When you’re making decisions about purchasing translations, it’s important to consider the cost, schedules and translation quality. If the translation and localisation field isn’t your area of expertise, it’s easy to think that any translator is as good a choice as another, and concentrate on price and scheduling only.
Quality is actually a really important factor to consider when choosing a translator. A good translation is often taken for granted, but when the translation isn’t good, it will be noticed and remembered – and not in a good way.
However, translation quality isn’t as simple as grading translators as good or bad. We in MultiFlow Translations always consider several factors when choosing a translator for a project:
- The field and specialised terminology of the source text
Translators often specialise in certain fields. Some feel right at home with technical content, but aren’t familiar with medical terminology, and vice versa. It’s important to know the translators you’re working with, and choose one that is familiar with the field. A good translator will also turn down a job that’s too difficult for them.
- The style of the source text
Another thing that needs to be considered is the style of the source text. For example, the style in user manuals is very different from marketing materials. Someone handles legal jargon perfectly, and another one is at their element with software localisations. It’s important to choose the right translator for the job.
- The experience of the translator
Experience often shows in how the text flows and how easy it is to read. The harder the text, the more important it is to choose an experienced translator for a good result. On the other hand, it’s good to also use less experienced translators for easier texts, so that they gain experience and learn the client’s needs.
- Other strengths
We also have years of experience with our translators’ other strengths. We know the ones who will reply to all requests quickly and reliably, the ones we can trust to deliver even a big job in a tight schedule, and the ones who are so precise that they’ll point out the smallest ambiguities in the source text to make sure the translation is top-notch.
In the translation and localisation field, the workloads vary a lot, and projects are often fast-paced. To be able to make good decisions with our translator choices, we really need know the people we’re working with. That said, big thanks for our network of wonderful translators, who always help us deliver all jobs with the best quality!