet deadlines etc. Fine if you want to gamble but… A low price could well mean the translator is inexperienced, has limited professional resources, does it as a hobby for pocket money or is just plain not very good and cannot get work any other way. Only you can decide if it is worth the risk.
3. How to prepare the job before giving it to a translator
3.1 Why can't I translate it myself?
Well, maybe you can, but be careful. If the translation is just for in-house use, it may well be adequate, but speaking is not writing. Oral fluency does not guarantee smooth flowing text in an appropriate writing style. This may or may not be important, but generally becomes so if the document is for clients and external use. And in most cultures, awkward or sloppy use of language is seldom appreciated and often ridiculed.
Unless you are a native speaker of the language into which the text is being translated, your written translation may be immediately recognisable as "foreign".
Even professional translators usually have this limitation – refer 1.8 above.
3.2 What about machine translation?
Yes, you can certainly do this yourself. It is now readily available on-line, and if you're pressed for time and want to get the gist of something for your own use, machine translation may well be helpful. It is certainly fast. And you can't get much cheaper than free if you don’t mind the errors. But for external use, unless the text is dead simple and the clients don't care if it looks decidedly strange, machine translation is unlikely to give a satisfactory result.
Do you really want your clients to buy a water goat from you rather than your hydraulic ram?
3.3 Ask yourself – does it all really need to be translated?
Rather than blindly having the document translated in full – maybe hundreds of pages – decide which information is actually required. You can often dispense with some padding and thus produce a shorter document in the original language and then have that translated. But make sure that the sections not to be translated are clearly marked. You can also ask the translator to assess it for you.
3.4 What about the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”?
Judicious use of graphics can be far more effective with international readers than literary ramblings and hyper-technical descriptions. Your translator's job will be made easier and the price will therefore probably be lower.
3.5 The job is urgent. Should I give the translator a draft as a start?
Tempting as it may be to get your translation project rolling as quickly as possible, having translators work from a draft-in-progress will almost always be more time-consuming and hence more expensive than waiting for the final text to be ready. Worse yet: the more versions you have, the more errors are likely to creep into the final version.
3.6 My translation is for overseas. How does that affect things?
Above all, avoid culture-bound expressions. References to national sport will probably not be understood nor literary or cultural metaphors. So, it may be OK in Australia to tell your clients that "we will hit the opposition for six" but it is hardly likely to work in a non-cricketing country. Try to think international and ask yourself whether a non-Australian would really understand what you want to say. Your translator is probably experienced in the pitfalls – don’t hesitate to ask.
4. How to work effectively with your translator
4.1 Why should I tell the translator what the translation is for?
A speech is not a web site. Sales brochures are not catalogue entries. An article in a newspaper is not a prospectus for an Initial Public Offering. Style, accountability, word choice, phrasing and sentence length – all will vary, depending on where your text will appear and what you want it to achieve. An experienced translator will probably ask you for this information and can then prepare a foreign language version with maximum impact for that particular audience.
4.2 How about specialist technical terms?
There is a widespread myth that technical terms pose few translation problems. While the word or phrase can almost always be found in a technical dictionary, its translation may often vary from discipline to discipline. (All the more reason to tell the translator what the document is for.)
Particularly where the technical term occurs in a short phrase without any supporting context, be prepared to answer "what does this mean?" questions from the translator. Even the most experienced professional cannot work miracles without backup material and information from you.
4.3 Is an inquisitive translator a good thing?
Yes, very much so. No one reads the text more carefully than your translator who is likely to identify fuzzy sections for which clarification is needed. This is good news for you, since it will allow you to improve the original. Good translators ask questions along the way.
A major Paris bank remarked "We try to wait for our text to come back from the translators before going to press with the original French. The reason is simple: translators track our subject closely. A critical eye helps us identify weak spots in our original."
4.4 What other skills can my translator bring to my job?
Depending on the individual, such things as revising, proofreading, editing, and condensing come to mind. But be sure that what is required is clearly defined. For example, proofreading is restricted to typos, punctuation, missing words and general layout. Editing requires the source document and actual correction of the translation itself.
5. What to do when you receive your completed translation
5.1 Should I have the translator proof-read my final typeset copy?
Yes. Always. Even if you have a sound procedure in place, use reliable translation providers who know your company inside out. Last-minute alterations (headings, captions, word changes) by well-meaning non-linguists can sabotage an otherwise effective document.
5.2 What about typographical conventions?
These vary from one language to the next and many printers and office staff are not aware of this. They then "adjust" the foreign language text to bring it into line with their own standards. French has a space between the word and the colon that follows. In German, nouns take capital letters. In Spanish and French, neither months nor days of the week take an initial capital. So leave your translator's typographical conventions alone. If you convert them back to English conventions in a document which has been translated into a language other than English, it will be less credible.
5.3 How about actual payment?
