Some Things to Look For in a Skilled Translator

From website and marketing material to literature and biographies, there are many reasons that you might have a translation needed. When the time comes for a Hungarian translation or a French translation, you want to hire the right firm for the job to get the closest translation possible. If this is your first time seeking a translator service, you want to make sure that the letter you’re writing to a colleague in another country is translated correctly.

Fluency and Native Speakers

When you’re hiring a translator for important documents, you want to find someone who is as close as possible to a native speaker to the two languages that are involved. This is someone who can go to the country where the languages are spoken, written and read and fits in seamlessly.

In many cases, these are translators who studied a second language on the college level and then attended a study abroad program. Sometimes, it’s a person who grew up in a household where both languages were spoken or someone who lived in a foreign nation for extended period of time.

Understanding Verb Tenses

In any language, understanding the ins and outs of the verb tenses is extremely important. Most languages have irregular verbs that don’t follow the normal pattern of conjugation. Messing up one of these irregular verbs is very obvious that someone who wasn’t experienced did the translation.

Whether you need translation agency for services in New York City or Miami, you want to make sure that the company knows the verb tenses. In English, we understand the verb tenses that we use; however, French has additional tenses and some of them are used based on the situation or the possibility of something happening or the action being completed.

Idioms and Colloquialisms

In any language, there are idioms and colloquialisms that are not taught as part of a formal education. These are informal sayings or group of words that mean one thing in formal speech and another thing entirely in a conversation. In some cases, they might not appear to make sense as part of formal speech.

In order for your website or ad campaign to appear natural and fit in with the culture, you need a translator that understands these idioms and uses them as part of the translation. For instance, a few years ago “the bomb” was used to describe something that was “trendy” or “the best” in American English. These are the types of things that you want your translation service to be up to speed on.

Detail Oriented and Nuances

There are certain words in any language that will not easily translate into another language. In some cases, there might not be any word in the new language that fits the word. It is up to the translator to choose a word or group of word that will convey the information and thoughts that needed to be made clear.

It takes someone who is detail oriented and understands the nuances of both languages to successfully translate passages such as these. You want to work with a service that offers you translators who take the time to realize the lack of wording and select the most appropriate vocabulary. In some cases, this comes naturally, but many times, you need someone with experience handling these types of situations.

At Teck Language Solutions Inc., we take pride in offering you the translation services that you need to make a great impression. Our staff offers you professionalism and years of experience needed to tackle even the most complicated project from start to finish. Contact us today to learn more about our services or to get a quote.