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Translations in Germany
What makes a good translator?
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A translator is a person who rewrite a text, document or website in another language, attempting to keep a delicate balance between being so literal that the text sounds awkward and unnatural in the new language or being so free that the text has become virtually unrecognizable. A translator has to not only translate the words, but also the concepts. In other words, a translator unlocks the prison of language, as Ms. Lesser said, and helps a text break free of its limited original language, culture, and audience. This service is an unfortunately under-appreciated art and craft.
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To do all the above, a translator must have the following things: a native or near-native level of proficiency in both the source language (the language to be translated from) and the target language (the language to be translated to); the ability to thoroughly understand all that a text says and implies; and excellent writing and editing skills. Ideally, the translator would also have a lot of knowledge about both the source and target language cultures, as this affects word usage and meaning, as well as about the author of the original document and his style of writing.
What is a Translation Agency?
Translators have all had to deal with agencies at one point or another. Although some of us work exclusively with agencies, others have their own clients, and a still others work in-house for a company or organization. Nonetheless, no translator can afford, literally or figuratively, to ignore agencies, and it behooves every translator to know as much about them as possible.
An agency is a service house that provides clients with translations. There are translation agencies in every major city around the world. There are large chains of translation agencies. Other agencies have a headquarters in a major city and then numerous branches in other cities, not necessarily in the same country. And some translation agencies are smaller operations, with only one office sometimes staffed by only one or two people.
Agencies often specialize, providing translation services for only one or a few related languages. Some agencies work exclusively with Japanese, or Spanish, both high volume languages in the United States at present. Others work only with Asian languages, or only with Middle-eastern languages. Also, many agencies specialize in subject areas, providing services for translate German, medical translation, software localization, or legal translation.
Always remember that translation agencies are first and foremost businesses. Like all other forms of business, they live and die by their ability to turn a profit. And their ability to turn a profit rests firmly in their capacity to find good translators and work successfully with them. In other words, translators are the lifeblood of an agency. A translation agency without translators will go out of business immediately. An agency must have translators and prefers to have good, reliable translators. The opposite, however, is not necessarily true. Many translators work with end-clients directly, providing most of the services that agencies do. Most translators, however, myself included, get at least some of their work from agencies. If you’re wondering why translators all just don’t strike out on their own, read on.
German Translations
Internet access has made hiring a professional translation extremely easy. Some companies promise to return your work within the hour, and small pieces of text will only cost you a few dollars. Larger documents will cost more, so it is important to spend your money wisely. A company that does not highlight why their service is high quality, probably does not offer a very high quality service.
How much to pay for a translation
Prices can vary a little when you get a German translation, but generally they are fairly standard. Remember that you can get a poor quality translation for free, so it would be silly to pay for one! Do not choose a company purely because of the price they offer. It is far better to choose a company because of the quality they provide. If they do not support the languages you require, there are a number of others who will.
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