Translation services can be extremely valuable to businesses in the modern day. Rather than having to deal with translation “in-house” companies who outsource to a translation agency can save time and money. Of course, the quality of the translated product will depend largely on the credentials of the agency that you choose.
The first misconception is about the nature of the process itself. Many clients will demand a word for word translation, however this often isn’t going to get the best final product. Instead, the best translated documents are often those that capture the sense of the piece however change it considerably so that it “works” in the target language.
Many clients will demand native speakers, or think that native speakers are in the best position to offer the best translation. Of course there’s logic here, however it’s a logic that is on shaky ground. The best translator is the person who’s best at translating, full stop. Native speakers might be in the best position to offer good translation but they aren’t the be all and end all.
The last misconception is in regards to what clients want from business translation. Business translation specifically needs to be accurate, perhaps somewhat technical and detailed. Often, businesses will also require relatively fast translations. The misconception here is that quality translations can’t be quick too, when in fact a faster translation might be just what a business is looking for.
