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The Myth Of The “Quick and Easy” Document Translation Job

Clients unfamiliar with the process of document translation services will sometimes ask the translation services company to complete a “quick and easy” translation of their documents. It may be because the text seems relatively short or the subject matter pretty straightforward—as in a business letter, for example. When it comes to professional translation services, however, it is important to understand that all document translation services assignments, no matter how small or straightforward they seem, can become quite complicated very quickly and need, at the very least, time allotted for activities such as terminology research and translation revisions.

All documents sent for translation must thus be carefully evaluated before the professional translator and key members of the translation services agency commit to a deadline. A short text dealing with a complicated subject, such as the latest trends in technology, or with extensive use of scientific jargon, can take as much time to research and translate as a much longer text of a different subject matter or in a simpler linguistic style. The translation services company and its professional translation teams will draw from their experience to identify and overcome difficulties when reviewing and completing professional document translation assignments.

While computer-assisted translation tools such as translation memories may seem like they could be a big time-saver, one of the risks of using them—as discussed in an earlier article—is the tendency to recycle translations. Translation memories can be very useful to assure consistency when dealing with larger professional document translation projects, but they basically involve reusing past translations. Due to context considerations, it is almost impossible to use the exact same translated string in a new document, even if it is similar and deals with much the same subject. This does not mean that every phrase necessarily needs to be retranslated, but that the translators have to make sure it is translated in the most accurate way possible

Although the sheer size of a document in terms of word count adds to the complexity of any document translation services activities—and of course, if the volume is greater, there is more room for errors—close attention to details must be paid regardless of the word count, and every text has to go through a 3-step process of translation, editing, and proofreading.

Last but not least, it is crucial to get tone and formality level right in any document translation—particularly in business correspondence, as a matter of fact, even it is just a short letter, but also in fields like marketing and advertising. This level of accuracy cannot be accomplished simply by using a computer program and it requires thought and in-depth knowledge of source and target culture on the part of the professional document translation services team members.

Professional translators working for top document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal document translation division, Legal Translation Solutions take every translation assignment equally seriously and complete every project with uncompromised professional dedication.

Criteria For Choosing A Document Translation Services Company

Until very recently, it could be argued that the need for most domestic businesses to translate their documents and marketing materials was simply a matter of preference and not necessarily a tool to provide a business advantage. But now, with a vast percentage of domestic employees and consumers communicating in a variety of languages and with a global economy that effectively functions as a worldwide marketplace, translation of business documents is a must and provides for a series of competitive advantages. With hundreds of translation services companies available, how do you find the right one that will deliver accurate, high quality document translations? Poor translations can seriously impact your capacity to do business at a global scale. It makes perfect sense to deal only with the very best. Here are a few questions to take into account when choosing a professional document translation services provider.

Does the document translation service company use machine translation?
There is still no machine or software program able to replace a human translator to create high quality and accurate professional document translations. Computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools can be helpful when dealing with high-volume jobs of largely repetitive content, such as technical manuals. But they need to be used by professional translators to ensure consistency and carefully match the context throughout each document, and are not suited for most other types of document translation. Professional document translation services companies never use online translation engines or stand-alone computer programs, since translations generated this way are not only substandard, but largely incomprehensible.

Does the document translation service hire and retain qualified professional translators?
A reliable professional document translation services company hires and retains only qualified, experienced professional translators who are native speakers of their target language(s). Professional translators working for the most reliable document translation services company are certified and accredited by the world’s leading organizations, which include the Institute of Linguists, American Translators Association (ATA), La Société Française des Traducteurs, Institute of Translation and Interpreting, US National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, and the United Nations.

What types of document translation services are available?
A well-established and experienced document translation services company offers several types of document translation services that are industry-specific. Industry-specific document translations include business and financial translation services, marketing translation services, intellectual property law and patent contract translation services, scientific manual or textbook translation services, and pharmacology or medical report translation services. Professional translators assigned to such projects are experts on the subject and familiar with the terminology and concepts of the particular field. Specialized material, such as medical, technical, and legal documents, needs the careful translation of experienced translators who are professionals in the field in question.

What is the estimated turnaround for document translation service?
It is crucial for every document translation that there is enough time to translate, edit and proofread. Fast service should never come at the cost of accuracy and quality. However, a reliable, professional document translation services agency can offer quick turnaround times should you need urgent translations, but only if they work with a global network of certified translators that allows them to take advantage of different time zones. Some document translation projects are more time-consuming than others, and the project or account manager taking your translation service request will advise and discuss details with you.

How are document deliveries handled?
When you set up an account with a reliable professional document translation service, which can be done online, you will be assigned a project or account manager. Account managers are often assigned to corporate programs that provide special rates, such as volume and yearly discounts. Should you need an on-site document translation anywhere in the world, the account manager will be able to arrange it. Most document traffic, however, will be done online and you will be asked to email or upload your documents to be translated, unless you prefer sending them via fax or mail. Once the document translation is complete, email deliveries and uploads to company ftp or similar sites are performed via secure web servers. Professional document translation service providers will always assure confidentiality in all document delivery processes. If you need certified hard copies, they will be sent by authorized shipping services like USPS, UPS, or FEDEX.

Whatever your document translation needs are, let professional document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal document translation division, Legal Translation Solutions, assist you in carrying your message to all corners of the globe!

Finding the Right Document Translation Services Company

Professional document translation service providers have to meet the growing needs and requirements of their clients by providing an increasing number of value-added quality services. But what are some of the aspects to take into account to find the one that is right for you?

In a world where more and more aspects of life and work have become computerized, it is critical that a professional document translation services firm bases its offering on human translation. What is commonly referred to as “machine translation” produces generally incomprehensive results, and while computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools are useful for large volumes of repetitive texts—as can be the case when translating technical manuals—accurate, high quality document translations can only be created by qualified professionals, i.e. certified human translators experienced in their specific fields. Advanced technology certainly has its place in professional document translation services, but the translation services process itself relies on the competence, skill, and knowledge of the professional translation team members.

