White Paper on Machine vs. Human Translation

The translation and language solutions industry has experienced substantial technological progress over the past 25 to 30 years – shifting from relying primarily on manual processes to utilizing and benefitting from technological advancements in software tools and systems. For highly competitive and success-oriented Language Service Providers (LSPs), these technological enhancements mean that it is no longer viable to solely offer “traditional” translation services performed by [...]

Choosing a Language Service Provider for Legal Translations

Whether you are a private individual with a foreign-language contract you need to understand or you are the representative of a law firm that requires the translation of evidence or a ruling from another country, legal translations are highly technical in nature, and their execution is best left to qualified professionals. Here are a few tips to help you choose a good language service provider [...]

The Importance of Choosing a Qualified Provider for Medical Translations

A common misconception among people seeking a translation in a specialized field such as medicine is that any translator can do the job. After all, the reasoning goes, translators understand both languages they are dealing with, so isn’t translation just the process of converting a text from one language to another? How hard can it be? In this post, we will take a look at [...]

Why Are Translations So Expensive?

When hiring a translation company, many have difficulty understanding why there is such a variation in price among document translation services. The following are some of the major components of a translation project’s pricing structure, all of which may affect the final cost. A thorough understanding of these points will help you in choosing a document translation company that best fits your needs. Document word [...]

Improving Manufacturing Product Sales through the Use of Technical Translation Services

These days, there are many reasons that manufacturers may need to print their product instructions (user guides, manuals, MSDSs, etc.) in many different languages. They may be operating in one country with several different official or commonly-spoken languages, such as Switzerland or the United States, or they may be attempting to expand into other markets abroad. Regardless of the reason, selection of a high-quality technical [...]

The Best Things in Translation Aren’t Free. Part 3: Translation Agency Fee Structures

Now that we have established that it is best to use a translation agency when in need of document translation services, let’s explore the components involved in the price of a quality translation from a highly rated translation company. Administration This includes the owners and managers, receptionists and secretarial work, talent recruitment, accounting and billing personnel, sales and marketing staff and costs, and, of course, the [...]

The Best Things in Translation Aren’t Free. Part 2: Why Not a Machine Translation? The Technical Side of the Story

In part one of this series, we broke down some of the differences between human translation and translation by a program such as Google Translate from a linguistic point of view. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the more technical aspects of this comparison. What is it, exactly, about the nature of machine translation programs that makes them useful for travelers [...]

The Best Things in Translation Aren’t Free. Part 1: Why Not a Machine Translation? The Linguistic Side of the Story

If you’ve never needed a translation before, or if it’s been a while, it’s normal to be overwhelmed by all your options when choosing a language services provider (LSP). Some may wonder why it’s necessary to pay for a translation at all these days, now that Google Translate and other platforms have started to incorporate AI into their programming for many major languages. Others might [...]

Five Ways to Cut Translation Costs Without Sacrificing Quality

Because you are making the choice to use a language service provider (LSP) rather than relying on a machine translation, you are already aware that your project requires a careful and educated human touch. That touch, however, comes with a price tag that many clients wish to reduce. The following are some easy methods for doing just that. Choose your translation languages wisely and sparingly. [...]

Talking to Hans Schlamadinger, CEO of Apex Translation Services

Talking to Hans Schlamadinger, CEO of Apex Translation Services Q:  Did you know that Friday, September 30, is International Translators Day? HS:  Yes, I believe it is to celebrate St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators. I believe he translated the bible in the fourth century (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome). Q: What is it like to run a translation company? HS:  Well, I certainly keep busy with setting [...]

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