Translation quality depends on 5 factors:

1. Translator's competence (Knowledge of the subject, translation expertise & experience,...)
2. Quality process
3. Proper tools/resources
4. Time
5. Source document and context

Given an original reasonably well written and sufficient time, it's all down to the translation provider.

All translators in our network have several years of training and experience.
We all translate toward our mother tongue only.
Projects are assigned on competence basis, each of us specializing in our own fields

Often, just giving the job to the right translator is good enough, but not always.
Depending on the project and your requirements, we handle terminology preparation and consistency checking, as well as reviewing/editing/proofreading by a second translator.

(Reviewing, editing and proofreading refer to different tasks. Review: a second translator checks the translation to ensure its fidelity to the original text. Editing: an editor rewrites the translation as needed to improve the way it is written. Proofreading: a proofreader checks the translation for spelling/grammar/basic typesetting errors.).

Of course the original translator does review, edit and proofread his own translations, but to get the best results it is often necessary to team up with another translator. Our quality process is tailored to meet your requirements AND your budget.

Beyond a batch of dictionaries and online resources, we are all equipped with state of the art translation tools to handle terminology, ensure translation consistency ... To learn more about these tools, you can have a look in the "Translator tools" section.

The quality you need. No less.

A professional translator can typically handle 2500 words per day. It can vary a lot of course from translator to translator, and even for the same translator depending on the complexity/format of the document, but overall, 2500 words/day is a good rule of thumb.

However, translators (or translation agencies for that matter) often handle orders from several customers at the same time, and if so you expect roughly 1500 words/day. More if the translator works overtime -most of us do- but since a translator is not a machine, errors tend to slip by a lot easier around 3:00 am.

Now, you have a 100,000 words manual and you need it ahead of time for product launch. Can't afford to wait 60 days for the translation, so you have 3 choices:

1. Contact a large, reputable translation agency
   It will cost you top $$$$$, but they can do the job, and there is a reliable QC afterwards. If you can afford it, that's a good choice.
   
2. Contact a cheap translation agency
   The kind that will give you a list of set prices (dirt cheap - often the same price that freelance translators themselves request), handles a zillion languages and take on any project sight unseen. Sounds too good to be true...but there is a catch. Translation is done by translators, and good translators are not cheap. And because they charge too little, they can't afford to hire good translators, so they get whoever will accept the price, regardless of competence (or lack thereof). They can't afford a quality check process either.
   
3. Contact a translator network, such as your-translations.com
   We are all freelance translators networking together to accommodate projects that go well beyond the capacity of individual freelancers. As a result we are able to offer a very competitive alternative to large translation agencies as well as customized solutions, without sacrificing quality.

We work with you to determine exactly what your needs are,... and aren't. (When do you need the translation done? Does it require a technical expert or can any translator do it? Is the document intended for press? Proofreading by second translator?...)

From there, a translation solution is established using the best translators for the job, and you will be presented an exact quote including only the services you really need.

Request a quote