The intended use for the document is one of the most important aspects to account for when considering a translation job as it affects the emphasis that must be placed on language sensitivity. Language sensitivity is a term used to quantify the chance that certain words or phrases in the original document may carry a different meaning in the territory of the translated document. Consider the real world scenario of the mobile phone provider orange launching a marketing campaign in Ireland; Their slogan "the future is bright the future is orange" was misinterpreted by the local populous due to the colour orange's affiliation with the irish protestant loyalist organisation known as the Orange Order. This perceived attempt to promote religious messages was met with a public outcry in various Irish territories. In order to avoid similar blunders the services of a native translator should be employed for cases where the translated document is to be released to a public audience. Consider also the target audience of the document; this may be different from that of the original document and should influence translation process wherein an experienced translator would opt for a more descriptive and simplified prose when translating for a less technical audience or include explanations of culturally dependent elements of the document that require understanding of content unfamiliar to the target audience.
The cost of a translation normally varies greatly with the complexity of the prose; the greater the complexity of the documents language and subject matter the more expensive the translation will be. This can range from the translation of a simple letter with an automated tool to a specialist native translator for books or manuals where a high level of technical knowledge is required. This applies to industries like manufacturing, automotive, medical, legal, and engineering. The translation fees for specialized fields cost 50-100% more than non-specialized translation projects.
If you need a multimedia document such as a video or web page translated then it is advised you seek a translation agency that expressly offers the service you require or enquire with an experience agency directly. Translating multimedia documents requires specific pre and post processing which may be incorrectly implemented by an unspecialized agency which may incur additional costs to correct. Take the example of a website translation; the website text must first be transcribed for the translator to translate into the target, then once translation is complete the translated text must be reinserted into the correct webform elements by a web development professional to ensure the styling of the page is preserved when text of varied lengths and character sets its used and correct any resulting errors that may occur.
The document format has a significant impact on the cost, duration and services required for a translation job. The type of document must first be considered as this dictates which additional services are most likely to be required. for instance in the case of a book the publisher may wish to utilise the services of an expert proof reader to ensure the prose is grammatically correct in the original language before it is translated. The intent of a book is to convey a message to the reader holistically throughout the document as a opposed to emphasis on specific technical language as in an operating manual; for this reason it is prudent to select a translator with native level understanding of both the original and target langues such that the overall message of the document is preserved. An operating manual on the other hand would necessitate the use of a technical translator with understanding of the specialist language within the document to ensure that those words or phrases which do not directly translate into the target language are correctly preserved in the resultant document. For more information speak to an expert.
Some translators charge per page and others by how many words the document contains or the number of hours taken to complete the job. The rate translators charge within these categories is also variable depending upon a number of factors.
Charging per page has the advantage of being the easiest quoting method to perform as the number of pages a document contains is readily available whilst word counts must include text imbedded in images and charts meaning that a customer can get a quote more quickly. However cost-per-page quoting does not distinguish between pages of complete text or those with images and very little text therefore depending on the type of document to translate this could mean that a job incurs unforeseen costs due to the document having a large proportion of these text-less pages adding to the page count.
Charging by time taken accounts for the time taken in reformatting the document after the translation process has occurred and the cost of translation together in one price; but the pricing strategy is rarely used as it moves the entirety of the quote to after the completion of the job making it difficult for customers to know if they are getting the best deal. This method has also been seen to increase the duration of a translation job as translators often prioritise larger jobs from which they can receive a greater payout pushing others down the to-do list thereby increasing lead times.
Charging based on word count is the most common way to price translation jobs as estimated word counts can be easily obtained for quotation purposes but ensure that the price is consistent between documents of the same language as the additional page detail is irrelevant to the translation quotation.
There is no correct answer as to which format is preferable but at Torchwood Translations we choose to charge our customers a competitive rate per 1000 words and a separate charge for typesetting depending on reformatting complexity estimated at the outset of the job.This creates a base charge for small documents that ensures our talented translators and verification experts can spend the necessary time to perfectly process even the smallest documents. To hear about our unique process speak to an expert.
Any documents that will be seen in court, educational institutions, or other government agencies outside of one's home country will almost always require certified translations. Immigration paperwork, whether for a temporary or permanent stay, are the most prevalent reason for a certified translation. Because these documents contain a large quantity of information—including medical, police, and government records—an abridged version might be submitted for certified translation instead. Many countries will require that any commercial certificates and licences obtained outside of their country—from driver's licences to health and safety training certificates—be submitted in the native language of both the person submitting the document and the professional organisation. It is also used in the recruitment and employment process.
International enterprises may require certified translations in the event of a global legal dispute, which is becoming increasingly common in the internet age. While major cases, such as the antitrust suit brought by European public affairs agencies against Google, will be able to afford interpreters for the duration of the trial, smaller international lawsuits may only require a simple certified translation of any evidence documents. Finally, anyone enrolling to an overseas educational institution will need their transcripts, diplomas, and even application essays translated and confirmed. For more information speak to an expert about certified translations.
"A good translation captures the spirit of a text without slavishly copying it. It replicates the energy, texture, and voice of the source text while utilizing all resources of the target language. The translated document should read as if written directly for the target audience in their language and be formatted in such a way as to preserve the visual style of the original document". -- John Fuller (Torchwood Translations manager)