Another important factor to consider is that the professional translation services provider of your choice should work with a global network of accredited document translators and can take advantage of their geographic placement. This means that your document translation projects are processed 24/7, independent of your location and/or time zone. In this regard, modern technology is vital to relay materials and make document translation results available on secure web server any time of the day.

One of the most important indicators for a quality document translation services company is a solid reputation for reliability. Longstanding professional translation services firms are registered with the American Translators Association and exclusively work with certified document translators accredited either by the latter and/or organizations such as The Institute of Linguists, La Société Française des Traducteurs, Institute of Translation and Interpreting, US National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, and the United Nations.

The professional document translation service of your choice must also be able to efficiently handle all your specialized translation requirements, using a team of certified translators with the experience and knowledge needed for each individual assignment. It is crucial that the translator team handling your project specializes in the respective field and that all translations are subject to strictest quality control.

Last but not least, the project or account managers—your number 1 contact at the professional document translation services company—must be experts in all things translation, able to answer your questions, address your concerns, and assign the right document translation team for every individual project. They also must be able to accommodate special requests, ranging from particular layouts to specific certification and turnaround requirements.

With their specialized teams of professional, certified document translators, their proprietary translation services workflow process and proven track record in the industry, ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal document translation division, Legal Translation Solutions, are an excellent choice when you are in the market for professional document translation services.

Editing and Proofreading as Part of the Translation Process

Reviews are a critical component of the professional document translation services process. As a general concept, reviews can take different forms. The most common ones are usually referred to as proofreading and editing. Different people use these terms to mean different things, depending on the context, while others use them interchangeably. When it comes to professional document translation, however, each terms refers to a very specific concept that plays a vital role in the delivery of accurate, high quality document translations.

Proofreading documents as part of the professional document translation services process involves reading copy or proof in order to find errors and omissions. It is always performed in comparison to the original. The professionally translated document is checked for grammar, syntax, figures, spelling and related errors and then compared to the original, making sure that the formatting matches and nothing has been overlooked. While modern text processing software is very helpful, especially when it comes to punctuation and spell checks, it is crucial that a professional translator in the respective language pair performs the review.

Editing as part of a professional document translation service assignment means dealing more directly with the text, ensuring readability and flow, verifying that colloquialisms and similar idiomatic expressions have been rendered accurately, and generally checking the correct use of vocabulary and terminology, whether general or project-specific (in some cases, glossaries or reference materials are provided by the client). It involves researching problematic terms and entering corrections or suggesting changes. While editing is particularly crucial for documents meant for publication, clarity and precision in terms of expression and tone are vital to guarantee proper understanding of any document translation services outcome.

Editing and proofreading can be performed as one process, meaning that the professional translator reviewing a document translation checks a document for errors while simultaneously improving the translated text itself where needed. However, when dealing with larger scale and more complex projects, it is helpful to separate the two and first have a professional translator edit the document in order for the text to read as it should, then have another set of eyes going over the edited document and checking the translation against the original to ensure there are no typos or omissions.

Under normal circumstances, reading and correcting a professionally translated document is less time consuming than translating “from scratch”. But it is important to keep in mind that estimating how much time will be needed for a proofreading/editing job can sometimes be tricky. If a project is brought to a professional document translation services company that was translated by another entity, it can occasionally happen that the translation to be reviewed leaves much to be desired in terms of accuracy and quality. In this case, it may actually require more time to correct the translation than it would have taken to professionally translate it.

Since different people mean different things by proofreading and editing, it is important to make sure all parties involved are on the same page about the requirements before undertaking a professional document translation services job.

For professional translation services companies like ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal document translation division, Legal Translation Solutions, performing the three steps of translation, editing, and proofing for every single document translation assignment sets a rigorous quality assurance standard that is topped off with a final review and certification.

Professional Document Translation Services: A Necessity

In today’s world of fast-paced international business, many organizations are faced with the question of whether or not they should retain a professional document translation services company to translate documentation from one or more languages into others. It is indeed critical for any successful entity to be able to rely on a professional document translation services provider, especially when it comes to legal instruments, since this is the only way to ensure accuracy and quality. Misinterpretation and translation errors can wreak havoc on businesses and are costly on more than just the monetary level.

A group of well-known pharmacies, for instance, only recently reached a settlement in a civil law suit brought against them for providing inadequate translations on their labels, and media outlets reporting on the case foresee that translation is becoming the new civil rights issue of the future. Jody Byrne, in her article about document translation errors in JoST (The Journal of Specialized Translation) reminds of a case back in the 1990s, when the Commodity News Service reported of rumours that a Japanese Bank was planning to take over Continental Illinois. This report happened to be mistranslated into Japanese, stating the take-over as a fact, and the effects were disastrous. The bank’s depositors and creditors all sought to withdraw their money, and with looming bankruptcy as a result, the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation together with the Federal Reserve Board and the Comptroller of the Currency ended up pouring some $2 billion in additional funding to guarantee deposits and reassure investors. According to Byrne, even the (French into English) translation of an institutional document like the Warsaw Convention is an ongoing source of legal argument and “has featured prominently” in numerous cases in the English-speaking world. While most legal documents tend to apply in their original version only, it is crucial to multinational contract negotiations that every detail is spelled out clearly and accurately for all parties—and thus in all languages—before anything is signed.

The list of examples endless, of course, but what they show us is that translating documents of any kind requires professional translators and professional document translation services. Nothing can be left to chance, be it in legal, technical, financial or medical translation, and today’s organizations thus need a professional document translation services provider they can trust. At ASTA-USA Translation Services we know that professional document translations are vital to your business, and we have the resources necessary to deliver accurate, high quality translations of your mission-critical documents, cost-effective and fast.

For professional translation services companies like ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal document translation division, Legal Translation Solutions, performing the three steps of translation, editing, and proofing for every single document translation assignment sets a rigorous quality assurance standard that is topped off with a final review and certification.

Languages and Cultural Background

The raw materials, so-to-speak, of the professional translator serving professional document translation services companies are languages. Languages are social creations and thus inseparable from their cultural context. In order to produce high quality, accurate document translation services, professional translators need to have an in-depth understanding of source and target cultures.

