The world is home to a plethora of multicultural and multinational corporations, which employ dozens of global languages of staff. When official documents (or conversations) have to be translated, many weigh up multilingual employees vs. professional translations. Seeing that your multilingual employees already know the business and you don’t have to pay them extra, isn’t it quicker and easier to do translations with internal resources?
Not in the long run.
Why? Because there’s a world of difference between professional translations and the results delivered by multilingual employees. Here’s the scoop:
Weighing Up Multilingual Employees vs Professional Translations
Professional Skills
Translation revolves around much more than just two (or more) languages. Even if someone speaks more than one language, it doesn’t qualify them as a translator. Professional translators have the skills required to express ideas, specifically suitable for the framework of a particular culture, in another language, in a way that doesn’t change the original message during the translation process. This skill is gained by years of experience along with professional accreditation and certification.
Context
Document translation is a linguistic minefield, especially when it comes to marketing and technical subjects. The grammatical and structural rules differ between languages, and the element of cultural context can easily wreak havoc when you need a literal translation.
The old Italian saying – Traduttori tradittori (translators are traitors) – perfectly sums up the complexity of translations since very few words have one-to-one equivalents in two different languages. An exact rendering of the original language’s meaning can be very hard to do. But this is why there’s always some interpretation involved, yet another reason why professional translators need specialized linguistic training along with technical knowledge.
Let’s take the German word “Anlage” as an example. Depending on the context, the word can be translated as either one of the following:
- System
- Plant
- Facility
- Equipment
- Structure
- Attachment
- Appendix
- Exhibit
- Supplement
- Asset
- Investment
- Feed
- Rest
- Bearing
- Design
- Pattern
- Arrangement
- Cramp
- Talent
- Gift
- Landslide
And many more, but you get the idea.
Cultural Competence
Someone who lives outside the U.S. and doesn’t speak English as their native language won’t know every aspect of idiomatic U.S. English. Thus, they might be able to join in on a conversation and have a good comprehension of written and spoken English, but they’ll lack acute sensitivity for the language.
Professional translators are trained and experienced with cultural nuances and how they affect language. These linguists understand the intricacies of language that multilingual employees might fail to spot.
Wrapping Up
The reasons for using a professional translator instead of a multilingual employee are clear as day. Here’s a recap of the benefits of working with professionals:
- Experience in producing high-quality translations
- Consistency in style and terminology
- Accuracy in idiomatic and technical language
Companies today are going global, which means dealing with different cultures, and working with a professional translation company can be of great help to a business owner. When a company decides to go global, it will market to a wide variety of customers. The company has to connect with the new clients, and to become a success in the target markets becomes your company’s new priority. For your business strategies to grow in the foreign markets you are going to explore; you need to collaborate with a professional translation company.
Ensure accurate translation and localization of all your content by calling Day Translations, Inc. Our translators are all native speakers, experienced in their chosen field of expertise, and are located in-country. You can also send us an email at Contact Us. We operate around the clock every day of the year so that you won’t miss your deadline.