Everything You Need To Know About Professional Document Translation
What is Professional Document Translation
Professional document translation is an umbrella term that is used to describe the standardised procedure of capturing industry-specific content for formal or professional purposes. It is a service provided to those who need to communicate with foreign speakers from around the world. Unlike third-party software and translation applications, professional document translation involves rigorous editing, industry research and experience to conduct. Professional document translation aims to produce translated content of the highest standard so that nothing can be lost in translation – read this article if you’d like to know more about the specific kinds of translation services that exist, and how the IL Consultancy can help to provide you with the best possible translations for your specific requirements.
Types of Professional Document Translation
Contract Translation
A contract is a legal agreement between two signing parties, and it contains a list of conditions and promises that are legally binding based on particular terms and conditions. Contract translation is particularly nuanced as it includes legal jargon and technicalities that cannot always interpret directly through basic translation services. Contracts have to be translated by professionals who have experience dealing with the particular subject matter of the contract, and who can understand the target and requirements of the document.
Some examples of contracts that generally require translation include service agreements, employee contracts, confidentiality agreements, license agreements, and other corporate policies. Contract translation is important because when there are disputes over contract obligations, and the matter gets elevated to a courtroom, a court can reject any translated contract that fails to accurately convey the original contract, thereby making the contract defective. If a contract is mistranslated, it will be deemed as a misrepresentation of the initial agreement and it will be considered invalid by the court, which will prolong the processes for any business venture and cause a headache for the stakeholders involved. Furthermore, translation errors – even when overlooked by a court – can create massive loopholes within the contract, opening up the potential for the terms and conditions of an agreement to become debatable and even void.
Business Translation
When it comes to transnational companies where employees originate from multiple foreign regions throughout the world, it is vital to have a translation service on stand-by to help synthesise communication streams. When employees are briefed, meeting presentations are compiled and mission statements are distributed, it is important to make sure that the documents have been sufficiently translated so that all employees and foreign stakeholders can understand the messages being conveyed. If a business doesn’t have professional translation services then there will likely be a massive breakdown of communication, and it will be unlikely that any effective work will get done.
In the context of transnational companies where documents are distributed to massive networks of foreign speakers, it is more important than ever to have localised professional document translation. Each email, memoranda or piece of training material needs to be interpreted with a foreign culture in mind. Having verbatim, direct translations is important, but it is also necessary to create translations that relay tone of voice, humour, and other linguistic nuances. Business translations, in this sense, will determine how management and employees work together, and ultimately how profitable the business will be.
Medical Translation
Providing quality healthcare requires that doctors and nurses can communicate with their patients effectively. If a patient cannot comprehend the diagnosis that a healthcare professional has concluded, or the medication and ingestion requirements that they’ve been prescribed, then they will likely suffer further. Hence, it is vital to prevent language barriers from disrupting healing processes and treatments from being administered properly. The best way to do this is by ensuring that translations are handled by qualified professionals who have experience in the medical industry.
Examples of medical documentation that require translation include patient medical statements, prescription labels, billing statements, medical device instructions, clinical trial documentation and more. Without providing accurate translations, patients are put in danger of worsening their conditions and even threatening their own lives. Access to quality healthcare is a human right, and this right can only be implemented if every patient is able to receive medical advice and care in their native language.
Financial Translation
While many might think that there is no need for financial reporting companies or commerce-related companies to make use of translation services, organisations and companies within the financial sector will make use of professional document translation services multiple times within a financial year. Financial translation is not just about relaying universally understood numbers and statistics, it is also about converting the complex and technical terminology found in financial documents, reports, audits and statements into another country’s official language.
Most countries have completely unique ways of describing financial terms and expressions, and these terms do not always overlap internationally. Each state has a sort of financial dictionary, and more often than not you’ll find that many of their commonplace terms are not applicable to other countries. Without an equivalent phrase to describe the scenario or rule, it can be difficult to convey the consequences or messages of a financial document. In these cases, it is important to have qualified translators with experience in the financial sector to draw the right words from their own experience, research and vocabulary.
Legal Translation
Places that require legal document translation include immigration services, universities, courts and state departments. Legal translators have to be extra careful to use the applicable legal terminology for the relevant country, as each country has its own constitution, laws, policies and regulations. Furthermore, the law itself relies on abstract notions that can change according to the case being considered, and the meaning of the legal theory can often change and shift. In these cases, it is important for translators to have an excellent gauge of legal terminology and its application in a courtroom.
