50 shades of translation
Transcript of 50 shades of translation
SHADES OF TRANSLATIONTHERE ARE MANY TYPES OF TRANSLATION WORKFLOWS. SOME ARE MORE SCANDALOUS THAN OTHERS.
WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
50
50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 2
SCROLL THROUGH THEM ALL OR JUMP TO A SPECIFIC SECTION.
PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
CUSTOM OPTIONS
AGENCY TRANSLATION
BILINGUAL EMPLOYEE TRANSLATION
VOLUNTEER TRANSLATION
COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION
TRANSCREATION
50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 3
TRANSCREATION
BACK TO BEGINNING
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FULL TRANSCREATION (DEVELOPMENT OF ENTIRELY NEW COPY) BY AN IN-LANGUAGE COPYWRITER
You’re using copywriters for writing brand new copy. Sounds like a plan.
Scandal factor =
#1
Typical project
Taglines, headers, SEO keywords
Typical provider
Transcreation specialists, ad agencies, some translation agencies
Risks
More expensive
LOW
Benefits
Best quality, ensures message is appropriate for the
target segment
50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 5
PARTIAL TRANSCREATION PLUS TRANSLATION BY AN IN-LANGUAGE COPYWRITER
You’re using copywriters for translation, even though they may not be skilled at this.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Marketing and advertising content,
website content
Risks
Extremely expensive; copywriters may not
have good translation skills
Typical provider
Transcreation specialists, ad agencies, some translation agencies
Benefits
Quality of transcreated content is likely to be
good
#2
MEDIUM
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PARTIAL TRANSCREATION BY AN IN-LANGUAGE COPYWRITER PLUS TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL FREELANCE TRANSLATOR
You’re using translators to translate and copywriters to write new copy. Makes sense.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Marketing and advertising content,
website content
Risks
Finding good copywriters and
translators
Typical provider
Transcreation specialists, ad agencies, freelance translators, translation
agencies
Benefits
High-quality in-language copy plus
high-quality translation
#3
LOW
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PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
BACK TO BEGINNING
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE
It’s hard to go wrong when you’re working with experienced, professional translators.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one language into another
Risks
You may run into scalability challenges once you hit a certain volume or number of
languages
Typical provider
Professional translators who are members of
professional associations and hold degrees in
language or translation
Benefits
High-quality translation
#4
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR WITH LIMITED EXPERIENCE
Translators have to gain experience, but you may not want them “learning” with your projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one language into another
Risks
Watch out – quality is not likely to
be as good with less experienced
translators; scalability
Typical provider
Professional translators who are members of
professional associations and hold degrees in
language or translation
Benefits
Lower costs, maybe (not always)
#5
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
If your content requires subject matter expertise, professional translation is the best bet.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one language into another that require technical
or specialized expertise in a given
subject
Risks
Will cost more; You may run into scalability challenges once you
hit a certain volume or number of languages
Typical provider
Professional translators with a demonstrated track record and/or
degree in this subject matter
Benefits
Quality and risk mitigation, which is
essential for regulated industries
#6
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR WITHOUT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
If your content isn’t highly technical, you have more professional translators to choose from.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one language into
another that do not require technical or
specialized expertise in a given subject
Risks
You may run into scalability challenges once you hit a certain volume or number of
languages
Typical provider
Professional translators who are members of
professional associations and hold degrees in
language or translation
Benefits
Quality, plus costs tend to be lower
for non-specialized content
#7
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR USING A VISUAL TRANSLATION INTERFACE
A translation software platform gives your translators a visual translation interface.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Websites, mobile applications,
documents with specific formatting and
page layout
Risks
Not every translator has access to these
kinds of tools
Typical provider
Professional translators that embrace technology
Benefits
Quality from the start, reduced translation
errors, reduced timeline
#8
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR WITHOUT USING A VISUAL TRANSLATION INTERFACE
Not using a visual translation interface can decrease quality and delay your releases or launches.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Text-only content that does not require any
specific formatting and page layout
Risks
More errors due to lack of visual context, more time needed to
fix mistakes
Typical provider
Translators who are reluctant to embrace the
latest technologies
Benefits
Ability to adhere to an older, more traditional
translation process
#9
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR USING A TRANSLATION MEMORY TOOL
Most translation providers are in the habit of using translation memory on your projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Any content type except for subtitling and voiceover work
Risks
Making sure the latest version of the
translation memory is always used
Typical provider
Professional translators that embrace technology
Benefits
Ability to leverage past translations for future quality, consistency,
and cost savings
#10
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR WITHOUT USING TRANSLATION MEMORY
You should always remain in control of your translated content, including translation memory.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Any content type except for subtitling and voiceover work
Risks
No control over your own content, decreased quality, increased costs
Typical provider
Translators that are averse to using the latest
technology
Benefits
None
#11
HIGH
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TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR WHO ALSO WORKS WITH A FREELANCE EDITOR
Would you publish content in your source language without having someone edit it? No, thanks.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one language into
another, especially for customer-facing
content
Risks
Costs more than translation alone; you
may run into scalability issues at higher volumes
and more languages
Typical provider
Professional translators and editors who are
members of professional associations and hold degrees in language or
translation
Benefits
High-quality translation plus editing
#12
LOW
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AGENCY TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Most agencies will advise you not to skip the editing step, unless you’re OK with risking errors.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple languages and larger
