Fed up of paying for translations that are still peppered with mistakes? At the end of your tether wondering why this is… and what you can do about it?
8th March is National Proofreading Day…
One word. Proofreading.
You see, proofreading is the bedrock of error free English, to spot and correct any mistakes before the text is released in to the public domain.
Exactly the same principles apply to translations. But there’s more to it for leading edge agencies specialising in pristine translation from one language to another.
So, when you’re entrusting a translation agency with texts as business critical as your website, contracts or instruction sheets, what should you be looking out for?
Three Powerhouse Ways Proofreading Changes the Game
It’s always a positive sign when a translation agency puts specific onus on proofreading at the end of the translation process. So, take it as a supersized box tick if they mention the following things:
- Native speaking input – It’s never wise to completely rely on non-native speakers, however long they’ve lived in a country or studied the language. This is because a native speaker can capture subtleties and convey them in their own language. To this end, ‘in country’ proofreaders are the best bet. They can pick up on anything that sounds a bit ‘off’, which isn’t a tone your business wants to get noticed for. In worst cases, it can make you look ridiculous or offensive. You don’t want to go there!
- Avoidance of unreliable AI translation – AI can be handy for quick translations of incoming emails. But it’s not advisable for your manuals or marketing materials. The good news is an agency can tidy up poor machine translation. But, the process of unpicking its faults can be fiddly, more time-consuming and costlier than paying for a professional from scratch.
- English speaking finishing touches – A final UK proofreading is vital to getting your finished translation 100% spot on, in case an ‘in country’ translator hasn’t completely understood a nuance of English used in the UK. In a nutshell, an ‘in country’ proofreader, backed up with a UK-based checker, ensures a failproof 360-degree job.
At Accutranslate, you’re assured perfectly proofread translations. Plus, we also check the grammar, punctuation and accents before rubber-stamping your translation as complete. Get in touch for a quote on your next translation job.