The study of languages is fascinating and teaches us a great deal about the people who speak them. Languages are many things but, at the end of the day, their primary role is to provide us with a tool for communication. One of their main functions consists in facilitating the mutual understanding of people living in same region.

In some societies, this “utilitarian” role of language is particularly pronounced due to historic circumstances. This is the case of languages such as English in the United States or Spanish and Portuguese in Latin American countries. The fact that English has become the de facto official language of the United States can be considered a historical and geographical accident. The same is true of Latin American countries in relation to Spanish or Portuguese. Interestingly, the United States never actually declared English (or any other language, for that matter!) as its official language.

English did not evolve as a native language in what is now the United States as it did in England. It was “imported” by English settlers, as were many other European languages along with different communities of settlers such as the French, Spanish and Dutch. Of course it has since then developed in its own ways, which is why British and American English differ in vocabulary and even—to a certain extent—in grammar. The difference in European and Latin American Spanish and Portuguese is even greater, and translation services projects in these languages need thus to be handled in accordance with their specific (European or Latin American) source or target markets.

It is interesting to note that the flood of Italian immigrants to Argentina that took place in the beginning and toward the end of the 19th century may have turned the country into an Italian-speaking nation. To this day, most Argentineans speak Spanish with a very distinct Italian rhythm.

In other countries, besides its obvious use as a tool for communication, the native language has traditionally a more complex role. In countries such as France and certain regions of Spain, for example, languages have always served as a defining element of the national culture. For the French and the Catalonian and Galician in Spain, the language shapes the culture just as much as the culture expresses itself in the language, and they take measures to protect this national treasure—the latest language protection law in France only dates back a little more than a decade. Professional translators working in these languages need to be particularly sensitive to subtleties of tone and expression. Finding the right vocabulary and phrasing are crucial.

Whichever their language pair(s) may be, professional translators serving professional document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal document translation division, Legal Translation Solutions, understand that it is impossible to assure high quality, accurate professional translations without taking into account and understanding the cultural background of both the source and target language(s).

Adding Value to the Professional Document Translation Services Process

The ability to help the document translation services customer identify his/her needs must be a key component of the services offered by any successful professional document translation services company.

Most business owners like to work with the premise that “the customer is always right.” In some cases it is very wise to follow such a principle, but one should keep in mind that there are circumstances where this principle could lead to potential problems. Here’s an example: The problem within the professional document translation services business is that many times the customer simply does not know enough to identify his/her needs and may insist on having the document translation services provider on completing a task in a manner that could potentially cause some problems for the customer down the line.

Professional document translation service companies deal with one of the most deceivingly simplistic services: languages. As we said before, due to the fact that they use them everyday and that everybody has mastered at least one, people tend to believe that dealing with languages requires no special skills or expertise. Too many individuals pretend to be linguistic experts and many translation services customers have learned this lesson the hard way. Language translation projects for businesses should only be performed by professional translation services experts.

We have all seen it before in this line of business. Clients who request the professional translation of a document to the wrong target language for the country or region in question; clients who insist on using incorrect or, worse still, made up terminology for their translations; clients who have no regard for consistency; etc.

It is our job as professional translation services providers to educate and to help the client make the best choices. Our aim should be to add as much value as possible to the professional translation service process and be much more than just professional translators. After all, this is what we do for a living. We know the business far more than they ever will.

A truly professional translation services company has to become a professional linguistics consulting services provider and offer clients a complete menu of professional linguistic or language-related services, in which professional translations by certified professional translators is just one of the items.

A truly professional document translation services company has to be able to accurately tell the client what target language (or even language variety or regional dialect) is the best option for the specific country or region in question, so as to maximize the benefits from the translation effort.

For example, it would be inappropriate to use European Spanish for the Latin American market and vice versa. The same fact applies to European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese as well as the wide variety of French parlance used in France, in North America and various parts of the world.

A truly professional translation services company has to emphasize before the client the importance of following the well-established standard rules and terminology of the target language or dialect, the impact of consistency (or lack thereof), and so on.

A truly professional translation services company has to be more than just a professional service vendor to the client. It has to become a partner. Cliché, you say? Perhaps, but it is important to remember that it is not a matter of altruism or empty rhetoric. Becoming a partner to our clients makes perfect business sense, whether we deal with professional translation services or not.

Professional document translation services providers such as ASTA-USA Translation Services, and its legal division, Legal Translation Solutions recognize that developing a professional business partnership with their clients and adding value to professional translation services significantly increase the chances of success for all parties involved.

Future Trends of Professional Document Translation Services

Of the thousands of languages that exist in the world,1 only a few hundred are spoken by at least one million people. The top three languages by the number of native speakers are Mandarin Chinese, English and Spanish. Languages are living, breathing organisms, constantly evolving and, as such, some are expanding and are some contracting. Languages are the bread and butter of professional document translation services companies and their language translation experts need to stay as up to date as possible of changes and linguistic tendencies.

Most professional translators try to keep up with the changes in the world of languages, but, as with any other field, predicting the direction of change is an impossible task. Besides being the second language by the number of speakers, English in general and the American or US variety in particular has been the de facto lingua franca for almost a century. Will English manage to maintain its relative importance in the future?

It is very hard to tell. As an old professor at school used to put it, a language is as important as the people who speak it. English owes its status to the importance and extension of the British Empire and later to the ascent of the United States, initially as a world power and later as the sole superpower, and as a scientific, industrial and technological powerhouse.

Few experts doubt that, just as it happened to Latin, the day will come when some other language or group of languages will replace English as the de facto lingua franca. The question is when it will happen and what language or languages will take its place. Predictions are very hard to do. I still remember my university colleagues who decided to specialize in Russian during the 80s to suffer a major letdown after the end of the Cold War. Something similar happened with the Japanese language in the early 90s. Many people were convinced that Japan would soon overtake the United States as the world’s only superpower and Japanese would replace or at least seriously challenge the status of English. Now, due to dynamism of the Chinese society, the major contender seems to be Mandarin Chinese. Time will tell.