volumes without customer-facing
content
Risks
Not having an editing pass means there are no quality guarantees
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in the languages and content types of your
project
Benefits
Scale for multiple languages and high
volumes, lower costs than translation that
includes editing
#13
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS EDITORS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This is the option you’ll most likely want to choose – it’s the de facto industry standard.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple languages and
larger volumes with customer-facing
content
Risks
Costs will be higher than with translation
alone, plus you pay for project management
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in the languages and content types of your
project
Benefits
Costs will be higher than with translation
alone, plus you pay for project managementScalability for volume and languages, higher
quality
#14
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS EDITORS PLUS PROOFREADERS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
If you cannot risk errors and seek the highest quality, this option is likely best for you.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple languages and
larger volumes with customer-facing
content
Risks
Costs will be higher, plus quality may still
vary by agency
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in the languages and content types of your
project
Benefits
Scalability for volume and languages, highest possible
quality
#15
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES PROJECT MANAGERS IN YOUR TIME ZONE
If your requirements and deadlines are not flexible, you need support in your time zone.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple languages, larger volumes, and
requirements or deadlines that are set
in stone
Risks
You may have to pay more to work with agencies that have
project management in your time zone
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in the languages and content types of your
project, and staff in your time zone
Benefits
Ability to quickly and easily reach your project manager regarding status
updates and progress
#16
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT DOES NOT PROVIDE PROJECT MANAGERS IN YOUR TIME ZONE
If you really think your requirements will not change, you might be able to choose this option.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple languages, larger volumes, and requirements and
timelines that seldom change or are flexible
Risks
If you need to reach someone during your business hours, you might not be able to
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in the languages and content types of your
project, and staff in other time zones
Benefits
You will likely pay less if the project manager can be based in a low-
cost location
#17
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
If you have technical content, and lots of it, go with a specialist, not a generalist provider.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple languages, larger
volumes, and technical or specialized content
Risks
These agencies will generally cost more than non-specialized
providers
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in the languages and content types of your project, plus subject
matter expertise
Benefits
Quality, quality, quality
#18
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY WITHOUT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
At the very least, make sure your agency has done projects of a similar type in your industry.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple languages, larger
volumes, and content that is non-technical, of a general nature
Risks
Quality may vary widely, as nearly any agency
will “qualify” for a generalist project
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in the languages and content
types of your project
Benefits
Less expensive than working with a
specialist
#19
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY USING A VISUAL TRANSLATION INTERFACE
A translation software platform will give your translation providers free access to these tools.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Websites, mobile applications, documents with specific formatting and page layout, with
multiple languages and higher volumes
Risks
Not every translation agency has access to these kinds of tools
Typical provider
Agencies that embrace technology
Benefits
Quality from the start, reduced translation
errors, reduced timeline, scalability
#20
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY WITHOUT USING A VISUAL TRANSLATION INTERFACE
Not using a visual translation interface can decrease quality and cause launch or release delays.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Text-only content that does not require any specific formatting
and page layout, with multiple languages and higher volumes
Risks
More errors due to lack of visual context, more time needed to
fix mistakes
Typical provider
Agencies that are reluctant to embrace the
latest technologies
Benefits
Ability to adhere to an older, more traditional
translation process
#21
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY USING TRANSLATION MEMORY
Most translation agencies already use translation memory on your projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Any content type except for subtitling
and voiceover work, with multiple
languages and higher volumes
Risks
Making sure the latest version of the
translation memory is always used
Typical provider
Agencies that embrace technology
Benefits
Ability to leverage past translations for future quality, consistency,
and cost savings
#22
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY A CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION ENGINE
Any translation that is generated purely by computers brings you a high degree of risk.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-only content that is specialized but not
customer-facing
Risks
Quality is usually not great, can be very
expensive to create custom engines
Typical provider
Companies that specialize in building custom
computer-generated translation engines
Benefits
Can become beneficial to a company
with enough time, investment, and effort
#23
MEDIUM
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COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING
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TRANSLATION BY A NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION ENGINE
Generic, non-customized, computer-generated translation has the highest possible degree of risk.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-only content that is neither customer-
facing nor specialized
Risks
Quality is usually very poor, making it not useful for most
projects
Typical provider
Companies that offer non-customized computer-generated translation,
usually online and free for lower volumes
Benefits
Low cost, used sometimes for “long-tail content” that isn’t
customer-facing
#24
HIGH
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COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION WITH EDITING BY A PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR
Don’t expect professional translators to take these projects – it’s linguistic janitorial work.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-only content that may or may not customer-
facing
Risks
Quality can be poor; difficult to find
