Translation

We carry out translation in accordance with the ISO 17100 standard to ensure that your message is as clear as it can be.

Translation

Translation broadly refers to the transfer of meaning from a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The aim is to produce a text that adheres to the linguistic rules of the target language while preserving and sometimes interpreting the meaning of the source text as per specific project requirements.

As concepts, words, and sentences in a given language often carry more than one meaning, ”word for word” translation rarely produces a desirable result. Our translators strive to preserve both context and meaning, while also aiming to retain as much of the semantic structure from the source text as possible. The particular structure and syntax characteristics of a source text in a given language are carefully adjusted to the syntactic requirements of the target language.

To honor these requirements for a professional translation, our linguists work in accordance with a set of translation parameters ie:

Proper use of prevalent terminological convention, project-specific terminology and terms of art.
Faithfulness, fidelity, and transparency of the translation in general.
Regional standards and localization in accordance with project specifics.
Document formatting (e.g. in technical documents).

Proficiency

We go to great lengths to proofread and check the quality of our translations prior to delivery. When a translated text appears to a native speaker as written in that very language (that is, when a native speaker does not perceive the text as translated), the translation is said to be transparent. The degree of transparency then, refers to the degree of perceived conformity of the text in terms of grammar, syntax, and idiom of the target-language.

The balance of fidelity versus transparency then, concerns the compromise between formal equivalence and functional equivalence. Whereas the former strives to render the translation as precisely as possible in terms of form (i.e. in a literal “word for word” manner), the latter seeks to convey the essential content of the source text, at the expense of e.g. literality, sememe, and word order. Functional- and formal equivalence sits at the polar opposites of the spectrum in which any translation takes place. A competent translation will prevalently entail a mix of the two.

Glossaries

In cases where a target language lacks specific terms present in the source text, our translators go to great lengths to find the proper replacements – be it loan-words or terms of art.

We create, and work with custom glossaries as needed to assure consistency across multiple translations or client-specific projects. We are happy to assist in building extensive glossaries for our clients using standardized CAT tools to maximize compatibility across platforms and projects.

This process takes place under careful examination of a designated linguist.