Why do you need to employ a translator?

Although online business is expanding with new markets opening every day, one key barrier to conducting business with foreign companies is communication. It is no longer sufficient to assume you will receive all documentation in English and so a translator will be essential to solving your communication problems. How can Polaris Translation help with your business? Below are three popular misconceptions about translation, which will easily cost you time and money.

• Anyone with knowledge of a foreign language can translate.

Translation requires far more than the ability to understand a language. The translator must be able to produce text in a style and vocabulary suitable for a particular text type. To produce a smooth, accurate, translation the translator must be able to understand and convey the cultural differences of the source and target languages. I have experience translating a wide range of texts from conversation to legislation and technical writing. I have an in-depth knowledge of the source language societies and cultures and can avoid the cultural and linguistic mistakes of a non-professional translator.

• If you can speak a foreign language you can translate into it.

You may be tempted to cut costs and ask a source language speaker in your company to translate the document. This really is a false economy; a translation should read as though it was written in the target language. No matter how proficient the non-native speaker he or she will not have the fluency of a mother-tongue translator. Translations produced in this way tend to be at best stilted but are often wildly inaccurate. I am a native English speaker; I have studied languages at university level and have a postgraduate qualification in translation. I offer a professional service and, unlike a company employee, will be able to devote my full time and knowledge to your translation.

• Translation is an extra expense my business can live without.

Not if you want to improve your interests with companies abroad. You spend time and money on your documentation so why skimp when it comes to someone else's? Misunderstandings and mistakes cost far more to correct post-production than the cost of hiring a translator and they make your company appear unprofessional. I proofread all translations to ensure a high-quality product you can rely on, leaving you free to concentrate on your business.

The Institute of Translators and Interpreters has produced a very useful guide to translation for business. It's completely free, aimed at the non-linguist, and is highly recommended. Click on the icon below to get it.

[Translation: Getting it Right - ITI]