Hiring a professional translator is extremely important when it comes to important documents that need to have the utmost accuracy and be kept in the strictest confidence. While there are many people who are multilingual, in most cases, it would be a mistake to expect a multilingual person who is inexperienced at translating to accurately convey all of the information in a document. In the end it could cause frustration on the part of the person translating, and later, potential misunderstandings with the people who read the translation. So the question remains - what do professional translators have that other multilingual people do not have?
The answer to that question lies in several key components, the first of which is experience and knowledge of the industry norms. Professional translators, and especially those who work through a translation agency are well versed in how to translate many different kinds of documents and know, for example, how to make a translation "certified" so that it can be used as a legal document. Professional translators know how and when to use outside sources to find the meanings of words and phrases that they didn't already know and when it is appropriate to format the translation to make it look more like the original. With industry experience also comes a guarantee that the information in the documents will remain confidential and that the translator will do what it takes to protect the client from any breach of privacy. Professional translators and translation agencies are familiar with the laws surrounding client privacy and other issues that go along with translating information, and strictly adhere to those laws to protect themselves and their clients.
Along with experience and industry norms, professional translators have successfully completed higher education classes in both languages to ensure proper knowledge of grammar, spelling, etc. With higher education and a great deal of experience in working with both languages, professional translators are able to keep the register of the original message in the translation. The translations that are done by professional translators typically tend to sound more like an original than a translation, whereas it is common for inexperienced translators to translate word for word without taking into consideration the grammatical differences between the two languages, especially if the inexperienced translator is translating a document into his or her second language.
Another advantage to working with a professional translator is the amount of industry specific knowledge that the translator has. Many multilingual people who attempt to translate information within an industry of which they have no experience will be very likely to fail. Many industries have their own phrases and terms that they use that have absolutely no meaning to the outside world. Professional translators know that industry-specific translation is no easy task and that those phrases and words that are not clear to the outside world need to be researched as thoroughly as possible before being translated so that the translation can capture exactly what the original is trying to say.
While the going rate for a professional translator might be bigger than that of other well meaning multilingual people, the extra money goes towards peace of mind that the translation is done well and that all legal and confidentiality issues are taken care of.
The answer to that question lies in several key components, the first of which is experience and knowledge of the industry norms. Professional translators, and especially those who work through a translation agency are well versed in how to translate many different kinds of documents and know, for example, how to make a translation "certified" so that it can be used as a legal document. Professional translators know how and when to use outside sources to find the meanings of words and phrases that they didn't already know and when it is appropriate to format the translation to make it look more like the original. With industry experience also comes a guarantee that the information in the documents will remain confidential and that the translator will do what it takes to protect the client from any breach of privacy. Professional translators and translation agencies are familiar with the laws surrounding client privacy and other issues that go along with translating information, and strictly adhere to those laws to protect themselves and their clients.
Along with experience and industry norms, professional translators have successfully completed higher education classes in both languages to ensure proper knowledge of grammar, spelling, etc. With higher education and a great deal of experience in working with both languages, professional translators are able to keep the register of the original message in the translation. The translations that are done by professional translators typically tend to sound more like an original than a translation, whereas it is common for inexperienced translators to translate word for word without taking into consideration the grammatical differences between the two languages, especially if the inexperienced translator is translating a document into his or her second language.
Another advantage to working with a professional translator is the amount of industry specific knowledge that the translator has. Many multilingual people who attempt to translate information within an industry of which they have no experience will be very likely to fail. Many industries have their own phrases and terms that they use that have absolutely no meaning to the outside world. Professional translators know that industry-specific translation is no easy task and that those phrases and words that are not clear to the outside world need to be researched as thoroughly as possible before being translated so that the translation can capture exactly what the original is trying to say.
While the going rate for a professional translator might be bigger than that of other well meaning multilingual people, the extra money goes towards peace of mind that the translation is done well and that all legal and confidentiality issues are taken care of.