In any event, besides the natural decline of the relative importance of English-speaking societies, there are at least two major threats to the supremacy of the English language. One of them is linguistic nationalism, or the desire of many countries and regions in the world to defend and preserve their languages. Many of them have in place very strict language laws to promote the national language. The other major challenge is demographics. Birth rates in English speaking countries are generally lower than those in countries or societies with other languages.

We can now safely say that we are almost living a dual existence: the real world and the virtual world, or the world of Internet. It is interesting to note that to a certain extent the virtual world of Internet replicates the real world, as far as language usage is concerned. Most estimates indicate that English is the most widely used language by Internet users, followed by Chinese and Spanish. Not surprisingly, the ten languages with the most speakers cover more than 80% of the total number of internet users. Far from promoting uniformity, globalization, with its revolution on the availability of faster and cheaper transportation and easier communications, has created the opportunity for many languages to thrive. Easier communications and more readily available transportation mean that interaction between different linguistic groups will definitely grow.

Does the above mean that professional translators need to ditch English studies and start taking Mandarin Chinese classes? Not at all. It simply means that professional translators working for professional document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division, Legal Translation Solutions, need to stay current with the needs and requirements of the professional translation services market.

1.The most extensive catalog of the world’s languages, generally taken to be as authoritative as any, is that of the Ethnologue organization, whose detailed classified list currently includes 6,809 distinct languages.

Hiring and Retaining the Best Professional Certified Human Translators

As is the case with any business the most valuable resource in any professional document translation service company is its people. A professional document translation service company can spend a fortune in the latest computers, professional translation software and translation memory management tools and it all would go to waste if such tools are not manned by professional translators.

Much in the same way, a professional document translation service company can have in place professional translation and language quality assurance processes which look great on paper and they will still have little or no impact in the professional translation services process if the people in charge of putting them into practice are not up to the task.

Professional translation services companies must strive to hire and retain highly qualified certified professional translators and reviewers with experience in the field and who are highly motivated. It is also important to point out that ideally, in order to assure the highest quality of professional translations, professional certified translators and reviewers/proofreaders should be native speakers of the target language and highly proficient in the source language in question.

Some professional translation service companies choose to work with the linguistics and related departments of universities, colleges and other higher education organizations in the places where they conduct their business for a better chance at catching the best talents.

Most professional document translation service companies develop and maintain professional translator networks and databases to have in hand a readily available pool of highly motivated and professional language translation specialists. Professional certified translators and linguists may then be categorized by field of expertise, level of experience and internal professional translation Quality Assurance results.

Emphasis should be on hiring and retaining professional certified translators but also on providing and encouraging training and specialization whenever possible. Languages are living, breathing organisms and terminology changes very rapidly, particularly in highly specialized technical domains.

Professional document translation service companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division, Legal Translation Solutions understand that the single most important factor for success is their human resources and that it is impossible to consistently provide high quality professional translation services without a readily available pool of highly motivated professional certified translators and linguistic experts.

Is it possible to provide professional translation services at an industrial scale?

One of the most revolutionary aspects of the Industrial Revolution was the achievement of scale. Scale is one of the most effective ways to reduce the price per unit. The bigger the scale of production, the less expensive the product or service.

Here’s an interesting question, which I am sure, has occurred to you before. Is it possible to provide professional document translation services at an industrial scale? Is a professional document translation services operation scalable without significant loss of quality? This is no doubt related to the question whether translation of documents from one language to another is an art or a professional activity (or both).

I worked for almost ten years for the world’s second largest software company. I started in the early 90s as a lowly document translator, progressed to Team Leader, Language Translation Specialist and finally Senior Language Translation Specialist.

The translation service company translated hundreds of thousands of words (sometimes over a million) per software version to some 19 languages (from Spanish – European and Latin American - to Korean and from Catalan to Arabic). Language Translation Specialists were responsible for all linguistic aspects of the localization to the target language (localization involves customizing software and documentation for a particular country; it includes the translation of such things as fields, menus, forms, reports, etc. as well as changes to accommodate different alphabets, cultures and legal systems). My group was in charge for translation involving Latin American (LA) Spanish.

Now, LA Spanish may look very nice in a budget estimate, but let me assure you from the onset that it is not a real language. LA Spanish is an abstraction - it simply does not exist. There are very important stylistic and terminology differences among the Spanish speaking countries in the region.

Language translation services specialists for each of the target languages were responsible for all linguistic aspects and worked closely with various document translation services vendors in the target countries.

It goes without saying that the only way to successfully translate hundreds of thousands of words to 19 different languages in a matter of months is to approach the whole exercise as an industrial process. There’s very little room for the “translation as art” school of thought.

The fact that we dealt with a very specific and limited field and that up to a certain extent we could control the source material was a huge advantage. Some of the key success factors were the provision of very clear and comprehensive glossaries and style guides to the translation services vendors and having in place a very efficient QA process for all translation service projects. In a way, we had to limit the natural creativity of the professional translators working for us. We had to aim at having a unique translation per English term so as to minimize the possibility of error.

After all, language is convention. But the single most important factor, the key to our success, was working with professional document translation services companies.

Our professional document translation services vendors had to be able to provide scalability. They had to have the capacity to simultaneously translate hundreds of thousands of words into some 19 languages - such as Japanese, Korean, Thai, Arabic, Greek, Hungarian, Finish, Hebrew and Chinese - in a matter of months.

It is simply impossible to achieve that level of professional document translation services working with a few uncoordinated independent translators or small single-language translation vendors.

Mission critical means that a professional document translation service company has to be able to deliver the highest quality according to schedule, even if a translator gets ill, the systems crash or the building is affected by an earthquake. Scalability means that they have to be able to do it working with a 40,000-word project, or a 400,000-word project, or even a 4 million-word project.

To the best of my knowledge, there are very few professional document translation services companies in the world able to provide that level of accuracy and quality in all document translation service projects. During the course of my professional translation career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a vast number of professional document translation service providers and I can tell you that not all document translation service providers can provide scale and quality simultaneously.  Two years ago, I began work with ASTA-USA Translation Services and their legal division Legal Translation Solutions and I can tell you that I feel very fortunate to be associated with a professional document translation services provider that can put scale and quality together so seamlessly.

