Translation Help

Frequently Asked Questions

To get a quote [back to top]

To get a quote, please fill out our online quote form and send us your document if it is a small document, such as 2-3 pages. Please send the original file plus a pdf file. For instance, if your document was created in PageMaker, please send the PageMaker file PLUS a pdf file.

For larger projects, please send a file by e-mail to
jrsmith@sh3.com, along with your project specifications. Again, please send us the original file, along with a pdf file.

If your files are too large to send by e-mail, please copy to a CD and send along with your specifications to Jackie Smith, SH3, Inc., 7101 College Boulevard, Suite 500, Overland Park, KS 66210

Or you may call us for ftp information, 913-747-0417.

Are your translators natives of the target language? [back to top]

Yes.

What is meant by “source” and “target” language? [back to top]

The source language is the language in which the original document is written. Target language is the language into which it is being translated.

Are your translators certified or accredited? [back to top]

Clients frequently ask about accreditation or certification. There is no official body in the U.S. that certifies or accredits translators. The American Translators Association offers an accreditation in language pairs (French to English is one language pair) and some of our translators possess those credentials. We believe that a translator’s abilities and experience are most important. An accreditation demonstrates professionalism, but it is not a guarantee of quality work. A translator’s skill must be proven through successful translations.

What type of quality control do you use? [back to top]

Every project that we translate goes through several quality control steps. After the initial translation is crafted by an experienced translator, an editor takes over to fine tune the translation. Then it is proofread. Following the successful formatting of the document, it is checked again by graphics persons and linguists. By the time it is delivered to the client, it has been checked at least four times.

What kind of Spanish do I need for Chile (or other Spanish-speaking country)? [back to top]

Spanish is the language of over 500 million people in more than 20 countries. Each country that speaks Spanish has its own particular flavor, and some words differ from country to country. There are also differences between Continental (Castilian) Spanish and Latin American Spanish. All of that aside, it is possible to craft “universal” Spanish documents that can be read and understood by all. All Spanish-speaking people can read and understand grammatically correct, well-written Spanish. Most companies do not want to support more than one Spanish document; it would be a waste of resources to do so.

What language is spoken in Brazil? [back to top]

Portuguese. There are significant differences in the Portuguese spoken in Brazil and Portugal; therefore it is normally designated as Brazilian Portuguese.

Can I use Brazilian Portuguese for Portugal? [back to top]

There are significant differences in Continental Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. It is advisable to have a Brazilian Portuguese translation edited to make it acceptable for Portugal, and vice versa.

Can I use “regular” French for Canada? [back to top]

By “regular,” you probably mean European French. It is normally acceptable in Quebec, although some French Canadian terms may differ.

Do you translate into Kanji? [back to top]

Kanji is a name for Japanese characters that were adopted from the Chinese alphabet about 1,500 years ago. Japanese is the official language of Japan. Yes, we translate into Japanese.

Do you translate into Mandarin and Cantonese? [back to top]

These are both dialects of Chinese that are spoken by different groups within China. Both groups of people can read written Chinese, and we can provide the translation.

What are Simplified and Traditional Chinese? [back to top]

Traditional Chinese is the set of characters (“alphabet”) that is used in Taiwan. Simplified is used in the People’s Republic of China, or Mainland China. The Traditional Chinese characters, dating back more than 3,000 years, were “simplified” in the 1950′s by the PRC government to make it easier for the masses to read. Many people confuse the different dialects such as Mandarin and Cantonese, with these two written forms of Chinese. We can provide translation into both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

I know a French guy, why can’t he do my translation? [back to top]

Translation is an art that requires unique skills–writing ability, comprehension of two languages, and attention to detail. In addition, most translators are highly educated in a specific subject area–such as medical/pharmaceutical or automotive/engineering. It is extremely rare for a non-professional to have the abilities required to do an accurate, well-written translation. Just because someone speaks the language does not mean that person is capable of producing a good translation.

Is there any reason why my overseas dealer can’t do my translations? [back to top]

Many companies try this; few have success. But often there are problems because the dealer does not have the time to commit to the task, nor the writing ability and comprehension required to accurately translate both the content and intent of the original document. There is a big difference between conversational English and a thorough understanding of the technical details in a lengthy document.

How does one go about becoming a translator? [back to top]

First, a person must have natural ability for language and composition. Then he or she must develop near-native fluency in a second language, which would be the language they are translating from. For instance, if a German native wants to be an English to German translator, that person must become accomplished in the English language. (A translator always translates into his or her native language.) This proficiency may be accomplished by studying and living in a country for several years. The person must become educated and skilled within subject areas, such as medicine or machinery. An investment must be made in setting up office equipment–powerful computer hardware and software, Internet connections, phone and fax lines, etc. A membership in a professional organization such as the American Translators Association, or one of the European professional organizations, is important. Finally, some experience is required for any translator. Some translators start with an in-house position within a company. Many years are invested before a translator can establish himself as a professional and build a network of customers. Speaking another language is only the first step. We receive hundreds of résumés every month; only a few are qualified to do the work we require.

Can you give me a “ballpark” estimate? [back to top]

Yes, we can give you a ballpark estimate, but we need something to look at first. At the very least, we need to see a sample of the text (to determine the subject matter), and an estimate of the size of the project–number of words to be translated and the number of pages in the document. We also need to know if you can provide an electronic file of the document, and what type of electronic files will be provided (Word for Windows, PageMaker, FrameMaker, Interleaf, etc.). A ballpark estimate is just that–a best guess. The final price may vary from the estimate. See “Why do you need my original files to do a quote?” and “Why can’t you give me a price per word?” for more details on how to obtain a firm price.