professional providers willing to take these
projects
Typical provider
Companies that offer computer-generated translation may refer
clients to translators they work with
Benefits
Can be slightly less expensive, but can actually take longer
than regular translation processes depending
on quality
#25
HIGH
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Even if the engine is customized, the quality will likely not be good enough for most purposes.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-only content that is specialized but not
customer-facing
Risks
No quality guarantees; customizing the engine
is expensive
Typical provider
Companies that offer computer-generated
translation may offer this service
Benefits
May allow you to handle more file types and larger volumes, better quality than
without customization
#26
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
If no human beings are part of the process at all, resulting quality may be extremely poor.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-only content that are not customer-facing
nor specialized
Risks
Very high risk of poor quality due to no customization or human involvement
Typical provider
Companies that offer computer-generated
translation may offer this service
Benefits
May allow you to handle more file types
and larger volumes
#27
HIGH
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS PROFESSIONAL HUMAN EDITING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Having a customized engine plus professional human editors reduces risk but increases cost.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-only content of a
specialized nature
Risks
Higher cost; still some quality risk
Typical provider
Companies that offer computer-generated translation and some translation agencies
Benefits
May allow you to handle more file types and larger volumes,
lower quality risk
#28
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS PROFESSIONAL HUMAN EDITING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
No customization means more reliance on human clean-up and higher likelihood of errors.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-only content
Risks
The output will likely result in lower quality;
takes longer
Typical provider
Companies that offer computer-generated translation and some translation agencies
Benefits
Lower costs than with a customized engine
#29
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES NON-PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS (BILINGUALS)
Even if your content isn’t technical, the risks of errors are high with non-professional translators.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of non-technical, non-specialized
content requiring fast turnaround
Risks
Lower quality; cannot be used for specialized
content
Typical provider
Companies that offer “bulk” or
“crowdsourced” translation by non-
professionals
Benefits
Faster turnaround times possible; lower
costs
#30
HIGH
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES NON-PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS (BILINGUALS) PLUS EDITING BY PROFESSIONAL EDITORS
This situation is not very common. Many professional translators refuse to do this type of work.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of non-technical, non-specialized content
Risks
No real time savings; cost savings are also
minimal
Typical provider
Companies that offer “bulk” or “crowdsourced”
translation by non-professionals
Benefits
Better quality than without professional
editors
#31
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY NON-PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
This situation is uncommon as well. This option competes with computer-generated translation.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of non-technical, non-specialized content
that is not customer-facing
Risks
Quality can suffer; difficult for editors to
catch errors
Typical provider
Only a small number of agencies offer this
service
Benefits
Faster and less expensive way to process low-risk
content
#32
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Unless your employees also happen to be professional translators, they should not translate.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Low-risk content at smaller volumes with
no hard deadlines and requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
Quality is usually not great; process is slower; distracts
employees from their normal work
Typical provider
Bilingual employees at client company
Benefits
Does not require additional external
expenditure; employees are more
familiar with company and brand
#33
HIGH
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BILINGUAL EMPLOYEE
TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING
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TRANSLATION BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES PLUS EDITING BY PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
Having translators edit can mitigate risk, but still isn’t a good process for many reasons.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Content at smaller volumes with no
hard deadlines and requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
This may end up costing far more than
it’s worth and will take more time than it
should
Typical provider
Bilingual employees at client company plus freelance translators
Benefits
Company can ensure higher quality than
without professional editing
#34
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS EDITING BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
If bilingual employees are involved in editing, it can still result in a slow and cumbersome process.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Content at smaller volumes with no
hard deadlines and requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
It can still be very time-consuming to edit; distracts
employees from their normal work
Typical provider
Freelance translators plus bilingual employees at
client company
Benefits
Company can ensure higher quality than
without professional editing
#35
MEDIUM
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS PROFESSIONAL EDITING PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Limit bilingual employee involvement to the review stage. It makes life easier for all involved.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Various types of projects requiring company-specific
knowledge, multiple languages and higher
volumes
Risks
Process can take longer than without having employees in
the mix
Typical provider
Translation agency plus bilingual employees
Benefits
Reviewers can guide agency on company-specific knowledge;
higher quality
#36
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS PROFESSIONAL EDITING PLUS PROOFREADING PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
This is another widely used scenario. Agencies do the translation; employees do a sanity check.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Various types of projects requiring
multiple languages and higher volumes
Risks
Will cost more
Typical provider
Translation agency plus bilingual employees
Benefits
Higher quality
#37
LOW
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CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Employees won’t enjoy doing this clean-up work, and it isn’t a good use of their time.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects with no strict deadlines
requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
This takes far too much time for it to be feasible; customized
engines can be expensive
