Everyone expects the highest level of quality for their translations, for most, this usually means receiving a translation that is readable and understandable.

However, there are a number of levels of quality for translations and it is important to distinguish which level you require as this won’t only affect how the document reads but also the timeline and costs for the document to be translated.

In order to work out which level of quality you require, considering the following questions will help you to make your decision:
•    What language do you require? Usually you would be asked what language pair you need, for example, English into Portuguese or Portuguese into English.
•    Where will the document be used? For example, for English into Portuguese, a different translator would be required for Brazilian or European Portuguese.
•    What is the intended use for the translation?  Dependant on the intended use of the document a number of factors would be altered to achieve the quality required for its use. For example, a legal document that would be used in the courts would require further editing and reviewing to ensure the translated information has the same understanding and perspective as the original, compared to a basic instructions manual for a new product.
Once you have worked out the answers to the questions above, you would need to decide what level of quality you require.

There are four levels of quality for translations and are outlined below:

1.    Machine Translation- this is the lowest level of quality and is usually used if you only need to get a rough idea of the document, it is quite unreliable because words can be missed out in the translation and often fails to deliver the message outlined in the original document.

2.    Literal Translations- are translated word for word and usually lack the correct meaning of words in the translated document. They are usually done by a bi-lingual individual who is not a trained linguist or by trained linguists who are working outside their area of expertise.

3.    Professional Translations- take into account the meaning of the statement and translate so that the same meaning is in the translated document, these translations are always done by a trained linguist who specialise in the topic of the translation, this makes the translated document easy to read and understandable.

4.    Transcreation- is the highest level of quality and is used when the message in the document is of higher importance than the words. This is usually done if the document is going to be used in a specific location, for example, English into Spanish translations for Cuba would contain certain nuances and colloquialisms that would need to be kept in the translation. Instead of translating the exact word, the Spanish equivalent in Cuba would be put in. This means that the readers of the translated document can gain the exact same understanding as the readers of the original document.

This decision is vital to ensure you receive a good quality translation, if you need some assistance in deciding which level is best for you then contact me for further information and guidance.

by +Steph Lyons

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