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Why a Spanish Translation?
Over
350 million people in the world speak Spanish as their first language.
If we include the number of people who are fluent in Spanish as a second
language, the total number of Spanish speakers in the world is well over 400
million people. The
Hispanic market is today the most rapidly expanding market in the United States.
It is estimated that by 2050, there
will be 56
million Hispanics/Latinos; by 2050, 30% of the entire U.S.
population will be Hispanic.
Human
Translation vs. Machine Translation
Machine translation (MT) is a form of translation where a
computer program analyses the text in one language — the "source
text" — and then attempts to produce another, equivalent text in another
language — the "target text" — without human intervention. Although this
system can help with specific words and some phrases in much the same
way as a dictionary, it shouldn't be used to replace a human
translator. Computers do not have the ability to deal appropriately with the complexities of a language
such as ambiguity, syntactic irregularity, anglicisms, false
cognates, context, etc. A machine translation is similar to the one
made by a human who lacks a deep knowledge of the target language.
Translation agency
or independent translator?
Spanish Translation
agencies provide a number advantages, and services that individuals cannot:
Screening of
translators: While some Spanish translation companies maintain an in-house team
of native Spanish speakers, others create a network of freelance translators who
they employ on a per-project basis. As long as the projects are coordinated and
managed efficiently, this allow
a Spanish translation company to match projects with translators who have
relevant knowledge or experience.
Proofreading:
Most agencies have a
proofreader other than the translator to review the translation prior to
delivery at no extra cost. In this way, you can rest assured
that the target document is error-free and is thoroughly
checked for uniformity.
Meeting tight
deadlines: Because
of their pool of translators, agencies have the resources to take on complex
projects and deliver them in a timely manner.
Things you should keep in mind when selecting a Spanish Translation
Agency
There are thousands of translation agencies and identifying a good
English-Spanish translation supplier is a big task. Translation clients usually
don't know what
they are paying for, especially when they don't know the target language (the
language into which a text written in another language is to be translated).
Are translations handled by Spanish Native
Speakers?
The language translator should always translate INTO his or her mother
tongue. Only a native speaker can come closest
to creating a translation that "sounds" so natural that the reader is
not even aware that it is a translation. Mistakes can have ruinous consequences.
Two Examples:
When Chevrolet introduced the Nova to the South
American market, sales were dismal. Intended buyers in these countries
were perplexed when the car went on the market because "No va"
in Spanish means "it won't go"
An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market
which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el
Papa), the shirts read "I Saw the Potato" (la papa).
How much will the translation
cost?
Translations are usually charged per word. Be sure that the
Spanish
translation provider charges the job based on the number of words in the source
text. Many
companies give you an estimate and the final quote is based on the target
document. With this method you never know the final quote until the job is done
and this may lead into abuse on the part of the translator as he/she can use
longer sentences on purpose, degrading the quality of the target text and
increasing your price.
References
and samples
Don't
be afraid to ask for references or samples. References are perhaps the most
important way to ensure a quality job. If you have knowledge of the target
language or know someone who does, samples may also be good. A reputable agency
will not hesitate to give you references and show you samples of previous
English-Spanish translations.
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