Typical provider
Companies that provide customized computer-generated translation, bilingual employees
Benefits
No reliance on third parties except for the computer-generated translation provider
#38
HIGH
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NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
This option will be even slower and will result in even poorer quality than with customized engines.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects with no strict deadlines
requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
Slow, very high risk of poor quality, cost of
employees’ time
Typical provider
Companies that provide non-customized
computer-generated translation, bilingual
employees
Benefits
Low-cost option
#39
HIGH
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CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Having professional translators in the mix can improve quality.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
Customized engines can be expensive,
process may be slow
Typical provider
Companies that provide customized computer-generated translation,
some translation agencies, bilingual
employees
Benefits
Bilingual employees have to do less work,
can accomodate larger volumes
#40
MEDIUM
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NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Non-customized engines result in lower quality requiring more human intervention.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
Quality will likely not be as good as with a customized engine,
process may be slow
Typical provider
Companies that provide non-customized
computer-generated translation, some
translation agencies, bilingual employees
Benefits
Lower costs
#41
MEDIUM
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CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY NON-PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Whenever there are no professional translators involved, quality is likely to take a hit.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
Process will likely be very slow; quality is
not guaranteed
Typical provider
Companies that provide customized computer-generated translation,
some translation agencies, bilingual
employees
Benefits
Somewhat better quality than with non-customized engines
#42
HIGH
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NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY NON-PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
With no professional translator involvement and no customization, risks of poor quality are high.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects requiring company-specific knowledge
Risks
Process will likely be very slow; quality is
likely to be poor
Typical provider
Companies that provide non-customized
computer-generated translation, some
translation agencies, bilingual employees
Benefits
Lower costs
#43
HIGH
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TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
Even though volunteers may be well-intentioned, quality and deadlines are at risk with this model.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Limited to certain content types only
that require expertise in your company or
products
Risks
No quality guarantees; no ability to ensure deadlines are met
Typical provider
Global online communities of fans,
users, volunteers, partners, or others
Benefits
Customer engagement; need for
“in-country review” disappears
#44
MEDIUM
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VOLUNTEER TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING
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TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS WITHOUT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
Some organizations use volunteers who have no expertise but are motivated by their cause.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
General content for non-profits or charitable causes
Risks
No quality guarantees; no ability to ensure deadlines are met
Typical provider
Global online communities of
volunteers who are committed to an
organization’s mission or cause
Benefits
Gives volunteers another way to support an organization
#45
HIGH
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TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS PLUS EDITING BY PROFESSIONAL HUMAN TRANSLATORS
If you choose this option, make sure to select a translation software platform that supports it.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
General content for various types of
businesses
Risks
May cost nearly the same as professional
human translation
Typical provider
Global online communities of fans,
users, volunteers, partners, or others
Benefits
Allows volunteers to participate while
mitigating quality risks
#46
LOW
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TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS PLUS EDITING BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Without professional translators, quality risk goes up. Involve them, and risk goes down.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
General content for various types of
businesses
Risks
Risk of poor quality; not the best use of employees’ time
Typical provider
Global online communities of fans,
users, volunteers, partners, or others, plus
bilingual employees
Benefits
Can be less costly than other options
#47
MEDIUM
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CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS
Machines plus volunteers are not a good mix. No one is there to be your quality champion.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of content that is company-specific
Risks
Not scalable; most volunteer communities will not translate this
content
Typical provider
Providers of customized engines, global online volunteer communities
Benefits
No reliance on outside translation providers
aside from the provider of the engine
#48
HIGH
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NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY A COMMUNITY OF BILINGUALS
This is one of the worst combinations for quality and efficiency. Not advisable for most projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of content of a general
nature
Risks
Very high risk of poor quality; Not scalable;
most volunteer communities will not translate this content
Typical provider
Providers of non-customized engines,
global online volunteer communities
Benefits
Lower costs
#49
HIGH
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CUSTOM OPTIONS
BACK TO BEGINNING
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ADD YOUR WORKFLOW HERE#50We’ve provided you with 50 different “shades” of translation so that you could see how many possibilities there are for breaking up the translation process into steps to create different workflows.
Each has its pros and cons, and some are more common than others.
But the options don’t end there.
With Smartling’s new custom workflow tool, you can build the workflows that make the most sense for your global content. Create as many translation, quality review, and approval steps as you need – from simple “translate, review, publish” workflows to more complicated workflows requiring subject matter experts and discussions over multiple approval cycles.
Visit www.smartling.com to request a demo and see how easy it can be to build the workflow that’s right for your global business.
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INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?
CONTACT US:
+1 866.70.SMART
WWW.SMARTLING.COM