It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages.
Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer them to another.听The right professional will have solid knowledge of your industry and will know how to culturally adapt your content for the target audience you are trying to reach. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it counts.
Can I afford to hire a professional?
You can't afford NOT to.听Getting your message wrong can cost money, ruin your image, and even cost lives. Whether you鈥檙e having a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign translated or need an interpreter to communicate treatment options between a doctor and patient, it pays to hire a professional to get the job done right.
Instead of hiring a professional, this restaurant used machine translation and did not realize the result was an error message.
Understanding what鈥檚 at stake
ATA publishes articles to illustrate why it is critical to hire qualified translators and interpreters.
When It Comes to Communication, More Is More
In our world of information overload, less is often more. This old adage still applies in the world of communications鈥攖hink website or marketing copy that is best short and sweet. Yet context and preparation is needed when human interaction is involved. The more time and energy you invest upfront, the more time, money, and headaches you鈥檒l save down the line.…
Read MoreNot Connecting with Consumers? Maybe You鈥檙e Not Speaking Their Language
You may think your company鈥檚 products and services speak for themselves, but building a brand beyond borders takes more. If you don鈥檛 speak your customer鈥檚 language and understand their culture, you won鈥檛 reach them emotionally and your reputation will suffer. What drives consumer behavior? Sam founded and operates a food service company in a local market. Finding that his business…
Read MoreGoing International from the Inside Out: Making the Most of Multilingual and Multicultural Staff
Last year, a mid-sized manufacturer took their brand international with a multilingual campaign that opened the company to orders from rapidly growing markets in Asia. In the process, their accounting department saved them a great deal of money, but not in the way you would expect. The owner had found a translation agency with a strong track record in mainland…
Read MoreArriving at the Right Type of Language Professional
Business people don’t have to communicate with extraterrestrials (yet), but they can still learn a few things from the sci-fi thriller Arrival. The blockbuster film put a language professional in the leading role. Hollywood star Amy Adams plays Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics professor asked by U.S. Army Intelligence to help communicate with an alien species that has arrived on…
Read MoreThe Importance of Hiring Qualified Technical Translators
Occasionally, an enterprise client comes to our firm for post-translation help. The scenario usually looks like this: they needed a technical text translated, they had someone in the company fluent in the target language, and they decided to save money by having their bilingual colleague perform the translation. This rarely ends well. The reason? Translation of technical texts requires much…
Read MoreTo Translate or Not to Translate? 5 Tips for Knowing When You Need Professional Translation
鈥淎 little knowledge goes a long way.鈥 That’s what Michael, the owner of a fast-growing company, said to his business partner when discussing the process of taking their U.S. success into international markets. His partner couldn鈥檛 agree more. Sales were up, and they both knew why. Michael had decided to have his sales training materials translated and adapted for each…
Read MoreWhy Hire an ATA Member?
ATA members have a commitment to continuing education and are held to the highest professional standards. Feel secure knowing if you鈥檙e hiring an ATA member, you鈥檙e hiring the best in the business.
The ATA Compass
Our outreach publication provides up-to-date information and resources about the translating and interpreting industry.
What's the difference?
Translators do the writing. Interpreters do the talking. ATA helps you find the right language professional.
Can't a computer do all this?
There are times when machine translation is useful, and times when it's not. Learn when to use Google Translate, and when to hire a professional.