translation quality

According to the adage, a rose by any other name is still a rose. Also in translation, the same thing can often be said in multiple ways. Sometimes, there may be situations in which a customer and a translator disagree on the best term to use. How can we decide which term is better? How does a translator manage terms during the translation process?

Translators always walk a fine line in order to get a translation right. There are times when the differences in terminology choices are lines drawn in the sand, and it might be difficult to say which term is the most appropriate for the context. Customers sometimes give feedback that even if a specific term’s translation is correct, there is another equivalent they would rather use in the text in question.

As a starting point, the customer’s suggestion will be used unless it is, for one reason or another, a poor choice or erroneous. If this is the case, the matter is discussed further with the customer and it is explained why the term suggested by the translator would be a more appropriate choice for the context. All agreed terms are stored in a term base to keep the information safe and terminology consistent.

Background research

Researching different matters and searching for information are staples in a translator’s work, with the actual translating interwoven with searching for information. Often, terminology issues brew in the unconscious, and solutions to key issues might pop up in the most surprising places.

Translators are familiar with the specific field they translate and look for terms from, among other places, the customer’s website and public databases, but they cannot know about terms that have been decided internally by the customer and are not available publicly. Often, terms also have different translation equivalents. It is the customer’s responsibility to decide which term to use.

Sometimes, the idea is to use the most common terminology, while on other occasions, the customer wishes to differentiate itself from the competition with its very own terminology. The translator should receive specific instructions if the customer wishes to use different translation options according to the context.

Unestablished terminology

There are situations in which the translator may even have to come up with a completely new word. More often the case is that the translator has to use terminology that is not yet established, or a term that is not yet commonly known.

At times, it may be a good idea to include the term in the source language in brackets since, in some fields, people may be more familiar with the foreign language term than its Finnish equivalent. There may also be other reasons for this: for example, when translating instructions on applying for a benefit related to Finnish social security, including the benefit’s Finnish name in an English-language text could be useful for the reader.

Specialty terms

Our experience has shown that new customers are very concerned about whether the translator really is familiar with a certain field of business. For us, each translation assignment is special and deserves a translator who is familiar with the subject matter and its special terminology. This is why translation assignments are allocated to translators on the basis of the field of business and text type. In addition, various translation tools, such as translation memory software and term bases, are used in quality assurance.

In organisations of all sizes, it must be ensured that terms are used consistently so that the organisation’s internal and external communications are uniform and professional. A company’s own term base also makes the translator’s work easier. With a well-maintained term base and transparent cooperation, translating content becomes easier and unnecessary misunderstandings are avoided. Read also our 5 + 1 tips for managing companies’ terms.

Translation quality – aah, the eternal question! The quality of a translation is, more or less, a matter of opinion. It is true that the best way to evaluate the quality of a translation is to read the finished text. However, there are certain things that can help you determine something about the quality of a translation agency even before you place an order. What does a language expert consider to be a good translation?

Quality system

When looking for a suitable translation agency, it is a good idea to pay attention to whether the company has an audited quality system. The fact that the translation agency’s quality system has one or even more certifications suggests at least that the elements of quality have been taken into account and these are documented and monitored. In the best translation agencies, quality is constantly developed.

If a deviation is detected in any element of quality, it is corrected and thought is given to how the occurrence of similar deviations in the future can be prevented. Learning from mistakes improves quality!

Purpose of the translation

A key factor regarding the quality of a translation is how it works for its intended purpose. Translation is not about literally translating word for word; rather, professional translators succeed in conveying the desired message naturally in the target language. To do this, however, the translator must be aware of the purpose of the translation.

Sometimes, a translation is required simply to communicate what the text actually says. At other times, the purpose of the translation is to evoke emotions, persuade you or leave a deep impression. If the contact person at your translation agency asks you about the purpose of the translation, you know they are also paying attention to the context of the translation.

So what is a good translation?

It is impossible to give one correct answer to this, because what constitutes a good translation depends a great deal on the case in question. With some texts, the most important issue is accuracy, whereas with other cases it is fluency.

“For our clients, sticking to the timetable is sometimes even the most important quality criterion. For example, a fantastic translation of a speech that is completed only half an hour after that speech should have been given in the language in question is for all practical purposes a bad translation, whereas an average translation of the same speech and delivered on time would be regarded as a better translation,” says Delingua’s Head Translator Anja Lintukorpi.

Translators do a lot of different background work to ensure the quality of a translation. For example, the guidelines and recommendations of Kotus (the Institute for the Languages of Finland) serve as support for linguistic quality. The desired style can be traced, for example, from the customer’s other materials and websites. They are also good sources of terms, as well as other industry publications, glossaries and the internet in general.

