Our document translation service wouldn’t be the amazing thing it is without our incredible team of top notch linguists. What makes a linguist a good translator and what happens if a bad translator gets hold of a perfectly good document?
Document translation or interpreter?
Many people confuse the two terms: translation and interpreting. We often get requests for a “translator” to provide language support during a meeting. In our geek’s head, we’re thinking that the client wants a translator to attend a meeting so that they can provide a written translation of a document in situ. This isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Some legal documents are so confidential that they must not leave the premises.
However, usually when we get a request like this, the client is not looking for a document translation service at all. They are looking for an interpreter to provide a verbal interpretation (translation) of what is being said at the meeting.
Translating documents and interpreting are totally different services and require completely different skills. Many of our linguists only provide one or the other of these services for entirely understandable reasons. Listening to someone speak and being able to verbally render the content in another language, often on the spot, requires a different skill to somebody crafting a written translation of a document reflecting spirit, tone and intentions of the original.
How do linguists become qualified to offer a document translation service?
Let’s start with the obvious in that the linguist must be fluent in a language other than his or her native language.
- Many people commissioning a document translation will look for a minimum of a postgraduate qualification in a suitable subject. Here are just a few examples of appropriate courses offered by UK universities: University of Birmingham University of Bath University of Manchester
- Some organisations will accept demonstrable experience of a number of years of full-time translation work instead of a formal qualification.
Our linguists might be clever, but they can’t know everything
If you consider the various subject matters of documents a professional translator may be called on to translate, it makes more sense when you know that a linguist will specialise in a few areas such as:
- Advertising
- Literary
- Financial
- Legal
- Technical
- Websites
- Medical
- Pharmaceutical
- Certificates
When it goes wrong…
When HSBC’s slogan, “Assume nothing” was translated as “Do nothing” in several countries it cost the bank $10 million in re-branding fees. Ouch.
Source: BBC News
Do head over to our dedicated document translation page to find out what we can offer. You can also get in touch via the website or pick up the phone and call us on 01544 388040. One of our lovely project managers would be delighted to assist you.