By: L. Amado 01/12/2010

Thoughts and Observations concerning the Professional Document Translation Process

A professional document translation services company has to continuously improve its processes, generate professional document translations with the correct meaning, terminology and composition. They must also assure that those processes are in sync with the client's internal reviewers (when applicable).

The professionally translated document must convey the original message in the target language and, at the same time, it has to be appropriate for the culture of the country in question. In order to do so correctly, the professional translators and editors must be fluent in both the target and source languages and have extensive expertise in the subject matter. It goes without saying that the reviewer must also preserve the subtleties and the context of the message of the source language in the professional document translation.

The professional document translation must also be corrected for spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Professional linguists who are native speakers of the target language, who are also proficient in the source language, are required for judging the correctness of the composition.

The terminology should be the one used by actual practitioners in the field. Only a specialist in the relevant discipline has the familiarity to know the contemporary terminology used by the particular industry. It takes a business insider to know the internal jargon in each language. As per professional document translation services best practices, the professional document translation service provider should, from time to time, ask them for clarification or assistance in order to develop a comprehensive glossary of terms to maintain the integrity of the terminology.

In relation to style, professional certified document translators must capture the style of the author of the source material when expressing the message in the target language. To choose among numerous possibilities, the professional certified translator must safeguard the primary need of faithfulness to the accuracy of the message while rewriting the document for the level of education and technical expertise of the target audience.

Sad but true, oftentimes professional document translation services companies have to deal with unfinished or draft source material. Unfortunately, professional certified document translators are under narrow constraints regarding the liberties they may take to improve a document sent for translation. We know that a translation will only be as good as the source material. If the source material leaves much to be desired, the translation will definitely suffer.

It is important to keep in mind that while the above may true for the professional document translation service company, client reviewers are not under the same constraints. Thus, it is expected that client internal reviewers will review the material for the sake of style or added clarity, aside from changes in content. It is the role of the reviewers of the professional document translation service company, using their knowledge of the subject and the needs of the users of the translation, to make all appropriate changes.

It is important to take into account that, in general, a majority of the changes made by reviewers are stylistic preferences, not necessarily corrections of errors. Therefore, as the number of reviewers increases, so does the number of changes based upon personal preferences. Remember, just as “Too many cooks can spoil the broth,” too many reviewers can spoil a professional translation.

ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions have worked diligently at refining the professional language translation process since 1991.

Machine vs. Human Translation

If you are in the market for a translation, there are basically two ways to go. You could either opt for what is known as “machine translation” (sometimes abbreviated as “MT”) or for human translation. Call me a conservative, but I can tell you right away that there is no contest here. Good old-fashioned human translation is simply the only option if you are looking for high quality (correct and accurate) professional document translation services.

What does “machine translation” mean? You have probably seen it before. In its more popular versions, it takes the form of online translation engines or computer programs which can be installed on a PC. In either case the result is an automated translation created exclusively with some sort of computer software, with no intervention from a human translator, professional certified or otherwise. Translation software uses algorithms and relies mainly on language usage statistics and word substitution. At its core, automated translation is an attempt to simplify human language and it very seldom, if ever, produces a viable and usable translation.

The main issue with this type of approach is that human languages are very sophisticated and complex constructs. They cannot be reduced to their bare bones without significantly hindering communication. It would take considerable advances in artificial intelligence to develop a software program able to grasp the extremely complex subtleties of human languages. Therefore, for the conceivable future, my favorite Star Trek gadget, the “universal translator”, will remain exclusively in the realm of science fiction.

Professional human document translations, on the other hand, are created exclusively by professional certified human translators. They rely on extensive knowledge of both the source and target languages and the ability to naturally recognize and incorporate all the subtleties of human languages, taking into account such considerations as the cultural context, intended market, domain, target audience, etc.

Nowadays, it is common for professional certified human translators to use professional document translation tools, such as translation memory management tools, to aid them with their work. They are known as “computer-assisted translation” (sometimes abbreviated as “CAT”) tools.

Just as using a word processor was a huge leap forward in productivity from using a typewriter, the use of computer tools can have a very positive impact on the quality of professional human document translations.

“Computer-assisted document translation” tools are used by professional human translators in order to have quick access to more accurate glossaries and terminology lists. They also allow professional certified human translators to develop their own glossaries and lexicons according to the requirements of the professional document translation process. They are not suitable for all types of professional document translation projects, but can have a considerable impact on productivity and consistency, especially in complex professional translation projects with higher word counts.

Truly professional document translation services providers such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions offer exclusively human translations done by professional certified human translators, assisted by the latest and most productivity-enhancing tools of the trade.

Professional Document Translation Services and Context

Languages are systems to encode and decode information. Human or natural languages are cultural constructs; they are arbitrary and based on convention. They not only reflect but effectively shape the way we see reality. The main function of human language is communication and all human language carries meaning. But since all communication and meaning take place in a given environment, context plays a major role.

At its core, translation of written materials – whether amateur or professional document translation - involves understanding the meaning of a text in a given language and producing an equivalent text that communicates the same meaning in another language. The language of the text to be translated is known as the source language and the language that it is to be translated into is called the target language.

Before translating, the translator needs to understand the meaning of a text. To do so, the translator has to take context into consideration. Context refers to the total environment in which a word, phrase, or sentence appears. Context is very important because a professional document translation services company and its accredited translation professionals does not translate words in isolation but rather words bound by their syntactic, situational and cultural contexts. We can safely say that for most practical purposes context determines the meaning of a text.

Take the word “bat” in English. It can be used as a noun or as a verb. In the sentences “He hit the ball with the bat” and “The bat flew into the night”, the term is used as the same part of speech, a noun, but with two completely different meanings. In the first sentence, we are talking about a wooden or metallic club, in the second about a winged, furry, nocturnal mammal. Things get more complicated when we consider “bat” as a verb. For example, “He will bat next” (meaning to strike with a bat) or “She did not bat an eyelid” (informal, to blink).

According to pragmatics, the subfield of linguistics which studies the ways in which context influences meaning, there are two primary types of context with relevance to meaning: linguistic (sometimes also referred to as verbal) and situational (or social).

