It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages.
Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer them to another. The right professional will have solid knowledge of your industry and will know how to culturally adapt your content for the target audience you are trying to reach. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it counts.
Can I afford to hire a professional?
You can't afford NOT to. Getting your message wrong can cost money, ruin your image, and even cost lives. Whether you’re having a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign translated or need an interpreter to communicate treatment options between a doctor and patient, it pays to hire a professional to get the job done right.
Instead of hiring a professional, this restaurant used machine translation and did not realize the result was an error message.
Understanding what’s at stake
ATA publishes articles to illustrate why it is critical to hire qualified translators and interpreters.
Slavic Language Division Member Amy Lesiewicz Wins Translation Prize
At the ATA Annual Conference in San Diego, Amy Lesiewicz, an SLD member, was awarded the S. Edmund Berger Prize for Excellence in Scientific and Technical Translation. The Berger prize is one of several prizes awarded annually by the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation, a non-profit entity closely linked with ATA. Jen Guernsey interviewed Amy about the prize and…
Ten steps to make your technical translation projects a success
This article describes ten effective steps technical writers, publishers, or communications managers can take to ensure that translation projects go smoothly and to everyone’ s satisfaction. Steps to take before the actual translation 1. Plan ahead Investing a few hours of your time in the preparation of the translation project will pay off greatly. Resist the urge to assign your…
What do Translation Buyers and Fourth Graders Have in Common?
Most translators and interpreters care deeply about the future of their professions and welcome the opportunity to talk to students of any age about their jobs. This was why I recently leapt at the chance to visit my daughter’s 4th grade class to talk about translation and interpretation. I hope the class came away from my talk with some valuable…
What is the Difference Between Translation and Interpreting?
The American Translators Association represents both translators and interpreters; in fact, our tagline is “The voice of interpreters and translators.” Translators and interpreters work with languages, but in very different ways: the key difference is that translators work with written words and interpreters work with spoken words. Let’s look at some other important differences between translation and interpreting. Translators write…
Looking for a Professional to Handle Your Translation or Interpreting Job?
ATA’s Language Services Directory features the profiles of thousands of translators, interpreters, and companies. You can customize your search by language, specialties, location, credentials, and more. First, a few helpful hints: Translators usually work in one language direction, say English into Italian. They normally translate into their native language only and can be located anywhere around the world since clients…
How to Choose a Translation Vendor: 9 Tips to a Successful Experience
The thought of purchasing a new product or service can seem overwhelming at times. If one doesn’t know much about languages, there can be a sense of uncertainty at first about what dialect of a language is needed or how much is a good price for a translation project, but if you follow the steps to find a high-quality, professional…
Why Hire an ATA Member?
ATA members have a commitment to continuing education and are held to the highest professional standards. Feel secure knowing if you’re hiring an ATA member, you’re hiring the best in the business.
