Buying Translations - Getting It Right

I recently came across a publication from the Institute of Translation and Interpreting from around 2000 entitled 'Translation, getting it right - A guide to buying translation.' I was struck by how excellent the advice is even after over a decade. Advice that potential purchasers of translation would do well to heed includes:

- Does it really need to be translated? Decide which information is really required.

- Think international from the start. When writing for translation, avoid culture-bound clichés...and jokes.

- Resist the temptation to do it yourself. Speaking is not writing, and oral fluency does not guarantee smooth, stylish writing.

- Tell the translator what it's for. A speech is not a web site; a sales brochure is not a catalogue entry. Style, pronouceability, word choice, phrasing and sentence length can all vary.

- Professional translators work into their mother tongue.

- An inquisitive translator is good news. No one reads your texts more carefully than your translator. Along the way, he or she likely to identify the fuzzy bits - sections where clarification is need.

- The more technical your subject, the important it is that your translators know it inside out.

....after more than 10 years in a fast-moving profession, these are still fine words. If buyers follow these guidelines when purchasing, they are maximising the chances of a smooth translation process.

Perhaps just one area would be added now if the leaflet were to be rewritten in 2011 - technology has changed out of all recognition. A purchaser should ensure that the chosen Language Service Provider is working with the latest translation management software and more importantly knows when and how (and indeed when not) to apply it.