Linguistic context refers to all the linguistic factors which influence or shape the meaning of the text. Words or lexical units in a text do not occur in isolation; they interact with other words and the text as a whole. Most words have more than one meaning or category and professional translators need to understand the way in which they are used. The best way to find the particular meaning of a word is to look into the context.

Situational context refers to the non-linguistic factors which influence or shape the meaning of a text. The same sentence or statement used in different circumstances may have quite different or even opposite meanings. Situational factors may include the body language of the speaker and the hearer in oral communication, and the social, political, moral, cultural and economical environment. Other factors to take into account are conventions, value systems, religious beliefs and even ideology.

Experienced professional and certified document translators working for professional document translation services companies such as such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions are well aware that they do not translate words in isolation, but rather words with meanings determined by linguistic and situational context and that developing context awareness is one of the most important requisites for a professional translator.

Some Thoughts on Professional Spanish Translation Services

A professional document translation services company should be able to help its customers identify the best target language (the company’s document translation services team must be sensitive to the idiosyncrasies of individual countries and their regional differences) in order to maximize the benefits and impact of its professional document translations.

Document translation services experts will tell you that this can be particularly tricky when translating from one language into Spanish. It is important to take into account the fact that the Spanish language has a vast geographic dispersion. From Spain to the Philippines and from the US and Canadian border to Tierra del Fuego, the Spanish language is spoken by nearly 350 million people and is the official language of more than 20 countries as well as being the de facto second language of the United States after English, with around 43 million native speakers.

If feasible, and when appropriate, the best and safest course of action is to go for a neutral or not country-specific professional translation. Such a professional translation would assure clear communication and would be perfectly suitable for all Spanish-speaking markets from a linguistic point of view. Such a professional translation approach should use standard Spanish terminology and grammar, instead of a vocabulary and style, which denote a particular geographic preference.

Abiding by the standard linguistic rules and terminology of the Spanish language and producing a professional standard Spanish translation is the best option for most usages. However, one of the issues with this approach is that it does so without the particular local flavor of individual Spanish-speaking countries, such as preferences for verb tenses, regional idiomatic expressions, distinctive terminology, etc.

If using a professional standard Spanish translation is not possible, the first difference to be made is between the Spanish used in Spain (usually referred to as European Spanish) and the Spanish used in Latin America (or Latin American Spanish).

As mentioned before, it is important to remember that Latin American Spanish may be a very nice abstraction, but it is not a language in the real sense of the term. Latin American Spanish is a simplification. There are also very important stylistic and terminological differences among the Spanish speakers in the region. When dealing with certain types of material, such as marketing material, legal material, or sales material, it may not be possible to use the same professional translation for audiences in Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile and the vast number of Spanish-speakers in the United States.

Professional document translation services providers such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions will be able to help the customer to determine whether a professional standard Spanish translation is suitable for a given professional translation project or if it requires a more country-specific professional translation, depending on issues such as the type of text to be translated, the domain, the target audience, the level of specialization and the specific market.

Some Thoughts on Document Translation Services Quality Assurance

As is the case with any professional production process, one of the key components of any successful document translation services is an accurate and consistent translation Quality Assurance (QA) process.

This may seem like a quite straightforward issue, but it is not. It is important to keep in mind that we are dealing with languages, and languages are not an exact science, they are subjective.

I am firm believer in the principle that anything that can be measured can be improved. The question is: How can we measure the quality of professional translation services? We know that from a document translation services quality point of view, at the end of the document translation process it is not enough to have generated a piece in the target language equivalent in word count to the piece in the source language.

The aim with document translation services Quality Assurance should be to provide a measure as objective as possible of the quality of the professionally translated material, according to some predefined criteria.

For example, if the client provided a specific style guide and a list of terminology or glossary to be used, document translation services Quality Assurance should measure adherence to that reference material. It goes without saying that it should also account for adherence to language-specific grammatical, semantic, stylistic and usage rules.

Any correction that is not strictly a linguistic error or does not contradict the reference material provided by the client is not an error but a preference (such as choice of words) and should be treated as such for document translation services Quality Assurance purposes.

I am in favor of using a very simple Pass/No Pass (or Pass with Errors) rating system for the document translation services Quality Assurance process, with reviews of 100% of the translated material if dealing with smaller professional translation projects or a sampling system, when dealing with document translation services projects with larger word counts.

When dealing with a sampling system for the document translation services Quality Assurance process, as a general rule, the material translated by more experienced certified professional translators, or certified professional translators who consistently get higher QA scores, should require smaller samples than the material from less experienced certified professional translators or certified professional translators with lower QA scores.

Pass simply means that there are no translation or language errors as per the specified criteria and that the professionally translated material is ready for delivery to the client.

No Pass (or Pass with Errors) means that there are translation or language errors that have to be addressed before the material can be considered ready for delivery.

Simply correcting the translation and/or language errors in the translated material is not enough. The aim should be to act proactively and prevent them from happening again. Every recurring error should be documented in the professional document translation services company internal style guide for the language (or project) in question.

In general, professional document translation services projects with larger word counts or from recurring translation projects or clients require project specific internal style guides and/or glossaries.

Professional document translation services providers such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions understand that it is impossible to systematically deliver professional translation services without such translation language Quality Assurance processes in place.

The Hallmarks of Truly Professional Document Translators

The professional document translation services industry is highly competitive and challenging. In order to succeed, a professional document translator needs more than just familiarity in a language pair. Here are some of the characteristics of successful linguistic experts.

The first and most obvious requirement is language skills. It goes without saying that professional document translators must be fluent in at least one language besides their native tongue. A passing or informal knowledge is not enough. Language Translation as a professional service requires the systematic study of a foreign and/or second language. A university or equivalent degree on professional translation or related field may have been desirable a few years ago but in the current market is an absolute must.

A professional in the professional document translation services field needs to be curious by nature and possess excellent research skills. Contrary to public perception, professional document translators are not walking dictionaries. Even generalists cannot be expected to be experts on every field and to be up to date on the latest terminology. Truly professional document translators need to be very straightforward about the things they do know and the things they do not know and be able fill the gaps by researching for the appropriate terminology and information. Research can take many forms, from good old-fashioned paper and ink dictionaries and text books to the vast amounts of information on the Internet.

