Translation services in over 200 languages.
The art of translation.
What makes a good translation?
You’d think that all that would be necessary for a budding translator would be the ability to speak more than one language fluently. But being bilingual is simply not enough. It is just a very good starting point and obviously necessary at a very basic level, but producing great translations calls for so much more.
If you ask the question to professional translators, you will get much the same answers from each – “mastery of source and target languages”, “respecting the integrity of the original text while making the translated version equally informative and contextual”, “capturing and mimicking the same tone and register of the original,” and so on. The most common response from our team is that a translated version of a text should never read as if it is a translation. A good translation will read as if it had been created from scratch in that language.
This is what we try and achieve with every translation we take on.
Working in over 200 languages, unless holding rare-language status, our translators only translate into their native language. We have a rigorous vetting procedure before any linguist is able to join our team. We look for a combination of:
- Membership of approved industry bodies
- Postgraduate language and translation-specific qualifications
- Demonstrable translation experience
Our multilingual teams of translators can handle as diverse material as advertising copy, books, financial documents, legal documents and contracts, medical and pharmaceutical material, technical datasheets and manuals, localisation of websites and everyday certificates and business correspondence.
We can do this not because our linguists will try and turn their hand to any subject matter that comes their way, but because each has his or her own areas of specialisation and our trained project managers take care to match the source material with the expertise of a particular translator.
Our competitive rates are calculated per source word or character of the text and depend on language, volume, schedule and subject matter.
“Please do thank your translators for their fast and accurate work. They’re the fastest and best translators I’ve worked with!”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers, and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Translation and transcreation of advertising, PR & marketing material in over 200 languages.
What could be worse for a gleaming, slick, inspirational and informed piece of marketing material than for it to be transformed during translation into something dull, dry, accurate in a word-for-word sort of way, but lacking any nuance or idiomatic play on words that formed the spirit of the original?
This is why we have an amazing team of linguists specialising in the translation and transcreation of advertising and marketing material. The source text will most likely aim to resonate with an audience speaking the same language as the writer. They will have knowledge regarding their target audience’s characteristics, behaviour and demographics. This will inform decisions regarding best forms of messaging and how best to create a powerful bond with them and the brand. Our linguists recognise this and will take these cultural aspects into consideration when crafting their translations.
It is a delicate balance when it comes to choosing persuasive language in the translation and not deviating from the core message of the original.
Working closely with corporate marketing departments, digital media companies, advertising and public relations agencies our translation rates are calculated per source word or character of the text and depend on language, volume, schedule and subject matter.
If you need help with Desk Top Publishing (DTP) work, we can help with that too – including languages that read from right to left.
Do also check out our audiovisual translation pages for more information about how we can help with translating video marketing material.
“Just wanted to say thanks for the translation! The file worked perfectly and the translations were great. Thanks so much for your help!”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Let us know what you need.
An amazing team of project managers ready to help you.
+44 (0)1544 388040
Book & literary translation in over 200 languages.
For understandable reasons most writers and publishers tend to translate their books into the most spoken languages.
Based on the number of native speakers of each language, the top 10 most spoken languages are:
- Mandarin
- Spanish
- English
- Hindi
- Portuguese
- Bengali
- Russian
- Japanese
- Cantonese
- Vietnamese
The Bible, The Little Prince and The Adventures of Pinocchio are the most translated books in the world, with the Bible being translated into an astonishing 3350 languages.
If you have plans to make your book more accessible by having it translated into over 3000 languages (or even one!), you’ve come to the right place.
Literary translation is an art form in its own right. The linguist not only has to have a deep understanding of the intentions and nuances of the original text in a language which won’t be their native tongue, but they must be able to reconstruct the tone and style in their translation in a way that remains faithful to the author’s voice. It is a tall order. How far a literary translator’s version of a book or poem is a new piece of art in its own right, is a matter of debate.
All our literary translators are well read, they will translate a culture as part of the process, not just the language.
