How to prepare documents for translation?

Translation of business documents and other legal files is a skilled profession and requires a combination of translation and industrial knowledge and experience. It is certainly not true that any bi-lingual person can be a translator, especially when have no such working experience. It is for these reasons why most companies hire professional translators from reputable translation agencies. Though much of the responsibility of good and accurate translation depends on the translation agency, the client can help ensure the process flows as smoothly as possible. For example, if the source file is inaccurate or illogical, it will lead to the agency checking for inconsistencies and raising queries with the client. Here are some of our tips to prepare your documents for translation:

• Ensure that the document is finalized before submitting for translation: On many occasions, we find that the client makes changes to the source document during and or after the translation process which unnecessarily adds to the costs.
• Editable files - Ensure that a copy of the editable file is on hand, usually PDFs are difficult to work with as it requires substantial formatting time and desktop publishing to return it to its original state. Formatting time is usually charged extra and so editable files are usually preferred by translation agencies.
• Allow sufficient time - Translation agencies handle multiple projects at the same time with tight deadlines, for urgent projects they may apply a 'rush charge' of anywhere between 30-50%. Although we are able to combine multiple translators to simultaneously work on a project, the downside is potential loss of consistency in writing styles and terminology.
• Have a final check: We will always raise queries with the client if we feel we have spotted an error with the source text, however, checking the accuracy of the content is not the translation agencies main priority. Scrutinize the document as much as possible before submitting to the translation agency.
• Provide reference material/translation glossaries: If you have collected useful material which can aid the translator's understanding of the source text, it is always advisable to share this with us! Translation glossaries can help us keep consistency with your previous projects.

The above are basic points to have in mind while preparing documents for translation. Hope these points have been useful, for accurate and precise translation, please visit our site http://www.waterstonetranslations.com.