Guide for Translators

Contractual Obligations

Tips for Good Translation

Criteria for Recruitment

Global welcomes freelance professionals to join our translation team. To assure the highest quality work product, we require the following of our translators:

	Certification in translation - a degree or diploma in translation, or membership in a recognized professional association for translators, OR
	Minimum of five years of active translation experience in the specific pair of languages
	Must be native speakers or possess proven high level of written proficiency in the target language
	Must live in the same country where the target audience resides OR if living elsewhere, must maintain close ties and contact with own country of origin
	Have industry experience in the area of specialization (e.g. financial, legal...etc.)
	Possess appropriate qualifications in the specified technical area of specialization (applicable to technical translators, e.g. IT, electrical...etc.)
	Provide at least two references
	Provide samples of finished work products
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Contractual Obligations

	All translators and editors are required to sign service agreements, which include confidentiality clauses, prior to starting on assignments. Translators are not allowed to disclose the contents of their translation projects to any third parties during or after the projects. Exceptions are when the finished products have been released to the public e.g. internet website, press release, annual report of publicly traded company...etc.
	The copyright of all translated and edited work resides with Global Translation and Writing Services. Such copyright will eventually be transferred to the commissioning party upon full payment for services.
	Translators and editors are expected to adhere to pre-agreed delivery schedules. If for whatever reason you know you won't be able to meet committed schedules, you need to contact your project manager right away.
	In the event that client review of the delivered work product results in feedback that requires revisions, translators and/or editors are expected to process the necessary revisions at no extra charge.
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Tips for Good Translation

     Prior to accepting project:

Read over the entire document to get a feel for:
	purpose of the document
	target audience
	subject matter
	key messages
	technical terminology or industry jargon
	format of presentation e.g. website, marketing brochure, user manual...etc.
	style and tone
	length/ word count (time required)
	level of linguistic difficulty
	whether the current document is part of a series

Determine whether you are a suitable candidate for this translation project in terms of:
	knowledge and experience with subject matter, including any industry or technical expertise required
	familiarity with culture of the target audience and language expressions used in that particular part of the world
	comfort level with the nature of the document and its presentation style and tone
	availability of time to work on the project within the given timeframe and delivery schedules, including post-delivery revisions if required
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     Preparation work for assigned translation project:

Once you are assigned the project, you should do some preparation work before plunging into the actual translation. The logistics:
	Confirm expected delivery times so that you can plan your work accordingly.
	Understand your client's process - Are you expected to work independently and hand in completed work by deadline? Are you expected to work on a small portion of the assignment first and submit a sample for approval before proceeding further? Are you part of a translation team on a large project and need to coordinate your work with others?
	Take note of contact persons for your project: project manager/ project coordinator, subject matter experts (if any) and people you can go to for questions or resolution of issues.
	If the current document is part of a series, or an update of a previous release, or previous client documents on the same or related subject exist, obtain and study the other documents for background reference.

The document: Go over the entire document once again. Try to resolve issues at the beginning rather than after you are well into the project. Sometimes there may be a time lag before you get the answers.
	If you had prior assumptions about the objectives of the document, target audience, presentation format, style or other deliverables, seek confirmation now.
	Ask for any glossary covering pre-existing translations for names of people, companies, product / service offerings, as well as client-preferred terminology related to the subject matter.
	Identify areas in the document where the meaning is unclear and seek clarification.
	If you notice problems in the source document, e.g. spelling and grammatical mistakes, logical errors, conflicting information, inconsistencies in terminology use, unintentional duplication, references that are offensive or inappropriate to the target cultural audience, corrupted files, or other issues, bring these to the attention of your project manager for resolution. The client will thank you for this. Do not try to change the text or its meaning yourself.
	Gather reference materials, e.g. dictionary, thesaurus, grammar resource texts, industry or technical terminology glossaries, and other resources to help you with your work.
	Conduct research so you have a better idea of the overall context in which the document is released. This includes research on the client company/organization and its product/service offerings, the specific subject matter, the industry including the competition, the culture of the target audience, and any other macro developments that might have set the stage for this document.
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     During Translation:

	Rather than translating word by word, make sure that all the messages and pertinent points are conveyed.
	Refer to client-supplied glossaries and industry glossaries for special terms, or company related names.
	Be consistent when translating the same terms throughout the document. Cross consistency with similar terms in other related documents may be required where applicable.
	Sometimes the order of words, sentence structure, or presentation of ideas may have to be slightly adjusted to achieve a coherent flow in the target language.
	When translating marketing copy that involves idioms or local references in the original text, such references may need to be replaced by others that are more culturally relevant to the target audience.
	Format the translated text to mirror the original text where possible, e.g. paragraphing, bullets, headings...etc.
	Proofread your translated work before delivery. We recommend that you do your proofreading a minimum of two times -- one of which should be after some time has elapsed following your initial translation. The first round is to ensure there are no missed texts, typographical errors, translation inaccuracies or inconsistencies, puctuation...etc. The second round is to check for syntax, flow, cultural relevance...etc.
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     Post Translation:

	Make revisions to incorporate client comments / feedback
	If your submitted work goes through further editing by third parties prior to release, look for the final published version to see what changes or improvements to the text have been made. This will be a good learning exercise for future work.
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