Translations play a crucial role in the modern world, especially since we are all so connected globally. However, there are times when translations must be absolutely accurate, such as when you are submitting your official documents in an immigration process or sharing education resources worldwide.
In cases like these, you might need to review your documents after they’ve been translated to guarantee accuracy. Whether you have asked someone to translate for you or you’re attempting it yourself, below are eight tips for reviewing documents after translation.
8 Tips to Review Documents After Translation
Need to ensure you have an accurate and certified translation for USCIS or another industry? Here are our top tips for reviewing your documents after translation:
Double-check for accuracy
One of the first things you must do after any translation is to ensure accuracy. If you’ve written it yourself, you most likely already think it’s all correct. Therefore, you might need to ask a friend or family member who understands the language to review it and see any inaccuracies. If someone else has written the translation for you, and if possible, you should try to go through and check for inaccuracies yourself.
Verify completeness
The last thing you want from a translation, especially of a legal document, is to submit it and have it sent back, saying it is only half complete. This may seem like a bit of an obvious one, but you need to check that all aspects of your document have been translated. This includes any small print or additional pages. This is crucial if you ask a friend or family member to translate for you.
Assess readability and flow
This depends on the document you’re translating. If it’s a birth certificate and you’re only translating a couple of singular words, you won’t need to worry about the flow; you just need to ensure the words are correct. However, if it’s a long marketing document or contract, you need to look at it from the target audience's perspective. Will they easily understand what is said? Does it match their tone of voice?
Consider cultural nuances
Just changing a word from one language to another doesn’t just cut it anymore. There are cultural nuances that the translation needs to consider as well. For example, if you’re translating marketing materials from English to Spanish, you need to think about your audience. This is because Spanish speakers from Mexico and Spain have different idioms and ways of speaking. Ensure that your document meets the cultural nuances of your desired audience.
Check for formatting consistency
Translations aren’t just about changing words and sentences from one language to another. You need to think about the formatting as well. Not only does it need to meet the formatting of the original document, but you need to ensure the formatting remains consistent across all the content. Go through it with fresh eyes (or have someone do it for you), look out for any formatting inconsistencies, and change them before you send your final document anywhere.
Use technology wisely
Many people have started turning to AI to help them out with translations. However, this isn’t always the best option as they aren’t always completely accurate and consider emotion or cultural nuances. If you want to have some help from technology to review your document translations, you need to ensure you’re using a reliable system. Look up reviews, talk to others who have used it, and try to use a trial before buying.
Collaborate with translator
If you’re not doing the translation yourself, you should definitely let the translator know what you want from the final result. By doing this, fewer changes will be needed at the end. Tell them at the beginning about the purpose of your translation, the audience your document is being used for, and the various cultural nuances you want to meet. Check up on them throughout the process and collaborate with each other until you’re happy.
Proofread meticulously
Whether it’s a translation or any piece of content, you need to proofread it before sending it anywhere. Go through the final document and look for any spelling or grammar mistakes that might have slipped through the cracks. When you ensure that the translation is completely accurate, you appear more professional or reliable. This is a crucial step that you should never miss in the review process.
Crucial Role of Skilled Translators
While you can use the tips above to review your own translations, you can skip the step altogether when using a skilled translator to help you out. This is because they can provide expertise in the following fields:
- Breaking language barriers on a global scale
- Understanding cultural nuances and idioms
- Ensuring complete accuracy in translations
- Offering access to multilingual information
- Adapting documents to meet global markets
- Preserving the original meaning of a document
Deciding Factor: Choosing Experienced Document Translation Services
So, what is the deciding factor for making you choose experienced document translation services over doing it yourself? It is precision and reliability in cross-cultural communication.
When you use a professional translator for your documents, they bring a high level of aptitude that will provide you with strong expertise, ensuring accurate and contextually appropriate translations. This ensures there are no errors or misunderstandings that could cause a delay in the reason you need your document translated, and you can meet your goals as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Partner with The Spanish Group for Accurate Translations
Want to streamline your document translation process with reliable professionals? The Spanish Group is here to help. We have a strong team of expert linguists who are trained to translate documents into a wide range of languages. We always guarantee complete accuracy with our translations, ensuring you get the result you’re looking for.
To get started with The Spanish Group’s document translation services, all you have to do is request a translation here. Simply provide us with your translation requirements, the document you want translated, and any other additional information. We’ll then get your document back to you in as little as a day.
FAQs
How do I submit my documents for translation?
Submitting a document for translation with The Spanish Group couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is head to the website, click the ‘Order Translation’ button on the homepage, fill out all the details, such as the language you want translated, and attach your documents.
How is the confidentiality of my documents ensured during the process?
At The Spanish Group, we only use certified translators who guarantee confidentiality in all of our services. In our terms and conditions, we promise never to share any of your documents or data with any third parties, so you can rest assured that your information is safe.
Can The Spanish Group handle certified translations for legal purposes?
Yes, we offer certified translations that cover a whole host of legal documents.
Are machine translations used, or do human translators do them?
At The Spanish Group, we only use human translators to process your translations. This is because it guarantees that all final results will have a human touch to them, including understanding cultural nuances, relating to emotions, and fact-checking errors that machine translations may not do.
How can I track the progress of my translation order?
Tracking the process of your order at The Spanish Group is easy. Once you’ve ordered a translation, you’ll be able to track the progress in the ‘Track Order’ button on the website header, such as when it’s in process and when it is available. For any additional information, you can get in touch with an expert at The Spanish Group.