10 Translation Quality Myths You Should Be Aware Of

When we need translation of a document or text, we should leave this job to be done by a professional translator. The professionalism of translators provides an adequate result of translation of the source document in the desired language. The question is, what can be defined as the quality of the translation, and how we can be sure of its authenticity with the original, when we do not govern the target language?  How do we know which of the problems encountered are translation quality myths?

To overcome this phenomenon, consumers have developed a number of tactics by which they find a way to ensure the best quality for the required translation. But, also debatable, is whether they really are aid tactics or only misconceptions about translation, and can these tactics actually do more harm than good? A lot of things that are perceptions in this present world are just translation quality myths that somebody believes.

Here are some of the most common translation quality myths:

Myth 1

Quantity is not always the benchmark for quality. If you entrust your translation to a large agency that provides translation into many languages, this is a good sign for the quality you get. Sometimes specialists or freelance translators are a better option if you require a transfer of only one language. Large agencies of support for big companies and you as an individual, will have more support from the individual provider of a translation service.

Myth 2

The professional translation process involves different personnel, except sometimes requires a translator proofreader and editor. This practice applies to even the most experienced writer for their written work. Ordinary and individual lecturers seek help from freelancers, so, maybe sometimes the whole process is a joint project – to provide the translation agency which has established an order in the course of translation, that goes first to an interpreter and the editor, and finally the lecturer of that agency, and the end product is a set of compact matter that provides an excellent translation solution.

Myth 3

The fact is that all the well renowned translators provide excellent quality for your translation. If you establish a business relationship with the same translator, after some time, they will absolutely be familiar with the style and content you expect and can provide product according to your taste. This will not be the case with a new translator who you commit to the first time. Therefore, continuous cooperation with security provides continuous quality, whether it comes to cooperation with the same individual translator or translation agency.

Myth 4

When you have finished a translation of a target source, you will certainly wonder if you have received adequate quality. To ensure quality, you can entrust your translation to a provider who will just control the previous translation. This way, with two open positions you will need to pay a translator and controller. A controller is likely to find errors, although they could leave a nice impression on you, with the next translation you entrust them with, you may think that the more mistakes you present, the more you pay for control. In this case, will either pay more or you trust your translator.

Myth 5

To ensure the quality of their translations, many customers are opting to make a “blind test” to the chosen translator and send him a pilot project. This is a waste of time when the client really has no mechanism to tell the difference between the source and the finished translation, to determine whether it contains errors.

Willing to read more translation quality myths? Here are 5 more:

Myth 6

Applicant of translations often decide to seek a second opinion about the quality of translation from someone who is bilingual. But be aware, that without feedback and giving clear and direct guidance, this may not be accurate and relevant.

Myth 7

By getting focus on a providing quality control and errors check in translation you do not take as catching flaws but as a platform to improve collaboration with translators and editors who will have necessary resources to complete your work successfully.

Myth 8

The original text has a major impact on the quality of translation. Many of the errors in the final result are due to poor and vague connotation that the original text holds. If the message is not clear, the translation will be even less clear.

Myth 9

When the interpreter notes that they will use mechanical translation, many of us immediately think of Google Translate. But it comes from software tools used by professional translators and is called translation memory. This way, they keep the consistency of materials and translations for the same customer and saves time and money too.

Myth 10

Not always all translation companies offer the same service for the same price. Some, apart from translation, include editing and proofreading, and in other agencies these services are charged extra. Also, translation of the same languages has different fares even with the same translator, which means that translation from English to French is the same as translation from French to English.

It is not an easy thing to measure the quality of translation. Some poor-quality issues include the sense of the text, while others are misspellings. Ultimately, the quality of the translation is quite subjective and is much deeper than simply the knowledge of two languages. The above translation quality myths should explain some of problems.