Examples of legal statements that often require translation are wills and trusts, licenses, litigation documentation, legal disclaimers, confidentiality agreements, complaints, witness transcripts, policies and arbitration documents. Legal translation will have a serious impact on the success of a lawsuit or court case, so it is important for the translation to be accurate, otherwise, the people who have been instigated in the case are at risk of facing punitive consequences due to small linguistic mistakes. At the IL Consultancy, there are translators who are capable of translating legal documents adequately, making use of their working knowledge of international rights, rules and regulations.
Why is Professional Document Translation Necessary
With applications such as Google Translate available to us for free on the internet, many people don’t see the significant value of translation services. However, while it might seem like this third-party software are the cheapest, easiest option, you’ll quickly find out that they lack the accuracy required for formal and professional use. In any professional context, using third-party software to translate important documents will gain you a bad reputation for being lazy in your communication style. Clients will be unwilling to engage with you if they feel that you are too lazy to liaise with them properly.
Grammatical errors, cultural insensitivity, and the misuse of cultural expressions only signal to clients, business partners and stakeholders that you do not have a good grasp of their language, and that you are not fully invested in nurturing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship. Without clear, concise communication, it will be impossible to cooperate effectively. This is why it is important to make use of the best possible translation services for all of your language needs, whether it’s for corporate, legal, financial or medical purposes.
About IL Consultancy
The IL Consultancy has existed for 20 years and provides a wide range of translation services to an extensive network of clients, companies, institutes and organisations. The IL Consultancy’s services include professional financial translation, certified document and language translation, fast marketing translation services, high-quality legal translations, professional technical translation and efficient website translation. The IL Consultancy is a local South African company based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, although our services are available to international clients.
When you bring your documents to the IL Consultancy, your documents will be translated by a team of qualified translators with a minimum of two years of work experience and accreditation with the South African Translation Institute (SATI). Depending on the industry that you come from – such as Marketing, Education, Digital Media, Commerce, or Legal – your document will be given to a translator with experience working on that particular subject matter. Once the translator has translated your document, the document will go through a rigorous process of checks and balances both in-house and externally. IL Consultancy uses an independent secondary inspector to appraise each document impartially, and then the in-house team will edit and proofread the document before sending it back to you.
The IL Consultancy also approaches all document translations with the aim of using localised language that can be easily understood by the people reading and interacting with it. Translation localisation makes documents more relatable and accessible so that readers do not have difficulty engaging with unfamiliar language and colloquial expressions. Expert translators will adapt their translations according to the market and target audience that the document is intended for. These translators will be better adept at translating for a specific vernacular.
The IL Consultancy makes translation services widely available and accessible by offering obligation-free quotes, as well as customer consultations. With a well-trained staff of qualified, experienced translators, you can be sure to find the right person to manage your documents speedily and professionally. The IL Consultancy can translate any of your projects into major international languages as well as South African and African languages. The expansive list of languages that the IL Consultancy translates is listed below.
South African Languages:
- English
- Zulu
- Afrikaans
- Xhosa / IsiXhosa
- Sotho / Sesotho / Southern Sotho
- Ndebele / IsiNdebele
- SiSwati.
- Setswana.
- Sepedi / Northern Sotho / Sesotho Sa Leboa.
- Xitsonga.
- Tshivenda.
International Languages:
- Arabic.
- Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese).
- Dutch.
- French.
- German.
- Gujarati.
- Hebrew.
- Hindi.
- Italian.
- Japanese.
- Portuguese.
- Russian.
- Spanish.
- Urdu.
Call The IL Consultancy Today For Professional Document Translation
If you’re working closely with foreign speakers, and you’re concerned about whether you are sufficiently conveying your point, then contact the IL Consultancy today. By choosing to work with a certified translation service provider, you are committing to communicating more effectively with your partners, clients and colleagues. Not only will this help you improve the quality of your work, but it will also enhance the productivity and profitability of your business or enterprise. By opting to invest in hiring trained professionals instead of simply choosing to use the third-party software, you’ll also create longer-lasting relationships with your international networks, allowing you to share your message and expertise with all those who need it.
