Spanish is one of the world's most widely spoken languages. It's the official language of Spain as well as most countries in Latin America. Moreover, it's spoken by communities of Latin American immigrants in countries like the USA and Australia. If your organization can address people in their own language, it will not only boost your corporate image and bring you more clients but it will also prevent misunderstandings because of language barriers. However, it's very important to choose the best candidate to translate English to Spanish.
The first requirement for a good translator in the language pair is that the person should be fluent in both languages. For a translator, it's always best to translate from the language he or she is less confident in to the language he or she speaks most fluently. In other words, you need to look for someone whose first language is Spanish.
It's also very important to take your target market into account. There are different variations of Spanish and you need to decide whether your texts will be geared toward readers from Spain or from Latin American countries. In order to ensure that you'll be addressing your target market in their own language, not only linguistically but culturally too, it's preferable to choose a translator that comes from the same cultural background and will be able to use local phrases.
Using translation software instead of a human translator is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. The problem with translation programs is that they don't translate texts phrase by phrase but instead work on a word for word basis. They don't look at context either. This can completely change the meaning of the text and in many cases it gives you texts that are unintelligible.
Bad translators aren't much better than translation software. They simply use a bilingual dictionary and translate your texts word for word. Good translators, in contrast, will look at the context of each phrase and think about what it is they're translating. They're also creative thinkers and good at solving problems.
A great starting point when trying to find real translators is to see whether they belong to any kind of professional translators' association. These groups don't allow just anybody to become a member but use stringent tests to decide whether someone's work is of a high enough standard before granting them membership. Another good indication of whether someone will be up to the task is to see whether they have any experience of translating for the publishing industry, which also has very high standards.
Before you assign the task, ask the candidate to translate a paragraph or two as a sample. Most professional translators will be happy to do this. It's a way for them to prove their abilities and for you to see whether they're a good fit. Ask several people who speak Spanish to check the sample translation and comment on its accuracy and readability.
Just like you wouldn't trust a doctor who charges fifty dollars for brain surgery, you shouldn't trust a translator who charges very low rates. Find out what the industry standard is. Professionals will charge rates in this price range, while amateurs rarely know what the industry standard is and will charge much less. When it comes to translation, quality costs more but it's a great investment, since bad quality will just alienate your target market.
The first requirement for a good translator in the language pair is that the person should be fluent in both languages. For a translator, it's always best to translate from the language he or she is less confident in to the language he or she speaks most fluently. In other words, you need to look for someone whose first language is Spanish.
It's also very important to take your target market into account. There are different variations of Spanish and you need to decide whether your texts will be geared toward readers from Spain or from Latin American countries. In order to ensure that you'll be addressing your target market in their own language, not only linguistically but culturally too, it's preferable to choose a translator that comes from the same cultural background and will be able to use local phrases.
Using translation software instead of a human translator is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. The problem with translation programs is that they don't translate texts phrase by phrase but instead work on a word for word basis. They don't look at context either. This can completely change the meaning of the text and in many cases it gives you texts that are unintelligible.
Bad translators aren't much better than translation software. They simply use a bilingual dictionary and translate your texts word for word. Good translators, in contrast, will look at the context of each phrase and think about what it is they're translating. They're also creative thinkers and good at solving problems.
A great starting point when trying to find real translators is to see whether they belong to any kind of professional translators' association. These groups don't allow just anybody to become a member but use stringent tests to decide whether someone's work is of a high enough standard before granting them membership. Another good indication of whether someone will be up to the task is to see whether they have any experience of translating for the publishing industry, which also has very high standards.
Before you assign the task, ask the candidate to translate a paragraph or two as a sample. Most professional translators will be happy to do this. It's a way for them to prove their abilities and for you to see whether they're a good fit. Ask several people who speak Spanish to check the sample translation and comment on its accuracy and readability.
Just like you wouldn't trust a doctor who charges fifty dollars for brain surgery, you shouldn't trust a translator who charges very low rates. Find out what the industry standard is. Professionals will charge rates in this price range, while amateurs rarely know what the industry standard is and will charge much less. When it comes to translation, quality costs more but it's a great investment, since bad quality will just alienate your target market.
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