| Translation
Deciding
who is going to handle your translation from English to
Russian is not a task to be taken lightly. Only you can
say how much time and effort was put into creating the original
document. So before you begin, ask yourself these questions:
•
How important is this translation?
• What is at stake?
• What do I want to achieve?
• What am I risking?
By
answering these questions you can define the purpose of
your translation and therefore clarify the level of service
that is required. If it is to give general background information
to a select audience then you will not need the same level
of service as for a translated article that is intended
for mass publication.
There
is no point spending a lot of money on a Russian translation
if it is not necessary. On the other hand, if you are hoping
to impress a future client then going for a 'cheap and cheerful'
translation could spell disaster. As with most things in
life, you get what you pay for.
Generally
speaking, there are many translators who will offer a good
service. However, there are others (as in any industry)
that fail to live up to their promises.
This
page is all about helping you to choose the right partner
to handle your Russian translation project. The intention
is to highlight the good points and the bad points, what
to look for, what to avoid, etc, which should help you become
more aware of the positive, and negative, qualities that
might surface when searching for a Russian translator.
1.
What is the purpose of the translation?
Spell out your ambitions to the translation companies you
talk to. Tell them what you want to achieve. They must be
able to deliver. Don't let them overcharge you for a simple
job, but choosing the cheapest and fastest at the expense
of quality can be a poor investment.
2.
Make sure that the company handling a translation from English
to Russian is using native Russian translators
Truly accomplished translators do not simply transform words
from one language into another. What they must have is a
local viewpoint. Whilst engaged in the translation process,
they must be able to visualize the target audience and try
to work out how an English sentence could be said most effectively
in that particular cultural context. To do this, of course,
they have to feel at home with the Russian language and
culture. This is the case only with people who have actually
lived there, which is entirely different from simply knowing
the language. Make sure your translation company uses native
translators only.
3.
Subject knowledge
The company providing you with your translation must be
able to call upon translators who have specialist knowledge
in your subject. The more specialised your translator is,
the better the outcome will be. Just as you would not ask
a mechanic to treat a back pain problem, do not let a farming
specialist translate a computer operator's manual. You need
a computer specialist instead.
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