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Buying TranslationsThis brief guide is designed to help you find the right translation vendor for your needs and maximise your chances of getting a translation that works.
Lost sales, missed opportunities, a damaged corporate image: if your foreign-language documentation is not up to scratch, your international ventures will be compromised.
Entering a foreign market can be difficult: unfamiliar business conventions and advertising cultures, different laws and regulations, and a foreign language can all put obstacles in the way.
Language professionals can help you optimise your copy to make the best of available opportunities. Choosing the right translation vendor will be decisive in your international success. A decision based on price alone may be much more expensive in the long run.
 Freelance translator or translation agency?Translation vendors fall broadly into two categories. Which type can best meet your needs depends mainly on your specific requirements:
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Freelance translators
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Translation companies/agencies
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work independently, usually translating from one or more foreign languages into their native tongue. Some offer added value services, such as desktop publishing, voiceover, revision, or language consulting.
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provide translations completed and checked either in-house or (more often) using freelance translators. May offer added value services, such as typesetting, publishing, project management, or language consulting.
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Advantages
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All work is done by the same professional. This helps ensure consistency and allows the translator to become familiar with your business and products.
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May have more comprehensive management resources for handling larger projects involving many languages.
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Direct contact with the translator allows a close working relationship to be established.
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May be able to provide related services (such as DTP or pre-press) that many freelances do not offer.
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Whichever you choose, make sure that your translation vendor can fulfill the following criteria:
Criteria for selecting a translation vendor
- Expertise and subject knowledge – most translators and many translation service providers (TSP) specialise in a particular text type (e.g. technical documentation, marketing material) and/or subject (e.g. software localisation, legal translation)
- Technical resources – capability to handle specific file formats,
 CAT/TM, etc.
- Experience with comparable translation projects.
- Language skills – in most cases, it is best to use translators with native-speaker competence in the target language
- Commitment to quality – TSPs may work to the EN 15038 standard for translation ventures or be affiliated to a translators’ association, while freelance translators may be accredited or have formal qualifications. None of these guarantee quality, but – together with verifiable subject experience – can be a useful guideline.
- Use a translator or TSP who is committed to good, effective communication.
Further information
For further advice or to discuss your requirements, get in touch any time.
Contact details
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Further reading
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 You, too, play an important role in getting the best from your translation vendor.
More...
Chris Durban’s
The Onionskin
articles in the
ITI Bulletin
(see the
 Translation Journal for a few examples) feature case studies of both good and bad translation practice.
The booklet
 Translation – getting it right provides further advice to help you avoid stress when buying translations.
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Deutsch
About trans-k 
Buying Translations
