Three Things About Document Translation Services
Every year we have various documents of all sizes and subjects pass through our company in the course of being translated into new languages. It’s our business and for us it’s mostly routine procedure.
For the more casual consumer of translation services, especially if their need for translation services isn’t frequent, the behind-the-scenes details of how translation services are provided are not understood in detail. Below are three things that some translation services customer may not know that might actually be interesting to them.
1. Translation companies work with a network of translators
Some translation customers seem to have the idea that in our office we have translators for numerous languages stationed at desks waiting for the next project in their language to come in and be assigned. Not so.
Instead document translation companies such as ours work with a network of professional linguists that often live in-country where their native language is spoken. Translation quality and lower costs are usually benefits of this practice.
2. Professional translators have subject matter specializations
Professional translators are individuals with unique life experiences and interests so it’s not surprising that translators have particular subjects that they’re more familiar with and prefer to translate than others. In this way it is the role of translation companies to assign translation projects to the linguists most suited for the subject matter. Effective project management is one of the most important skills that translation agencies apply.
3. How much time is required for translation?
The rate for translation of documents is affected by variables such as the document format, subject matter, complexity, to mention a few things. Some projects proceed more quickly than others. An average rate for professional human translation services often ranges in the 2000-3000 words per day.
When faster delivery schedules are required for larger project they are sometimes divided into smaller sections and assigned to multiple linguists to speed the overall completion schedule.
