Inc. among other business publications has listed the translation industry as one of the most promising industries in 2014. Although a lot is said about the translation industry, not everything is blurted out. Here are 5 unexpected facts about the translation industry:-
1- Professional Translation Takes Time
Time is money; we all know that. Unfortunately, some clients tend to want quick results within a short period of time. Asking for a 300,000-page manuscript to be translated overnight is being optimistic at best. Any professional translator knows that professional translation takes time. The subject matter, target audience and intention of translation as a whole must all be carefully understood before delving into the translation. Gaining a proper understanding of this science takes a lot of time. That is why the most reputed translation service providers have a wealth of experience spanning a couple of decades in providing professional translation.
2- Translation Is Different From Localization
Many players outside the translation industry fail to grasp the fundamental difference between translation and localization. When you localize a product or content, you are adapting that product or content to a specific locale. Translation is just one of the many processes done under localization. As you probably know, translation is the process of converting texts/ words from one language to another. Whereas translation is quite a straightforward task that can be completed by even the most inexperienced translator out there, localization is a much more complicated and refined task that takes a lot of time and skill to get right.
3- Lost In Translation Continues To Be A Nightmare
That’s right; the translation industry even in this day and age continues to face one huge challenge-lost in translation. Subtle messages contained in the source language are sometimes left out during translation. This is largely due to lack of a proper understanding of the cultural contexts of languages in the scope of translation assignments. Things like religion, names, humor and other cultural norms tend to get in the way of effective translation. Only the most experienced of translators have the aptitude to tackle such issues, and even so, not entirely.
4- Machine Translation Is Overrated, At Least For Now
The sophistication of technology in the recent years has led to the emergence of what most translators dreaded- machine translation. Machine translation has come to be recognized in the translation industry as a force to reckon with. Quite simply, it is here to stay. The biggest upside of machine translation of course is that it tends to save time for all parties involved. Moreover, clients stand to save tons of money by choosing machine translators as opposed to human translators. However, that’s where the pros of machine translation end.
Machine translation in most cases fails to deliver marketing strategies, search engine optimization objectives and the quite simply the subtle element of interpretation that determines the success of any translation assignment.
5- Pricing Of Translation Services Is Not Everything
What is the right price of translation services? When all is said and done, clients of players in the translation industry will always want to know what the translation would cost them. A ‘reasonable’ way of determining the right price of translation is of course to compare with what other providers in the industry are charging. Nonetheless, the price charged by providers in the translation industry is not indicative of the quality to expect. Price should in fact be the last factor to consider when seeking a provider of professional translation services.
Future Trans is an ISO9001:2008 certified language service provider based in Egypt. It is considered one of the leading players in the translation industry thanks to its experience spanning more than 17 years in successfully handling major translation projects.