Our rates are calculated by the number of source words and will depend on volume, schedule, language(s) and subject matter.
“Perfect, thank you.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Document translation in over 200 languages.
We never know from one day to the next what sort of document might land in our inbox for translation. We routinely translate the following types of documents into other languages. If you don’t see the type of document you need to have translated, please don’t worry! Just send it over to us – we’re bound to be able to help.
- Contracts
- Balance sheets
- Personnel documents
- Business plans
- Minutes of meetings
- Compliance & regulatory docs
- Letters
- WhatsApp messages
- Emails
- NDAs
- Tender documents
- Certificates
- References
- Research papers
- Policies
- Reports
- Medical notes
- Wills
- Transcripts
- Immigration documents
- Social services reports
Working in over 200 languages, our qualified and experienced linguists can quickly and accurately translate your documents. They each have their own areas of specialisation and so one of our project managers will match the subject matter of your document with one of our vetted translators.
“Thank you very much for your hard and swift work, I’ve been very impressed with your whole translation service.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Financial translation service in over 200 languages.
It is when you start seeing phrases and words in the document like, “Alternative Credit”, “Retail Price Index”, “Accrued Income Security” and “Teeming and Lading” you realise that you need a linguist specialising in financial translations.
Financial institutions and systems differ across the world and so there are also occasions when linguists will need to provide footnote explanations of a particular term. They also need to know when not to attempt to translate a term as the term is internationally recognised and to translate may cause confusion or misunderstanding. Local currencies, units and variations in formatting and financial terms are all potential challenges facing the translators.
The financial sector is quite broad and so the linguists need to stary abreast of the technical terminology used across different industries such as banking, corporations, insurance companies, financial advisers and trading companies in the stock market. Because of the very nature of the type of documents our financial translators encounter, the need for precision is paramount.
Data security is of course also key as the linguists will be given access to all kinds of private and confidential financial information.
“Really impressed, thank you.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Legal translation service in over 200 languages.
Here at Knockhundred, we are amazed that there is no official regulation in the UK to oversee who can, who can not and who should not translate legal documentation into other languages.
In Spain for example, in order to have a commissioned translation certified as true, you would need to employ the services of a “sworn” translator. To become a sworn translator you must be accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Spain. There are similar arrangements in other countries.
In the UK it is possible to call yourself a “legal translator” without any specific qualifications or accreditations, which is astonishing. This is why you should always approach a company who takes the qualifications of their team of linguists seriously.
Working in over 200 languages, our vetted teams of translators specialising in legal documents hold the necessary academic qualifications and experience to put your mind at rest.
We are trusted by wide range of industry sectors to provide accurate and clear translations of their legal documents including: solicitors, immigration teams, employment contracts, release agreements for film companies, wills, certificates, leases, loan agreements and witness statements. We can also arrange to have the translations certified, notarised or legalised by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
At the last count, we could include more than 175 solicitors as valued clients.
“Thank you very much. Professional, efficient service throughout. Will be recommending your company to my colleagues.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Medical translation service in over 200 languages.
There is a good reason why we are an approved supplier for so many NHS Trusts and medical departments throughout the UK.
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust
- Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Maidenhead Community Mental Health
- Medway Community Healthcare CIC
- NHS Lincolnshire
- North Kent Dermatology
- Personalisation & Mental Health
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
- SE Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- St Richard’s Hospital
- Sussex Community Dermatology
- The Health & Europe Centre
- West Kent Dermatology
- West Sussex Hospitals
Covering over 200 languages, our teams of experienced and qualified translators specialising in medical terminology can provide fast and accurate translations across many industry sectors.
For peace of mind, we can also arrange for any translations to be translated back into the original language(s) to check for accuracy – particularly important for medical material. This process can be undertaken for initial translations completed by us or by somebody else. In either case, the linguists only translate into their native languages.
