Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the "source" and the "target" language?
The source document is the document that you require translation into another language. Naturally, you can think of the "source" document as the original document and the "target" document is the translated document. So the "source" language is the language in which the original document was written and the "target" language is the one into which the document has to be translated.
2. What does TEP stand for in the translation industry?
TEP or T.E.P. stands for translating, editing, and proofreading. Translation professional usually use this jargon with other professionals versed in this area and basically it means a translation job that should be delivered ready for printing, or in other words, publication-ready.
TEP is important in the translation industry because it's some of the basic procedures to ensure that the quality of the translation is checked and rechecked. It's extremely difficult for translators themselves to edit and proofread what they have translated and normally a third party (a professional editor and/or proofreader) will be involved to edit and proof their work. The translated document then is returned to the translator after being checked for possible grammar, spelling, syntax, use of words, etc. by the editor/proofreader for a second draft, and sometimes this has to go back and forth a few rounds just to make sure that no more errors exist in the final version before delivery.
3. Why are such steps as TEP necessary?
Translation is a very complicated task because all languages are complex per se, and more so when you're trying to put in the words of another to mean exactly the same thing. No translator, no matter how good and professional he or she is, can iron out all the errors in one round of work and what he or she missed mostly likely would be picked up by other highly qualified professionals like them. In short, editing and proofreading are necessary because they improve accuracy and fluency of the final version.
4. What if a translation company only offers just translation?
As important as it may sound, many translation companies, due to various reasons, only provide the most basic form of translation. This is where you need to be careful if quality and professionalism are your top priorities for your projects. Make comparisons and ask questions, and stay away from the companies that only offer simple translation job without editing and proofreading.
5. Does Advanced Language Services (a.k.a Languages Translation Services, LTS) offer TEP with its translation service?
Yes, absolutely. At LTS we only offer translation but also editing and proofreading. When we provide a quote for you, it already contains the cost of translation, editing, and proofreading. There are companies that charge extra for these services and again it could cost you a lot more than you thought. So it's important to know how much you are paying for what kind of service.
6. What are the usual methods of quoting or pricing the job?
As an industry standard most professional translators quote by the word count of the source document or of the target document, or a combination of both by using a certain formula (it's said that this way is more exact, as some languages use far more words to express the same thing than others). Nowadays, some companies simply always quote by the word count of the source document. The benefit of that is that you immediately know what each document will cost you if the cost of translation for each word is. It helps a lot with the budgeting process of the organization which is requiring the translation service.
Some companies charge by the line or the page or the hour. This can be a very big trap as the margin settings and font sizes can greatly increase the number of lines and pages, leading to a possibly extremely high rate. If a translation company does that, it may be a good indication that it's not a very professional place to buy your translation service. As a smart buyer you should always stick to the quoting by the count of the source or target language.
7. What are the factors that determine the cost of a translation job?
Translation cost is based on three major factors: 1) the language pair involved; 2) the nature of the project (topics, technicality, level of difficulties, etc.); and 3) the timeframe (how urgent the job is. The nature of the project also may be an important factor, in that texts in some areas (such as medical, legal, highly technical contents, etc.) tend to be more difficult to render into another language. Finally, if it's a rush job it usually may command higher rate as well, just as in most every other business.
8. What makes a good quality translation job?
Simply put, a good quality translation job involves a good translation company that has a QC system guaranteeing the good quality. First you have to have professional translators who are well trained in this profession with great skills and expertise; secondly there also is a team that supports his work and enhances his performance. Professionals like editors, reviewers, proofreaders, etc. all contribute to this end. Advanced Language Services/ LTS has a solid QC system in place that has made our clients very satisfied with our quality work that we deliver.
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