It doesn't matter when, it doesn't matter where

An urgent translation may be lurking there

It’s Tuesday. You’re casually filling reports at the office. It looks like it’s going to be another peaceful day, but then… Boom! Angela, from International Sales, bursts into your office and slams a pile of papers down onto your desk saying: “We need an urgent translation. It’s due tomorrow!”

Aw jeez. An urgent translation of this forest-worth of papers? It’s true that you are the most multilingual person in the office, but this is a bit too much! You skim through the documents and see that they are quite technical and complex. And you only have a single day? You look at Angela full of doubt, but she proceeds to finish off what was left of your morning peace with three devastating words: “Into Chinese, please.” Chaos.

But fret not, my friend. This too shall pass. Let’s walk through this process together:

• Oh my God, what am I supposed to do?

First of all, don’t get any crazy ideas and just hire a translator. You wouldn’t be the first person to pull an all-nighter to translate a pile of documents with only guts and grit. It’s not good for your mental health nor your career because the resulting translation may not meet quality standards. If the quality is not on par, the people who are supposed to receive the translation may not even take it seriously. After all your hard work!

Look at it this way: non-translators translating just because they are proficient in other languages is like non-surgeons stitching up somebody’s heart just because they like “Grey’s Anatomy”. There are a lot of skills that we have to learn and practice until we can call ourselves translators. I’m not just saying this because I am translator myself. I’m saying this because I have seen things, things you wouldn’t believe.

• Ok, then how should I do this?

If you have ever had to search for translators, you know it’s not an easy task. Unless you call your brother-in-law, who spent a month in Paris eating croissants (he pronounces it “cugaaassaant”), you can expect trouble (warning: we will not take any responsibility for the catastrophic attempt at translation from your in-law). Where should you start to look?

Let’s say you need an urgent translation of a document with these characteristics: from English into Chinese, filled with technical vocabulary, and about a complex industrial production process. Maybe, after a long day of fighting your laptop, you find somebody who fits all these requirements. You contact them, glad you finally found someone.

Maybe you’re in luck. Then again, maybe not, because:

• The translator’s rates go way beyond your budget

• They are busy with a different project

• They are simply not interested in the job

• Their level of professionalism doesn't meet your expectations

• Or worst of all, after the whole deal, you find out their work is plain awful.

Of course, the most ideal situation would be to work with someone that you already know and who has proven themselves trustworthy and capable through hard work. However, if this isn’t possible you’ll have to improvise and find somebody new. If time allows it, we recommend you have the candidates take a short translation test, at least the first time you work with them. It should not be too long (no more than 500 words), but it can have some little “tricks” to assess the translator’s ability solve linguistic problems.

• Got it, then who should I call?

You have several options depending on the type of document you need. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look:

• Freelance Translators:

   

These are independent translation professionals. Generally, they have the best rates. Many of them work from home and accept jobs directly from the client. However, this does not mean they have full availability for an urgent translation, so it’s risky to count on a single freelance translator for all your linguistic needs. Besides, they may not offer important additional services, like editing. You can learn more about them here.

• Translation Agencies:

These are made up of teams of translators within the same office. When compared to freelancers, agency translators have more time to take on bigger projects since certain business aspects such as marketing can be outsourced. They are usually available for urgent translations, too. Plus, they offer revisions (these are not usually included in the general rate, though). Learn more here.

• Language Service Providers:

Lastly, a Language Service Provider gives you the best of both worlds: the ability to manage translations both inhouse and through a network of freelance collaborators as well as a wide range of additional services and full project management. All of this, however, also makes them pricier than freelances. Guess what, we have an article about them too.

As an LSP, Exero Soluciones has a vast network of collaborators that makes it possible for us to take on projects of any size, language, and specialization. One of the most important parts of our job is selecting the translators we work with and following up on the quality of their work. Likewise, our project managers work tirelessly to make sure we meet your needs and deadlines so you can focus on the most important aspects of your business.

If we don’t handle your project internally, we’ll assign it to the best candidate possible. We guarantee that they will provide the same level of quality as our in-house team.

• That’s great! What else should I know?

It is important that you let the translators know if there is a glossary or any specialized vocabulary you want included in your project. That way we can adapt the text to whatever you need. Don’t forget to tell us what your preferred format is too!

Take into account that many professionals apply extra fees when they work on an urgent translation. After all, devoting a few days to researching the topic and translating the document is not the same as toiling the whole night fueled by coffee and willpower in order to finish the translation before it’s due. Ask any translator, they will tell you tell you the same thing. We, however, prefer not charge extra fees. Instead, we proactively organize our projects according to our availability and deadlines.

So, you got your translation? Great! Then to finish up, make sure you do a QA check. Translators are human too and sometimes we make mistakes. That’s why it’s important that another professional linguist proofreads the document, whether it’s a different translator or a translation company. Congratulations on overcoming this urgent translation nightmare!

If you liked this article, take a look at our last entry about CAT tools. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook so you stay up to date with everything Exero. Don't forget to leave your questions and comments below.

Hasta pronto!