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Check-list for a good translation quote

The more information you provide, the faster and more accurately we can give you a good quote for your translation. We do make a point of asking for any information we need, of course, but you can use the check-list to prepare a little for the typical questions we’ll have. If you have the information at the ready to start with, it will help us to work out a good price for you.

 

  • In general
    We very much like to see the text involved. Then we can gauge its complexity, subject area and size.
    Tell us if you have a particular deadline in mind for delivery. When do you need it by?
    Then we’d like to know a bit about the communication situation. Who will be using the translation, and in which country?

 

  • Which language combination is involved?   
    In other words: Which languages will we be translating to and from.
    It may seem perfectly obvious, but remember to write and tell us which language your text has to be translated into.
    And besides, English is not just English. We distinguish between American (US) and British (UK) English. In the same way, there is a difference between the Portuguese spoken in Angola, Portugal and Brazil, and between the Spanish in Europe and the various countries of South and Central America.
    So if you tell us the language combination and country in advance, we can save time on the follow-up question.

 

  • Where is the translation going to be used, and who will be using it?
    Which country or language area is the translation going to be used in? Does it have to be presented to an authority, a school or other recipients? These are details that help us advise you about the formalities of the translation, e.g. whether it has to be a certified and legalized translation.

 

  • What is the translation going to be used for?
    Is it a text for in-house use, or is the document intended for publication? Is it going to be presented to an authority, or is there another specific purpose? These details help us choose the right translator for the job here in the office, so that we can turn it around quickly and still meet all your requirements and preferences. It’s good old, basic communications theory: You need to know your recipient in order to be able to convey your message as best possible.

 

  • What type of documents are going to be translated?
    If you have no way of sending us the document to be translated or an example of the document, we would very much like to find out what the text is all about. That’s one of the things that will affect price and turnaround. We start to form a general picture of the assignment straight away, and we then have to figure out which of our translators best fits the bill for your particular assignment.

 

  • What does it cost to translate a page?
    We’re often asked this question. And the answer depends on so many things that it would be best to send us the text. The amount of text on one page can vary greatly. A divorce certificate doesn’t contain that much text, while a company’s business T&C will often be squeezed onto a single A4 sheet with two columns in a small font. If we find out a little about the text, we can give you an estimate, but we’d much rather give you an accurate quote. As members of the Danish Association of Certified Translators and Interpreters (DACTI), we have a duty of confidentiality in respect of any material we receive, so you can safely send us the text for a no-obligation quote.

 

  • Is it relevant to translate the entire text, and need adjustments be made to the source text?
    Sometimes not all the information is relevant to the translation. And the more text that needs translating, the greater the translation cost.
    A detailed description of the Danish state of affairs might benefit from being adapted to a more international public instead.
    In the case of a certified translation, parts of the text of no relevance to the recipient may be able to be omitted, allowing you to save money.
    If you have a specific budget for the translation, we can also help you work out how much translation you can afford.

 

  • Is the text available in editable format?
    We are happy to translate paper documents (hardcopy/printouts) and PDF files. It’s not a problem. But if you have the text in Word or some other format that can be edited, it makes it easier for us to work on, and that can bring the price down slightly. At the same time, editable formats also allow us to work on the text in our translation systems. We use what is known as a translation memory, which stores translated sentences and prompts us to re-use the translation when it comes across a similar sentence. So if we get a text in PDF that is not available in an editable format, we will convert the text first, so that we can work on it as efficiently as possible.

 

  • Will my text be translated by machine?
    No, not with us. We provide a personal service, and real people will be translating your text. The text will not be uploaded onto the Internet to some machine translation service, nor will it be seen by anyone other than a translator, proofreader and project manager. Where relevant to your assignment, we use a translation memory. This can best be compared with a database that stores every single sentence. So when we come across the same sentence or terms later on, we can look up the previous translation. That provides scope for a discount if there are repetitions in the text. At the same time, the system helps the translator ensure that we translate things consistently throughout the document, keeping track of the terminology used.

 

  • Will the translation be proofread?
    Yes, our rates always include double proofing. That is to say that the translator proofreads his or her translation and another person reads the translation through afterwards. That way, all translations are seen by at least two pairs of eyes before being delivered. Our project managers also check the translations, so there’s a third inspection point too. The way it works is that the translator and the proofreader each have their own native language, so that one’s understanding of the source text and the other’s wording of the target text are both scrutinized closely. If you prefer to economize, or if the translation is mostly for in-house use only, then of course we can arrange to save on the proofreading and quality assurance.

 

  • Do you have to see the text to give a quote?
    Yes please. It’s a great help. We treat all material in confidence, so you can safely send it to us. If it’s a physical document and you don’t have access to a scanner, you can take a picture on your phone and send it to us. That way, we’ll have some idea of the content and size of the translation. You can also download the free Adobe Scan app to scan documents from your phone to make PDF documents.
    If you have the text to hand, please feel free to e-mail it to us. If it takes up too much space to e-mail, we recommend a service such as hightail.com or dropbox.com, which helps you to send or share large files. Otherwise, please ring or write to us and we’ll help you to take it from there.

 

  • Do you need the original?
    The original document will sometimes need to be inserted into a certified translation. This depends on the recipient country, the recipient authority and the situation in general. If the original needs to be included in the translation, it will often need legalizing too. That is, the signature on the original document will have to be endorsed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We can help with advice and legalization, where required.

 

  • Can payment be made online?
    We accept payment by MobilePay or bank-to-bank transfer. We ask private clients for payment upfront before we deliver the translation –the same as buying something in a shop.

 

 

Did you know that…

as certified translators, we are bound to observe secrecy?

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