Evaluating The Quality Of Translation: Questions To Ask The Native Speaker Who Is Doing It

If you have ever had something translated, you know that at the end you have to deal with a problem: "How to evaluate a translation if you don't know the language?" (If you knew it you'd probably do it yourself.) The most common way is to ask a native speaker of the target language (i.e. the language which the text was translated into) to tell whether the translation is good or bad.

The problem is that the evaluator often doesn't know what exactly "a good translation" means. Help him or her - set the criteria. Ask these simple questions to the person who is going to judge the quality of any translation:

Q1. Can you tell at once that it's a translation?

The most important question, in fact. If translation is excellent, you won't tell it's a translation. The text reads as if it were written in the language it was translated into. So, if the answer to this question is "No" (or "Really?") - you're lucky! You've come across a brilliant translator. They're pretty rare nowadays... So, skip questions 2, 3 and 4 - just ask the very last one.

If the answer is "Yes" , "Oh, yes", or anything else like "Hm... in a way...", "Maybe...", etc., go to

Q2. Is there anything that doesn't make sense? Are there any words or phrases that sound funny?

If yes, that's the mark of a very poor translation. Some so-called translators, who are incompetent - or just inexperienced - will translate a sentence word by word, so "the end product" makes no sense. A good translator never does so - he or she will always find the right word to use.

Q3. Can you spot any sentences which are hard to understand? Or any phrases you understand - but you'd never put it that way?

The more such sentences in the text, the worse the translator. Poor or mediocre translation can make the text really hard to read and understand. Phrases sound unnaturally, the word order seems to be somehow weird, and sometimes you have to guess what the author wanted to say.

(Let's assume your original text in English was clear and well-written. If it was sloppy and gibberish, the translator isn't responsible for the translation being the same. Translators can't improve the original. Well, you know the principle: garbage in - garbage out.)

But if a good, clear and well-thought-over text turned into something unintelligible, it's most likely because of the above-mentioned word-by-word approach. Well-translated texts always run smoothly, you won't "stumble" when you're reading them.

Q4 Does the translator slip in his grammar?

Poor grammar is a sign of a poor text, whether it is the original or the translation.

Q5 Are there any misspelled words or typos?

Typos and misspelled words are not necessarily a mark of a poor translation. If this question is the only one answered "yes", it means that the work was done in haste and/or the translated text hasn't been proofread properly. It could have happened because of a tight schedule, pressing deadline, etc. But, of course, lack of time doesn't justify misspellings and typos.

Well, as you have probably guessed, the more affirmative answers you get to these questions, the worse. If you hear two or more answers "yes", you'd better not use services of this translator anymore - let him or her gain experience by translating somebody else's texts, not yours.

Alexandra Gamanenko is a senior translator and editor of the Literary Translation Department, which is a part of a Web design studio. It offers localization and translation of websites into Russian and Ukrainian, as well as lots of other useful services.

Learn more -- visit the website www.clever-crayon.com

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Evaluating a Spanish Translator Certification Program

Spanish translator certification programs are becoming more and more prevalent as more and more people realize the importance that Spanish translation plays and will continue to play now and in the future. In order to take advantage of all the opportunities brought about by an increase in Spanish speakers, those with a solid grasp of English and Spanish are taking advantage and looking for ways to become translators.

In order to better their prospects for getting business, translators often turn to Spanish translator certification programs to prove their abilities to future clients and employers. Spanish translator certification programs take many forms, but most are geared towards helping you pass various certification tests given by various translation organizations.

The translation industry, at least in the United States, is not governed as tightly as other industries, such as law, medicine, or accounting, and so a lot of confusion has arisen over time about what it really means to be certified as a translator. For other industries like the ones I just mentioned, there are national standardized tests that are rigidly controlled, and these tests must be passed before a person can be employed legally in that industry.

Translation is different. Because there is no body that has the legal right to enforce translation standardization, many people become confused with all the noise from various organizations offering their version of a Spanish translator certification program. Not only can it be confusing to (would-be) translators, but it is also confusing for potential clients.

So what should you look for if you become interested in taking part in a Spanish translator certification program? Well, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is that although there is no federally recognized organization for governing translators in the U.S., there is a national organization that offers tests for translator certification. This organization is called the American Translators Association (ATA) and is generally recognized by most translators as being the de facto organization for translator certification in the United States.

Most Spanish translator certification programs, therefore, try to give translators enough knowledge and experience to be able to pass the ATA certification tests. There are other organizations throughout the world that offer translator certification, and in order to find them you can do a search for the country you are interested in.

If you are want to become an ATA certified translator, my suggestion would be to look for a Spanish translator certification program that will give you the best opportunity of passing the tests given by ATA. These programs can be offered as university degrees, night school classes, or even online courses. Whatever the method, becoming certified takes a lot of study and a lot of practice, but can reap big dividends throughout your translation career.

Clint Tustison is a Spanish English translator interested in helping businesses and translators better understand the translation industry. If you're interested in how to improve your translation business or your relationship with translation companies, check out his website at http://www.spanish-translation-help.com.

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