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A translator communicates written text, an interpreter the spoken word. The first work in a quiet office and the second can be found at negotiations, conferences or international political and cultural events.
The job title “translator” is not protected therefore anyone who claims to master a language enough may call themselves a translator and offer their services on the market.
Always check first... Clients should always check who they entrust the translation of their texts to.
First and foremost it is recommended to ask if a translator has the relevant professional qualifications: a diploma in translation or state-recognised or certified translator/ interpreter. Secondly no native speaker can correctly convert every single type of text into their own language, therefore one should pay attention that the translator or interpreter has had sufficient work experience in the respective field – economics, law, technology etc.
And not forgetting:your requests are decisive for the choice of a suitable translator or interpreter!
On the one hand, high costs of a translation are not automatically a guarantee of quality. On the other hand, under a certain price level you can not expect a satisfactory quality.
The phrase ‘quality has a price’ also applies to translators and interpreters.
A translator, who earns little more than a cleaning lady, will not lead the way on the international market for your company as far as communication is concerned. Like every expert a professional translator / interpreter also uses modern working aids and methods: special reference books, relevant software, internet research; he/she takes part in training and further education seminars. This is how they can guarantee you the quality you expect. They must also cover fixed costs for computers, telephones and fax machines.
Therefore... A sound, well-researched and confident translation is only available for a fair price. After all, it is important to you that important passages of a sales contract are correctly rendered or an advertising slogan sounds just as catchy in the foreign language.
And last but not least: the costs, which could arise from an unprofessional translation, are much higher – from material damages to loss of image. Try to avoid this from the beginning!
They are possible. But do you really want to simply believe everything that your PC spouts out? Especially if important information for your company is concerned?
Translating is not simply about transferring vocabulary from one language into another. The idea is to convey the message in a correct and eloquent way. With certain types of texts, e.g. advertising, it is essential to consider the cultural distinctions of each of the countries. And even nowadays the best software and the most modern PC cannot offer this. Still today a translation is an intellectual achievement and a professional translator or interpreter is absolutely vital.
