Buying Translation Services

Translation is a fairly inexpensive exercise, but getting it wrong can be costly, which is why we are doing this, says Gavin Wheeldon, CEO of Applied Language Solutions, who are the first company to guarantee translations to 99% accuracy.

As the fastest growing language services provider in the world, Applied Language has enjoyed unparalleled success since its humble beginnings in 2003. The company's exploits, which now includes offices in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, have been dubbed 'from bedroom to boardroom' wherever there exists commentary.  As owner and founder, Gavin explains how their success has been built on delivering high quality translations, with exemplary customer service.

With a global client base that includes Dell, Google, HSBC and Nike, the company has amassed a network of 14,000 linguists who are based throughout the world, servicing contracts for translation, interpreting, telephone interpreting and language courses. Having such a high profile customer base, Gavin warns, brings certain responsibilities "Companies can be too keen just to win contracts or projects from big names.  I'd hate it if we were to ever accept a project without realising how we would deliver.  That would take the shine off so much hard work, and go against everything we know about our industry and the way it should be served."

Due to the effects of the recession, the company has noticed of late an increasing focus on translation quality from customers who are looking for to lower their cost base, as Gavin explains "Budgets everywhere are strained, and we understand that where companies are trying to get the best prices. It's very important that buyers can see commitment from translation providers who can negotiate on price, but without compromising the quality. That is why we are offering translations quality to a guaranteed 99%"

The Applied Language story began in a board room of one of the company's now unmentionable competitors, where Gavin pitched his model for a translation provider that focused on quality and customer service "They simply didn't like what I was suggesting" explains Gavin, adding "What I was suggesting required big changes and it was instantly made clear to me that it wasn't going to happen, so I left to start Applied Language."

In addition to offering a 99% quality guarantee, the company is keen to share its expertise and has left Business magazine readers with its top ten translation tips.

Service Director John Dixon explains "Getting a document ready for translation can be problematic, especially if you're a first time buyer of translation services", continuing "Since we're in the business of making translation as simple as possible for everyone, the company has put together a list of 10 tips to consider when creating a document you want to have translated.  All we ask is that you pass this guidance on" 

1. Edit, Edit, Edit
Don't use 200 words when ten will do. The simpler your document is, the more accurate the translation will be. Also, because translation is usually charged by the word you will save money as well, which is something your supplier should make very clear.

2. Use plenty of white space in your documents
Copy that is translated often ends up being longer than the original version. This is called "text expansion". This is particularly true when translating into the Romantic languages such as Italian or Spanish. So, leaving ample white space in your document should ensure that the overall design doesn't need amending for the translated version. German text is on average 30% longer than an equivalent English text.

3. Think about how you're designing graphics
Translating text contained inside graphics can be costly and takes time. To translate copy in graphics translators will have to open the file in the programme it was originally designed in and save it back again once the translation is completed. If your graphics do contain text, try to create it in the page layout or in word processing software. That way only one document will require translation.

4. Choose your typefaces carefully
Some languages use special accents and characters and some of the more outlandish or ornate typefaces don't have those characters designed in to them.

5. Write with an international audience in mind
Don't use slang, local phrases or analogies in your documents. These are very hard to translate and the meaning will almost definitely be lost on your end audience.  Being "at the end of your tether" can mean an abundance of different things in foreign languages!

6. Think about color
Colors can have huge cultural references in differing parts of the world. Not taking note of these before translation may mean disastrous results once you publish your document.

In China, colors are taken to have superstitious meaning:

• Red is the color of blood or life and will bring happiness, wealth, fame, and good luck.
• Black is associated with evil, disaster and bad fortune.
• White symbolises moderation, purity, honesty and life and balances red and black.

7. Ensure your design is flexible
If you have designed your document using templates, ensure it can be adapted for the target language you want to translate into. For example some languages don't read left to right so you may need to review the running order of your document.

8. Develop a glossary of frequently used terms and phrases
If you have a long technical document or you know you will have frequent need for translation make a glossary of frequently used jargon or terms specific to your field this will ensure they are translated consistently throughout your document. This will develop a base for repetitions known as Translation Memory - this will lead to reduced costs as all repetitions should be marked down in price. The more translation memory you have, the less you will pay for translations in the long-run.

9. Explain acronyms
If your text uses acronyms make sure you explain it's meaning the first time it appears. That way even though the words which make it up have been translated the English acronym can remain throughout the translation.

10. The human touch
Whilst machine translations may well serve quick references well, they don't understand the context of sentences. Relying on machine translations will yield very literal translation, which could give you some very alarming results. While machine translations can give you a good idea of the meaning of a document, it's never going to be as good as a human translator, so use human translators whenever you can.

If you would like a free translation quote from Applied Language, click here or email enquiries@appliedlanguage.com or call (US) +1 (800) 579 5010 or (UK) +44 (0) 845 367 7000.