Why do you need my original files to do a quote? [back to top]

To provide a firm price quotation, we need to see the electronic files that we will work with to do a translation. Electronic files may be FrameMaker, PageMaker, Interleaf Publisher, Quark Xpress, Word for Windows, Excel, PowerPoint, Illustrator, Corel Draw, InDesign, FreeHand, SGML, XML, or HTML. Each of these programs has unique characteristics. The text in the electronic files must be exported for translating with translation memory software. Then the translated text must go back into the publishing program and the formatting must be adjusted. The time involved to do these steps directly affects the cost of the translation project. The file type and how it is set up affect how long the steps will take. Without receiving the electronic files, it’s a best guess and cannot be a guaranteed price.

Why can’t you give me a price per word? [back to top]

Before the advent of translation memory programs and desktop publishing, translators worked from hard copy. Prices were based on a per word rate for the translation. Today, the process is more complex and many additional factors go into the overall price of a job. These steps are part of every project: project management, electronic file preparation, translation memory processing, desktop publishing in any number of different programs, final quality check of both graphics and language. There are also terminology issues, subject matter research, creating electronic files for online use, etc. Because all of these factors must be added into the price, it is nearly impossible to give a flat price per word.

Why does it cost more to translate advertising pieces? [back to top]

Advertising text is creative, and requires extra time to translate adequately. The content must be adapted to fit the culture of the targeted region. Advertising often includes clichés, humor, or plays-on-words that have no direct correlation in other cultures.

Why is the turnaround time so long? [back to top]

Each project must go through several steps–initial translation, editing, proofreading, formatting, and final proofing–and each of these steps involves a different group of people. Skilled translators are in demand and are constantly busy, as are editors. Getting the job into the workflow may take a few days, and then the next step may also take a few days. Try to remember that it will take about as long to do the translation as it did to write the original piece–including editing and review approvals.

Do you translate SGML, XML or HTML files? [back to top]

Yes.

Do you translate web sites? [back to top]

Yes. Please send the html files so that we can do a quote. If only part of the web site is to be translated, provide only the corresponding html files. When the quote is approved, we will work directly in your html files. Some customers are reluctant to provide html files, with the understandable concern that the translators will wreck the coding. We use special tools to protect the code, allowing translators to change only the text. Working directly with html files is a much more efficient approach than trying to cut and paste a text translation into html files after the fact.

Do you translate Help files? [back to top]

Yes. Normally clients send us rtf files exported from the Help program.

What is MAT? [back to top]

MAT stands for machine assisted translation. This is a process whereby human translators use translation memory programs (such as Trados and other software tools) to assist with translation. The translation memory program stores the initial translation, performed by a human translator, in a sentence database. When the translator works on a new document, the translation memory searches the database and retrieves matching sentences. MAT offers many advantages for the translator and client.

Do you use Trados? [back to top]

Yes, we do. Trados is a software company that makes the Trados suite of tools. The translation memory component is called Translator’s Workbench. We use translation memory programs from other companies as well.

What is MT? [back to top]

MT stands for machine translation. This is translation that is generated from a software program. The quality of machine translation is such that it must be post-edited by a translator to be publication quality. Many professionals agree that machine translation is best used where you only want the “gist” of what is being communicated (called “gisting.”)

Do you use machine translation? [back to top]

No. Machine translation requires extensive pre-editing and post-editing. Our feeling is that using human translators assisted by translation memory is just as fast and the final quality is better.

Why did you reduce the point size of the type in my documents? [back to top]

Translation into European languages results in an expansion of 25% to 50%. All of those extra words must go somewhere. If there is not enough white space in the original document, the point size of the type must be reduced to make it fit.

Why are there commas instead of decimal points in the measurements of my translated document? [back to top]

European languages use commas instead of decimals in measurements. Some languages use spaces instead of decimal points.

Why are there funny arrows in my French document? [back to top]

The French language uses
<< and >> instead of English quote marks. Rest assured, when your French document is returned to you, the correct punctuation is in place.

Why are the extra spaces in my translated document? [back to top]

Many European languages add spaces before colons, parentheses, etc. Rest assured that your translated document has been proofread for grammatical errors and is correct when you receive it.

Can you work on Macintosh documents? [back to top]

Yes, we can work with both Macintosh and Windows-based software files.

What type of file will you provide for Chinese, Japanese or Korean documents? [back to top]

If you, or your printer, don’t have Asian operating systems, you probably will need one of two options to be able to print Asian documents. We can provide either: (1) an Acrobat pdf file; or (2) formatted text placed as eps graphics within your original electronic file (Quark, PageMaker, Illustrator, etc.)

How can I apply for freelance work with SH3? [back to top]

To apply for freelance work, please click on APPLY TO FREELANCE, the fourth item under SPECIAL FEATURES to the right of this page, and fill out our online freelance form.

How can I find out about becoming a translator? [back to top]

Professional translation companies such as SH3 work only with professional translators. If you would like to learn more about becoming a professional translator, we recommend you contact the American Translators Association,
www.atanet.org. ATA has publications and resources that offer insight on becoming a professional translator.

 
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