If you’ve been wooed by a low-budget translation, you may have sacrificed quality for price.
You need to be sure that you have hired qualified translators who are using a documented process with thorough quality control to catch any linguistic or technical errors that could impact the accuracy and efficiency of the final translation. Consider this: one poorly translated sentence in an important document can damage the professional image of a company.
Sure, there are some instances where mistranslations seem funny (there are hundreds of examples of mistranslations on the Internet as jokes). However, mistranslations aren’t exactly funny when they are negatively impacting your own product or business. On top of that, the cost of poor translations can go beyond money; if you work in an industry like manufacturing, a mistranslation could put lives at risk.
There are other unseen impacts as well: An error in a legal document can cost people a lot more than financial losses when an inaccurate translation of a medical report can lead so serious health implications. Continue reading to learn some of the repercussions of poor translations, as well as tips for avoiding translation errors.
Brand Management
Nobody makes mistakes on purpose. As we’ve mentioned before, some translation mistakes can be humorous, however, other mistakes are viewed as downright offensive and unprofessional. When you pay for translation services, it is implied that the translation will honor your businesses’ brand– people want to buy from a company that has a respectable image. So, if your business comes off as an unprofessional, your customers may decide to take their business elsewhere. Basically, you should avoid making your business a ‘punch line.’
Affecting Business Transactions
Not only do poor translations drive people away from your business, but depending on your industry, you could face legal action. If a professional translator does not translate a document carefully, mistakes can be easily made. An inaccurate translation of a single word is enough to change the entire meaning of the message.
Accurate translations are also of extreme importance if you are dealing with contracts of any sort. Simple words and phrases in a contract could lead to misunderstanding what the contract says in the source language. In a best-case scenario, this could lead to delays in business deals; in a worst case scenario, it could lead to an arrangement or investment completely falling through, or even a lawsuit.
How To Avoid Translation Errors
If you want to ensure an accurate translation, human translation is your best bet. Allowing time for an accurate, thorough human translation will always produce better results than rushed and poorly planned out jobs. Believe us, using strictly machine translation will almost always fail to meet your expectations and will reflect poorly on your business. Human translation requires patience, but it could make the difference between securing an investment and losing a deal. When it comes to legal translations of important business transactions, investments, government policies, and legal documents, it is simply not wise to take chances with language. If you are unsure of what mistakes you should look out for when reviewing a translation, check out.
iTi | Connecticut Translation Company
iTi’s dedicated and experienced team offers a wide range of multilingual solutions for domestic and global corporations in a variety of industries. Do you require translation services to enhance your global marketing and sales initiatives or interpreter services to communicate across languages? We specialize in custom language solutions and work with over 200 languages so regardless of the barrier you face, we will work together in synergy to bridge the gap to ensure success. Please feel free to contact us through a message or by calling 860-362-0812. Our offices are open 24/7/365 so we can respond immediately to your interpreting or translation needs anytime, anywhere.
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