Avantpage - FAQ About Translation

What is translation?
Translation is the conversion of one written language to another. Translation is a crucial component of localization.

Do you handle personal documents such as birth or marriage certificates?
Not generally. We tailor our services to businesses with ongoing translation needs. Contracting with a freelance translator is a more cost-effective solution for individuals with one-time needs.

When do I need professional translation services?
If you represent a business that sells to a foreign language audience or if you spend money hiring professionals to compose marketing communications, consider professional translation services. Poorly written communications undermine ethnic marketing strategies. Well-written documents build trust and loyalty with your target audience.

What is the translation process?
Our comprehensive translation process consistently provides you with expert service through a multifaceted system designed to produce high-quality translations for your target market. From simple to complex projects, we achieve translation excellence in seven steps:

1. Project assessment: We identify your source and target languages, calculate your word count, analyze the language difficulty, verify who your target audiences are, check for text embedded graphics, clarify what items should be left untranslated, set deadlines, and determine deliverables.
2. Project management: Upon your approval, your project is assigned a project manager (PM) to manage the process to completion. The PM appoints a linguist team, specialists in the project’s subject matter, which includes a translator and editor with the option of a proofreader or DTP artist if needed. The PM is responsible for communicating all project details to each linguist and for ensuring your project stays on schedule.
3. Translation: A translator converts your source language to his native target language. If available, the translator will leverage existing translations, glossaries, and translation memory to render the most consistent and accurate translation.
4. Editing: An independent native speaker examines the translation for consistency, completeness and accuracy.
5. Proofreading: A third native speaker performs a linguistic review of the translated and edited document, and checks for readability, consistency, and style. (Proofreading is optional.)
6. Formatting: Using a desktop publishing program, we insert your translated text in your desired layout, ensuring the foreign language document mirrors the original English document.
7. Proofing: Documents are exhaustively proofed for non-linguistic standards of completeness, correctness, and consistency. Format is detailed until it matches the original.

Will I also need DTP?
DTP will most likely be needed if:
- The document requires formatting in something other than Microsoft Word or RTF.
- You plan on manipulating non-Roman text.
- There is text embedded in your graphics.
- You need non-Roman text placed in a layout.

How do I figure out my word count?
Access the Tools menu in Microsoft Word and select “word count.” We double-check word counts on all incoming documents, but encourage you to use the function if accessible and to specify a word count.

Should I work with a freelance translator or a translation agency?
Consider the cost, your budget, and needs. Assigning someone in your office to translate documents might be a short-term economical solution for your business. Still, you wouldn’t promote a mailroom clerk to an operation manager with no experience, would you? Linguistic tradition, cultural norms, regional customs—the details make or break your position in a competitive market. If you have the resources to employ a freelance translator with the skills necessary for effective translation, this may be a sound economical decision. Still, make sure it is someone experienced and qualified who can produce a quality translation. If not, your long-term costs just tripled.

Let’s talk about what you need: How many documents do you realistically need translated and in how many languages? Now think about the freelance translator you are considering hiring. Can they realistically handle a translation workload for multiple languages requiring quality, speed, and accuracy? Do they possess the experience needed to manage every aspect of a multifaceted translation process? A translation agency handles every stage for you within your budget and timeframe, and most support multiple languages. Our project manager designates a team—experts in the project’s target market—to complete the project to your satisfaction.

Let’s talk about cost:
Translation fees are not the only monetary expenses to consider. Mistakes cost. Time costs. Ineffective translation costs. Lost business costs. Overhead costs. A translation agency can eliminate excess costs by eliminating mistakes. Of course, if keeping costs down is most important to you, then having someone in your office translate is an option. You opened a business so you’re willing to take risks—but, are risks that negatively affect your business for years to come worth it? As a proven translation agency, our system secures our clients a successful and continued presence in the global market.

Let’s talk about budget:
Realistically, you need to save money wherever you can. As a translation agency, we are armed with a like-minded philosophy and have implemented a consultative system to help you achieve your goals in a manner that is cost-effective for your business. It starts at the beginning. We offer a free quote service so that you determine if we are right for you.

How do you price translation?
Traditionally, translations are priced by the word, or by the project if the item is a small document requiring more than just translation (generally a more cost-effective solution for the client). The best way to receive an accurate and detailed quote is for the client to email the document to us. We will assess its complexity and scope and send a quote within 24 hours.

* Alternative factors may affect price: language(s), subject matter, required turnaround, output, availability of original files, and graphics translation.

How do you qualify linguists?
Avantpage linguists are required to submit a resume, letter of interest, verifiable translation references, proof of certification, and samples of past work. All applicants must pass a demanding qualifying exam. Additional requirements:

• Native fluency in the target language.
• Translation certification such as those provided by the American Translators Association.
• Five years translation experience.
• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an appropriate field.
• Familiarity with current terminology in specialized areas.
• Access to appropriate tools such as up-to-date computers, multiple software applications, translation memory software, dictionaries, and reference tools.
• An awareness of cultural differences and language subtleties.
• Technical translators require additional experience to work in specific fields.

What is your quality-assurance process?
Quality assurance is our promise of excellence. All projects receive our attention through a six-tiered process—project assessment, project management, translation, editing, formatting, proofing—that ensures quality, accuracy, and effectiveness. For more on our process, please visit our quality assurance page.

How is my project managed?
A project manager is assigned to your project and is your one point of contact throughout the process. Your project is managed through our advanced project management system Avantflow. Please visit our project management page for more information on this exciting tool.

Will you develop and maintain a terminology list specific to my project?
Terminology lists or glossaries are not necessary for every project. If you have a large volume of reoccurring projects, we recommend that you create one. A glossary is the foundation for consistent and accurate translations for the long-run.

Do you deliver on deadline?
We are always on time, even under tight deadlines. Contact us to find out how we can assist you within your timeframe.

How accurate are estimates?
Generally, they are very accurate. The more information you provide upfront, the more accurate our estimate will be. Factoring in language(s), subject matter, turnaround, deliverables, availability of original files, and graphics translation, we do our very best to stick to the original estimate given. If we feel that the project might go over budget, the client is always consulted before we proceed.

Can you provide me references and samples of completed projects similar to mine?
Absolutely! We encourage you to visit our clients’ page or use the contact form for direct reference.

What is the difference between Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese?
Under Mao, the People’s Republic of China simplified their written characters. Mainland China standardized their writing system to Simplified Chinese, while the majority of other communities using Chinese characters retained the Traditional Chinese characters. Both are double byte and have thousands of characters, but use different typefaces and encodings.
• Simplified: The Chinese script used in the People’s Republic of China.
• Traditional: The Chinese script used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and expatriate communities (e.g., Chinese in US).

What is the difference between Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese?
Mandarin and Cantonese are different spoken dialects of Chinese. There is little to no difference in the written translation of documents, regardless of the region’s spoken dialect.