Following part 1,
in which I focused on what translators can do to improve their relationships
with their clients, now I would like to explore what those clients can do to
make their translator’s life easier and achieve the best possible results.
1. Information is key
The more information you provide about your project, the easier it will
be for the translator to get a feel for it and achieve a product that maintains
the spirit of the original. It’s important to clarify the purpose of the text,
how and where it will be used and provide some context. In the localisation
industry, it’s quite common to work without having seen the product at all,
which can cause all sorts of problems, from sentences that can mean different
things depending on the context to even gender issues (for instance, is it a
male or female character speaking?). So provide as much information as you can
and make your translator’s life much easier; in turn, they won’t have to get in
touch with you to ask a lot of questions.
2. Communicate, communicate and communicate
Throughout the translation process, it’s important to keep communicating
with your translator. Inform them as soon as possible of any changes and pass
on any additional information you may have. Similarly, do not ignore any
questions that the translator might send you, it’s important to get
clarification on those issues in order to achieve the most suitable
translation. After all, you are both working together to make this project a
success in the target market.
3. Translators are not machines, so don’t treat them as such
If it takes you two months to write a piece, why would you assume it can
be translated in two days? Translators are not machines, they don’t have a
switch you can press and the text comes out automatically in another language.
In fact, translation involves more thinking than it does writing. You have to
read carefully the original and assess the purpose of the text (to inform, to
sell, to make the reader laugh, etc.) and how the writer has used all the
different nuances of the language to achieve that effect. You might have to
adapt cultural references, like changing the name of celebrities to names of
famous people in the target market, finding an equivalent accent in the target
language which carries the same sort of stereotypes (or another strategy that
will achieve the desired result), adapt jokes, etc. And sometimes do all this
whilst sticking to ridiculous length restrictions! Translation is indeed an art,
and as such it takes time.
Also, good translators tend to be quite busy most of the time, so you
can’t assume they will drop any other projects they are working on so they can take
care of yours immediately. It helps to give a bit of warning if you are close
to finishing a project that will need translating.
4. Be aware of language combinations and specialisations
Nobody can know absolutely everything about any subject area in the
world. That is why translators tend to specialise in just a few fields (usually
4-5). This allows them to understand that subject area completely and familiarise
themselves with the specific terminology and style of writing. As a client, it
pays off to be aware of your translators’ specialisations; you will get a much
better result quality-wise if you assign the right project to the most suitable
translator. Also, the translator will be able to work faster as they won’t have
to stop constantly to check for new terminology, so it benefits both parts.
In addition, I know it sounds pretty obvious to say that, if you need a
translation say from English into French you should hire a translator that
works in that language combination, but many translators are still getting
requests for languages they don’t know, so it’s important to pay attention to
the languages they do work with. And bear in mind that translators should only
work into their native language! That is the only way to ensure that the text
will read fluently and naturally and will have the correct style, register and
cultural nuances.
5. Treat your translators with respect
As a client, adopt a professional approach towards your translators and
value them for what they are: professionals who have studied and trained long
and hard to master what they do. Do not treat them as mere accessories to your
processes or, worse still, as people who don’t really know what they’re doing
but you need to use for whatever reason which you’re unsure of. If you treat
them with respect, they will respond in kind. Common courtesy helps establish
and maintain a good relationship with your translators: warning them when a
project is due to arrive, saying thank you when you receive their files
(especially if they’ve gone out of their way to accommodate an urgent request),
listening to them when they point out certain issues, etc.
Part of treating your translator with respect also involves queries/doubts
and feedback. Quite often, I have had clients complain because we translated X
as Y, whereas according to certain online dictionary the translation for that should
be Z. Instead of pointing the finger at the translator, check politely with
them why that might be. In many cases, there are many different ways of saying
the same thing or a word is much more appropriate than another in a certain
context. Besides, you shouldn’t trust dictionaries blindly! If the whole
translation has received negative feedback, you could have it checked by
another translation to establish if there really was a problem with it, or the
changes made are simply stylistic and a matter of preference.
6. A little flexibility goes a long way
This applies to both parts, actually. Translators should be flexible so
they can accommodate their clients’ requests, including occasional last minute
changes and requests. However, flexibility is also an important quality for the
client. For instance, clients should be prepared to listen to their translator
and extend the deadline a bit if it’s too tight, or they should also accept
suggestions or perhaps even listen to constructive criticism. If a translator
points out possible issues with the text or suggests an alternative working method,
they’re not trying to undermine the client but quite the opposite; they’re only
trying to help in order to achieve improved results which will benefit both
parts.
7. That said, don’t make your translator jump through hoops
Yes, flexibility is extremely important for the translator, but at the
same time it’s not a good idea to drive them crazy with constant updates and
changes to the project, additions, new instructions and the similar. These can
be very time-consuming and force the translator to check the whole project
again and again in order to apply those changes throughout, increasing the
chance of inconsistencies. It is better to plan the project accordingly so no
changes are needed in the original once it has been sent for translation.
Sometimes this might not be possible, but at least try to keep them to a
minimum.
Similarly, even though most translators are quite happy to accommodate
the odd urgent request, do not expect them to regularly drop whatever other
projects they are doing in order to complete your request immediately.
8. Do not assume cheapest is best (in fact, assume the opposite!)
As I explained at length in this entry here, in translation, as in any other industry, you
generally get what you pay for. I understand clients are trying to save some
money in this economic climate, but bear in mind that good translators spend a
lot of time and money on training, research, technology and improving
themselves constantly, so if somebody is promising you to translate your
projects at rock-bottom prices you should think about what the reason behind it
is. A bad translation is worse than no translation at all, so if you don’t want
to risk losing your own customers because they can’t understand the material
you have sent them or it’s so bad it’s laughable, make sure you hire the right
professional.
9. Pay on time
This is somewhat related to treating your translators with respect. If
you want to have a good relationship with your translator, based on trust and
honesty, make sure to pay within the stated payment terms. The translator will
feel more appreciated and will be more willing to work with you again. Small
delays due to oversights are acceptable every now and again, but don’t use the
economic situation or the late payment by your own client as an excuse; when
you hire a translator you enter a contractual relationship with them, and them
only.
10. Do not assume anybody can translate
I have lost count of the amount of times that, after telling people I am
a translator, I have heard “Oh, can you make a living out of that? I speak
another language too, maybe I should do the same”. Worse still, I have also
heard things like “I’m going to ask my (replace with unidentified friend or
family member) to translate my document for me, they did French at
college/spent a summer in Spain, etc.” I’ve even had clients doing their own
translations into Spanish which I had to fix because they were atrocious! They
might have studied Spanish in school, but obviously not long enough to realise
they will never sound like a native speaker.
There is a reason why a profession called “translator” exists. You
wouldn’t say that anybody can be a doctor or a solicitor, and the same is true
of a translator. It requires very specific skills that most people with
knowledge of other languages won’t be able to master. It’s not just about writing
without spelling and grammar mistakes (which these days seem to be a lot to ask
for already!) but also about writing style, creativity, cultural knowledge,
technical skills, subject area knowledge... I could go on.
As for automatic translation tools, like Google Translate and such... copy
a paragraph written in any language and see how they translate it into your
language. Would you really send that to your customers? Enough said.
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