“If there are several term options, it’s worth checking with the customer what they want to use. As background work, I also take into account if there is anything unclear or even possible errors in the content of the text to be translated, and the customer will be asked about this as well,” says Anja.

How can the customer help?

In many ways, of course! Delingua’s translators don’t have a crystal ball. They are extremely professional in gathering information and are familiar with the terminology of the areas they specialise in, but information is not always available from public sources. For this reason, we ask you to provide all possible reference material to support the work of our translators.

Every company has its own terminology, and at least someone has an idea of the desired style for the translation – and we would like to know these. With the help of this information, projects can be completed more smoothly.

“The customer should provide the translation agency with any reference materials and any other tips that relate to the assignment. And they should also say if, in their opinion, any of the material they have published is not good and should therefore not be used as a source. It is also important that the customer reacts to questions in good time – or that someone is available to answer questions at all,” says Anja.

You certainly know the purpose of the translation you need and other expectations regarding the service. Explain these to the translation agency, although a really good translation agency will already ask about them! This ensures that the cooperation is uncomplicated and the translation you receive meets your expectations.

The price of a translation is influenced by many different factors and pricing is rarely straightforward. In tendering, it may seem tempting to choose the cheapest quote; however, in the worst case, this is also reflected negatively in the quality of the translation. What actually is a cheap translation and is the cheapest always the best?

Translation agencies come in many shapes and sizes but, in the end, they all promise the same things: high-quality translations and affordable prices. Unfortunately, in many organisations, the mindset is “the cheaper, the better”. The true competition is usually in prices, even though quality is part of the tendering process.

In reality, customers are rarely happy with a translation that is produced at the cheapest price. The final price may easily become higher than expected when a cheaply translated text has to be re-translated by another translation agency. You rarely get a good translation at a cheap price and, in our opinion, tendering should not be based solely on prices; instead, a translation agency should be chosen primarily on the basis of quality.

Translation price

Pricing is influenced, first and foremost, by the content of the service, the word count of the source text, the language pair, the schedule and the file type. The price of the translation service may include proofreading, rounds of corrections and professional service. When organising tendering for translation agencies, it should be ensured that both the price and the quality meet the expectations of the tenderer.

Unfortunately, expert services can rarely be compared straightforwardly. The translation price shown in the quote may not tell you what is included in the service or how the translation service is delivered. One agency may offer an edited and proofread translation for the same price, while another agency may offer a machine translation only. For some, the ordering process is thoroughly automated, while for others the price includes tailored solutions.  

How much does quality cost?

It would be easiest to say that good is never cheap. Unfortunately, however, this is not always the case, as good quality largely depends on what the customer expects from the translation service. What’s good for one customer could be completely unacceptable for another.

In addition, the customer often has the option of choosing the desired service level. Although, by default, you should always expect a professional agency to produce excellent linguistic quality, the service purchased by the customer may range from a so-called raw machine translation to a copy-edited translation that has been honed down to the last detail.

Translation profitability (ROI)

What do you get with the money you invest in a translation? The internationalisation of a Finnish company inevitably requires translations into at least one foreign language. This language is usually English and it’s certainly a way to get started, but in Europe alone up to 90 per cent of consumers say they prefer products offered in their own language. So, it’s likely that conquering the world requires translations and localisation, i.e. the adaptation of materials, into several languages.

Even after the choice of languages, you should monitor whether the investment in the language version, particularly its maintenance, is profitable. Buying translations is not a one-off expense item: the materials require regular updates, and customer service and marketing in foreign languages is not free. For this reason and because the maintenance of the language version also incurs costs, it’s advisable to keep an eye on translation profitability (ROI) on an ongoing basis and also include costs closely related to the language version, such as search engine optimisation (SEO) or Google advertising.

There are many ways to measure return on investment (ROI) in translations and the maintenance of language versions. Most commonly, the aim of adding a new language version is to attract more customers and sales. Indeed, the buying of translations should always be linked with business objectives. Always consider first why software or materials, for instance, should be translated into a certain language and what are the objectives that are pursued with the language versions.

A translation service is always the sum of its parts

The most important thing is to stop for a moment before making a purchase decision and think about what you are buying and what you expect from a translation service. Then, with the help of background research, find out which translation agencies can best meet your needs. Analyse the agencies’ data security, technology and references. Find out what is included in the price of the translation and what you pay for separately.  

If you need certain system integrations to facilitate your own work, look for agencies with suitable solutions. If you need a quick translation agency, focus on turnaround times in tendering. If your top priority is quality, pay attention to quality assurance, service processes and expertise in project management.

In a nutshell: when you know what you want, you usually get what you are willing to pay for. In the end, it’s never just a question of translation, it’s always about the translation service.