Considering the Source Text: An Audio Guide to Translation Procurement

Procuring translation for your business but unsure if AI is the way to go? Our MD, Andrew explores key factors to consider beforehand in this episode of his mini-podcast series: Considering the Source Text. Listen to discover why considering the quality of your source text material matters more than you might think, and how a professional translator can even identify hidden errors in your source text, for free! This is episode two of three. You can listen to the first in the series here, where Andrew tackles how to engage global markets. Stay tuned for the third episode, where he’ll dive into translation for international business development.

Find the Transcript below to ‘Considering the Source Text’:

This is the second in my series of videos looking at different aspects of buying translation services. This one looks at the original version of the text you’re planning to translate, and draws your attention to some key points.

Firstly, how long did it take to write the source text?

An important consideration with translating sales & marketing copy or promotional content is how long it took you (or the writer) to write the original copy?

If the writer had to take their time to think about how to present the information in a fluent well-written way, and to make the reading experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible, then you will be unlikely to achieve the same effect in the translated version if it hasn’t been written by a human.

Also, bear in mind the original content might have gone through various iterations before it was sufficiently fine-tuned and polished for publication.

Another consideration: technical terms or sector terminology

Do you use wordings or phrases that are individual to your company, business activity, or sector? What about search engine optimisation (SEO). Your translated SEO keywords and terms will need to be the correct ones that are used in the same context in the target language or languages. Can this level of preparation, care and consistency be duplicated by a computerised process?

Even if you opt for a hybrid AI/human approach to localising your content, where the AI output is post-edited by a professional translator, bear in mind that post-editors typically work at a rate of around 500-1000 words per hour, a rate that is probably much faster than the work of the original copywriter.

To sum up, the localisation workflow you choose will depend on your target readers, the wider audience, the information content, search engine findability, and the overall objectives of the localisation project. These factors should all be considered in advance as part of your wider business development strategy.

Bonus service: spotting errors and inconsistencies in your source text

An often overlooked benefit of working with a professional translation provider is that source version correction and optimisation is provided for free! Our translators take pride in ensuring that the meaning of what they are translating make sense and is in line with their understanding of the context and the purpose of the translation project. In fact that’s the only way their translations can be 100% reliable and accurate. They’re also trained to ask questions when they don’t understand something in the source text. Or, when they’re not sure that something makes sense.

Often our Project Managers can sort things out in-house using their knowledge of the client and the sector. However, sometimes it’s apparent that something’s not quite right in the source version, and then we ask you, the client.

More often than not the client is unaware there are errors in the source version. These can range from: a simple typo where we might not need to bother you, to copied & pasted wordings that are in the wrong place, whole sentences that seem to be out of context, or occasionally just plain gibberish.

We work with you to get all these fixed with the minimum of fuss. In a multi-language project requiring many different language versions, this can save you an enormous amount of hassle and potentially cost further down the line.

In my next video, I’ll be talking about translating for international business development.

Thanks for listening!

A podcast by  Andrew Schlich.