Einkaufshilfe

Translation – Getting it Right

For non-linguists, buying translations is often a source of frustration. In order to spare you this frustration, I am offering you this guide to get it right, which has been published by a group of translator and interpreter associations.
It deals with questions that should be answered before ordering a translation and advice that is worth following:

  • Does it really need to be translated?
  • A picture is worth a thousand words
  • Think international from the start
  • How much will it cost?
  • How important is style?
  • Resist the temptation to do it yourself
  • Finalise your text before starting the translation
  • What about machine translation?
  • Tell the translator what it’s for
  • Teachers & academics: at your peril
  • Professional translators work into their native language
  • What language do your readers speak?
  • An inquisitive translator is good news
  • The more technical your subject, the more important it is that your translators know it inside out
  • The home stretch: have typeset copy proofread by your translator
  • Typographical conventions vary from one language to the next
  • Translators and bilinguals: look closer
  • “Technical terms pose few translation problems” A widely-held myth.
  • Choosing a supplier
  • Get involved

Taken from: Translation getting it right – A guide to buying translations by Chris Durban