– By Stéphanie Robillard, Vice-president and translator
As a professional translator, not a week goes by without meeting people with translation needs, but seems to be reluctant to mandate a translator. Most of them tell me: Why should I send you documents for translation purposes, when my cousin, a friend, or the receptionist at work can get by in English, French, etc.?
Here are some important facts that I would like to share with you:
1. Clarity and conciseness
Your written documents must be translated in a clear and concise way and, more importantly, of outstanding quality so the people for whom they are intended to can have a positive impression of you, your company, etc.
Any documentation you are providing to your clients, suppliers, or business partners is as impactful as your business card. As a matter of fact, it is acting on your behalf and concerns your image and YOUR reputation. The last thing you want is to make an impression for the wrong reasons, by providing documents of questionable quality or full of grammatical errors…
Please note that people will often place more emphasis on the identified grammar and spelling errors than the actual message you’re trying to convey. Furthermore, such errors can be interpreted as a lack of respect.
2. Do good speaking skills translate into worthy writing capabilities?
It is one thing to have great communication skills, but it is quite another to copyright and translate documents… The fact that someone easily communicates or speaks several languages does not in any way guarantee the quality of their written communications.
Not many people appreciate having their language misused, especially when it comes to written documents. Once again, your documentation language quality must be impeccable. A simple error in translation may put you at risk of losing customers, business opportunities, jobs, and, more importantly, could result in legal procedures. Think about it!
3. What about automated translation tools?
Automated translation tools can be somewhat practical, from an outside perspective, but they are quite limited, especially when it comes to getting a high level of precision with regards to terminology.
Over the years, I’ve seen so many clients attempting to translate documents with the help of such translating tools (thinking they would save up on translation fees), and ending up sending me their documents for proofreading purposes, for which I add to start translating from scratch… What a waste of time, money, and energy for them!
Note that only a professional translator is able to translate documents that will properly convey your message, purpose, and facts, with the required subtleties!
4. Confidentiality and professionalism
When it comes to confidentiality, as a professional translator, I can assure you that your documents will be translated with the greatest levels of professionalism and discretion. Some companies even require translators to sign a confidentiality agreement before granting any translation mandate.
You need to look for such mandatory aspects in a professional translator and discuss with them before sending your documents for translation purposes.
Just like you carefully choose a professional you trust in a given area of expertise, the same holds true for translators.
At AEV Communication, we have a passionate team that understands your needs, the way you want your message to be delivered and to provide you with translated, proofread, or copyrighted documents, in your required language, with the highest levels of rigor and linguistic quality you’ve come to expect.
