HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TRANSLATOR

The truth is, translation clients seldom know what they are paying for, especially when it is a translation into a language they have no knowledge of. Whether you are looking for a Polish translator on a regular basis, or just as a one-off, you have to understand that it will be your translator’s words that your Polish prospects will read and not yours.

Your reputation, and the seriousness of your proposal, will be in the hands of your Polish translator. If it is wrong and inaccurate, then all your efforts will be in vain. These sorts of mistakes cause long term damage which is, in most cases, irreparable. If you did not bother to have your words translated correctly, then it is taken that you do not respect your Polish prospects, so why should they respect you?

Knowing this, how is it possible to find a Polish translator that you can trust your translation project to? Here are three basic rules to follow:

1) A translator should have studied the language they are translating from, but should only translate into their native tongue. Only ever use native Polish translators for projects that will be read by Polish people. If you just want a basic understanding of a subject, and the translation is for your own internal use, then using a non native is acceptable.

2) Unless the original material is of a general nature, it is essential to choose a Polish translator with expert knowledge of the specific subject matter (law, commerce, technology, medicine, etc) as well as experience in translating documents on that subject. Technical jargon is difficult to understand, even in English. Working across languages adds an extra complexity to a translation, which can only be addressed by using a translator with specialist knowledge in that subject.

3) It is important for a good translator to spend time in countries where their working languages (English and Polish) are widely spoken. Language is organic, and therefore evolves over time with new words being added to dictionaries every year. When we watch old programmes on TV showing people from just a few decades ago, we can hear how differently they speak, even though it is the same language. Slang and colloquial expressions can appear overnight and without keeping in touch with their language pair, a translator's understanding of local nuances can diminish in time.

Our Commitment to quality

As well as only employing native Polish translators, we ensure that professional and competent editors thoroughly check all our translations to achieve the highest standards possible. We are dedicated to the highest levels of quality control, so we are not going to employ students, rookies or outsiders - only professional and experienced translators with extensive knowledge of their subject and its terminology.

Moreover, our bank of translation resources and glossaries makes it possible to maintain terminology consistency. Documents are laid out as per your original, or reworked as specified, and are delivered on time every time.