FAQs

Q1. What is translation?
Q2. Why is translation becoming more important?
Q3. Who provides translation services?
Q4. What is the difference between the services provided by a freelance translator and a translation company?
Q5. How do you define a good translation?
Q6. What is localization?
Q7. What is machine translation?
Q8. What is Computer Aided Translation (CAT)?
Q9. Why is it essential to consider a translator's native language?
Q10. What is the difference between translation and interpreting?

Q 1 What is translation?
Ans: Translation is defined as the process of expressing something, documents or text, in another language while retaining the original meaning.

Q 2 Why is translation becoming more important?
Ans: The need for translation is growing to cater to a larger area and bigger audience so that borders disappear and the world becomes smaller. For every business to succeed, to explore the world, the need to communicate with other cultures in other languages is very necessary and will become mandatory. Communication will always remain important and communication is equivalent to language.

Q 3 Who provides translation services?
Ans: There are four categories of translation service providers:

• Language schools
• Universities
• Freelancers
• Language companies

Q 4 What is the difference between the services provided by a freelance translator and a translation company?
Ans: A freelance translator works on his own, will translate and then proofread a document. He may not be a proper professional but may be trained in the native language. On the other hand translation company generally offer a management service, whereby the company has a team of professional translators, editors, proof readers providing a complete error free finished product. Translation company can also offer desktop publishing and screen capture service which a freelance translator cannot. However, freelance translators are often used by translation companies.

Q 5 How do you define a good translation?
Ans: A good translation is one which is able to transfer the meaning of a text from the source language into the target language and does it fully, completely, accurately and in equivalent language in terms of economic, cultural, statutory, technical, etc .

Q 6 What is localization?
Ans: Localization is the process of accommodating something for a specific culture or region, which in turn makes it culturally correct and understood by a specific group of people. Words can be translated, word for word, but that does not mean that everyone will understood. Everything translated needs to be put in such a way that a person or a culture can understand.

Q 7 What is machine translation?
Ans: Machine translation is also called "automatic translation". Machine translation translates text in one language into another language without human intervention. Machine translation takes into account the grammatical structure of the text to be translated (source language) and using rules to transfer the grammatical structure of the source language into the translated text (target language).

Q 8 What is Computer Aided Translation (CAT)?
Ans: Computer aided translation or CAT is intended for professional translators who use computer tools ( terminology management and translation memory) to enhance efficiency and accuracy of translation, especially in longer documents.

Q 9 Why is it essential to consider a translator's native language?
Ans: Most translation companies employ translators who translate into their native languages only. Inspite the fact that a translator may be experienced or educated in a foreign language, it is still a foreign language for him. It is natural that people are more comfortable writing and reading in their native languages. When working in your native language or mother tongue, you instantly by instincts have knowledge that is not easily learned. A translator express himself better in his native language .

Q 10 What is the difference between translation and interpreting?
Ans: A translator deals with the written word, translating the text of one language into another. An interpreter deals with the spoken word, translating the spoken word in one language into another word.