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Free German to English Translator Guide: How to Choose an English to German TranslatorChoosing an English to German translator? The Free German to English Translator Guide has advice to help you make the right decision. At the bottom, you'll also find a pricing guide and other helpful information. (Looking for a free German to English translator online?) How to Choose an English to German TranslatorHere are some points to keep in mind when choosing a freelance German translator. Qualifications 1) Language background. Look for a translator who is a native speaker of the translation target's language -- that is, the language into which the text will be translated. In other words, if your translator is from English to German, your translator should be a native German speaker, not a native English speaker. 2) Experience. Look for a translator with several years of professional translation experience. A seasoned translator is likely to translate faster and more smoothly, avoiding certain typical "beginner" mistakes such as an overly literal translation. "The more you translate, the better you are. It's a matter of volume and practice. If you work a lot with the same clients and similar texts, you know how to tackle them." - Katarina Wawrzon, English to German Translator More from Katarina from the Free German to English Translator Guide 3) Subject matter expertise. If the translation is technical in nature, it's preferable to find a translator who is familiar with the subject matter. This translator will better be able to understand the original document and to translate it using appropriate terminology in the target language. For some types of technical documents such as legal contracts, a background in the subject matter is almost a must. If you can't find an English to German translator with the proper subject matter expertise, then you should try to have the translation checked by a subject matter expert who is native in the target language. "Use a translator who is a specialist in his or her area, especially if the document is highly specialized, such as a legal document. I turn down many jobs on a weekly basis because I don't think I'm qualified in the technical area. For example, I don't know how to do a legal translation -- it's as simple as that." - Katarina Wawrzon, English to German Translator More from Katarina from the Free German to English Translator Guide 4) Price. We know that some companies choose translators based on who offers the lowest price, and we think this is a mistake. However, price is an important factor to take into account. In particular, we suggest being wary of translators who charge rates below market level, as this may indicate inexperience or lack of professionalism. Compare typical English to German translator rates in the Free German to English Translator Guide Testing You can use the points above to create a shortlist of promising German to English translator candidates. But none of these points will tell you for sure how well the candidates actually translate. Do not assume that the person with the most impressive CV is the most talented translator -- experience has shown us that this very often is not the case. The best way of assessing a translator's skills is to ask him or her to complete a short test translation. 300 words is a good length for the test -- it is long enough to get an idea of the translator's ability but short enough that many translators will be willing to complete the test for free. If you ask for a longer test, translators may expect payment for their work. Sometimes, a translator will not wish to complete even a short test for free. In this case, you can ask for a sample of the translator's previous translation work. Ask for both the source text (the text in the original language) and the translation, and be sure to find out from the translator which is which. Then you need to find someone to evaluate the sample translation. Unless you have friends or colleagues who are natives of the translation target language (or are a native yourself), you may have to pay another professional translator to evaluate the candidate's work. We recommend collecting similar tests from 6 to 8 translators and sending them all together to an evaluator. This gives the evaluator a basis for comparison. References In addition to looking at the translator's qualifications and translation test, it's a good idea to ask for references from past clients. Contact these clients to find out about their experiences working with this translator. Questions to ask:
Free German to English Translator Guide - More ResourcesCompare English to German translator rates Read a comparison of working with agencies versus freelance translators Get advice on choosing a translation agency Use a free German to English translator online See all topics in the Free German to English Translator Guide |