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Top 5 Tips for Finding a Qualified Translator in China
No matter if you want to travel in China or do business in China, the language problem is always the troublesome one. You want a translator? Here are 5 tips for you to find a qualified translator.
1. Look for Native Speakers
Fluency might be sufficient for writing a new article or book in a foreign language, but not for translation. You'll need to look for native speakers of the language in which your mind is supposed to be translated in order to get the best results. My advice is to make this a requirement of any translator your hire, regardless of his or her credentials, and you might also want to make sure that your translator has been keeping up with his or her language.
2. Conduct a Test Translation
Even if your find a translator who is a native speaker of the language, this does not guarantee that he or she is a good writer. Translations are very rarely literal translations of the original text; some creative license is necessary to ensure that the manuscript is still entertaining and fun. Have several candidates translate a small representative sample of your work, and then have another native speaker read it to give you his or her feedback. If a native speaker is impressed, you've found yourself a qualified translator.
3. Ask About Pricing
Unlike other areas, the fees for translation don't waver very much. The typical price for translation into any of the spoken languages is about $0.12 per word, though it could be as little as $0.10 or as much as $0.15. You might also ask about discounts for large amounts of test, such as a novel or non-fiction book, as compared to the translation of an article.
4. Set a Deadline
You're going to be disappointed if you give your translator all the time in the world to complete the project. Before you choose a translator, ask each candidate how long it will take. Keep in mind that translation requires more thought than just replacing English words with those of another language, so it will take some time. An article might take as long as two weeks while a full-length book could be stuck in translation for several months.
5. Stay in Constant Communication
Your translator will likely have questions for you down the road, so make yourself available. Talk about your target audience, any references you make in the work, the meanings for slang words and how they can be translated to make sense. If your full-length book is being translated, your publishing house may have chosen the translator for you. If this is the case, request the contact information for that individual.
Translate the Translation Back
Sometimes, the Chinese to English translator faces a funny reality—they are required to translate the translation back. For instance, the original text is the Chinese introduction of a new product launched in English-speaking countries, and we need to translate this introduction back into English. In this process, the rule of thumb is to search and read the original introduction in English first. In doing this, we can grasp the general features of the new product and get to know the key words and phrases in its description. With a click, we can achieve accurate and professional translation without spending too much time pondering what expressions to use.
Chinese to English Translation: Techniques for translating terminologies
In Chinese to English translation, should “计算机技术” be translated as “computer technology” or “computer techniques”? Should “增强现实技术” be translated as “augmented reality technology” or “augmented reality techniques”? This is tricky in Chinese to English translation, because both “technology” and “technique” share the same Chinese translation equivalent, i.e., “技术”, though technique could be translated as “技巧”, or “skill”, in certain circumstances. If we search these English phrases in major search engines, such as Google, we can find all of them being used. They may seem interchangeable; however, it is necessary and desirable to capture the fine distinction between the two English words: technology is more general, and most often a collection of certain techniques. For a certain technique, it is probably safer to search for its full and proper translation equivalent in Chinese to ensure that its accuracy and reliability. Usually search engines do a good job leading us to some relevant and important websites which uses such terms in context. This tip works for all important proper nouns.
Nominalization in Chinese to English translation
In formal Chinese to English translation, such as academic, legal and business fields, nominalization is an effective way to keep the target translation concise, clear, and most importantly, formal. Nominalization is the employment of noun forms of verbs and adjectives. For instance, in the previous sentence, instead of using “to employ noun forms…”, we used the noun form of employ, i.e., “employment of…”. As mentioned earlier, nominalization helps to build a formal texture of the translation and usually adds credibility to the idea communicated in the translation. However, it is not appropriate in all cases: in translating materials with a casual and colloquial nature, nominalization should not be used in principle.
