Very occasionally, we are able to turn a short piece of translation around within 24 hours. However, normally we would not accept a job on such short notice because we know that a high-quality translation cannot be produced in such a short time. The best way to ensure an accurate, stylish translation is: to use an experienced translator with knowledge of the subject and experience of translating in that subject; to have the translation revised by an independent reviser who also has knowledge and experience of translating in the subject in question; to give both translator and reviser enough time to spend time on their work, check it and amend it if necessary. This cannot be done overnight.
None of this means that we can't do a job quickly - we can and frequently do. But we cannot undertake to translate the 60,000-word document you send us on Monday by Friday - this simply does not give us, or the translators, the time to do the job to our high standards. (top)
We test all our translators and are confident that they will provide an accurate, stylish translation. However, we feel that an additional revision by a competent, professional reviser can add style to even a good translation. Just as publishers employ copy editors to improve the text of their writers, so we feel our revisers can help us to provide a translation of even higher quality. (top)
The translators and revisers we use are all qualified professionals with experience in the subject they are translating on. However, we are aware that there is more to a good translation than qualifications. For this reason, before we work with a translator or reviser, we ask them to undertake a test related to the text to be translated. This is then evaluated by at least one independent evaluator, an experienced professional translator with knowledge of the subject. This means that we can ensure that the translator or reviser selected is the right person for the job and will complete it to our high standards. We rely on this independently evaluated test so that you can rely on us. (top)
You may need a translation of tables, or slides, with very few words on them. For this we will charge more than we would charge for the same number of words in standard text. The reason for this is that once the translators have translated the text, it needs to be fitted into the format required. Often the translation will be of a very different length from the source text, and it may take us some time to fit it correctly. We have to charge for this time as well as for the translation of the text. (top)
A translation is never 'just a translation'. Just as a writer will use a different style for different audiences, so a translator will adopt a different style for translation depending on the target audience. This will depend on the level of knowledge that can be assumed, the purpose of the text itself and the purpose of the translation. Is your instruction manual aimed at people with a high level of technical knowledge, or is it for less specialised users of the product? Are your graphs of production figures for internal information for your sales department or for company-wide training seminars? What is the age group and social class range of the target audience for the magazine you are publishing? We are all aware of how variations in wording can create subtle changes in the emphasis of a text without changing the overall meaning. A good translator, with knowledge of the context of the job, can not only provide an accurate translation, but can tailor the style of the translation precisely to the target audience. This is why we ask our clients for the maximum possible information about the context and purpose of the translation - it means that we can select the translator and reviser with the most appropriate experience and that they can produce a translation which most closely reflects the client's needs. (top)