We work with hospitals, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical companies, marketing and advertising companies, academic researchers and private individuals. For a full medical language service, we can take care of any medical transcription work, subtitling, medical interpreting work, desktop publishing of any translated medical flyers or brochures and certification or notarisation of any medical certificates. Just ask us, we’re bound to be able to help.
“Just wanted to pass on the positive feedback I have received regarding your services.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Technical translation service in over 200 languages.
If you want to take your product to the global market or share your scientific research with the international community, you will probably need your material translated by a “technical” translator.
“Technical” is a bit of a catch-all term but what we mean by this is material using specialist terminology or product-specific terminology. The quality of a technical translation is so important because the output can sometimes be linked to compliance and corporate responsibility.
A good technical translator will have to have good interdisciplinary knowledge as the texts they will be working on will often use very specific and regulated language related to various subject matters.
It is the role of our experienced project managers to match the subject matter of the material to be translated with an appropriate translator. A technical translator who feels very much at home with an agricultural machinery user manual, may not feel so comfortable about translating a patent designed to protect a company’s invention in a foreign market.
Working in over 200 languages, our experienced and qualified technical translators specialise in different areas. Just let us know what you need, and we’ll do the rest!
“Sovereign Gears have used Knockhundred for our translation needs and have found the service to be reliable and excellent and will use Knockhundred for all our future requirements.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Localisation & website translation service in over 200 languages.
Companies and organisations constantly find themselves in the middle of a tug of war between globalisation and localisation. They want their product to go global, but in order to do so, they need to adapt their entire content to match the cultural and linguistic conventions of a target locale. So counterintuitively, in order to reach international markets, the material for each locale needs to localised in order to achieve regional sales and engagement.
Take these two advertising campaigns from Nike and Ikea. Instead of trying to create material aimed at potential customers based anywhere in the world, Nike decided to create a campaign around ordinary Londoners – “Nothing beats a Londoner”. No celebrities and well-known athletes. Their target market? Young people in big cities. Using typical British humour and London locations, it was an incredibly successful campaign.
Ikea promoted its new shop in Malaysia by celebrating the local dialect. Many Hokkien words end with “kia” and so Ikea used various phonetic plays on words to engage the local market. You can read more about this successful campaign here: https://www.getmarvia.com/blog/12-examples-of-brands-with-great-local-marketing-campaigns
With a company’s website often being the shop window for its products and services, localisation has never been more important. Many figures are bandied around the internet, but it is reckoned that around 65% of consumers will not stay on a website if it is not in their language or culturally relevant to them.
Our experienced and creative localisation team can handle over 200 languages. Let us know how we can help you.
“Knockhundred translated and localised all the product descriptions for our website. Can I say thank you very much for being so easy to work with, responsive, helpful and on time.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
Certified, notarised and legalised translation service in over 200 languages,
Navigating your way through getting an important document or certificate translated, certified, notarised or legalised can seem like a daunting task. But it needn’t be.
The most important thing is to have it clear in your head what you need. This will involve checking with the appropriate authority, exactly what they need and what they will accept.
We are unable to advise which level of certification you may need as each case and organisation is different and the requirements vary.
We offer our certification, notarisation and legalisation services in over 200 languages. Let us know which language and which level of service you require and one of our knowledgeable project managers will be able to advise you how to proceed and the associated costs.
- The first type of certification comes in the form of a letter printed on Knockhundred’s letterhead certifying that, as a professional translation company, Knockhundred has undertaken the translation.
- The second type of certification is where the translation is certified and then stamped and signed by a Notary Public.
- The third type of certification is when authorities require a notarised documents to be further certified/legalised by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
“Thank you very much for the professional translation and fast delivery of my son’s birth certificate. The certifying letter was readily accepted by the UK passport authorities, resulting in a quick turnaround of my son’s passport application. I will certainly call on the services of Knockhundred again should I require any more certified translations, and I would strongly recommend your company to anyone else in need of a certified translation.”
Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.
