Unfamiliar with document translation services? Wondering if the benefits of professional document translation are worth the cost? If you’ve got questions about Protranslating or professional document translation services in general, read through our answers to these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
What is a document translation service?
A language service provider (LSP) offers professional translation of any kind of document from its source language into the language of your choice. Experienced providers can handle projects of any size and scope, managing translation workflows to ensure accurate service and timely delivery of your translated documents.
What makes a document translation service professional?
Professional document translation services employ experienced translators with expertise in varied domains to convert your documents to or from one or more languages. The service provider may also hold certifications, such as ISO 9001 or ISO 17100, serving as proof of their commitment to quality.
Who should use professional document translation services?
Any individual or business should seek professional translation services for documents needed for legal, professional, or other official purposes. Whether dealing with immigration applications, medical information, legal proceedings, business acquisitions, or other important topics, professional document translation offers the accuracy and reliability you need to safely navigate these processes.
What kind of documents should always be professionally translated?
Unless the documents are for your personal use, you should seek professional translation, especially for all important documents being shared with another party. Some common examples of documents requiring professional translation include:
- Business contracts
- Legal filings and other legal documents
- Financial records
- Immigration applications and documents
- Medical records and documents
- Educational transcripts
- Birth certificates
What difference does it make to hire a professional document translation service?
Translation can be very complex, and it’s often affected by the type of documents being translated, as well as by the recipients who will be reading those documents. In addition to being linguistic experts, translators must also understand the intent of various form fields on applications and other foreign documents. They must understand how to translate information from one form to another when those formats don’t mirror each other, or when questions are phrased differently.
In addition, translations must be localized to specific countries and regions to account for unintended cultural or political connotations that may not exist in the original language and/or location. Given the complexity of translations and the highly specific language required by governments, businesses, and other international entities, professional document translation is an essential service.
How can document translation services ensure quality and accuracy?
Document translation services can issue certificates that validate the quality and precision of the translated document. In addition, top translation services offer entire teams dedicated to the success of each project, including quality assurance editors tasked with checking the work of individual translators to monitor and ensure appropriateness.
Quality checkpoints are also set up to gather the right information from clients and to guide each project toward success. This multi-step workflow allows a document translation service to deliver quality results consistently for all of its clients.
How are document translations priced?
Professional translations are priced based on several different factors, including the type of document being translated, the length and complexity of that translation, and the timeline. Projects are typically priced as a flat fee to ensure transparency, and to prioritize quality and timeliness for the customer.
Can technology be used for document translation?
Yes! In fact, new translation solutions can facilitate faster document translation by combining machine learning-equipped translation solutions to provide an initial layer of translation for projects, followed by a human translation that polishes this work to ensure complete accuracy and quality for the project. This allows a certified translation service to deliver projects faster, without compromising the integrity of the translation.
In addition, workflow technology makes it easier to implement quality assurance measures, such as monitoring projects from start to finish. This technology also helps managers keep projects on-track to meet their target deadlines.
Are documents formatted like the original when they are translated?
Documents are formatted according to the specifications and preferences of the target language recipient. Documents printed in English from a United States government agency, for example, don’t just need to be translated into a foreign language—they may also need to be transferred to the preferred legal documentation format of the government receiving those documents.
What is translation memory, and how can it help me get my document translation faster?
Translation memory is another technology tool used by certified translation services. This solution features a database of previously translated sentences and phrases that can be referenced through a computer-assisted translation solution.
This database grows over time as professional translators add new words and phrases, allowing more accurate automated translations. It’s one of the best tools at the disposal of a certified translation service, and it enables much faster translation and localization than would be possible without the use of technology.
Do translators have to earn a professional certification? Who certifies a translation professional?
Some translators earn a professional certification through an accredited organization like the American Translators Association. In other cases, translators may have a proficiency in a language and work for a certified translation service to ensure that their translations are vetted and supported by a certified process.
What makes Protranslating a leader in professional document translation?
In addition to more than 45 years of experience in the field, Protranslating has earned ISO 9001 and ISO 17000 certifications. We work with a network of more than 5,000 translators, linguistic experts, and industry specialists, giving us the resources to handle any translation project. We also utilize the latest translation technology and workflow solutions, including translation memory technology, to complement our human translation and accelerate delivery of accurate, high-quality translations.
Regardless of your document translation needs, a certified translation service can offer you peace of mind and quality that you can depend on. Contact us today to find out how we can help with your translation project.