Professional document translators need to be proficient with the latest document translation tools, such as translation memory management and glossary creation and maintenance tools. At the very least, they should be advanced users of word processor programs, such as MS Word, and other tools such as the Adobe Acrobat suite.

In addition to possessing professional training on languages, a professional document translator has to be highly proficient in written communication. Translating is essentially the transmission of meaning from one language to another. The professional document translator has to be able to accurately and thoroughly deliver in the target language the same message expressed in the source language. Remember that good writing skills in one language are usually tied to very solid reading habits in the same language.

With globalization and the opening up of markets in different areas of the planet, professional translations are in very high demand from companies dealing with the most varied commercial activities. The more subjects, fields and industries professional document translators can cover the more work they can potentially take. This does not mean professional document translators have to improvise or pretend they can deal with professional document translations covering any area of expertise. It means that professional document translators have to stay current with the changes in the professional document translation services industry and the needs of potential customers. Additionally, professional document translators must be true experts in the fields they claim they can handle. Improvisation is a recipe for catastrophic failure and a sure sign of lack of professionalism.

Last but not least, it is important to always keep in mind that a document translator may have graduated with honors from a very prestigious university but those credentials would mean very little without a proper professional attitude. What does it mean to be professional? It means approaching work with discipline and commitment. Professional document translators work in the service industry. Professional document translation requires the commitment to deliver the highest quality professional translations according to a previously agreed schedule. Professional document translators should have very efficient time management skills and take only the amount of work they can professionally handle. Remember that while it is very nice to get paid for doing what we love, if it is a hobby is not professional translation.

Professional document translators working for professional document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions understand that being a truly professional translator requires much more than bilingualism.

Text Expansion and Contraction in Document Translation Services Process.

One interesting and seldom discussed aspect of professional document translation services is the fact that the length of a text in one source language will typically expand or contract when translated to certain target languages. When translating documents from one language to another the content will typically change in length as measured by the number of words. This variation is known as text expansion and text contraction.

When translating documents text expansion and contraction is not a constant ratio... It varies according to the languages involved in the translation of written content. For instance, an English document professionally translated into Spanish can be as much as 25 – 30% longer (a case of text expansion). Conversely, a Spanish document professionally translated into English will, on average, be around 10 - 15% shorter (a case of text contraction). Texts in other European languages may similarly be affected. On the other hand, documents translated in Asian languages tend to be shorter than the English source content.

Text expands and contracts for different reasons. The structure and rules of a language – aspects such as grammar, syntax, terminology, and sentence structure - all play a part in this outcome. The English language is generally more concise and to the point than Romance languages. Subject matter is also a factor in text expansion and contraction in professional document translation services. Formal text covering technical, legal and academic subjects tends to be more affected than informal text, such as letters or personal papers.

In the professional document translation services industry there are several reasons why it is very useful to know how much texts will expand or contract. Some professional document translation services providers calculate costs based on the target language word count, that is to say, the number of words in the finished translation. Some others calculate costs based on the source language word count, that is to say, the number of words in the document to be translated.

Text expansion and contraction is also a major issue when dealing with software localization, web page design, desktop publishing (DTP) and artwork design. In the case of software localization, before the actual professional document translation takes place, software developers typically perform what is known as “mock translation”, replacing text lines in the source language with strings of letters, taking into account the average text expansion and contraction ratios. The aim is to make sure that the extra length of the professionally translated text does not affect functionality or the way the text is displayed.

Likewise, in the case of web page design, DTP and artwork, designers need to know if the translated text will fit into an existing webpage or artwork file. Text expansion and contraction will be a major factor to determine the required font size, how much room is needed, the number of pages, amount of block space and so on.

Professional document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions can help its clientele deal with text expansion and contraction and other issues affecting professional document translation services.

Common Misconceptions of Professional Document Translation Services

It is very common for people who are not closely involved in professional document translation services to believe that translating from one language to another is a straightforward and simple endeavor. Any bilingual or multi-lingual individual can do it - seem to be the most obvious and most common misconception. The truth is that the process of translating documents from one language to another as a professional activity is in fact a very serious business that should be approached with the upmost professionalism in order to execute each translation task in a correct and professional manner.

In order to become a professional document translator one needs a lot more than just familiarity with foreign languages. Command of a foreign language does not qualify anyone to undertake translation work any more than being a fast runner makes somebody a good candidate for an Olympic marathon.

To be considered a professional document translator requires in-depth understanding and knowledge of at least two languages. Translating is an acquired skill. Professional document translators need formal training to be able to write well and understand the subtleties of language use. Language is a cultural construct and if the professional document translator fails to appreciate the culture context underneath a given language it is almost impossible to generate an accurate professional document translation.

Professional document translation services is not a simple endeavor. A professional document translator is not the proverbial monkey hitting at the keyboard to eventually come up with a properly translated text. Professional document translation is a very time-consuming, intricate, complex and arduous professional activity. It requires simultaneously working with two different texts and can be mentally exhausting. A professional document translator moves continuously back and forth between two languages and two mental structures. A professional document translator needs to first read and process the information in the source language to be able to reflect it accurately in the target language.

Due to the popularity of some free online translation engines, some people tend to believe that it is perfectly possible nowadays to use a computer program to do translations without human intervention. The truth is that there is no machine translation program in existence able to grasp and accurately transfer the subtleties of human languages. Perhaps it is possible to informally use translation services engines or computer programs to translate simple, straightforward phrases, but for the time being they are not able to tackle the complexities of more intricate texts.

It is possible to have a friend who is a native speaker of the target language do a quick and dirty informal translation of a small text. But any context that requires information to be accurately and professionally presented requires a professional document translation by a professional document translator. There simply is no other way. Inaccurate or unusable translations can cause many problems, including the involuntary presentation of inaccurate or misleading information which may have very serious legal consequences. At the very least, amateurish and incorrect translations reflect poorly on a business or organization. Just as you would go to a professional certified medical doctor if you have a serious medical condition, a professional document translation services company who hires only professional document translators is the way to go for professional document translation services.

