Is it necessary to have a medical, engineering, natural sciences, or legal text translated? What if you have multiple such texts? Or need fast translation services? What options are available and to whom can you turn? Is it better for a freelancer translator or a translation company? What are the pros & cons of each? Find out in our article.
Which translator should you ask to translate a text?
It is not possible to have a wide range of translation options, even though the quality of machine translations is steadily improving. What can you do if you have to translate a complex text or need a certified translation for your project? The only option is to employ a freelancer, or a professional translator agency.
Freelancer who is always available for you? Miracles do happen.
The cost of a freelancer or self-employed translator may be lower, particularly if they have not been busy. However, this could set off alarms regarding their reliability and quality. Direct, personal contact could be welcomed by the client with the translator. There are many other benefits to freelancers, however.
Their main problem is that they are not able to do everything you need. They are typically universal translators who don’t have any specialization. They often absorb technical terminology “on-the-go” and can make mistakes or miss the mark. Therefore, the translation should be proofread by an experienced consultant.
However, there are many top-skilled freelancers who make a good living and are extremely busy. You should look into an agency if it seems you didn’t meet someone who would give priority to you.
You should consider quality, speed and deadlines when choosing a UK translation agency
Professional translation agencies offer many benefits, including the fact that they often use native speakers and professionals who have years of experience in translating. A translation agency offers far more options and capabilities than freelance translators. This is evident in the wide range of language combinations. This means that you can have the same text translated into many languages from one agency. A single translator cannot do this.
Professional translation team that is large and multi-skilled, with the option of peer consulting and the possibility of working with and getting help from allied agents — all these guarantees professional translations. So you can get guaranteed quality and timely delivery (sometimes within 24 hours).
CAT is not a pet, but a set of professional translation tools.
Professional translators today use professional CAT software. What is it? It is an acronym for Computer-Assisted Translation. It basically refers to a tool that can be used for computer-supported translating. These tools are not limited to spelling and grammar checking, but they also make use of termbases or translation memories. Professional translators can draw upon a large database of phrases and terms to speed up their work, and reduce the risk of making mistakes.
There are many translation tools available on the marketplace. However, the best-quality ones can be expensive. This is why they are mostly found in professional translation agencies. What are the advantages of CAT Software for the translator? These advantages do not have to be described.
How much is the translation cost?
Prices vary between agencies and freelancer translators as it is quite common. The price will vary depending on several factors such as language level, specialization or active/passive Translation (from/into Czech). Reliable translation agencies will give you an estimate in advance.
It is possible to say that a freelancer will charge less than an agency for a translation, but this is not always true. The price of translations depends on their expertise, capacity, length, urgency, as well as other factors.
When you work with the translation agency for a long time or get volume or bulk discounts, your price will likely be lower than what a freelance translator would charge. You have heard about the benefits of a professional translation agency, including flexibility and prompt delivery.
Do you require professionally translated text It’s time is money so don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re happy to assist you with a customized solution that suits your needs.