Professional document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions are the only option if you are in the market for accurate, high quality professional document translations.

The Pitfalls of Automated Translation vs. Human Document Translation Services

We have all seen it before in our respective line of business. Due to the fact that they use them everyday, and that everybody has mastered at least one, people tend to believe that working with languages require no special skills or expertise. This is painfully evident when it comes to translations. Everybody is a translator… Few understand what a professional document translator really is. Often the results leave much to be desired unless a professional document translation services approach is applied. But sometimes you notice instances that perhaps take things a bit too far.

Due to legal requirements to be able to access the Mexican and Latin American markets, or simply to make their products more appealing to a Spanish speaking clientele, many companies are forced to include Spanish translations in their product packaging. Sometimes, most likely to try to cut costs, some of them resort to some sort of automated translation instead of taking the wise approach and using a professional translation services company. Who cares, a Spanish phrase is as good as any other, right? Wrong!

Let me give you an example. Some time ago, I saw the following product made in China in a well-known retailer: High Pressure Jet Washer.

The product description in the box was translated into French and Spanish - in that order. The Spanish translation was as follows: Presión Alta de la Arandela del Chorro.

To the Spanish speakers reading this, let me be clear that I am not joking... To non Spanish speakers, the translation makes no sense whatsoever and is obviously the result of automated translation – not from a professional “human” document translation services provider (or a very Spanish-challenged human translator). Somebody typed the English phrase in a free Internet translation service engine and used the resulting translation without having it reviewing by a professional document translation services agency that uses accredited human translators.

The English term “washer” has at least two translations according to context. In this particular case, the correct translation would be "lavadora" or "lavador", feminine and masculine respectively. Instead, they used “arandela”, the translation for "washer” as in “nuts, screws and washers”.

Even if they had used the correct translation, word order renders this phrase utterly meaningless. The correct Spanish translation would have been something along the lines of “Lavadora de alta presión”.

With translations, as with anything else, we get what we pay for. And cheaper is very seldom – if ever – the way to go if you are looking for correct, accurate and appropriate translation. It can be extremely costly – especially for critical business or legal applications – to ovoid using a professional document translation services company in order to save a few dollars.

Professional document translation services companies such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions are the only option if you are in the market for accurate, high quality professional document translations.

What You Can Expect From the Most Reliable
Professional Document Translation Service Company

In today’s global economy, it is vital for businesses to have mission-critical documents translated into and from other languages in order to operate on an international level. Small and large companies and organizations experience every day how difficult language barriers can be. The only reliable, long-term solution is to hire the services of a professional document translation services provider.

If you need, for instance, marketing brochures, company handbooks or scientific research reports translated into one or more foreign languages, or require an English translation of multinational agreements, a professional document translation services company will be able to provide you with accurate, high quality translations, regardless of volume and desired turnaround for your project. A professional document translation service is equipped to handle any size or kind of project and return the translated document(s) to you within a short period of time.

Legal Translation Solutions and its parent company, ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc., have been voted America’s most reliable professional document translation services company. You can expect us to dependably deliver top of the line document translations, since we work with a global network of professional, certified translators who possess the experience and knowledge to meet your specialized document translation requirements in any field and for every industry. We are a Corporate Member of the American Translators Association (ATA) and our professional document translators are accredited by the ATA and other organizations such as The Institute of Linguists, La Société Française des Traducteurs, Institute of Translation and Interpreting, US National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, and the United Nations.

As the most reliable professional document translation service provider, we are a well-established company capable of offering highly competitive pricing. Customer retention is our top priority and we offer superior quality at unbeatable value, never comprising the accuracy of our document translations. You can obtain an instant quote online or speak with one of our expert customer representatives.

In order to serve our clients around the globe and around the clock, we provide online transaction services, which means that documents can be posted and downloaded from our secure web servers 24/7. Furthermore, our document translation process, which consists of translation, editing, proofing and certification, is assigned to virtual translator “tag teams”, strategically located across different time zones, whenever time is of essence. Fast turnaround times thus never have to come at the cost of lower quality standards.

Last but not least, our reputation as the most reliable professional document translation service provider also derives from our strict confidentiality policies and processes which serve to protect the privacy of our clients. The contents of any and all documents sent for translation as well as all details pertaining thereto are kept in utmost confidentiality, as reflected by our impeccable reputation and years of dedicated work to earn the trust of our customers.

If you are looking for a professional document translation services company, call America’s most reliable translation services provider today. We look forward to assisting you with your document translation needs.

Why Use a Multilingual Professional Document Translation Service Company?

If you are in the market for translation of any business or legal documents, a multilingual professional document translation service company is the way to go, regardless of the size and complexity of the professional translation project.

Here are some thoughts on why the best option is to work with a multilingual professional document translation services company instead of independent translators or smaller single-language vendors.

Only a multilingual professional document translation service company who consistently hires and retains the most qualified and certified professional translators can systematically assure not only high quality professional translations but consistent high quality professional document translations.

Only a multilingual professional document translation service company with a large pool of professional certified translators is able to comply with tight deadlines for professional document translations and systematically deliver according to schedule.

Only a multilingual professional document translation service company has the ability to deal with simultaneous professional translations to several different languages and dialects and still produce consistent high quality professional document translations.

Only a multilingual professional document translation service company can guarantee that the customer will receive the professionally translated material according to schedule even if one of the translators is ill, the city suffers a blackout or the building is damaged by a fire.

Only a multilingual professional document translation service company can assure scalability, the ability to deal with professional translation projects regardless of considerations of size (word count) or number of target languages involved.

Only a multilingual professional document translation service company is able to add value to the professional translation process. Whether you are looking for professional language localization, to outsource your in-house translation department, or for somebody who understand the linguistic subtleties of your markets, a multilingual professional document translation service company offers the best value for the money.

Only multilingual professional document translation services providers such as ASTA-USA Translation Services and its legal division Legal Translation Solutions can consistently assure customers the highest quality of professional translations, independently of professional translation project size or the number and complexity of the target languages involved.

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